Stormin Norman

iTrader: (2)

On 1/4/12 I placed an order through this guy's site for multiple things; a lot of stuff he sells for 240s, Z33s, GTRs, and Evo's. According to the site, it would be shipped via USPS priority mail. To date, some 20 days later, nothing has been received. Of course, I attempted to call at least three times, all of which go directly to voicemail and his voicemail box being full everytime I've called. So I emailed him two or three times, the most recent being of threats of fraudulent credit card charges and reports to forums about his incompetence as a business. As promised to him, he has still not responded to me, therefore I have no choice but to warn you of this scammer business. I will be updating once my credit card company makes contact and resolves this situation.

sblvro

iTrader: (2)

is he a vendor or member here?

Stormin Norman

iTrader: (2)

Through looking at the vendor sub-forums section, his company is not listed, so I'm assuming he's not a vendor. As for a member, I have no idea. Just the fact that he sells stuff for Evos and general bulk fasters is why I made this thread.

awilli1715k

iTrader: (1)

I have ordered bolts from Baller bolts before and didn't have an issue. I may have the guy ryans emails n number . I will check for you

Stormin Norman

iTrader: (2)

He made one contact with me by phone and email and I happened to be in a meeting. Called him back asap, no response. Called later, no response. Called about a week later, no response. It's now been, essentially, one month. Credit card fraudulent charges were filed one or two weeks ago... so I hope he's certainly eating it right now.

essjEVO

iTrader: (10)

same situation, bought some bolts from him prior to my recent purchase and i had zero problems with him till i ordered another set of bolts... took him nearly 4 months to send out the bolts and sent me some temporary stainless steel "burnt" bolts since his supplier owes him thousands as he mentioned. He promised he will send out the real titanium burnt bolts and ive been trying to email him millions of times and his phone number is useless! Ive been very patient with him but i think his business is lacking communication, ive ordered parts that require months in wait times so no one can say im an impatient customer. Never will waste my $$$ again.

Stormin Norman

iTrader: (2)

Place a credit fraud complaint with your credit card company. He is in violation of two or three instances of the Fair Credit Billing Act, if he charged you money when you made the purchase anyway. Also, email him and make him aware of that he is operating his business illegally too, he will respond ASAP; that's what I had to do. He gave me his personal number as well and he never answered it, though he claims he never got my numerous calls or voicemails. And for what it's worth, if you go through with the complaint with your credit card company, let them know that he is in direct violation of the Fair Credit Billing Act. That is a VERY serious crime and a VERY serious accusation to make. Fortunately, CC companies are ruthless and will decide for themselves whether to take further action against him. The more complaints he gets, the likelihood he will get indicted for federal crimes increase rapidly. I am continuing with my CC fraud case against him and I certainly hope he gets his just deserts for acting like a complete and total piece of crap.

But most importantly, don't forget to note EVERYTHING you do; CC or BCC yourself any emails, log/keep any phone calls and voicemails left and which numbers you called. Keep phone records. This will all be very pertinent if he is taken to court for federal crime(s) committed.

essjEVO

iTrader: (10)

Truth. If he has problems with his supplier he needs to shut down his website to prevent further transactions... It's funny how on Zilvia.net he's "reputable" and about 80% vouches for him, but IMO hes lacking correct business practice. I will do what u mentioned, thanks!

It seems as though they're only making business contacts with their circle of friends.... Ie: JDMego seems like he has no problems getting stuff from him.

Stormin Norman

iTrader: (2)

LOL those clowns over there have the same issue... but they kinda brag about it, saying something like "ya I waited 6 months for my $1200 coilovers, you need to learn how to be patient"



okay, I'll do that. Must be mommy and daddy's money they're spending because I'm **** about anyone I personally know borrowing money, let alone a business that is supposedly legit.

hcompetition

Bill,

Really, are you still at this when your products you ordered are in your possession? Man you really need to get a life. I called you no less than three times to a confirm your order. I changed your order as per your request, shipped your order and you took delivery of the order. As per USPS you received your order on the 9th of Feb. You say you filled charges under which premis of the fair credit billing act? You ordered products, we shipped them you received them.

There is a reason people stick up for me on other forums Bill. Because they know me and they especially know I would not destroy a company I both spent the last three years building over a $43.00 order. Really get real.

Regards,
Ryan Hampton

Stormin Norman

iTrader: (2)

Since this is a board I never really frequent, I thought I posted that I received the stuff, so that is obviously my fault and I will apologize for allowing anyone to think I still have not received the items. Still doesn't change the facts of this situation.
However, Ryan, for you to come on here and say I need to get a life and act the way you are, you should be more concerned with trying to touch base with your customers who are awaiting orders instead of acting like all the little zilvia nut huggers. You should also know that I have received no less than 3 or 4 PMs regarding this matter on multiple boards.
Yes, I made it clear that you called me, and I also made it clear that I called you back, left four voicemails, numerous phone calls to both of the numbers you have for Baller Bolts and your cell phone and STILL received no return call from you, then you email me saying you never got anything from me. I am not at home at the moment to look at my log of calls placed to you, but if you want, I can write a synopsis of the littany of phone calls made to you, totaling at least ten times. So please don't try to say you were trying to get ahold of me and couldn't because I used practically every communication method to get ahold of you outside of sending smoke signals.
As for you violating the Fair Credit Billing Act, I've emailed you this already prior to receiving the order and I posted it in here, Zilvia, I believe Nico and 240sx forums, so there's no reason for me to continue on with it. You can explain yourself to the bank(s) whenever that time comes for you.

hcompetition

Sorry Wiilliam, for the tone of the message. Just a bit frustrated. As you may have heard, we are not scammers in any sense of the word, so please excuse the candor. I have been through this with both the banks and yahoo as far as the fair credit billing act goes. Yahoo does an automatic charge when you place your order, so I guess Yahoo is in violation of the fair credit act? I do understand your frustration, and I will be the first to admit I should have notified you earlier of the delay in your order, but to go around and call us scammers is a bit of a defamation of character.

ikt

iTrader: (18)

Dunno man, sounds like you need to quit selling stuff until your supply chain figured out.

Regards, Dolan

hcompetition

As for the fair credit billing act. Your order was shipped before the 30-50 days. Not only that, I offered you a full cancellation and refund before 30 days.

I am not sure of the premise you state is in violation. I have ordered numerous, I literally mean 1000's of orders where I am charged in advance long before an item is shipped. Not once is that in violation of the Fair Credit Billing Act. As Per the FTC website:

Facts for Consumers

• PDF Format

• Email

Billed for Merchandise You Never Received? Here's What To Do

So, just what do you do when you get a credit card bill but no merchandise? Get frustrated, to be sure.
But the error can be corrected. The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) and the Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule offer protections and procedures for consumers so they don't have to pay for merchandise they ordered but never received.
In addition, many credit card issuers have policies against merchants charging a credit card account before shipment. If you think a merchant charged your account prematurely, report it to the credit card issuer. Otherwise, the credit card issuer has no way to know that the merchant is not complying with its policies.
The Fair Credit Billing Act

To dispute a billing error on your credit card, you must:

• Write to the credit card issuer at the address for "billing inquiries," not the address for sending your payments (the address for billing inquiries is often found on the back of your most recent monthly statement); include your name, address, account number and a description of the billing error. A sample letter is included on page 3.
• Send your letter so that it reaches the credit card issuer within 60 days after the first bill containing the error was mailed to you.
• Send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you have proof of what the credit card issuer received. Include copies (not originals) of sales slips or other documents that support your position. Keep a copy of your dispute letter.
• It is important to send the letter to the correct company. In the case of Visa and MasterCard, you should send it to the bank that issued the card.

The credit card issuer must acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days after receiving it, unless the problem has already been resolved. And the credit card issuer must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles (but not more than 90 days) after receiving your letter.
What happens while your bill is in dispute?

You may withhold payment on the disputed amount (and related charges), during the investigation, but you must pay any part of the bill not in question, including any finance charges on the undisputed amount.
The credit card issuer may not take any legal or other action to collect the disputed amount and the related charges (including finance charges) during the investigation. While your account cannot be closed or restricted, the disputed amount may be applied against your credit limit.
You placed an order with a catalog company and they charged your credit card immediately. The catalog company contacts you two weeks later and says the shipment will be delayed 60 days. You agree to the delay. The 60 days have passed and you don't have the merchandise. Can you still dispute the charge?
Maybe. In delayed shipment situations, credit card issuers often are more generous when they calculate the time for allowing disputes. To take advantage of this flexibility, include the following information in your dispute letter.

• Tell the credit card issuer if the premature charge was unexpected. Some credit card issuers make an exception to the general industry rule against merchants charging before shipping if the merchant tells you about its practice at the time of sale. If you're certain the merchant said nothing or wasn't clear about its charge practice, the credit card issuer is more likely to allow the dispute.
• Tell the credit card issuer when delivery was expected. In no delivery situations, some credit card issuers will use the expected date of delivery rather than the charge date as the start time for you to dispute charges. If you dispute the charge within a reasonable time after the expected delivery date passes, chances are good that the credit card issuer will honor the dispute. When you order or when a merchant notifies you of delayed shipment, it's important to keep a record of the promised shipment or delivery date. Include a copy of any documentation of the shipment or delivery date when disputing the charge with your credit card issuer.

What if you used a debit card to pay for the merchandise?

The consumer protections for a debit card fall under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and may differ from protections for a credit card under the FCBA. So you may not be able to dispute a debit and get a refund for nondelivery or late delivery. Still, some debit card issuers voluntarily offer protections and solutions to problems like the failure to receive merchandise bought with a debit card. Contact your debit card issuer for more information about particular policies and protections.
What if you financed your purchase through the merchant?

If you financed your purchase through the merchant, you also may have protections under state and federal law. Check your credit contract for the following language: Notice: Any holder of this consumer credit contract is subject to all claims and defenses which the debtor could assert against the seller of goods or services obtained with the proceeds hereof. It means that you may be able to claim that the seller failed to deliver the goods as stated in your credit contract.
Sample Dispute Letter

The Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule

This rule covers merchandise you order by mail, telephone, computer and fax. It requires merchants to have a reasonable basis for claiming they can ship an order within a certain time.
Ship Dates

• By law, a merchant should ship your order within the time stated in its ads or over the phone. If the merchant doesn't promise a time, you can expect it to ship your order within 30 days.
• The shipment "clock" begins when the merchant receives a "properly completed order." That includes your name, address and payment (check, money order or authorization to charge an existing credit account - whether the account is debited at that time or not).
• If the merchant doesn't promise a shipping time and you are applying for credit to pay for your purchase, the merchant has an additional 20 days (50 days total) to establish the account and ship the merchandise.

Delays

If the merchant is unable to ship within the promised time, it must notify you by mail, telephone, or email, give a revised shipping date and give you the chance to cancel for a full refund or accept the new shipping date. The merchant also must give you some way to exercise the cancellation option for free, for example, by supplying a prepaid reply card or staffing a toll-free telephone number.

• If you ignore the option notice, and the delay is 30 days or less, it's assumed that you accept the delay and are willing to wait for the merchandise.
• If you do not respond - and the delay is more than 30 days - the order must be canceled by the 30th day of the delay period and a full refund issued promptly.

If the merchant can't meet the revised shipping date, it must notify you again by mail, email or telephone and give you a new shipping date or cancel your order and give you a refund.

• The order will be canceled and a refund issued promptly unless you indicate by the revised shipping date that you are willing to wait.
• If you do not respond at all to the second notice, it's assumed that you are not willing to wait, and a full refund must be issued promptly.

Refunds

If you authorized a charge to your credit card account, the merchant must credit the account within one billing cycle - not give credit toward another purchase. If you pay by cash, check or money order, the merchant must mail you a refund within seven working days.
Tips for Shopping by Phone, Mail or Online

• Consider your experience with the company or its general reputation before you order. If you've never heard of the seller, check on its physical location and reputation with the local Better Business Bureau or the state Attorney General's office.
• Ask about the company's refund and return policies, the product's availability and the total cost of your order before you place your order.
• Get a shipment date.
• Keep records of your order, such as the ad or catalog from which you ordered; the company's name, address and phone number; any shipment representation the company made to you and when it made it; the date of your order; a copy of the order form you sent to the company or, if you're ordering by phone, a list of the items and their stock codes and the order confirmation code; your canceled check or the charge or debit statement showing the charge for your order; and any communications to or from the company.
• Track your purchases. When you order online, keep printouts of the web pages with the details of the transaction, including the merchant's return policies, in case you're not satisfied.

Contacts for Resolving Problems

If you have other problems with your purchase, try to resolve your dispute with the company. If that doesn't work, the following resources may be helpful:

• State and local consumer protection offices. Contact the offices in your home state and where the company is located.
• The Direct Marketing Association (DMA). Write: DMA Mail Order Action Line
  1111 19th Street, N.W., Suite 1100
  Washington, D.C. 20036-3603
• Postal Inspectors. Call your local post office and ask for the Inspector-in-Charge.

Getting More Information

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

weap0n

iTrader: (4)

Looks like I got scammed too. Multiple emails and even posting on the Baller Bolts facebook page. No response no parts. Over $100 in bolts order placed several months ago. Steer clear.