Auction Arms Alert...
 

Thought folks that trade on A-A may want to read this about one of their sellers :

" Thread Title: "FRAUD ALERT Beware Downsizer Corporation, Downsizer, Daniel Chapman"

Beware of any seller using Downsizer Corporation, Downsizer, Daniel Chapman, in his correspondence post sale.

We've disabled several accounts this fraud has set up using straw man names Dougden, Nutcracker, Amadeus, Bradford, Bayard1908 (most recently "JimSmith") usually using another individual's address and credit card. He then sends post auction notes like -

"Congratulations, you were high bidder on the XXXXX. Please send $XXX.00 and FFL or C&R to:

"Downsizer Corporation
P.O. Box 710316
Santee, CA 92072-0316
619-448-5510

"Payment should be made out to Downsizer Corporation. Payments made out to Jim Smith will be returned. Certified funds ship immediately and are preferred. Checks may be held up to three weeks for clearance".>/p>

If you receive any post auction communication asking you to pay Downsizer, Downsizer Corporation or Daniel Chapman, please do not send any money to this fraud and notify AuctionArms staff immediately.

He is currently being reported to the FBI ICC, the PostMaster General, the State Attorney Generals of several States and the local Law Enforcement Agencies in and around Santee, CA.

Known email addresses he uses as follows: bayard1908@aol.com, Xoxogarbage@aol.com, wsp45@aol.com, dentongb@aol.com, madamegunt@yahoo.com.

As a general rule please be leery of any post auction sale requesting you to send money to someone who is not the seller. If you have any questions about a seller who might be this fraud or any other seller directing payment to someone other than the seller, please contact TheHeat@auctionarms.com. "


http://www.auctionarms.com/Help/Foru...SubjectID=9120

This fellow places ads in the AutoMag newsletter of the NAPCA as well. I hear he is no longer a member...similar complaints...

Seems like this fellow has a way of continuing to show up again, reborn...so watch out for him...

Daniel Chapman, I know that name... He has been discussed before hasn't he?

He had a trade with a forum member on Jan's forum, it took a loooong time...

Ed

Ed,

Ths fellow is no longer a member of the NAPCA (Tom knox sent me a note...) and I read over at Jan's Gun Board that he is now off that forum as well.

Was he ever a member here ?

I don't have that access here, just on Jan's, him or I can make, edit, or even block a member. He had done a deal with another member, and it took months before he sent the item, and we'd had to get involved since the deal started pubically on the forum, so he was already on Jan's and mine short-list.

Ed

I did a "trade" with Chapman over 3 years ago and never did receive anything from him except excusses. TH

Tom, that is crazy, that kind of stupidness will follow a guy, why the heck would he be so dumb?

Some people are just natural born "Hair-Balls".

A friend of mine who is a motorcycle officer and ex south central LA patrol officer told me one time. That just once in his career, he would like to arrest a rocket scientist.

Seems this is his outfit :

http://www.downsizer.com/

Fire that pistol in those calibers and your hand will know it.

I did a deal with him several years ago. I bought a Bayard pistol from him and it was a very prompt and pleasant transaction. The pistol was in fact just as he represented it to be in terms of condition and function. I remember I had a small problem with the pistol after I fired it and he helped me resolve the situation very easily and quickly. What triggered my memory on this was Pete's posting of his corporation in CA the Downsizer Co. I recall talking to him on the telephone and found him to be a most courteous and helpful person and very willing to share his knowledge on the Bayard family of vintage pistols. Could this be the same guy you all are excoriating here?

Lloyd, unsure, but one of the guys on Jan's forum had nothing but empty promises from this Dan Chapman, it took over two months after he received and cashed the money order...

Hi Lloyd,

Unfortunately...it is the same fellow. His auction ads on A-A and his sales ads in the NAPCA newletter, AutoMag, both refer back to contact info for the Downsizer Corp. and the email address matches.

I think he focused on Bayard pistol collecting...

If you go to Jan's Gun Board and look up a member named "Bayard1908", the profile tells you the member's name and his home page link takes one to this web site :

http://members.aol.com/bayard1908/index.html

The phone number listed there for the DS Corp. is no longer active and no forwarding number is offered.

Usually to get booted off an Internet auction site...well it takes alot...e.g. the fellow from Cooperas Cove, TX...who has now resurfaced with "Ian"...
Reason I posted in the 1st. place was to give folks a heads up...especially since the outfit may still be present on Gun-Broker and Guns-America...

Pete & Ed

I certainly understand your motives in terms of getting this information out to the collecting community--your vigilence is appreciated! We certainly don't need an individual (collector) making this hobby more difficult than it is especially when our collecting community is spread so far and wide and we rely on integrity and honesty to expand our collections! Apparently I must be one of the very few that can't say anything bad about my dealings with Mr. Chapman. I certainly sympathize with those that were not dealt fairly with in transactions involving this man. Anyway, it is nice that for the most part our rather small community of vintage small arms collectors represent some of the best individuals I have had the pleasure of ever meeting and dealing with!

Lloyd, like you, I have had nothing but good dealings with forum members and on the gunboards in probably 8 or 10 deals going both ways....

ed

Looks like this fellow is back on G-B as "monkee" and operating out of Chicago, IL...he tried on A-A, but those "monkee" auctions are all disabled...

This person is also one of the main sources for bogus Black Widow type grips. The quality is terrible. He used to sell them for about $12 pair 5 years ago. I bought a pair for shooter grips, and they looked so bad I threw them away.

John Chapman
 

Is this person the same that is credited on the front page? It states this forum was founded by John Chapman 1998.

NO! it isn't. Thank Goodness. John Chapman founded this forum on a free internet server in Taiwan... those were the "early days"... how do I know... "Hell, I was there!" (quoting Elmer Keith) :)