Help for a new racer PLEASE READ

[DtwSailor]

My brother bought and paid for a cut suit that was listed here on Hydroracer. He has yet to receive the equipment, although his check was cashed over a month ago, and no communication from the seller. We need some assistance from the Washington Group to track down the equipment and or seller.
He bought it from Kevin Drake from Moses Lake Washington. If anyone knows him, please get into contact with us immediately so we don't have to go with any legal action.

[ZUL8TR]

paid and no suit

That's terrible. Sorry I can't help since I do not know the seller but at least adding a response will get readers in that area to chime in?

[DtwSailor]

Thanks, that is the idea as well, but I don't want to start spamming hydroracer!

here is the member profile of the seller:
https://hydroracer.net/forums/member.php?u=6315

and the ad:
https://hydroracer.net/forums/showthread.php?t=22331

[sponsonhead]

Hmmmmmmmm............

I've never heard of this guy, at least as far as APBA outboard racing in Region 10 is concerned. Maybe the SLORA folks know him?

Something else that seems fishy...his login name is Drake828-V which might imply an Illinois racer, but his address is in Moses Lake WA?

Something doesn't add up on the surface, anyway.

R-19

[John Long]

New Racer

Sorry to hear about your problem--I don't know about that area, but I too have been doofed by a guy from up there--his name is Wayne Peters, he purchased a canopy mold and some lexan canopy shields for his Gran Prix 45 boat from me and "low and behold" he just forgot to pay me for the items--after chasing him for quite some time he fineally would not answer my emails!!
Wanyne, if you read this, I'm back looking for my money!!
I hope you get your safety gear or your money back--we don't have room in this sport for thieves!! Good luck!!

[thepiranhabros]

To be fair, this could all just be an honest oversight with a perfectly logical explanation.

However, I do agree that it is quite odd that communication has stopped after the check has cleared. Any chance your brother has Kevin's phone number? Has he tried calling him?

If you're still not getting any satisfaction, perhaps a call or e-mail to APBA HQ would be in order to see if Kevin Drake exists in their system. If there is no record of him at APBA, perhaps Mike and Teresa could provide the IP address from where Kevin Drake's posts originated.

As a last resort, you have an address where your brother mailed a check, right? And the cancelled check will bear the information of the banking institution where it was cashed or deposited. You could step things up a notch and contact the local PD to report possible fraud activity.

[Mrs blueskyracer]

This is not a SLORA racer, that much I do know. Sorry to hear about this, I don't know why folks do this kind of thing. Hopefully they will read the posts and respond.

[Mrs blueskyracer]

The IP address that this user logs on from is in Streamwood, Illinois. Have you tried a phone directory search, or facebook for that matter? I guess he could of moved to Washington but maybe had decided to get out of racing before he moved so no Washington racers would be familiar with him.

Does APBA or any of the other racing associations have any contact information for this person, perhaps he can be located by his boat number?

[ZUL8TR]

no cut suit

Thanks, that is the idea as well, but I don't want to start spamming hydroracer!

here is the member profile of the seller:
https://hydroracer.net/forums/member.php?u=6315

and the ad:
https://hydroracer.net/forums/showthread.php?t=22331

Mighty suspicious since he joined in June this year and the only 2 posts are to sell the suit. Maybe that is a marker for the future?

[seanp3]

I've never heard of this person either. I do travel through the Moses Lake area on a regular basis. If you get an address I'll be more than happy to go knock on his door for you......

[Mrs blueskyracer]

To be fair, this could all just be an honest oversight with a perfectly logical explanation.

However, I do agree that it is quite odd that communication has stopped after the check has cleared. Any chance your brother has Kevin's phone number? Has he tried calling him?

If you're still not getting any satisfaction, perhaps a call or e-mail to APBA HQ would be in order to see if Kevin Drake exists in their system. If there is no record of him at APBA, perhaps Mike and Teresa could provide the IP address from where Kevin Drake's posts originated.

As a last resort, you have an address where your brother mailed a check, right? And the cancelled check will bear the information of the banking institution where it was cashed or deposited. You could step things up a notch and contact the local PD to report possible fraud activity.

I was thinking the exact same thing on the address and the banking information.

[DtwSailor]

Phone and address

I do have his number and placed a call and he did answer. Once I asked if this was so and so, he hung up on me, so I left another message explaining the severity of the issue.

The sad thing is that almost everyone here is legit and honest, and will bend over backwards for a new guy. Please know that we feel this is still the case, especially by the number of calls and pm I have gotten.

One way or another we will resolve this and have a new guy on the water next year! I gotta have someone I can beat!

[jfdowning]

no gear

Sorry to hear about your friends misfortune.

Since you know the contact number is working and I assume your friend has the mailing address. I would at this point contact the police and file a formal complaint. Give them all the information including a copy of the cancelled check. Depending on the dollar amount it may actually be felony theft. Just my thoughts.

Best of luck.
James

[DtwSailor]

Unfortunately, that is what we have to do. I left a message to try to come clean in 24 hours! Now who else has a cut suit for a balding pot belly wanta be C driver? LOL I can post that as he wont find out till he gets his computer fixed and or someone tells him!

[sam]

Next time use a postal money order ... all you have to do is turn the info over to the post office and the postal inspectors do the leg work ... show up with guns and everything. I've never had to do it, but people I know have been on both sides of it and were equally impressed.