Empire rockets

Hey all,
I've read all the posting of your mis-fortune about being ripped off by Vin at Empire Rockets. Well, I've know Vin for almost three years through his home rocket kit business. Though we haven't really met in person I've talked to him several times over the phone.

Lately, I have been selling a few of my kits on ebay and a few weeks ago he contact me via email and said he was interested in trading a kit for one of his 1/12th scale Bomarc kit. I called him at:

Vin & Jen Sauriol
10584 Empire Rd.
Forestville NY 14062

Sauriol, V & Vincent
10584 Empire Rd
Forestville, NY 14062-9548
(716) 965-2337

I told him that I just sold the kit he was willing to trade for but I'd be willing to pay for his Bomarc kit. We agreed on $52.00 and I told him I would send him a U.S. Money order. I sent him a U.S. Postal money order almost four weeks ago and haven't recieve my kit. I attempted to call him about it over the last 4 weeks and was able to leave voice messages the first two weeks. Now his phone just rings and nobody answers. I've sent several emails over the past four weeks and none have "bounced-back".

I don't know whats going on with him. I've already filled out an online compliant with the U.S. Post office via there website.

I am in the process of filling a formal compliant through the NY Attorney.

Those of you that has been ripped off by Vin and would like to join me in the compliant please send me an email.

I will do all the formal paperwork, I just need your name, address, amount you sent, your address and dates.

Again, I will do all the paperwork.

Regards,

Jim Hupalar

Jim,

I'm sorry to hear about this coming up AGAIN.

But you know the old saying.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me."

Yes, your right Gordan,

But as I mentioned in my posting we were friends for about three years and he contacted me about the kit. After reading all those posting about Vin not sending out kits I figured like a few other "Vendors" that he may have gotten behind and somehow mixed up with his business.

My intentions is not to prolong this "Empire Rockets" thing as I want him stop. I've already accepted the fact that I will never see the kit or my money. However, he needs to be stopped and his website shut down.

Anway, a few months ago you mentioned something about possibly kitting a LTV Scout? Is that still in the works?

I moved to Maryland recently possibly we can get together in the future to punch some holes in the sky?

Regards,

Jim H.

Jim, I noticed you moved.

The LTV Scout is "coming" but I don't know when. I'm having parts made by "someone else" so I don't know when to expect delivery.

Empire's like one of those "weekend on the toilet" viruses that keep getting passed around.

Well guys/girls,

I just filled-out a online form with the NY State Attorney's office and it was mailed today via U.S. mail.

https://www.oag.state.ny.us/complaints/pdfs/internet_complaint.pdf

Hope nobody else gets ripped off. Oh buy the way Vin contact me...

Regards,

Jim H.

Empire Rockets might get shut down finally...

Dear Consumer:

Thank you for your submission to the New York State Attorney General's Internet
Bureau. On behalf of Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, I want to thank you for
taking the time to alert us to this matter. Your assistance is vital to our
efforts to serve the people of the State of New York.

We have added your submission to our files. It is through complaints such as
yours that we learn of patterns of fraud and illegality. If you have any
questions about this matter, please call us at (212) 416-8433. For other
consumer-related matters, please call our consumer hotline at (800) 771-7755.


Regards,

Jim H.

OK Jim, I'm tired of waiting - sent Vin a last request, I'll be filing as well with the NY AG as well as with the USPS (see here: https://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm ) if he does not reply by this weekend.

Seven weeks is long enough to deliver, or at least communicate status - don't you think? I've been patient enough.

Barry,
I have filed an official complaint with the U.S. Post Office and with the N.Y. State Attorney's Office. I was taken by Vin along with the others.

I asked the N.Y. State Attorney's Office and USPS to shut down his website.



P.S. In both my complaint I gave the url of this forum so they can see how many people he ripped off.

I cannot believe the Rocketry people in NY State allows him to operate like this...

Regards,

Jim H.

hmmm, maybe I should pay Vin a little visit... He's only 25 miles or so away from me, yet until reading about his fraud, I had never heard of the company... that's odd in and of intself. Yes, maybe a little "reminder" delivered via "air mail" is in order. j/k... sorry to hear that ya'll have been screwed by one of my rocket neighbors. (even tho I've never seen/spoken or known about him 'til now) I assure you, all new yorkers are not like this..

Originally posted by TeenRocketNerd
hmmm, maybe I should pay Vin a little visit... He's only 25 miles or so away from me, yet until reading about his fraud, I had never heard of the company... that's odd in and of intself. Yes, maybe a little "reminder" delivered via "air mail" is in order. j/k... sorry to hear that ya'll have been screwed by one of my rocket neighbors. (even tho I've never seen/spoken or known about him 'til now) I assure you, all new yorkers are not like this..

Click to expand...

If you do let me know and I can scan my U.S. Postal money order and email it to you...

I really don't think N.Y. Yorkers are like that my point was if anybody in N.Y. know Vin and possibly could offer some sort of explanation as to why he's operating like this.

Regards,

Jim H.

Originally posted by Fishhead
Empire's like one of those "weekend on the toilet" viruses that keep getting passed around.

Click to expand...

Oh, God.... I just hurt myself laughing too hard on that one!!!

Just cleaning out my old links and noticed the Empire site is now gone.

M.

The URL is still there, it just appears that the hosting ISP has shut it down (https://www.empirerockets.com) with a "Sorry, the site you requested has been disabled" message.

Good riddance, I say.

Perfect timing. I just sent my Bomarc review to EMRR a few weeks back.

Perfect timing. I just sent my Bomarc review to EMRR a few weeks back.

Click to expand...

Oh, I can't wait to read THAT review!

What rating did you give it between 1 and 5? A 911 rating. ?

Wow that was fun!

Sorry, Bill.

Originally posted by sandman
Oh, I can't wait to read THAT review!

What rating did you give it between 1 and 5? A 911 rating. ?

Wow that was fun!

Sorry, Bill.

Click to expand...

I thought that was funny.
I think it got a 1.5 or a 2. It wasn't totally without merit, but all things considered, it wasn't a transaction I'd wish on anyone else.

I wish I'd at least gotten my kit - so far my review would be a -5 ... 0 for the rocket (can't rate what I don't have) and a -5 for the aggravation!

I have the single engine Bomarc in my pile-o- kits . I didn't have any problems with them.(unlike most of you) Has anyone actually built the 1/24 scale kit??? I went to EMRR and there's nothing there.
Mark T

Originally posted by snuggles
I have the single engine Bomarc in my pile-o- kits . I didn't have any problems with them.(unlike most of you) Has anyone actually built the 1/24 scale kit??? I went to EMRR and there's nothing there.
Mark T

Click to expand...

Wait for the next update.

Originally posted by dbarrym
I wish I'd at least gotten my kit - so far my review would be a -5 ... 0 for the rocket (can't rate what I don't have) and a -5 for the aggravation!

Click to expand...

Barry,
I just received a noticed from New York's Office of the Attorney General Internet Bureau (Ms. Jane M. Azia office). The letter was from a Mr. Howah Hung requesting me to send copies of all the transaction concerning Vincent's Empire Rocket scam. I will be sending a copy of my U.S. Post Office receipt and all my transmitted emails to him.

If you would like to add to my complaint contact the New York State Attorney's Office at:

Attorney General: Mr. Eliot Spitzer
or Deputy Attorney General: Mr. dietrich L. Snell

Address:

State of New York
Office of the Attorney General
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271-0332

www.oag.state.ny.us

If anybody else has an issue with Vincent you can do the same...

Regards,
Jim H.

So, here's a problem I have... some suggest that we (EMRR) should have a little alert system about vendors.

Since EMRR is in essence (like that) an advertisement for rocket product manufacturers, some may read a review on an Empire rocket and want to go buy one... I feel a responsibility to provide an "alert" without getting into a slanderous situation.

Perhaps I should have a blanket statement to "search" TRF prior to purchasing any products then make an informed decision...

I say this just a day or so before listing another (not rated so well) Empire Bomarc kit.

Thoughts?

Nick

I live 31 minutes & 21.22 miles (according to mapquest) away from Empire Rockets. I do not know Vin at all. Sorry to read what is going on with this con artist.

I WILL take a trip by this place and see what is there. Perhaps I will be brave enough to stop in and knock on the door and ask what is going on.

I should print out the thread and nail it to his door!

Originally posted by EMRR
So, here's a problem I have... some suggest that we (EMRR) should have a little alert system about vendors.

Since EMRR is in essence (like that) an advertisement for rocket product manufacturers, some may read a review on an Empire rocket and want to go buy one... I feel a responsibility to provide an "alert" without getting into a slanderous situation.

Perhaps I should have a blanket statement to "search" TRF prior to purchasing any products then make an informed decision...

I say this just a day or so before listing another (not rated so well) Empire Bomarc kit.

Thoughts?

Nick

Click to expand...

Recent Supreme Court rulings should keep you safe on this front, but why not offer a vendor rating page, though restrict it to one vote per user, maybe allow a user to at least change his vote. Avoid comments, which could get inflammatory, just a simple 1-5 scale like on your reviews, and show a distirbution curve on the vendor showing the # of 1's, 2's, etc.

I think it would be an excellent benefit to your audience.

Heck, I fell guilty to even admit this, but I think I own 3-4 Empire kits, never had a problem with them, though bought very early on. Word of mouth here has me not even considering another buy, but my only experiences have been positive and I've probably directed a few folks to Vin before I heard about the problems. Thus the need to be able to change a vote...

--Chan Stevens

Nick,

Here's what I'd put at the head of Bill's review"

"Editors Note:

Recent messages at The Rocketry Forum suggest
problems in dealings with the manufacturer of this kit.
Search The Rocketry Forum for further details."

Since this is such a rare occurence I don't think you need to burden yourself with a ratings system.

Ok
Heres a vendors take on this, everybody knows about the bad apples out here empire, rebar rocketry etc. Eventually by word of mouth things will take care of themselves. A "ratings/feedback" system is not needed in a small hobby community like ours.

And whoever said you are safe from libel is wrong, Ebay has been sued several times and lost. They were forced to remove negative feedback because the sellers could prove the comments made were false. And in a few cases had to pay damages $$. Why take a chance on getting EMRR involved in being a middle man in a slander case? While your not the one making the comments you will provide the vehicle for the public to see them.

Nick your sight does an A-1 service to the rocket community with your information. IMHO getting invloved in a vendor rating system is a risk.