That Guy's Back On Ebay.

This is the guy who's trying to sell (still in production) a Saturn 1b. He's throwing all the same hot wind into his description he had before. I noticed a change now. The size has changed considerably from being over 7 ft. tall to just over 5 ft. The price still remains the same. He states he's farmed out the production to a company called Ballistic Enterprises, and all I've been able to find on a Google search have been related to guns. He had before stated another company long ago which I looked up to no avail.

I've shot some emails off asking if he still has ONE completed and have gotten no answer. He's also got an enlarged version of the Estes Phoenix missile and asked him if he had any actual photos of the kit parts and still no answer. His eBay name is 2015forsn. Waiting with baited breath and turning blue.op:

Are you saying this is a scam?

There is a long history for this cat. He has big dreams but can never get out of the starting blocks. If he really is trying to sell something, it's vaporware. All he needs is one sucker and it's worked. We watch for this stuff and post here so nobody we know gets bitten. I'm sure if he does ever get anything to market it might be amazing, but I for one am not crowd funding this guy.

I could probably find and post this person's real name and phone number but as long as he doesn't screw me, who cares? Just good capitalism at work. Remember, there's a sucker born every minute.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There's_a_sucker_born_every_minute

Who are we to interfere with good commerce?

Here's "that guy's" Ebay listing. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-32-scale...376?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9b630710

And here's where he lifted the picture. https://www.starshipmodeler.com/real/sp_sat1b.htm

It looks like one hell of a deal to me! And if it's on Ebay it's got to be good.

tmacklin said:

Here's "that guy's" Ebay listing. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-32-scale...376?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9b630710

And here's where he lifted the picture. https://www.starshipmodeler.com/real/sp_sat1b.htm

It looks like one hell of a deal to me! And if it's on Ebay it's got to be good.

Click to expand...

That's where I found the same picture. I had asked why he won't show a picture of his OWN product and got defensive saying he's some sort of businessman and 'knows' what he's doing.

Look at bottom right corner of drawing.........our very own George Gassaway drew them...LOL
Wonder if HE knows about this.?

I was actually standing under a Saturn 1B yesterday. Then I was looking at a Saturn V and 1B side by side. I'm getting the bug to build these. Too many builds, not enough time or good painting weather.

Maybe I should go buy this guy's kit. Obviously this deal is not shady at all. What could go wrong?

Kruegon said:

I was actually standing under a Saturn 1B yesterday. Then I was looking at a Saturn V and 1B side by side. I'm getting the bug to build these. Too many builds, not enough time or good painting weather.

Maybe I should go buy this guy's kit. Obviously this deal is not shady at all. What could go wrong?

Click to expand...

I don't know if you're being serious or not but this guy has been on eBay before with the same hook about this model and never came through with it. He still won't answer my email messages either. Not great customer service in my book.

This is weird. Is it a complete fraud? Or is he just kind of batty and plans to put a kit together when someone finally sends him money? Has anyone ever tried an order? If so, what happened?

He says the first kit will be used on the set of Big Bang Theory, but you can buy number 2.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

This is weird. Is it a complete fraud? Or is he just kind of batty and plans to put a kit together when someone finally sends him money? Has anyone ever tried an order? If so, what happened?

He says the first kit will be used on the set of Big Bang Theory, but you can buy number 2.

Click to expand...

I recall two people last year having bought into the '7 ft.' version but he keeps changing his account name with no feedback with the exception of one. He started off with zero then his first feedback was negative 1 in the red. Not good. He's still promising the same bells and whistles but has yet to have a single one in his possession to either display or as a proven design. He won't talk to me after several emails, so like last time, he's acted rather suspicious.

Steven said:

I recall two people last year having bought into the '7 ft.' version but he keeps changing his account name with no feedback with the exception of one. He started off with zero then his first feedback was negative 1 in the red. Not good. He's still promising the same bells and whistles but has yet to have a single one in his possession to either display or as a proven design. He won't talk to me after several emails, so like last time, he's acted rather suspicious.

Click to expand...

I guess either way, scam artist or kook, he's not a guy you want to send money to.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

I guess either way, scam artist or kook, he's not a guy you want to send money to.

Click to expand...

Exactly. I would like to see some other folks shoot off an email to him asking whatever pertinent questions they may have and see what happens.

After rereading his description, he states that for a 5 ft. rocket, he's using a 30" inch chute just for the CM/LES. Sounds rather large to me.

blackjack2564 said:

Look at bottom right corner of drawing.........our very own George Gassaway drew them...LOL
Wonder if HE knows about this.?

Click to expand...

hmmmm, something tells me he does not.


Braden

Hmm, I could do one better and sell a design with product. Do I need to test the design first?

I love his part about a deceleration detector firing a C engine to lift the command module clear. Sounds cool, but have never seen such a device.

Kirk

Steven said:

Exactly. I would like to see some other folks shoot off an email to him asking whatever pertinent questions they may have and see what happens.

Click to expand...

I'll bite - I'll send a few questions to see his response....

Steven said:

I don't know if you're being serious or not but this guy has been on eBay before with the same hook about this model and never came through with it. He still won't answer my email messages either. Not great customer service in my book.

Click to expand...

I was indeed actually at the real rockets.

I was trying to slather those extra comments in sarcasm lol. No way I'd try something so fishy.

Kruegon said:

I was indeed actually at the real rockets.

I was trying to slather those extra comments in sarcasm lol. No way I'd try something so fishy.

Click to expand...

No, I wasn't referring to your visit there. No way. It was just the rest that I was too thick to figure out all by my lonesome.

If this guy is REALLY interested in making/selling a large Saturn and didn't have any capital for it, all he'd have to do would be to get a Kickstarter going and post in the Vendors section (after getting the appropriate approval from the webmaster). If he can answer some basic questions that show that he knows what he's doing, he'd probably get funded. Since he has not bothered to do this, on a recurring basis, it's nothing but a scam. The HPR rocketry community is relatively small and pretty tight so word about this kind of thing gets out fast, but I'm sure there are a few lone eagles out there that don't get the feedback from other hobbyists and would be susceptible to some guy like this on eBay.

His only other listing is a Phoenix that is 15% larger than the Estes version. The diameter is 3 inches and it uses a plastic Estes nose cone. I have never heard of a 3 inch Estes nose cone for the Phoenix. The 2.6 inch Phoenix nose cones are hard to find, so where did he get a 3 incher?

He's been around a while, and has used at least 6 ebay names/accounts, that have come and gone.
Allegedly (according to him when he used to post here) he is a former ATC (airline traffic controller) who is suing the government.
Caveat emptor with this guy!
Greg

I'm not that familiar with Ebay --- just signed up yesterday. What happens to the questions you post? I posted a question yesterday, but is says there have been no questions.

Seems to me like a really clueless guy who daydreams about doing something but has no real idea of how to get a kit into production or start an actual business. If it's an outright scam it's a stunningly incompetent one. I certainly wouldn't send any money.

Ebay has a money back guarantee now. If you dont get it after thirty days you get your money back. So who is going to be first to bite...lol:dark:

ThirstyBarbarian said:

I'm not that familiar with Ebay --- just signed up yesterday. What happens to the questions you post? I posted a question yesterday, but is says there have been no questions.

Click to expand...

I've posted 7 out of the 13 questions and still no returned emails. I saw the issue with the nose cone of the Phoenix Missile and had asked him to post some pictures of the kit and has refused to.

les said:

I'll bite - I'll send a few questions to see his response....

Click to expand...

well....been about 24 hours and no response to my questions yet.
Only 1 day, 2 hours left for the auction

Steven said:

I've posted 7 out of the 13 questions and still no returned emails. I saw the issue with the nose cone of the Phoenix Missile and had asked him to post some pictures of the kit and has refused to.

Click to expand...

I asked if there was a picture of the actual kit because the photo of shown seemed to be of a different model. And I asked if there were pictures of the kit parts.

When you ask a question using the questions feature on the Ebay page, is that question supposed to appear anywhere? Or does it only appear if the person listing the item answers it? I don't see my question anywhere, let alone an answer to it.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

I asked if there was a picture of the actual kit because the photo of shown seemed to be of a different model. And I asked if there were pictures of the kit parts.

When you ask a question using the questions feature on the Ebay page, is that question supposed to appear anywhere? Or does it only appear if the person listing the item answers it? I don't see my question anywhere, let alone an answer to it.

Click to expand...

Thirsty, the question will only appear if the seller allows it to.

rokitflite said:

Thirsty, the question will only appear if the seller allows it to.

Click to expand...

Thanks. In that case, I'm guessing my question wil never appear.