Ebay fraud - DutyPaid / Steven Levi

Ebay fraud - DutyPaid

Business information:
Address
SL13@aol.com:
eBay ID - Dutypaid
Duty Free Digital eBay Store
320 West 87th St. Apt 9E
New York New York 10024
U.S.A.
Phone Number:
(212)769-2697 (disconnected)
(212)769-9027 (disconnected)

Beach House (as mentioned in one of the e-mails)
6120 Taylor Street
Chincoteague Island, VA 23336
1-917-821-3281 Mobile Phone (not working)

Back in August 16 I had bought an Olympus C-8080 8.3MP 5 YR Warr 160mb Digital camera from him for a total of $709.97. His ad said that it would take 15 business day to deliver the item... So i waited and waited Then i tried to e-mail him in september when he was going to ship the item but he never responded. So i tried calling several times but he never answers the phone. Then sometime in september i find out he cancelled his ebay account (or he was kicked off), then he disconnects his phone line! After sending him another e-mail he finally responds that he is filling for bankruptcy! He doesn't provide any information on what court he filled with etc... so I am starting to wonder if its even true.

I was looking through Levi's feedback and i noticed maybe at least 40 other people who have commented that they have not gotten what they paid for and without any type of refund. So i am certainly not the only person who has been screwed by this guy! If you have been ripped off by Levi please email me nick at nirvanafreak.

+ Message 1 Item "won"
+ Message 2 Payment instructions
+ Message 3 Payment instructions (again)
+ Message 4 VACATION NOTICE! "I WILL BE RUNNING MY EBAY STORE FROM MY BEACH HOUSE" Sounds like he is financially doing alright! However the caps should have told me something was up...
+ Message 5 Hes back "We need at least 15 business days to ship your order"
+ Message 6 Complaint to Ebay
+ Message 7 EBay Responds
+ Message 8 eBay's Trust and Safety Department
+ Message 9 Says he has filed for bankruptcy

Update: 10-19
Just came across this on ebay today:


I recently purchased an Olypus c-50 camera from Duty Free Digital store
Posted: September 21, 2004 1:01 PM
reoutt  (Private) (view author's auctions)   Posts: 1 
and his store is now closed. I'm wondering if anyone else is having a problem with 
this store (Steven A Levi). His item said that shipping would happen in 15 days, after 
40, he claimed his warehouse had been robbed but offered me to look over his inventory 
for a replacement or a refund. Everything I choose (most of them listing for less than 
my purchase) had a much higher price tag. When I finally asked for a refund, his store 
was closed. any Ideas?

Thanks

Andy

Curious how he never mentioned he was robbed!


Update: 10-20-04
Just did a search on "Intl. Sales Consultants" which is the name of his business on paypal. When i searched for that i get this site: http://www.mackcam.com/warranty_dealerlist.html which has authorised dealers listed.

Update: 10-21-04
Filed a police report on this.

Update 10-22-04
Levi is mentioned in to following links:
+ hatch.org: Selling Links on eBay Here we find out that Levi is an experienced salsman "...laid off from his position at Carolee Designs, a fashion jewelry firm in Greenwich, Conn., the layoff came as a shock. He'd been a globe-trotting salesman, spending much of his time on the road in Hong Kong, London, Sydney and other cities"

Update 2-20-05
Just found Steven using a message board. Apparently the people there have just found out about his ebay business.

Message board (post now deleted)

Update 2-21-05
Just found out his daughter will be going Union College in Schenectady, NY. $40,000 for college! I wonder how he got the money.....

Update 2-24-05
I posted a few messages and well now i'm banned from leoville. If you want to confront Levi you will have to wait as new registrations have been put on hold for a while.
At least now Levi knows i'm not just going to simply forget about the money he owes me.

A list of every complaint i have found so far.
1. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff112465.htm
2. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff115466.htm
3. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff113759.htm
4. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff112862.htm
5. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff112709.htm
6. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff111994.htm
7. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff111531.htm
8. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff113779.htm
9. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff113435.htm
10. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff111594.htm
11. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff111251.htm
12. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff111176.htm
13. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff110493.htm
14. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff110250.htm
15. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff110189.htm
16. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff109686.htm
17. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff109152.htm
18. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff106783.htm
19. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff119767.htm
20. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff113330.htm
21. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff111361.htm
22. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff111447.htm
23. http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff123066.htm
24. http://forum.mezun.com/messageview.cfm?catid=3&threadid=9781
25. http://www.s2kca.com/forums/showthread.php?p=29711
26. http://www.ebayexodus.com/forums/showthread.php?fid=2&tid=406&old_block=0
27. http://dive.scubadiving.com/talk/read.php?f=1&i=960276&t=960241

Usefull links:
+ How to Use Small Claims Court Phone numbers are out of date
+ File a complaint here!

Revised February 26