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I am the victim of a $1,425.00 Ichiro Bat fraud, victimized by Mr. Joshua Hanson (ebay id: ichiro51collector).
Mr. Joshua Hanson got $1,425.00 from me for the bat, but he never shipped anything to me.
Here are the details:
1) I am Alex from the Philippines, an ebay member and an Ichiro fan. I made several deals in the past with Mr. Joshua Hanson, so I thought he was an honest ebayer.
2) The first time I saw this bat was through the ebay auction of Mr. Joshua Hanson (ebay id: ichiro51collector). The screenshot of his auction was posted on the thread below by Mr. Goh Nishiyama:
3) I was interested in the bat because I thought it was legit, so I contacted Mr. Joshua Hanson (ebay id: ichiro51collector) directly to his email, [ichiro151@live.com]. I asked for several pics of the bat. He sent me the pics below:
4) After asking several questions about the bat, and after negotiating the price, we agreed on $1,425.00 via Western Union Money Transfer.
5) On July 3, Saturday, I sent $1,425.00 via Western Union Money Transfer to Mr. Joshua Hanson. Here are the Western Union recipient details:
Safeway - Western Union
c/o Joshua D Hanson
200 South 3rd Street
Renton, WA 98057-2031
(425) 255-4151
(253)677-2445
Birthdate: 12/01/1980
Email: ichiro151@live.com
6) On July 4, Sunday, Joshua emailed me the following:
[I am picking up the check(s) right now and am getting the run around from everyone involved at the WU branch. They don't have the cash so they're writing me checks. I called my bank and they said that there will be a mandatory MINIMUM 10 day hold placed on any/all WU money orders/checks. I will not mail the bat until I receive notice from my bank that the checks have cleared. At that point, I will mail the bat and send tracking.
Joshua]
7) This was a big red flag for me, because it was the first time I heard W/U not issuing cash; they always issue cash.
I have used Western Union several times (both sending and receiving money) before on ebay purchases,
and they always issue cash instantly.
That is why people use Western Union, for INSTANT cash transfer.
We should not have waited 10 days, so I asked him to ask Western Union again.
Becoming very worried about the high-dollar transaction, I also asked him for:
- pics of the [51] on the bat knob
- a special certificate issued by Mr. Joshua Hanson, to certify that this is a real Ichiro gamer
8) On July 6, he sent the reply below:
[They gave me checks b/c I got there at opening and they didn't have any cash. I didn't have time to go there later in the day as I had to go to work so I took the checks, brought them to the bank and, as expected, they placed a 10-15 day hold on the checks. I'm away on business now for the next week (I'm on my way to the airport right now). I'll be in touch when I get back; I'll check on the holds (checks) as soon as I get back and let you know the status as soon as I know. I didn't have time to look at the attachment you sent me, but I can assure you that the bat was given to a player for the Mariners Care golf tournament. They don't give out "certificates" at the tournament if that's what you're asking. I bought the bat from the original buyer. He outbid me at the event back in 2004 and sold me the bat last year. I can write up a special cert detailing what I know about the history of the bat. I'll have that prepared and mailed with the bat once those checks clear. Be patient Alex. ]
9) In the following days, I sent several emails to ask for an update.
On July 9, he sent the email below:
[I'm really sorry Alex, but I'm out of town on business and have no access to my laptop that has the bat knob photos you want/need. I simply forgot to send it to you while I was packing for this important trip. I am so very sorry, I know you wanted that photo and I have no way of getting it to you. Anyway, if the checks have cleared by the time I get home, I'll get the bat in the mail to you. Please re-confirm the mailing address that you want the bat to go to. I know that you have always had me ship your items to an Ohio address; I'm assuming this will be no different. Take care Alex. Sorry again for forgetting that photo.
Joshua]
10) Again, I waited for several days, but no email from Mr. Joshua Hanson.
On July 17, I saw that he had active ebay auctions, so I emailed him via ebay asking for updates, and for the bat knob pics.
Here were his replies:
a) [I sent the pictures of the bat knob already. What "special LOA"?? Why are you writing me through ebay? We did this through email, write me via email. I don't want ebay to see any of these messages and assume we're working on deals outside of ebay (through the ebay system). ]
b) [It now has a sticker over the #51, but this is the handle before it was certified by PSA. This is ultimately what you're looking for... it now has a silver PSA sticker on it (not the ugly white sticker). ]
c) [I went out of town right after I picked up the checks; I had not one message from you when I returned. I will check my email and let you know if the new message goes through.
I had a picture of the knob on my computer 'pre-PSA'. Wish I knew I had that on my computer before I posted the auction as I would have gotten my asking price; if not more. All of the idiots on Game Used Universe went crazy when the bat was listed b/c the sticker was over the knob. I was furious when the bat was returned to me w/ the sticker over the #51. You cannot remove it w/o the sticker leaving a checkered pattern all over the bat so I left it on there. If you know a way to get it off, I'd take it off. ]
11) I then requested a pic of the "pre-PSA" bat knob. He did send me a pic shown below:
12) At this point, found the ORIGINAL AUCTION of ebay id [13alexrodriguez]. This was where he got the bat, since it had the exact same characteristics as the bat I just paid for.
This was when I thought he was lying, because in the auction of ebay id [13alexrodriguez], THERE IS ALREADY A PSA/DNA STICKER ON THE KNOB. THIS MEANT THAT THE PIC OF THE "pre-PSA" BAT KNOB WAS NOT OF THE ITEM I PURCHASED.
13) Because of this, I sent him the email below:
[Joshua, since you did not reply to my direct emails, I am again contacting you through ebay.
I am unhappy with the bat. You said that you purchased this bat from the original buyer last year, but I found out that you bought this at ebay last June 7, 2010 (item #220615048505). Also, you bought the bat already certified by PSA/DNA, with the sticker already on. Therefore, the [pre-PSA] bat knob pic you sent me was from a different bat. You have misrepresented the item, so I do not trust this transaction anymore. Please refund my money; Please send $1425 via Paypal to [alex.macainag@gmail.com]. Sorry Joshua, thank you.]
14) Joshua sent me the reply below on July 18:
[Once again, I'm not getting any of your direct emails. That's something I do not understand, but I am not happy with the message I just received from you. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WRONG as I have not only returned the bat I purchased back on the date provided, he has already relisted and sold the bat. Somewhere along the line, I must have sent you a photo of the wrong bat, but the knob photo I provided IS from the bat that I offered you. You're email makes me out to be a liar. My collection is full of Ichiro's rarest items; everything I own if fully certified and handpicked to ensure that I receive the nicest items available. After the conclusion of this transaction, you will not be able to bid (or make offers) on any of my items/auctions. Figure out what's wrong with you email account as I'm not going to read any of your messages that come through my ebay inbox (from here forward). I accepted your ridiculous, lowball offer on this bat b/c it covered the remaining funds we needed for our downpayment. I was hoping it would be easy, but you managed to make a simple Western Union payment difficult. Thanks Alex. Good luck in the future. You will receive your bat shortly. ]
15) Regarding the bat being returned to the original buyer, he was indeed telling the truth, because I found the bat relisted and sold on ebay on July 12, 2010:
16) But this meant that I just sent him $1,425.00 for a bat WHICH I HAVE NOT HAVE EVEN SEEN.
So I sent him the email below:
[Again Joshua, if you are saying the truth, please send me the CORRECT pics of the [2004 Ichiro game-used autographed bat PSA/DNA certified]. How can I complete this transaction with you when I was sent WRONG pics, and I have not even seen what I am getting? Please, please reply Joshua, thank you.]
17) His last email was July 18, 2010.
I have emailed him directly at [ichiro151@live.com],
I have emailed him via ebay at [ebay id: ichiro51collector],
and I tried calling him directly at [(253)677-2445].
He never replied to my emails, nor answered my calls.
I have never heard from him again.
******************
I would like to ask for the help of the Game Used Universe authorities and community.
Since I am currently in the Philippines, it will be great if anyone can help report Mr. Joshua Hanson to the Renton WA authorities.
I can send scans of the Western Union money transfer receipts, and all of my email correspondence with Mr. Joshua Hanson regarding this deal.
I do not want to lose my money to fraud.
Thank you very much for reading this very long post;
Thank you in advance for eberyone's time and help.
Thank you very much,
Alex (alex.macainag at gmail dot com)
Mr. Joshua Hanson got $1,425.00 from me for the bat, but he never shipped anything to me.
Here are the details:
1) I am Alex from the Philippines, an ebay member and an Ichiro fan. I made several deals in the past with Mr. Joshua Hanson, so I thought he was an honest ebayer.
2) The first time I saw this bat was through the ebay auction of Mr. Joshua Hanson (ebay id: ichiro51collector). The screenshot of his auction was posted on the thread below by Mr. Goh Nishiyama:
3) I was interested in the bat because I thought it was legit, so I contacted Mr. Joshua Hanson (ebay id: ichiro51collector) directly to his email, [ichiro151@live.com]. I asked for several pics of the bat. He sent me the pics below:
4) After asking several questions about the bat, and after negotiating the price, we agreed on $1,425.00 via Western Union Money Transfer.
5) On July 3, Saturday, I sent $1,425.00 via Western Union Money Transfer to Mr. Joshua Hanson. Here are the Western Union recipient details:
Safeway - Western Union
c/o Joshua D Hanson
200 South 3rd Street
Renton, WA 98057-2031
(425) 255-4151
(253)677-2445
Birthdate: 12/01/1980
Email: ichiro151@live.com
6) On July 4, Sunday, Joshua emailed me the following:
[I am picking up the check(s) right now and am getting the run around from everyone involved at the WU branch. They don't have the cash so they're writing me checks. I called my bank and they said that there will be a mandatory MINIMUM 10 day hold placed on any/all WU money orders/checks. I will not mail the bat until I receive notice from my bank that the checks have cleared. At that point, I will mail the bat and send tracking.
Joshua]
7) This was a big red flag for me, because it was the first time I heard W/U not issuing cash; they always issue cash.
I have used Western Union several times (both sending and receiving money) before on ebay purchases,
and they always issue cash instantly.
That is why people use Western Union, for INSTANT cash transfer.
We should not have waited 10 days, so I asked him to ask Western Union again.
Becoming very worried about the high-dollar transaction, I also asked him for:
- pics of the [51] on the bat knob
- a special certificate issued by Mr. Joshua Hanson, to certify that this is a real Ichiro gamer
8) On July 6, he sent the reply below:
[They gave me checks b/c I got there at opening and they didn't have any cash. I didn't have time to go there later in the day as I had to go to work so I took the checks, brought them to the bank and, as expected, they placed a 10-15 day hold on the checks. I'm away on business now for the next week (I'm on my way to the airport right now). I'll be in touch when I get back; I'll check on the holds (checks) as soon as I get back and let you know the status as soon as I know. I didn't have time to look at the attachment you sent me, but I can assure you that the bat was given to a player for the Mariners Care golf tournament. They don't give out "certificates" at the tournament if that's what you're asking. I bought the bat from the original buyer. He outbid me at the event back in 2004 and sold me the bat last year. I can write up a special cert detailing what I know about the history of the bat. I'll have that prepared and mailed with the bat once those checks clear. Be patient Alex. ]
9) In the following days, I sent several emails to ask for an update.
On July 9, he sent the email below:
[I'm really sorry Alex, but I'm out of town on business and have no access to my laptop that has the bat knob photos you want/need. I simply forgot to send it to you while I was packing for this important trip. I am so very sorry, I know you wanted that photo and I have no way of getting it to you. Anyway, if the checks have cleared by the time I get home, I'll get the bat in the mail to you. Please re-confirm the mailing address that you want the bat to go to. I know that you have always had me ship your items to an Ohio address; I'm assuming this will be no different. Take care Alex. Sorry again for forgetting that photo.
Joshua]
10) Again, I waited for several days, but no email from Mr. Joshua Hanson.
On July 17, I saw that he had active ebay auctions, so I emailed him via ebay asking for updates, and for the bat knob pics.
Here were his replies:
a) [I sent the pictures of the bat knob already. What "special LOA"?? Why are you writing me through ebay? We did this through email, write me via email. I don't want ebay to see any of these messages and assume we're working on deals outside of ebay (through the ebay system). ]
b) [It now has a sticker over the #51, but this is the handle before it was certified by PSA. This is ultimately what you're looking for... it now has a silver PSA sticker on it (not the ugly white sticker). ]
c) [I went out of town right after I picked up the checks; I had not one message from you when I returned. I will check my email and let you know if the new message goes through.
I had a picture of the knob on my computer 'pre-PSA'. Wish I knew I had that on my computer before I posted the auction as I would have gotten my asking price; if not more. All of the idiots on Game Used Universe went crazy when the bat was listed b/c the sticker was over the knob. I was furious when the bat was returned to me w/ the sticker over the #51. You cannot remove it w/o the sticker leaving a checkered pattern all over the bat so I left it on there. If you know a way to get it off, I'd take it off. ]
11) I then requested a pic of the "pre-PSA" bat knob. He did send me a pic shown below:
12) At this point, found the ORIGINAL AUCTION of ebay id [13alexrodriguez]. This was where he got the bat, since it had the exact same characteristics as the bat I just paid for.
This was when I thought he was lying, because in the auction of ebay id [13alexrodriguez], THERE IS ALREADY A PSA/DNA STICKER ON THE KNOB. THIS MEANT THAT THE PIC OF THE "pre-PSA" BAT KNOB WAS NOT OF THE ITEM I PURCHASED.
13) Because of this, I sent him the email below:
[Joshua, since you did not reply to my direct emails, I am again contacting you through ebay.
I am unhappy with the bat. You said that you purchased this bat from the original buyer last year, but I found out that you bought this at ebay last June 7, 2010 (item #220615048505). Also, you bought the bat already certified by PSA/DNA, with the sticker already on. Therefore, the [pre-PSA] bat knob pic you sent me was from a different bat. You have misrepresented the item, so I do not trust this transaction anymore. Please refund my money; Please send $1425 via Paypal to [alex.macainag@gmail.com]. Sorry Joshua, thank you.]
14) Joshua sent me the reply below on July 18:
[Once again, I'm not getting any of your direct emails. That's something I do not understand, but I am not happy with the message I just received from you. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WRONG as I have not only returned the bat I purchased back on the date provided, he has already relisted and sold the bat. Somewhere along the line, I must have sent you a photo of the wrong bat, but the knob photo I provided IS from the bat that I offered you. You're email makes me out to be a liar. My collection is full of Ichiro's rarest items; everything I own if fully certified and handpicked to ensure that I receive the nicest items available. After the conclusion of this transaction, you will not be able to bid (or make offers) on any of my items/auctions. Figure out what's wrong with you email account as I'm not going to read any of your messages that come through my ebay inbox (from here forward). I accepted your ridiculous, lowball offer on this bat b/c it covered the remaining funds we needed for our downpayment. I was hoping it would be easy, but you managed to make a simple Western Union payment difficult. Thanks Alex. Good luck in the future. You will receive your bat shortly. ]
15) Regarding the bat being returned to the original buyer, he was indeed telling the truth, because I found the bat relisted and sold on ebay on July 12, 2010:
16) But this meant that I just sent him $1,425.00 for a bat WHICH I HAVE NOT HAVE EVEN SEEN.
So I sent him the email below:
[Again Joshua, if you are saying the truth, please send me the CORRECT pics of the [2004 Ichiro game-used autographed bat PSA/DNA certified]. How can I complete this transaction with you when I was sent WRONG pics, and I have not even seen what I am getting? Please, please reply Joshua, thank you.]
17) His last email was July 18, 2010.
I have emailed him directly at [ichiro151@live.com],
I have emailed him via ebay at [ebay id: ichiro51collector],
and I tried calling him directly at [(253)677-2445].
He never replied to my emails, nor answered my calls.
I have never heard from him again.
******************
I would like to ask for the help of the Game Used Universe authorities and community.
Since I am currently in the Philippines, it will be great if anyone can help report Mr. Joshua Hanson to the Renton WA authorities.
I can send scans of the Western Union money transfer receipts, and all of my email correspondence with Mr. Joshua Hanson regarding this deal.
I do not want to lose my money to fraud.
Thank you very much for reading this very long post;
Thank you in advance for eberyone's time and help.
Thank you very much,
Alex (alex.macainag at gmail dot com)
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