Hello all,
I am having some serious problems and could really use your help.
Steve (stevethecritic / SynerTrade) was quite active on the "Apparel & Accessories For Sale" forum. He was admonished by SG_Apparels for carrying some replicas, which he owned up to. Other members on this forum have said that he was a straight shooter.
He had some von Dutch Squared Patch Greaser Jeans for $50 or $55, this is too low a price to be authentic so I shied away from ordering these from him. A few days later he wrote on the "Apparel & Accessories For Sale" forum that he is now a von Dutch rep and he was selling some 2004 styles that were $80 for minimum of 96 jeans and advertised as prepacks of 24. I contacted him through PM and asked why his prices were significantly higher than what three other forum members were selling at, and I asked if that was because those guys were selling fakes and he (Steve), now being a von Dutch rep, is selling authentic jeans at the minimum prices that von Dutch allows. Steve replied:
"Hey-
yes im selling them for the prices that von dutch allows us to sell them for. Im a von dutch rep, and these 3 guys are all selling fakes, they are great fakes, but none theless fake- if you want the real deal, you will buy from the real deal. look forward to your order."
Given all that and the fact that his website is hosted by wholesale411.com (his website is http://www.wholesale411.com/synertrade) I felt that my risk was fairly low.
I ordered 72 Royal Greaser and 24 Japan Greaser jeans for $80/jean for a total of $7680 - I wire transferred these funds to Synertrade's account.
I inspected the jeans when I received and had many issues that I wrote to him about:
There are 23 Royal jeans, I had ordered 72.
The size distribution is as follows, the more popular sizes are fewer and the less popular are more of:
28 - 0
30 - 0
32 - 3
34 - 4
36 - 8
38 - 4
40 - 2
42 - 2
Total 23
There are 73 Japan jeans, I ordered 24.
The size distribution is as follows the more popular sizes are fewer and the less popular are more of:
28 - 0
30 - 0
32 - 4
34 - 12
36 - 25
38 - 19
40 - 6
42 - 7
Total 73
There was no paperwork of any kind in the boxes - other than the pro forma invoice you sent by email I have not received any paperwork.
There are no tags of any type attached to any of the jeans. You had indicated that these would come with all tags attached.
Steve / Synertrade first said that the quantities they sent is what I ordered, after I asked him to go back and look at his invoice he agreed the quantities are wrong, and that he is trying to get the correct quantities and if he could not get the correct quantities he would refund my payment. This has not happened yet.
As far as the size distribution (there are 23 jeans that range from size 28 t0 34 versus 73 that range between 36 to 42. There are no size 28 or 30, there are 17 that 40 or 42). His reply was "that's how von dutch shipped them to us so we have no control over that". I had assumed that since these were prepacks of 24 these would come in the size distribution that von Dutch provides. These are not in prepacks of 24, Steve seemed surprised to hear that when I called him.
I asked him for a hard copy paper receipt for the jeans - no go.
I pressed him on the fact that he had said that tags will be attached but there aren't any. He told me that these were removed by customs. That is when I actually found out that the jeans say made in China while Steve / Synertrade had said "Im a von dutch rep, so these are all from von dutch here in the USA. Tags are attached". I confirmed on the von Dutch website that all Greaser jeans are "Made in USA". SG_Apparels confirmed this as well.
It has been almost a month that I have been trying to convince him to take these jeans back and refund my payment. I told him that I would take the jeans to von Dutch for some recourse. To this he replied that that would be "wonderful" since they will confiscate the jeans. I asked him why would they confiscate legit jeans that were sold to me by a von Dutch rep. He said that this is what they do with any wholesale von Dutch jeans since von Dutch does not want any jeans to be sold wholesale (???). He also changed his answer on what happened to the tags - now he says that he removed them. I asked him why would he remove the tags he said "I don't know why we did that". I also asked him why would he remove the tags and then tell me that these will come with tags - no answer. He has also said that these jeans came directly from the supplier to me and he has never seen them.
I also told him that I might approach this forum's authorities or go to civil court his reply: Approaching neon on wholesale411 wont do anything as I don't use that forum anymore. Civil court- you would lose money and I wouldn't show up."
At this point we are at an impasse - I want to return the jeans since I have serious doubts about the authenticity of the jeans. My grounds for asking for a refund is that the jeans were misrepresented to me as having tags attached when they do not, and these are from China and not USA as represented. Steve / Synertrade have refused on the basis that this is what was in the agreement, I asked him which agreement, to which he said that is what is written on his website, I could not find that anywhere on his site unless he has added it since. His latest position is that there will not be a refund because "there are no refunds in the wholesale business"
I am sorry for the long post but I need some help from the good folks on this forum and I needed to explain what has transpired. Please let me know if you have some ideas about how I can get a refund.
Also, would any government authorities be interested in fakes or replicas being sold and if yes who can I report this to?
Thank you and regards,
goWholesale Forums » Wholesale Buyers » Supplier Testimonials
Anyone have trouble with stevethecritic or Synertrade ?
45 posts
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Tracker can you please post his name address number anything , any information you got. I will contact the FBI in this matter. Replica is a very big deal. Do me one favor though go somewhere , were you can check it for authenticity. If its fake please post all his info here. He has no right keeping your money if it was up to me I wouldn't even let him advertise. I promise you I'll take care of the matter for you.
Thanks -
report it to the following agencies:
Better Business Bureau (BBB.com)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC.com)
Internet Fraud Complaint Center (ifcc.com)
State Attorney General's Office
Rip Off Report (ripoffreport.com)
This at least gets some documentation on the company.
I had a similar situation, and it was ripoffreport.com that actually got my money back.
Also, you can file in small claim's court where they don't have to show up. It costs about $100. If they don't show, I believe that you automatically get a judgment against them. -
janik wrote:report it to the following agencies:
Better Business Bureau (BBB.com)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC.com)
Internet Fraud Complaint Center (ifcc.com)
State Attorney General's Office
Rip Off Report (ripoffreport.com)
This at least gets some documentation on the company.
I had a similar situation, and it was ripoffreport.com that actually got my money back.
Also, you can file in small claim's court where they don't have to show up. It costs about $100. If they don't show, I believe that you automatically get a judgment against them.
Before you go this way or contact the FBI, you should be sure, that the jeans you got are 100% fake. Not a feeling or a tag is enough, get a paper of von dutch that say that the jeans are fake and then try to get your money back. Otherwise you can get big problems. I had one customer how have written in a online based forum I would sell fakes. It took me a one minute phone call to delete his name.
You need proofes that the jeans are not authentic.
What I would do:
Take one jeans and ask the US costum control "commercial legal protection". Those guys are going to check the jeans and they know where the have to spoke with, if the think the jeans is not a von dutch.
Those guys are the special agents in authentic questions, I´m sure you have them in US also.
And take another jeans and sent them to von dutch. If the jeans are fake ask for written notice about the fake. I`m sure you will get one if the jeans are fake. Also von dutch want the name of the seller.
You should always give Steve (stevethecritic / SynerTrade) a notice what you do (not via eMail, use certified letter). Give him chronology limits where you resign from the buying and give him appointed time to retransfer the money to your bank account.
If the jeans are fake, von dutch will pay attention to Steve (stevethecritic / SynerTrade). And you will take lawyer and get your money back via Civil court (maybe as a second accuser). You will get your money with the proofes of von dutch.
Sorry for my bad english, I did my best
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Anonymous
Posts: 263bottom line is this:
i brokered the deal.
i was told these were authentic so thats what i told him.
he forgot to mention the fact that he got his jeans FAST- we are talking like 4-5 days.
If any of you have dealt with me or my company you know that we are a reputable company and we do what we can to make our customers happy.
I cannot give refunds because my suppliers do not offer refunds....
Also, if and when someone like von dutch or someone else contacts me about the jeans... Ill just send them to my supplier who actually SOLD the fake goods to me, so that is that.
If any of you have questions about anything, please dont hesitate to email me or visit the website, you will be very pleased with your products.
Also, FYI we have dropped that VON DUTCH supplier in CHINA and have one in LA now....
Steve Weber -
I cannot give refunds because my suppliers do not offer refunds....
Come again? That's not how business workswas told these were authentic so that's what I told him
That's right and saying that means your now covering everything. His going through you not your dealer.he forgot to mention the fact that he got his jeans FAST- we are talking like 4-5 days
It doesn't matter how fast the shipping was, what part of fakes don't you understand?Also, FYI we have dropped that VON DUTCH supplier in CHINA and have one in LA now....
Oh the same hats you were selling as authentic right? This is what you keep doing.
stevethecritic you just showed us all you don't know how to run a business. If you broker for someone you should know ahead of time he sells fakes. If he doesn't give a refund that's not the buyers problem. That's your problem do you understand? Buyer got fakes which you advertised as authentic. Too bad if your dealer doesn't give a refund you should cover the refund to your buyer. Do you even know anything about business? Rest assure after these jeans are proved for fake. I will make sure god is my whiteness, you will get arrested or fined for what you done. You either be a Man and learn how to run your business the right way or you can always be reported the FBI and look at some jail time.
REST ASSURE FROM NOW ON ANY ADVERTISEMENT YOU POST ON THIS FORUM I WILL DELETE. -
Hi Tracker,
Putting 2 and 2 together, you should get in contact with Nocturnal of this board, he bought fakes from a prominent member of this board that were Von Dutch Greasers maybe you 2 can work something out together.
Cheers
Karl -
Steve,
When I called you and told you that I might have to resort to pursuing my claim in the civil court you told me that you have such a large operation with warehouses, big buildings, millions of dollars of inventory, who would believe me versus you. Just how big is your operation that you can't refund the money for one small transaction.
stevethecritic wrote:he forgot to mention the fact that he got his jeans FAST- we are talking like 4-5 days.
Here is what you wrote to me in an email:
"This is the conclusion, instead of wasting time whining, we (why) don't you try to SELL them!! You can make a ton of money on these jeans. We can try and get you the correct quantities or if you want I can blast them out to my customers because those 2 styles are hot. Its all apart of business. No refunds, you ask any wholesaler that"
What would I do with fast fakes? Your answer is obviously to go ahead and sell them to my customers. I will not do that even if it was legal.stevethecritic wrote:Also, if and when someone like von dutch or someone else contacts me about the jeans... Ill just send them to my supplier who actually SOLD the fake goods to me, so that is that.
So you admit that these are fake but you wont take them back. What happened to the concept of standing behind what you sell? If you were operating in good faith and you are short on funds you would at least offer your cut of the $7,680 back to me and then ask your supplier for a refund.stevethecritic wrote:Also, FYI we have dropped that VON DUTCH supplier in CHINA and have one in LA now....
You change your story so many times and in such a short duration that you don't even allow the listener the time it takes for one to forget your first story. These jeans came fast because they were shipped out of LA not China, just like you told me. These ARE from your LA supplier, you have told me that very clearly.
You wrote to me in a PM:
"Hey-
yes im selling them for the prices that von dutch allows us to sell them for. Im a von dutch rep, and these 3 guys are all selling fakes, they are great fakes, but none the less fake- if you want the real deal, you will buy from the real deal. look forward to your order."
If you are a von Dutch rep what do you need a China or an LA supplier for, aren't you getting your jeans directly from von Dutch? Furthermore, you are on the hook to charge von Dutch mandated prices but are not on the hook to buy from von Dutch mandated suppliers? So how did you end up hooking up with a dealer who sells fakes?stevethecritic wrote:If any of you have dealt with me or my company you know that we are a reputable company and we do what we can to make our customers happy.stevethecritic wrote:Also, if and when someone like von dutch or someone else contacts me about the jeans... Ill just send them to my supplier who actually SOLD the fake goods to me, so that is that.
If you were a reputable company you would not openly admit that you have sold me fakes and have no intention of refunding my payment and absolutely have no qualms about it. Even if you are reputable now you won't be much longer if this is what you call making your customers happy.
BTW Steve, how big is your warehouse in Brookfield? How many employees do you have? Has anyone ever bought anything from Synertrade that was actually shipped from their Brookfield warehouse? Why did you stop posting your adds on this board as soon as they announced that it will cost $50 a YEAR (less than 14 cents a day) to post for sale adds from now on. Why did you suddenly stop taking PayPal? Do you still have a PayPal account? -
Steve, when you go to the grocery store and get a bad product do they tell you "We'll give you your money back if we can get our money back from the people we bought it from."? How about a bad product from Best Buy or Circuit City?
You took the money. It's up to you to make the refund. Then, you can either sell the goods to someone else, or fight with your supplier for a refund.
You say you brokered the deal. Well, a broker has a responsibilty to all parties to see that a fair exchange is accomplished. But, you are the one who took the money, so you are the one who actually SOLD the goods.
Doesn't seem you're too critical when your own deals are concerned.
Just remember, no one guarantees you a profit every morning when you get out of bed. You need to do right by Tracker. -
I absolutely love this forum. I own a small time business that's been growing pretty significanlty over the last 6 months, and for a guy like me one bad deal can be a back breaker. My biggest fear is having what happened to Tracker happen to me - buying products in good faith from a dishonest seller.
Steve, let's face it. From your reply in this thread to Trackers post, you've proven to us all that you run the worst kind of business. It's obvious to me that you're a lying, cheating, scum sucking businessman. You readily admit that you sold fakes to Tracker, yet you say "Oh, it's not my problem because I brokered them for someone else". Idiot. Let me put it as plainly as possible for you, since it's obvious you have limited intelligence - You took money for a fake product, so that makes you just as responsible as the person you got them from. THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE!!! And the fact that you tried to qualify the transaction by saying Tracker received the items in 4 days is asinine.
Tracker - I wish you luck in getting your $$$ back. Hopefully you can stick it to Steve and make him pay for his dishonesty.
And Steve - While this thread here may not ultimately bankrupt your business, I'd be surprised if anyone who reads this board purchases items from you in the future. It's called "opportunity cost", wonderful, and your dishonesty will almost definitely result in lost sales in the future... -
He also hangs out at
http://theclevertrader.com/forums/index.php? -
thanks if anyone else knows some places he hangs out post it here and I will post it on there websites..
thanks -
Tracker, read your posting about Synertrade. I feel with you and hope you will get back money.
Maybe it will help for future business if you use procedere as follows.
We stay in Europe so we have to fulfill customs import rules. A part of that rules is certificate of origin. A reliable business partner will give you certificate before receiving money. For inner country business it's not unusual to ask for it because export of goods could be your intention.
Surly the certificate gives not 100 percent protection because it could be a counterfeit too. But it must be a very criminal person who counterfeits an official paper from chamber of commerce.
Regards, Gerard -
Wow! I cannot believe how deep of a hole Steve of Syndertrade has got himself into...good luck Steve!
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Wow! I cannot believe how deep of a hole Steve of Syndertrade has got himself into...good luck Steve!
_________________
Lee Trading Co.
Orange, CA
I cannot believe you would actually side with this scum-bucket by wishing him good luck. Good luck in What? Rippiing off honest folks trying to make an honest living. Guess here's another company I'll be adding to my "do not touch" list! -
I think Leebrothers was being sarcastic there bearcreek!!
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If anyone knows what other boards he posts on or any places please pm me the information or post it here and I will let the others know. As I understand he advertises lots of places.
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just to let everyone know steve " the rip off critic " post just about everywhere, steve does not have any warehouse anywhere he runs his business out of mommy & daddys home,steve steals pics & info from other brokers & adds on about $10.00 per pcs,steve is a droppshipping only, if that, the only person steve should critisize is himself.
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Yeah, steve is a 1 man show trust me. I asked him about getting less qty at first to make sure his product was legit, and he refused immediately, because in his words " I do not have the product on hand, I have it dropshipped from my sources". The sad thing is, is that he comes along as a Christian...Well being a Christian myself, I do believe the Bible says "Thou shalt not Steal"... and well steve the sinnertrader or whatever he wants to call himself, has stolen this guy's $, who in honest faith gave him a lot of dough. I hope you get your $ back man....and to Steve, the Bible also states that "Your Sins will find you out"
shwaunee -
I see that this man is being wrongly accused! I have been a customer of syner trade for over 3 months now just recently purchased 300 of the same jeans that TRACKER bought from Syner Trade and my transaction went smooth as a whistle. Jeans are perfect I could not see why anyone would be so disappointed unless they CAN'T MOVE them! I simply think that TRACKER can't move the jeans he bought from syner trade so he decided to make him look bad because he can’t get a refund, this is terrible business. Before I decided to purchase from Steve I got several feedback from other companies in the business Like Net Foundation, All things Designer, Storm Logic, Name Brand Lots and they all had good things to say about him and here I log onto this forum today I here some BS from 1 customer and everyone decides to take Poor Steve down. I Stand behind Steve 100% and I think everyone has this situation twisted and decided to fall for the Victims cry "tracker" when in all Tracker probably couldn’t move the Jeans and decided to play the Victim role because he couldn’t move his Jeans. And for all your information I have purchased over 100,000 in goods from this man and he has till this day delivered! Anyone interested in some Seven Jeans?
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Take it the Seven Jeans are FAKES ???????
You're in the minority big time.
Just joined what a coincidence.......
Some of the people might be wrong some of the time but
too many people here know the score with SteveTheC -
Anyone heard of Logix LLC?
An unknown coming to defend an obvious crook (from all the posts I've read).
Just joined today (23rd of June) to post ONE MESSAGE?!?!?
Very Suspicious -
Before I decided to purchase from Steve I got several feedback from other companies in the business Like Net Foundation, All things Designer, Storm Logic, Name Brand Lots and they all had good things to say about him
that's strange that name brand lots gave you a good feedback since in other post steve was bashing him.Jeans are perfect I could not see why anyone would be so disappointed unless they CAN'T MOVE them
everybody can move them since these are the hot item right now. -
I can't believe that I missed all of this! Steve you are a very bad boy! :evil:
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Logix LLC you just joined today. Steve the fake critic is still not going to get any positives. Logix your talking about selling fakes just because they sell? Kind of wonderful but then again I expect wonderful business's to work with wonderful business like a chain... Everybody here posted bad about him and I got all the information and address and other places he post on him. In time everything will be right.
Steve I'm giving you one more last chance
(RETURN TRACKERS CASH WITHING A WEEK)
or
(FACE THE CONSEQUENCES)
Your Choice.....
I hope you like court, my lawyer is helping tracker so its up to you now. Hope you reply or expect a law suit on the mail to your so called "business" Mr.Weber... -
I think it's funny that Logix LLC has so much emotion in his post about this. If I were going to stick up for one of my suppliers that I felt got a bad rap, I'd state my experiences with the company and leave it at that. I wouldn't tarnish my reputation by accusing another person that he/she was lying about his/her experience. 1st impressions are everything and this business is all about relationships.
Just joined what a coincidence.......
I agree with nocturnal on this one.....
My opinion:
STEVE: If you represent a product as authentic you had better supply an authentic product. Failure to do this is considered FRAUD.
Consumer Fraud: (this is true in most states)
1. A false statement of material fact was made by the seller or service provider to the consumer;
2. The party making the statement knew or believed it was false; and
3. The consumer relied on the false statement to his or her detriment.
Webster’s Definition:
Main Entry: fraud
Pronunciation: 'frod
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English fraude, from Middle French, from Latin fraud-, fraus
1 a : DECEIT, TRICKERY; specifically : intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right b : an act of deceiving or misrepresenting : TRICK
2 a : a person who is not what he or she pretends to be : IMPOSTOR; also : one who defrauds : CHEAT b : one that is not what it seems or is represented to be
synonym see DECEPTION, IMPOSTURE
Steve, can you make one point, based on fact, which would exclude this deal from falling into the consumer fraud category? (Fast shipping doesn’t do it)
Give Tracker his money back, do the right thing. You can move the product, heck you could sell it to Logix since he likes you so much. -
Thank goodness I read this post before I decided to do any business with Synertrade. Thanks everyone
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I received info on Seven jeans new A pink pockett. I am curious to the access to such a high amount of inventory ona new item and the company Seven is not worried. It s not like they are seeling a few factory overuns in the hundreds- we are talking thousands.
I emailed for authenticity tags and never received a reply.
To test merchandise- seller should be willing to offer a 5 piece sample.
No one in their right mind goes and wires over 2000 to someone they never did buisness with and sit and take a risk withoug orderign at least a sample. -
To test merchandise- seller should be willing to offer a 5 piece sample
that's what everybody thing and that's the way it should be unfortunaly he can't do that because he is a broker, so he doesn't have any item in stock -
I have never met anyone that is willing to give a 5 piece sample of one style of item, unless you were willing to pay for those samples. Especially to people who just talk to over email.
Put it this way.
If i was a seller of these jeans, (these retail for $200 right?), I'm going to send you, a retailer or ebayer, 5 pairs as a sample? Thats $1000 worth of retail merchandise that i'm giving you for free. It won't happen. So on a $2000 order, sorry but it just won't happen.
On the other hand, If you can prove, that you can buy a large amount (like 1000 pairs @ we'll say wholesale is $40/jean) then a 5 piece sample is nothing, and shouldn't be a problem giving.
btw i'm not trying to defend Steve, just trying to correct a point
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