UPDATED: Mark L. Schifter, PLEADS GUILTY to suspicion of charity fraud

[Chu Gai]

Perusing the Rolex website...

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?p=1815054#post1815054

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=125465

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=126361

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?p=1886439#post1886439

 

[MinusTheBear]

You would have to be crazy to drop 10 grand over the internet on a watch you have never seen in person.

 

[SlushPuppy]

You would have to be crazy to drop 10 grand over the internet on a watch you have never seen in person.

Even crazier are the people who paid $6000+ for a loudspeaker that didn't even exist

 

[MinusTheBear]

Even crazier are the people who paid $6000+ for a loudspeaker that didn't even exist

Well, to be fair, that was at the time the entire AV123 community was enabling pre-payments and in-development products. I can understand people getting sucked into all the hype and misinformation that was being presented. With all that, it present itself at the time as a "safe" purchase.

There were some threads on AVS were Grandarf took issue to such business practices - pre-payments, vaporware, hype etc and he was ganged up on/pounced on quickly (before #$%% hit the fan).

 

[gonk]

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?p=1815054#post1815054

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=125465

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=126361

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?p=1886439#post1886439

Current retail is $21,800 dollars (FM - Aspen, CO) and she would like to get $10,500 dollars. We feel this is fair - but we will listen to other offers, etc.

I love how he likes to say "we feel this is fair" - it's one of his distinctive writing habits. Considering all his mis-deeds, he probably ought to be a lot more careful using the word "fair" for any reason...

 

[gonk]

Oh dang, didn't know you had that. And here I was trying to provide a service

Here's what I have, PM me your email and I can shoot them your way.

You've got a PM at TCA (can't send you one here) and I'm about to send another one...

 

[zane9]

I love how he likes to say "we feel this is fair" - it's one of his distinctive writing habits. Considering all his mis-deeds, he probably ought to be a lot more careful using the word "fair" for any reason...

I also laughed at this line:

"If you want more - just say the word. I'll get the good camera out and snap away "

He still has a "good camera"? Not auctioned off yet?

 

[gonk]

He still has a "good camera"? Not auctioned off yet?

Two thoughts:

1. He had dozens of posts (all now deleted in the forum purges) in which he suggested his photography skills were poor.

2. His definition of "good" may warrant some debate based on history.

 

[Stereodude]

Honeybear is trying to scoop up all the warehouse/factory equipment.

Is he a relative of yours?

 

[Chu Gai]

That writing you see, well, that's just Mark being humble is all.

 

[SlushPuppy]

I also laughed at this line:

"If you want more - just say the word. I'll get the good camera out and snap away "

He still has a "good camera"? Not auctioned off yet?

His BS about poor photography skills always bothered me. There are a lot of pictures with him sporting a very expensive Leica camera around his neck, and I know he had a high-end Panasonic (lumix - or something like that) as well. The only reason his photos sucked is because he was hiding something. Can you say Cracked Veneer?

 

[droht]

I also laughed at this line:

"If you want more - just say the word. I'll get the good camera out and snap away "

He still has a "good camera"? Not auctioned off yet?

mls, shoot me a PM. I'll give you $500 for your Leica. Is PayPal still "thegrahamcompany"?

Thanks.

 

[gonk]

Oh dang, didn't know you had that. And here I was trying to provide a service

Here's what I have, PM me your email and I can shoot them your way.

I have now updated my archive with all the extra manuals that skeeter tracked down.

 

[Chu Gai]

So I asked Dickensheet a couple of questions

Q: Thanks. How did the contents of AV123 come to Dickensheet? Did someone from the company contract with you, were the goods abandoned and the owner of the warehouse offered them up, or was there a bankruptcy?

A: Hello! We are working with AV123 and their attorney to convert the assets into cash to be disbursed to creditors. Thanks.


Q: Was this related to the court matter where Mark Schifter pleaded guilty to two felonies related to charitable fraud?

A: I am not certain if any of those instances had any relations to the company. Our goal is to maximize the return on the assets to pay as many parties as possible. Thanks.

 

[tonygeno]

A short term auction such as this cannot possibly generate the most amount of money for the creditors. For me, this is MLS' final Eff You to the community (vendors, customers, etc) that he exploited for many years.

Pathetic.

 

[SnowmaNick]

Interestingly, they are using the same products with different lot numbers for some of the auctions. For example lot #117 of the moho MFW, the top of the enclosure has a sticker with "117" on it, the same image is used for lot's # 125 and #126. Similarly the black MFW in lot #119 looks to have the exact same damage as #120, #120 is just taken from a little further back.

They very well may just be using "representative samples" of specific lots in the images, but anything touching AV123 these days makes me that much more skeptical/apprehensive.

 

[gonk]

A short term auction such as this cannot possibly generate the most amount of money for the creditors. For me, this is MLS' final Eff You to the community (vendors, customers, etc) that he exploited for many years.

Pathetic.

They've spent most of 2010 trying to use Craig's List, forum classifieds sections, and the B-stock page to sell off as much of their assets as they could - cubicle partitions, CD duplicators, loose drivers, random leftover speakers, and even subs that don't have amps or LS cabinets that don't have anything. Their B-stock page seemed to have run its course a month ago, which suggested that nobody was buying what was left. This sort of auction won't get a lot of money, but it is probably the fastest way to get some sort of cash out of the company's assets.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

Geez, I had no idea until I received a letter this week from Dickensheet. That $2,200 I had on deposit is pretty much gone-ski. What a shame. I think I'm more upset at having thought so well of Mark and being disappointed than I am about the lost of the money.

 

[Chu Gai]

Karl, what's the story behind the deposit?

 

[Jed M]

Geez, I had no idea until I received a letter this week from Dickensheet. That $2,200 I had on deposit is pretty much gone-ski. What a shame. I think I'm more upset at having thought so well of Mark and being disappointed than I am about the lost of the money.

If it makes you feel better, Mark needed it for his defense fund. Since I thought it was widely known he was blatantly stealing from his friends for over 6 years it is hard to believe you had no idea, but I am sorry to hear he got you too. Thats rough. And btw, forget disappointment, just move on to anger because the man is a flat out conman. If you meant disappointed in yourself for believing him, well then I have been there too. Its very easy to see he is a sociopath once you unplug from the Matrix.

Edit: I am sorry if that came off a little cold. I really am sorry you are out money, but you were a forum regular I thought? Did you quit checking in the last couple years? I remember you, but I apologize for not remembering if you quit coming around.