-
Pardon the dust while the boys rebuild the site.
The board will be in a state of disarray as I get things sorted out, for a little while at least.
The new incarnation is using Xenforo as the system software. It is much like what we are used to, with a few differences. I will see about making a FAQ to help point out the differences for the members.
One IMPORTANT difference for all of us old timers is that the 'mail' system is replaced with what are called 'conversations'/
There is no 'Inbox' or 'Out box' or 'Sent' folders anymore.
Think of Conversations as private 'threads' or topics that don't exist in a forum, that you start with another member. NOTE: Conversations can include more than one member if you or someone else in the conversaion, likes.
Takes a little getting used to but I am sure you all can get a hang of it.Only a slightly modified default default Xenforo style is available for now. Once the new SAG style is ready it will be available.
All existing users should be able to login with their usernames and passwords once the site goes up.
If anyone has difficulties logging in please contact me at sixthvanguard@gmail.com.
Thank you for your support and patience. I know it has been a loooong road.
Steel Dragons
- Thread starter winius
- Start date
andy101506
Mortarman
good idea pnzr west , i was very close to ordering from him, but thanks to this board i probaly saved my self hundreds of dollars
I am filing a complaint against richard tripp/steel dragons afv so if there is anyone else who has been taken by this person and would care to be involved with this complaint read the following.
Are there witnesses or other victims to this crime?
If yes, Please provide names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and/or websites of where additional victim lists can be found.
If you wish send me a PM with your information so I can file it in my report.
I hope he has been banned from this site so he will not be aware of any thing going on.
Are there witnesses or other victims to this crime?
If yes, Please provide names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and/or websites of where additional victim lists can be found.
If you wish send me a PM with your information so I can file it in my report.
I hope he has been banned from this site so he will not be aware of any thing going on.
Sixth Vanguard
Board Flunky, aka Site Admin
You don't need to be a registered user to see this topic. Banning won't prevent him from seeing this.
panzerwerk
Administrator
Seems he is still updating his site , the message has not changed , but spread the word among fellow collectors ,BE CAREFUL !!
Is there a case for anyone who's been ripped off to report mail fraud?
"Mail Fraud
U.S. Postal Inspectors investigate any crime in which the U.S. Mail is used to further a scheme--whether it originated in the mail, by telephone, or on the Internet. The use of the U.S. Mail is what makes it mail fraud.
If evidence of a postal violation exists, Postal Inspectors may seek prosecutive or administrative action against the violator. However, if money is lost through a fraudulent scheme conducted via the mail, Postal Inspectors lack the authority to ensure you receive a refund and can't require that products, services, or advertisements--on the Internet or elsewhere--be altered.
Postal Inspectors base investigations of mail fraud on the number, pattern, and substance of complaints received from the public. The Postal Inspection Service will carefully review the information you provide. We may share the information with other agencies when there is a possible violation within their jurisdiction.
If you feel you've been victimized in a fraud scheme that involves the U.S. Mail, submit a Mail Fraud Complaint Form to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. "
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/MailFraud.aspx
"Mail Fraud
U.S. Postal Inspectors investigate any crime in which the U.S. Mail is used to further a scheme--whether it originated in the mail, by telephone, or on the Internet. The use of the U.S. Mail is what makes it mail fraud.
If evidence of a postal violation exists, Postal Inspectors may seek prosecutive or administrative action against the violator. However, if money is lost through a fraudulent scheme conducted via the mail, Postal Inspectors lack the authority to ensure you receive a refund and can't require that products, services, or advertisements--on the Internet or elsewhere--be altered.
Postal Inspectors base investigations of mail fraud on the number, pattern, and substance of complaints received from the public. The Postal Inspection Service will carefully review the information you provide. We may share the information with other agencies when there is a possible violation within their jurisdiction.
If you feel you've been victimized in a fraud scheme that involves the U.S. Mail, submit a Mail Fraud Complaint Form to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. "
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/MailFraud.aspx
Hi Guys
I felt it was time to update you on the Steel Dragons saga. This is a long post, but for the benefit of yourself and the hobby as a whole I hope you will read it and support myself and others in putting a stop to Richard Tripp and his unethical ways of doing business.
This guy is a cheat, a thief and is committing internet fraud by offering parts for sale in many cases without permission, using other manufacturers product pictures to sell recast parts or his own products he is passing off as other companies parts.
He must be doing well at this as after two years of being cut off by myself, Panzerwerk and Armorpax he is still here, and offering all these manufactures parts for sale.
About 80% or more of the products on his web site are mine, Panzerwerk or Armorpax. I stopped selling to him in Nov 2010 and the other two companies stopped shortly after.
I cannot speak for Panzerwerk or Armorpax, but here are the results of what I know of my parts over the last two years. He has around a 100 of my parts offered for sale, of which 20 are recast parts, another two were added to the site this month. There may be many other copied parts I am not aware of as he uses pictures of my original parts, not taken by me, but of my parts in many cases fitting to tanks from his builds or other peoples to sell them, many parts have no pictures at all, but still refer to my part numbers.
In the case of Panzerwerk and Armorpax he is using their original pictures so who knows if they are original parts or recasts. I know he has the ability to recast parts as he has recast mine.
Here is my take on what sort of sales he is doing. Below is a copy of his "Orders page", which only shows 6 orders taken since Jan 2012. Yet is you are to believe his order number are correct, starting at 1307 in Jan and finishing at 1487 in Aug, that's a total of 180 orders in 8 months. My orders in the same time period is 136 and I do a lot of business, and offer over 250 sets.
I have on several occasions asked members of this board if any of them have received any of my products over the last two year and never got one reply. If his order numbers are correct, at least a 180 people have order from him in the last 8 months. Are all these people not members of this board and not aware of what is being said here. I find that hard to believe in this small hobby. I firmly believe that there are people in this hobby that buy from him to save a few bucks, by doing so condone what he is doing and don't care that the true manufactures are being ripped off by him. It may be the reason his orders page has only 6 listings as these people do not want their names published for us all to see and have requested not to be listed. Either that, or his order numbers are a lie. If he has only received 6 orders in 8 months he should be out of business.
Now I know what some of you are going to say, this is all conjecture on my part. This is what happened in late 2010 when I tried to warn people about him and all of my posts were deleted. Look at what has happened since then.
Here is a copy of his order page.
Next I am going to cover some of my copied parts. To shorten the length of this post I have added comments to the pictures in red.
My 'C' Shackles and Tiger 1 Start Crank. Which he is claiming to be his own.
Here I am using pictures from his site on the FOA Tiger 1 build.
Here is a Armorpax part he is claiming to be his own.
Armortek Escape Hatch
Rear Mudguards
Correct Rear Mudguards for the Tiger 's
Comparison of the Armortek mudguard and the one Steel Dragons is offering.
The Steel Dragons mudguards.
To sum up this post I want to explain what my intentions are to take care of this problem. Last week I sent Tripp a e-mail demanding that he remove all reference to my parts on his web site, including my recast parts he is offering. I gave him one month to do this, cut off date is Sept. 8. To date I have received no reply from him, I am sure he will claim he did not get the mail. Which is another reason for this post and this sum up. I am sure he is reading this from time to time.
I have told him if he fails to do this I will be filing a complaint with the "Internet Crime Complaints Center" which is a department of the FBI. In that complaint I will be listing a link to this tread on this forum and all others that ave. any complaints against him on this board or any others I know of.
If you support me in this and have been a victim I would like to include you in that complaint. As a third party I can do this according to the web site, but would much rather have your consent. I assure you that any information you send me will be totally confidential and only myself and the Crime Center will be given the information.
On my side of things by offering for sale unauthorized copies of my parts and using my part numbers he is committing Internet Fraud according to the Complaints Center. By selling products by mail order and not delivering the products or refunds he is committing Mail Fraud. Do I need to go on.
Here is the link to the "Internet Crime Complaints Center" :
http://www.ic3.gov
Mr. Tripp you have been warned!!!!!!!!
For those wishing to see proof of my recast part you can download the following PDF file and also see my other posts in the "Cooler"
Link: http://www.afceremonials.com/steeldragons/SteelDragons.pdf
With Respect to you all.
Mike Stannard
6th Scale Icons Inc
Email: toyrific@mindspring.com
I felt it was time to update you on the Steel Dragons saga. This is a long post, but for the benefit of yourself and the hobby as a whole I hope you will read it and support myself and others in putting a stop to Richard Tripp and his unethical ways of doing business.
This guy is a cheat, a thief and is committing internet fraud by offering parts for sale in many cases without permission, using other manufacturers product pictures to sell recast parts or his own products he is passing off as other companies parts.
He must be doing well at this as after two years of being cut off by myself, Panzerwerk and Armorpax he is still here, and offering all these manufactures parts for sale.
About 80% or more of the products on his web site are mine, Panzerwerk or Armorpax. I stopped selling to him in Nov 2010 and the other two companies stopped shortly after.
I cannot speak for Panzerwerk or Armorpax, but here are the results of what I know of my parts over the last two years. He has around a 100 of my parts offered for sale, of which 20 are recast parts, another two were added to the site this month. There may be many other copied parts I am not aware of as he uses pictures of my original parts, not taken by me, but of my parts in many cases fitting to tanks from his builds or other peoples to sell them, many parts have no pictures at all, but still refer to my part numbers.
In the case of Panzerwerk and Armorpax he is using their original pictures so who knows if they are original parts or recasts. I know he has the ability to recast parts as he has recast mine.
Here is my take on what sort of sales he is doing. Below is a copy of his "Orders page", which only shows 6 orders taken since Jan 2012. Yet is you are to believe his order number are correct, starting at 1307 in Jan and finishing at 1487 in Aug, that's a total of 180 orders in 8 months. My orders in the same time period is 136 and I do a lot of business, and offer over 250 sets.
I have on several occasions asked members of this board if any of them have received any of my products over the last two year and never got one reply. If his order numbers are correct, at least a 180 people have order from him in the last 8 months. Are all these people not members of this board and not aware of what is being said here. I find that hard to believe in this small hobby. I firmly believe that there are people in this hobby that buy from him to save a few bucks, by doing so condone what he is doing and don't care that the true manufactures are being ripped off by him. It may be the reason his orders page has only 6 listings as these people do not want their names published for us all to see and have requested not to be listed. Either that, or his order numbers are a lie. If he has only received 6 orders in 8 months he should be out of business.
Now I know what some of you are going to say, this is all conjecture on my part. This is what happened in late 2010 when I tried to warn people about him and all of my posts were deleted. Look at what has happened since then.
Here is a copy of his order page.
Next I am going to cover some of my copied parts. To shorten the length of this post I have added comments to the pictures in red.
My 'C' Shackles and Tiger 1 Start Crank. Which he is claiming to be his own.
Here I am using pictures from his site on the FOA Tiger 1 build.
Here is a Armorpax part he is claiming to be his own.
Armortek Escape Hatch
Rear Mudguards
Correct Rear Mudguards for the Tiger 's
Comparison of the Armortek mudguard and the one Steel Dragons is offering.
The Steel Dragons mudguards.
To sum up this post I want to explain what my intentions are to take care of this problem. Last week I sent Tripp a e-mail demanding that he remove all reference to my parts on his web site, including my recast parts he is offering. I gave him one month to do this, cut off date is Sept. 8. To date I have received no reply from him, I am sure he will claim he did not get the mail. Which is another reason for this post and this sum up. I am sure he is reading this from time to time.
I have told him if he fails to do this I will be filing a complaint with the "Internet Crime Complaints Center" which is a department of the FBI. In that complaint I will be listing a link to this tread on this forum and all others that ave. any complaints against him on this board or any others I know of.
If you support me in this and have been a victim I would like to include you in that complaint. As a third party I can do this according to the web site, but would much rather have your consent. I assure you that any information you send me will be totally confidential and only myself and the Crime Center will be given the information.
On my side of things by offering for sale unauthorized copies of my parts and using my part numbers he is committing Internet Fraud according to the Complaints Center. By selling products by mail order and not delivering the products or refunds he is committing Mail Fraud. Do I need to go on.
Here is the link to the "Internet Crime Complaints Center" :
http://www.ic3.gov
Mr. Tripp you have been warned!!!!!!!!
For those wishing to see proof of my recast part you can download the following PDF file and also see my other posts in the "Cooler"
Link: http://www.afceremonials.com/steeldragons/SteelDragons.pdf
With Respect to you all.
Mike Stannard
6th Scale Icons Inc
Email: toyrific@mindspring.com
Re: Steel Dragons MORE RECASTING
Hi Guys
I'll try to keep this one short. Tripp is at it again, ,he just posted two more recasts of my parts for the Panzer IV. A track tension tool and late type start crank, see pictures below. I know these are recast as he is offering them with Armorpax tool clamps. If he was selling my original parts he would have my clamps with them.
I did some number figuring today. There are 13 of my parts I know for sure he has recast, my retail price on these 13 item is $775.00. Let's say he has sold 10 of each of these items over the last 2 years, that's $7750.00 he has ripped me off for, but who knows what the real amount is as I am sure there are many other recast/copied parts of mine he is selling. No matter what the figure is, it's all my hard work and time taking to produce these parts, which he has done no research or spent time making the masters. He just put them in a mold, cast them and put them up for sale.
He has just updated his Panzer IV and Stug sections on his web site a few days ago. Please read my comments in the pictures below as it shows that he is claiming to have in stock around 74 items for the Panzer IV that are produced by myself, Armorpax and Panzerwerk. All three of us stopped suppling these parts to him around 2 years ago. Yet he states that he has updated his inventory and is claiming he has all these parts.
I have also copied a few other parts of mine that are shown on his web site for sale, which I suspect are recasts and/or copies. These are also listed below by pictures.
Two new Panzer IV parts recast.
As Armorpax stopped suppling parts to him about two years ago, where is he getting the clamps to go with these parts. "Maybe" he purchased a "large stock" from Armorpax in the past. But note Paddinghuas Decals copied Armorpax clamps a while ago. Steel Dragons sells Peddinghaus Decals, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out what might be going on here.
Panzer IV and Stug section updates. I have only listed the parts he has renumber to his own stock number.
Parts from other sections of his web site I suspect are recast or copied. The fire extinguishers and padlocks he has renumber to his own parts numbers. The flags and Flak trailer he is still using my part numbers.
I hope that Dave at Armorpax and Steve at Panzerwerk will do a little more digging into his site and look back at what they have sold him and can he still possibly have all these parts still in stock. As long as he continues to use their original parts pictures there is no way of telling if he has the parts or recasting them. This comment also applies to any other manufacturer that has supplied him parts in the past.
With Respect to you all.
Mike Stannard
6th Scale Icons Inc
Hi Guys
I'll try to keep this one short. Tripp is at it again, ,he just posted two more recasts of my parts for the Panzer IV. A track tension tool and late type start crank, see pictures below. I know these are recast as he is offering them with Armorpax tool clamps. If he was selling my original parts he would have my clamps with them.
I did some number figuring today. There are 13 of my parts I know for sure he has recast, my retail price on these 13 item is $775.00. Let's say he has sold 10 of each of these items over the last 2 years, that's $7750.00 he has ripped me off for, but who knows what the real amount is as I am sure there are many other recast/copied parts of mine he is selling. No matter what the figure is, it's all my hard work and time taking to produce these parts, which he has done no research or spent time making the masters. He just put them in a mold, cast them and put them up for sale.
He has just updated his Panzer IV and Stug sections on his web site a few days ago. Please read my comments in the pictures below as it shows that he is claiming to have in stock around 74 items for the Panzer IV that are produced by myself, Armorpax and Panzerwerk. All three of us stopped suppling these parts to him around 2 years ago. Yet he states that he has updated his inventory and is claiming he has all these parts.
I have also copied a few other parts of mine that are shown on his web site for sale, which I suspect are recasts and/or copies. These are also listed below by pictures.
Two new Panzer IV parts recast.
As Armorpax stopped suppling parts to him about two years ago, where is he getting the clamps to go with these parts. "Maybe" he purchased a "large stock" from Armorpax in the past. But note Paddinghuas Decals copied Armorpax clamps a while ago. Steel Dragons sells Peddinghaus Decals, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out what might be going on here.
Panzer IV and Stug section updates. I have only listed the parts he has renumber to his own stock number.
Parts from other sections of his web site I suspect are recast or copied. The fire extinguishers and padlocks he has renumber to his own parts numbers. The flags and Flak trailer he is still using my part numbers.
I hope that Dave at Armorpax and Steve at Panzerwerk will do a little more digging into his site and look back at what they have sold him and can he still possibly have all these parts still in stock. As long as he continues to use their original parts pictures there is no way of telling if he has the parts or recasting them. This comment also applies to any other manufacturer that has supplied him parts in the past.
With Respect to you all.
Mike Stannard
6th Scale Icons Inc
panzerwerk
Administrator
There are a few items of mine he does not have stock of , But I need someone to come forward that has bought recast pasts , as of yet , I have not heard of anyone .
He still has Toy surgeons 2cm box which he has not made in years , so he may just have the stuff up there to look like he has items too sell , honestly I don't know .
He still has Toy surgeons 2cm box which he has not made in years , so he may just have the stuff up there to look like he has items too sell , honestly I don't know .
thetoysurgeon
Battalion Commander
Steve, I still make them . I redesigned the case to hold Dragon's mags, but StealDragons doesn't have any nor have they had any.
Dennis
Dennis
panzerwerk
Administrator
Good to know Bro!!!!
pzrwest
Brigade Commander
Looks like he is now selling on ebay here's the link Rear Tow Hitch for 1:6 Scale German Halftracks-NIB | eBay
Warriorant
Mortarman
Item location is Lake Worth, Florida, USA. Link is to ebay Canada but see below, my search shows his/copied stuff on ebay UK. Just depends on who searched and from where.
1:6 Scale SdKfz 250 Neu Halftrack-NIB | eBay
1:6 Scale SdKfz 250 Neu Halftrack-NIB | eBay
pzrwest
Brigade Commander
Warriorant is correct their ads will come up in any of the ebay sites not just ca and uk
I almost bought the trailer hit till I scrolled down and read the blurb posted. when I saw Steel Dragons mentioned I said no way I'll check with one of the original makers first, don't want to get burned like so many other have been burned by SD, nor support his practices
I almost bought the trailer hit till I scrolled down and read the blurb posted. when I saw Steel Dragons mentioned I said no way I'll check with one of the original makers first, don't want to get burned like so many other have been burned by SD, nor support his practices
Hi Guys
Figured it was time to update this thread to keep it in peoples minds until this guys finally goes out of business, but he seems to be still getting customers, but there are no names on his order list that I recognize.
Here are my fire extinguishers that he claims to be his own design and selling them for almost twice the price I sell them for.
The last order of these I sent to him was in January 2010, three of each as kits, that was almost three years ago, I doubt he still has my originals in stock to sell.
Mike
Figured it was time to update this thread to keep it in peoples minds until this guys finally goes out of business, but he seems to be still getting customers, but there are no names on his order list that I recognize.
Here are my fire extinguishers that he claims to be his own design and selling them for almost twice the price I sell them for.
The last order of these I sent to him was in January 2010, three of each as kits, that was almost three years ago, I doubt he still has my originals in stock to sell.
Mike