I agree. Someone besides ME should tell him about all the negative squalk on ALL the forums about him. I've been privy to being involved with three of these overseas deals, trying to help these poor guys out. I have read Mike's RARE emails to them and they are not nice! He talks to them something terrible! He definitely has problems!

Each time, money goes into his bank account and then he "can't find it". Yet, tracing the money through the SWIFT banking system shows it is always there. Lot's of excuses. He should absolutely SHUT DOWN his overseas orders. I have tried to be the intermediary in two of these cases, just to help out. What I got was rude and confusing answers.

I too have got all my orders from him in a timely fashion. Good pricing and good service. But honestly . . . after seeing and hearing . . . I simply "Don't like Mike!" A very insulting person.

I agree! There seems to be little sympathy on here as long as 'YOUR' order is okay. I have always lived by the motto of putting myself in the other guy's shoes. We should be HELPING these people instead of boasting about how great Mike's service is HERE, and here ONLY!

I agree! In some stretch of my imagination I feel like Mad Mike makes a bad impression on ME and my country! He's simply an A#1 prick!!!

Thanks Firebaall and TheLaw! At last, some people with the balls enough to be supportive for these poor guys!!!

As I have posted previously on here, I tried to help two other guys in Europe starting back in November when their money was taken and two months went by with no answers.

Long story short, I spent a lot of time and managed to trace the money wires, talk to Mike's bank, and some local government agencies. They told me things that I cannot divulge on a public forum, mainly for my OWN liability. Let me just say there APPEARS to be some very shady business activities going on. The money is there. He refuses to communicate with these customers, and when he does he uses harsh language and is extremely impolite. I have read his email replies. If I had received such nasty-grams from him, (and filled with double-talk and evasiveness) I would drive all the way to New Jersey and stay until I found him! If he didn't have obvious mental issues, I would love to pound his ass!

This sounds just like the 'case' I helped with for a guy in Holland. However, I did not post anything on MAACA about it, therefore it makes me think EACH one of these problem orders get resolved by opening a criminal case?! While on the phone with him (the miracle time I reached him) I waded through all the chronological order of events. Mike: "We don't have his money." "I can't see any deposit in my bank account." "I'm not going to send a thousand dollars worth of parts to someone who hasn't paid for them." "

Uh, Mike . . . we both have sent you all the bank documents and the international SWIFT account verification that the money was wired to you and is in your account. We have the bank deposit number for the transaction. Just call your bank and give it to them and they will show you where the money is. Ask for and she will tell you that your deposit is there but it has been 'parked' and is on hold because you have something strange going on with your bank account because you________________________. Therefore, since you are being belligerent with me on the phone, I expected your evasive replies and I have already contacted authorities in Brick, New Jersey, and if you say you don't have the money, they are going to come and ask you to verify that. You want the case number?"

Mike: "Well, wait a minute. I'm very busy here! I've got thousands of orders; I don't have time to go over each of them. I am looking through my deposits right now. Oh! What is his name again? Oh! HERE it is!" HE SUDDENLY FINDS THE MONEY!

Mike: "But he is $4.67 short. He miscalculated the fees my bank charges me for processing this wire transfer. I'm not sending this stuff until he pays this fee!" [A person who says he doesn't know where the fella's money is can say in 12 seconds that he KNOWS his bank charged him fees?!!!!] He also said he would not ship the order until he got this little dab of change on a $1,000 order! The customer agreed to drop an item off and take a slight loss.

Robert . . . from one military guy to another . . . Semper Fi!!!! My father was a Marine in WWII (Iwo Jima and Gualdalcanal) and Korea. Two Purple Hearts. Sadly, I was a little more chicken-shit and did my 32 years (retired) in the Army.

Now, about your letter to Mike. I am happy that someone else jumped in here to help these guys and kept me from being The Lone Ranger. Thank you for showing your guts and courage. You know . . . I guess by being a patriot I have to wonder what goes on in the minds of these people in other countries by what is happening to them and what it makes them think of "us". What kind of impression is Mike making? I think it reflects on ALL of us. Some of these folks are in Eastern Europe and it hasn't been very long since they merged into full Western culture (no offense to any of you reading this in Bulgaria, Romania, etc.). I would like to think they are enjoying this new emerging lifestyle and then suddenly, the ole 'Lamp at the Golden Door' is reflecting a picture of rip-offs and let's screw the foreigners . . . they are too far away to do anything to get their money back.

I know . . . I'm long-winded, but trying to put this in a brief summary:

- While your response from Mike was polite and cordial (which surprised me . . . you should see the nasty-grams WE got!), it is still filled with a lot of inexplicable mumbo-jumbo. Just read it again and look at all the so-called problems. A myriad of confusing explanations.

- Notice, he quickly 'found' the email address:

- Notice, these same procedures were done over and over and over with him on the two prior problems I was working on, with no answers, no phone calls, no emails (except rants and accusations of not sending money to him!) not even answering the phone (caller ID maybe?). He won't answer my phone calls any longer.

- Notice, he doesn't have TIME to look at the forums? This is his LIFEBLOOD!!! WTF! A person selling pinball parts has the ideal closed audience group: The FORUMS! If I was selling parts, I would be on here all the time keeping 'in tune' with my target customers!!! HIS ACCOUNTS ARE RIGHT HERE!!! I would be scared shitless if I knew I was being talked about like this with my income source and I would be on here IMMEDIATELY defending myself. It's an excuse for stalling!

OK . . . just random thoughts after my own probing into Mad Amusements . . . not alleging . . . not doing anything accusatory but only rehashing what when my 'mind' started saying to me. Get my drift?

Avoiding taxes on profits - Hoping the customer will just go away and keep the money - Perhaps tax problems because a bank MIGHT say there are strange things going on with his bank account and PERHAPS percentages of his deposits are being seized until certain things are resolved - Problems with the IRS? - 'Confusion' from double bookkeeping entries? - Just not giving a shit about people outside the USA? - Really needing an anger management course?!

I'm done! I hope this is my last post on this subject. Kudos to all you guys who stepped up to the plate and offered to email Mike, boycott, or try to get his attention to these problems. He told me he processes over 5,000 orders per month. Maybe when they get down to 50 he might figure out he needs to read the forums and start CARING!!!

Thanks friends . . . and 'goodnight'.
Mike in Kentucky

You are a killer 'Crash'!!!
Mike

I don't run anywhere but stay here on Pinside. RGP is too inhospitable for me. Some strange characters 'over there'.