Updates with the Paintball Buyers Club (2/9/00)

Included below is some remaining dialog that I felt I should pass along to complete the discussion on this to-date. We have now received our chrony junior, a 20oz tank, and a  package of tank seals (after the BBB contacted John). The dialog I included to the paintball ratings site might be a bit redundant but is pretty accurate in details.

Today we are supposed to get the remainder of the order complete and correct. And John is sending a UPS call pickup tag so we can send back the incorrect stuff. Maybe John will actually make this right for us after all. But nothing was going our way until the Better Business Bureau called him...

Thanks again,
Lonnie Howard
lonnieh@bendcable.com
 

-----Original Message-----
From: George Brake [mailto:gbrake@neusecenter.org]
Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2000 6:51 AM
To: RATsystem@aol.com
Subject: Re: GOT SOME OF MY STUFF [PBC G Brake Woes]

I got some of mine too. I did get what I actually paid for but he didn't send the gloves he said he was going to throw in. He called me (believe that?) on Monday to see if I got the order. I told him yea and then canceled my membership because he had lied to me so many times and told him to forget sending me the gloves just cancel my membership.

I'm just glad to be done with this business altogether. He was agreeable on the phone and didn't argue with me any so I don't think I'll be trying to bring him down, but I definitely won't be recommending him to anyone else.

I also got my dues back from him without a problem. I owed him $49.95 and sent him back $25 since I had paid him $24 in dues. If he'd argued with me I wouldn't have sent that much.

Take care.  g brake
 

-----Original Message-----
From: RATsystem@aol.com <RATsystem@aol.com>
To: gbrake@neusecenter.org <gbrake@neusecenter.org>
Date: Friday, January 28, 2000 5:59 PM
Subject: GOT SOME OF MY STUFF

I GOT  some of my stuff.. Its real half a* .. I am still in the hold 40 dollars on what he owes us.. I am over it I think.  I can fight this a* anymore.  WE got our chrony and that was the big thing.  I am going to let the attorney general fight the rest.   I am so pissed at this guy.

Let me know if u got all of yours.  What an a*.

Help me shut this fool down..  PLEASE!!! post up all over the net..
PLEASE!!

youth
ns

From Lonnie to Todd Meredith on 01/29/2000 regarding email sent to a paintball ratings site.
 

Todd, I filled out a form and rated them at rock bottom. Then included the following comments:

Total scam artists. They own aaa-paintball also so I would avoid them too.  It has been over 30 days since we placed our first order (23 days on the 2nd) and we still don't have everything we paid for and many of things we received were incorrect. One tank had bad threads and was a 12 instead of a 20. They shipped a 9 tank instead of a 7. They shipped amber Combat Vison Antifog inserts instead of clear. We have to call every day and beg them to ship our stuff and they say they did and then we don't get it or it is a partial shipment with wrong stuff. We now have 80% of our orders but it has taken daily phone calls to get this far. We are fearing the remaining stuff is never going to come at all. They still owe us: 2 squeegees, 3 clear combat visions, 7oz tank, $18 game timer, and a neck protector. John at PBC constantly lies to us about when things ship and has provided us many false UPS tracking numbers and a story of a shipment going to the wrong customer. PBC never provides a packing slip or invoice either and we had to order over the phone so there is zero paperwork. Very scary. Beware of these folks, they are seriously dishonest and messed up. Can you help us get the word out on these ripoffs? - Lonnie Howard

Greetings, Our recent dealings with PBC lead me to believe they are crooks.  We have also communicated with others via email that have the same unbelievable story to tell. Please consider researching into their track record and then retracting the link on your website to their website if you want to truly provide service to your readership.

Is there a chance that you have some suggestions for how we might receive justice (or simply our money back) from Paintball Buyers Club?

Lonnie Howard
lonnieh@empnet.com

Hi Lonnie,
 

Thank you for your email.  I'm kinda weary of this company as well.  I will look into it, but will be sure to put up some investigation efforts.  Do you mind if I use this email and your post ins our editorials section?

The MPN Staff

Thank you for your concern and support. Your willingness to help is very kind. And you are more than welcome to use my email in whatever way you feel is necessary to help stop this from happening to others. And you are free to give my email address and Todd's (he is our club contact with PBC) out to anyone that would like to contact us regarding PBC.

Thanks again,
Lonnie Howard
Bend, Oregon
lonnieh@empnet.com

Todd Meredith
ratsystem@aol.com

Should I Sign up?

Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 8:29 PM
To: lonnieh@empnet.com
Subject: pbc

hey there, i saw your email on mpn about pbc.. i was gonna join up with them
but i am hesitant after reading your email.....

what is their problem, id like to hear what you have to say before i send
them any money

thanks for your time
doug

Greetings Doug, I have enclosed a post on warpig's tech forum (low / mid markers) that I did recently. I hope this helps clarify our concerns.

We sicked the Better Business Bureau on them and it looks like John at PBC has come around. We should have the remainder of our order by this Friday and we are returning the incorrectly shipped items by UPS Call Pick Tag that John is sending out.

John talked with Todd Meredith (our club's buyer) and said that they are trying to straighten things out and get back on track. I am still very skeptical and plan on taking my business elsewhere from here on out. They crossed some major lines of trust with me and I won't rest until everything is delivered as promised and for the pricing that was quoted. It still worries me that it took the BBB to get John off his duffer and do what he should have done from the beginning.

So, we have backed off on getting the word out on how bad these guys have been in case they really do turn a corner and get their act together. I hope this helps. Feel free to email back if you need more info.

Good Luck,
Lonnie Howard

p.s. Below are some emails Todd had with another guy who was getting the same extremely lousy service.

Other Feedback Emails

From: RATsystem@aol.com <RATsystem@aol.com>
To: gbrake@neusecenter.org <gbrake@neusecenter.org>
Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2000 6:37 PM
Subject: Re: pbc

Man you're reading my mind. That's the exact same s* I've been dealing with. Expecting an order on friday, it not showing up, then spending the next week calling him and going through it all again. It sucks. I've already filed a complaint with the bbb at www.bbb.gov . Do that now. Maybe 2 complaints will be more effective. That email from merlin - got it - we've been talking about this s* all week. At least all of us disatisfied customers can communicate with each other. He has given me 4, yep 4, bunk tracking numbers. Man that is frustrating. And what is up with there phone? It was disconnected last week, i get no answer now, and sometimes i get someone's messaging service. He said to call him back at 5.30 today to get my 5th tracking number. I call back and it rings, and rings, and rings... Man I will help you shut him down any way that I can. Thanks and stay in touch.

one other thing..

He has promised my order to be here friday.. after I have called him everyday.. I got the tracking order and the one he gave me isnt coming up as valid.. The last time he did this to me on my first order and my package ended up in another state

If my tracking order isnt valid tomorrow.. He is going to hear from me. He also didnt send an invoice in my package.. what the hell kind of business is this. Lucky for him I had an emial that had all the things I had paid for on it. This guy seems to be a crook.. Please let me know if u get ur order. IF not I will shut this %*@!! down.

Very displeased

youth
ns

Are you the guy that had the shocker that was sent to the wrong address? Yea you're right this is complete bulls*. I'm looking at a month and $25 in dues later before I'll even see my first order, if it comes in this week. I've had to call him every day the last 3 weeks. Did you know that they have a toll free? They don't post it but they do. I've had several emails from other unsatisfied customers and one from a guy that says he actually received his order. I think he's being paid off by PBC to give good replies... I dunno. Thanks for the link to paintball online. I use them alot and have never had a problem with them. I ordered a marker right before christmas and it was at my door in 2 days. You're right they are really good. As for cancelling your account, I don't know how to go about getting that done successfully. I guess just do it over the phone. I've emailed them twice bitching them out and saying I wanted it cancelled and a full refund of dues and all. They must not ever check their email cause when I talk to them on the phone they act like they don't know what I'm talking about. I'm ready to let the world know how bad they suck if my s* doesn't show up by this Friday. I'll make "PBC sucks a*" part of my signature on forums and send emails about my sob story and yours, and other peoples who've dealt with them to anyone even remotely thinking about dealing with them. I totally understand what you're sayin. I am sick of this s* and will cancel my membership ASAP after I get my order.

Thanks for the reply. George Brake, New Bern, NC

From: RATsystem@aol.com <RATsystem@aol.com>
To: dirtphreak@coastalnet.com <dirtphreak@coastalnet.com>
Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2000 3:59 PM
Subject: pbc

Yes.. john is super nice and seems sincere.. whoknows? I have had enough though

www.paintballonline is a cheap site and guarantees the lowest prices.. it wont match wholesale liek these freaks but i know they are dependable.

I have given them shots at two orders and htey have messed them up terribly both times. One tiem they sent it to the wrong state and wrong house obviously.. ridiculous.

they might be nice but can they run a business? ur guess is better then mine.. good luck

im out after ti get this order.. done with it!!!

Another Bad Incident

Name: LoonToon
E-Mail:
Subject: Re: Paintball Buyers Club? Ripoffs?
Body of Message:
Our club is having a horrible experience with Paintball Buyers Club. They appear to be serious scam artists, con artists or ripoffs, take your pick. I would avoid them like the plague! They lie and promise and don't deliver and substituted all kinds of things without our permission and gave us a tank with bad threads that I seriously doubt was an accident based on their track record. It can't get any worse than this folks! We have yet to get any packing slip or invoice in the two shipments we received and because they only take phone orders there is no paper trail - very scary. We are networked via email now with others who report the same bad treatment. Our club contact has to call John at PBC almost daily just to keep from being ripped off. John has given our guy several bad UPS shipment tracking numbers which is really upsetting. They don't take Credit Cards so we feel we have less consumer protection or recourse and are at PBC's mercy to not rip us off. Plain and simple it has been a serious nightmare and it is not over yet. I can't figure out what their problem is but you have been warned!!! We are also avoiding Paintball Buyers Club's sister company, www.aaa-paintball.com, which is located at the same street address of 215 West Palmetto Street, Wauchula, Florida. Yikes!!!

: Paintballbuyersclub.com seems to be a very good Idea for my team. Has anyone had expieriences with them? Any help in getting us info will be GREATLY appreciated.

: Thanks a bunch

: Merlin
: Team Wizard

If any of you fellow paintball players have had a problem with this company, please send us your thoughts or comments, so that we may prevent this from continuing within the paintball community.  We here at the MPN are also looking into these matters further, and will be sure to share any findings we may come accross.

The MPN Staff