Quick update- I spoke to Marcus 11:30am PST and he said he has my payment. He assured me that there will be no wait on my order. I'm sure that he will do me right. In marketing there is the old saying that when a customer is happy he tells one person and whena customer is unhappy everybody knows.
Right. Well, I wish you the best of luck. IMO, you are foolish to do this in the face of all of the buzz here online. There isn't just ONE customer unhappy, or haven't you noticed all of the posts?
Contrary to what Marcus is telling prospective customers now, I can speak to my circumstances. I did not change the order once it was placed. Its a lie. Quite simply put, I believe he is a highly skilled scam artist. Let me describe my experience from my last post forward to date:
Note that I placed my order with Brewers Equipment at the end of January. I drew the line a few weeks ago, around mid-September, almost eight months after my order. I had nothing to show from my order but Marcus' hot air. At that time, I told Marcus offline that he needed to either send the stand, or send me a full refund. No response. Nothing.
A few days went by, and so finally, I boiled over (I needed to use a brewing analogy here). I filed a complaint with American Express, who then investigated. Then Marcus immediately flew into action--WHOA!--all of the sudden, I became important to Marcus again! Surprise! He called me about 24 times that very same day. All of the sudden, my stand was ready, like magic. Really? LOL. What an idiot...
In the midst of his newfound panic, Marcus called from his number that day, relentlessly, until I e-mailed him that I wouldn't speak to him on the phone under the circumstances. I told him that from that point forward, because an investigation/complaint was underway, everything needed to be in writing. He persisted in his calls, and then even blocked his caller ID to try to get through. It was to the point of harassment; apparently, he doesnt work for a living, but I do. I dont have time for this juvenile nonsense on a weekday during work hours.
He said that he had shipped the stand. He wanted me to reauthorize payment. Right! I explained clearly to American Express that if I received the stand, and only if it was
exactly as ordered, complete, and not damaged, would I authorize payment. I would be good to my word (unlike the seller). But I certainly would not end the dispute and/or authorize any payment to him. The trust period of the business transaction was well over at that point. By the end of the day, Marcus sent an intercept order to UPS, and whatever 65 pound box he tried to desperately ship me (some rocks, perhaps? Scrap metal, maybe?) was now on its way back to Texas. No matter.
Amex took care of the rest for me (which is why I am such a loyal customer). As of 10/7/11, I got a full refund for my order! Yay! Sometimes, the good guys do win! Wahoo! I am quite glad to know that it cost him some bucks to ship, then also to intercept and have whatever piece of junk skipped back to him. So he did come out of pocket for all of the trouble he caused me. Good. Karma sucks, I suppose.
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For the record, the caller ID thing, the constant excuses, the low-low prices, the way he pitches to the newbies that everything will be OK, it all clearly indicates to me that this is a person who knows what he's doing. He's skilled at his craft, which is not necessarily welding
I think that the rub is this: he has people buy his service, and has them billed through PayPal. He hopes that people pay through PayPal directly from an account, rather than by card. He knows full well that if he waits long enough, the PayPal buyer protection period ends, and he may be able to cut corners, do partial shipment, send dented, damaged or sub-par product, or who knows, maybe he thinks hell get lucky and keep the whole payment as profit.
I believe that Marcus should be shut down. I'm investigating further options. I have researched the Better Business Bureau in his area, and have contacted them regarding their complaint process. I have those details, and now need to proceed. I also have been in touch with the feds on how to file mail fraud charges. If folks are interested in this, let me know. I think that this would only really work as a group effort.
Thanks for reading all of this.
Madman Joe
P.S. I just ordered a few custom made lights for the exterior of my house. Handmade, in the U.S., welded, custom finish, specific glass, etc. all made from a real small shop. It took exactly one week from order to confirmed shipment. I will not let a scam artist like Marcus deter me from supporting small U.S. businesses.
P.P.S. I may check out the brew stand welding shop here local to me in Concord, CA. They are a small shop, and post on this forum (not More Beer; I like them, but they are pricey). Whatever route I go, I will report back my experience to the group in an unbiased manner. I reward good customer service, and punish unethical activity.
I will keep posting about my experience with Marcus as long as Brewers Equipment exists.
I've ordered my first brew rig from Marcus ar Brewer's Equipment in Honey Gove Texas. A little organization and a nice new stainless brewstand and my wife Margaret can reclaim her garage back. I've looked at his website and he was real upfront with me saying that a few people had circumstantial problems. I've run a business and know that when you are small vendors can be your worse nightmare. I've dropped shipped to my relatives and came home two days before Christmas and discovered the packages at my front door. Vendors will change their mine and tell you that they changed their shipping policy if they know that you are a small business. I've ordered personally from these suppliers and received fast home service. Please don't shoot the messenger, but occasionally a delays occurs. I'm excited and have high expectations so see my new order at
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