You gotta be kidding me!

I was willing to wait and see how things played out, but this just knocked me off the fence.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME-OPPORTUNITY-LETTERPRESS-BUSINESS-/320779023725?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aafeb756d

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This listings seems to state that $24,500 (7 presses at $3500 each) was paid by people who wanted these presses and they still can’t afford to produce them.

I don’t see who in their right mind would want to pay $150 to own 49 percent of that debt and legal obligation. Good intentions or not, this business opportunity sounds toxic.

Am I missing something?

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

Nope. There is, as P.T. said, a sucker born every minute, and Lou wants them all. How 150 dollars buys 49% of a business is beyond comprehension and should be a tip-off, but there will be greedy suckers who are snookered by it.

Bob

Personally, I’d rather go to a casino and buy $150.00 in chips…

That’s what it seems to say in the listing, but, I believe there may be even more debt. I know of at least one other person who contacted me that gave a deposit only (not through Ebay). If there is one, there likely is more. That person hired an attorney who sent a demand notice for return of the deposit. I do not know if he complied as yet. I have also recently been dealing with another customer of a newly restored press from the same source trying to use my roller platen gauge to adjust it. With what was done to the press during restoration it is impossible to adjust to print properly. Those of you that purchased restored presses and do not have a problem should consider yourself fortunate. From the presses I have seen, there seems to be little understanding of what is necessary for proper operation.

I guess I must be dense. What is the difference between this and a phishing email from a relative who is stranded in London and had her purse stolen so she can’t get back to her home in Arkansas. They wanted me to wire money so she could return home. (I received such an email.)

I know this company had been battered about on this forum but enough is enough. Why hasn’t the DA from that state busted him?

has anyone noticed the shabbiness of the hardware on the presses, especially the platen adjustment screws…….

Wow, now the plot is getting funny AND strange. I want to look the other way and ignore it, but … it is like a soap opera sucking me in to see what happens next … with commercials to boot.

I was kind of amused by the 1/4-20 studs for mounting the platen — though I’m sure he plans something different in the final version, that’s ludicrous. If you’re going to the trouble to mock up a prototype, it should look like the final version — but maybe he doesn’t understand that either!

Bob

The fact the he hasn’t delivered on his product, coupled with the feeble effort to raise money by selling 49% of the business for $150. reminds me of the plot from “The Producers” - without the laughs. How many 49% shares does he expect to sell? The way I figure it, he can do it twice, raise $300. and would be left with a 2% share which would no longer be controlling interest. Jeez, he’s not even a good con-man. I really hope nobody is suckered in by his weird and rambling offer. I did point out to eBay that it looks fraudulent, I hope they will act upon it.

.

That listing is now closed but there is a new listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME-OPPORTUNITY-LETTERPRESS-BUSINESS-/320779226249?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aafee8c89#ht_1098wt_1396
NOW the stakes are a little higher: $150,000!! But if you look in the copy, it still says $150.

Clearly a violation of eBays listing policy.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/stocks.html

At least $150k makes a little more sense. Sort of.

This seems to be taking on a life of its own. Everyone should take a deep breath once in a while and remember the thread that itemized the fact that Lou is a convicted swindler with no scruples.

Rick

I think it’s a typo in the description. I’m pretty sure that the investment amount (for the 49%) is $150,000.00, not $150.00.
I think he may need a proofreader as well as investors. It appears that he is offering 49% interest to either a single investor or a group of investors for a total investment of $150,000, leaving 51% for himself as controlling interest. I don’t think it’s a scam but it is risky, as are most investments.

.

For more detail if you haven’t seen some of these posts, I’ve been trying to address the egregious crap coming from Lou, by proxy, for a collection of unsatisfied customers very much like what John Falstrom referred to. These posts are admittedly long, but if you have any doubt about what’s occurring, they essential de-construct everything that Lou has tried to put into play:

http://www.briarpress.org/27050

http://www.briarpress.org/27487

http://www.briarpress.org/27446

http://www.briarpress.org/27956

-Jonathon

The rusting crap that passes me now and then is at least physically in existance . Is shipping to the US a viableprospect , Any of you able to use containers weighing 30 ton full of dismantled and cannabalised heidelbergs ? There must be hundreds of takers out there if you still deal with these people, I bought my large treadle for three hundred pounds (uk) My baby one for twenty five . i am using a heidelberg that i got for nothing because it was cheaper to replace the whole machine than pay seniors £300 ,for one gripper. My previous platen was a heidelberg , HS model serial No 20573 O she had a steel impression handle and you lubed it with a oil can . You dont buy what you havent seen if the bills over 50 pounds or the sharks get you She, the hs ,cost 100 pounds Why would you send a stranger that sort of money ,Surely the first complaint about these people should have put you off.