Scam alert: "1924 Gibson A-2 mandolin" on Knoxville CL

[mrmando]

Beware this listing. A Loar-period paddlehead A4, erroneously listed as an A2, for $1300? Don't mind if I do. But ...

I'm attaching three photos. #1 appeared with the CL ad. #2 is the first one the seller sent me; #3 is the second one he sent me. #3 definitely doesn't match either of the first two, and I'm not sure the first two match either. Resolutions are low, but the shape of the burst doesn't seem to match, and #1 appears to have an adjustable bridge while #2 doesn't. In fact, the fretboard extension on #1 looks more like an H2.

The second two photos also don't match the 1923 serial number the seller gave me, nor do they bear out his claim that the mandolin has a truss rod.

The kicker is that the seller turns out to be someone who's been kicked off the Cafe numerous times for trolling on the message board and running fake ads on the Classifieds. I guess I won't be pursuing this one further, and I don't recommend it to anyone else, unless of course you live in Knoxville and employ several bodyguards.

[mrmando]

P.S. The second photo posted above originally came from the Mugwumps.com site, where it's listed as a 1918 A4.

And the third photo is a 1921 A4 listed at Spruce Tree Music.

[Scott Tichenor]

Seller's name is Danny Spurgeon from Sevierville, Tennessee.

He's a first rate scam artist and won't hesitate to post under a bogus name and location and may use phone numbers of family or friends. In fact, I'm pinning this note for everyone to see. He's on a current selling streak on eBay, Craig's List and likely other places I don't know about. Unfortunately, he made a stop on the Classifieds a few weeks ago, which I'm now paying for in pursuit. I know of three pending police reports against him at the moment.

I'll have much more to say about him in a few days.

[Ivan Kelsall]

He's known - you have guns in the USA - where's the problem ?. I'm not serious of course,but these guys really press the wrong buttons where i'm concerned.
I'm currently trying to find the guy who has the 2001 Gilchrist "Fern for sale in the UK for £2,900
again !,
Ivan

[Scott Tichenor]

He favors Kentucky models and I've seen him pumping models 805, 855 at the same time he has them for sale somewhere and he contacts people privately to try to sell them or just acts as an independent voice. Also seem him hawking Sumi and Alvarez models and of course at the moment he has the Gibson mentioned in the opening post.

Multiple removals from this forum for threats of violence towards others, foul language and general inability to follow forum guidelines.

[woodwizard]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seller's name is Danny Spurgeon from Sevierville, Tennessee.

We all need to remember this guy and pass the word! What a low life.
Thanks to everyone for the headsup!

[atetone]

I am glad I saw this post.
I have toyed with contacting him in the past on a few mandolins but didn't do any deals.
I was under the impression that he was legit.
I think I mixed him up with someone else.
Thanks for the heads up!

[mandodan1960]

How about we just bog this guy down with inquiries. Use our junk/fake email address to request pictures to be sent. Send a plethoria of questions to be answered. Call him up and arrange to have him come over to our house in nearby Pigeon Forge (fake address) for a Saturday appointment. Shouldn't be hard to find a nice home in a nice neighborhood via Google maps and the white pages (in case he does his homework). A little taste of his own medicine is in order.

[grandcanyonminstrel]

Thanks for this post. He lives pretty close to me - I think I've actually bid on a couple of the items he had up on Epay...

j.
www.condino.com

[allenhopkins]

Originally Posted by mandodan1960

How about we just bog this guy down with inquiries...A little taste of his own medicine is in order.

My great-aunt had a bit of cogent advice (cleaned up for Cafe consumption): "Never get into a urination competition with a skunk."

[Scott Tichenor]

I don't advise playing games with the guy. He's trouble, and he'll be back out here with a phony account at some point stirring trouble. If not now, soon. He knows this forum well and you can take it to the bank he's watching. He tosses around legal threats and violence towards me but there's still enough of a 6' 2" Kansas farm boy in me that used to stack hay bales and fix barbed wire fence all day long that an illiterate hillbilly punk doesn't scare me. Protecting honest money of others is the kind of fight I'll be glad to engage in. Bring it on.

He had a Facebook page up last year saying he wanted to smash me in the mouth for booting him off the Cafe with his foul mouth and guns.

Best advice is to spread the word far and wide and for his own good, teach him a lesson that this kind of #### doesn't go over well in the mandolin community and that people don't like sending him checks and then him not delivering mandolins he supposedly owns.

[stever1422]

The Craigs listing has been deleted by the poster. Nicely done Mando Cafe!

Keep exposing those skunks.

[FL Dawg]

I am one of the people at risk. I answered a classified ad here and sent a large postal money order to Danny Spurgeon.

The money arrived (delivery confirmation) on October 17th. Seventeen days later and I still do not have the mandolin or a refund. I do not even have a tracking number for shipment. Danny will not answer my calls or return my voice messages.

I contacted Scott with my concerns and he has gone to great lengths to help resolve this situation. He was able to get a response from Danny indicating the mandolin was sent October 26th by what sounds like parcel post (Priority Mail was agreed upon) - expected delivery would be sometime this week. I am concerned after learning more about this person that there never was a mandolin in the first place, and this is just a stalling tactic. His lack of communication has put him under suspicion.

Danny still has a small window of opportunity to make this right, and I will post an update when I have one. If there is not a satisfactory resolution soon, then we will be pursuing any and all criminal and civil actions against Danny with as much force as possible. We are building a case at this very moment.

[Ted Eschliman]

I think it's also important to note that in most instances, the Moderator board is careful to steer clear of private commerce and personal transactions on the Message Board. The only time we are compelled to intervene is when a party is not only blatant, but prolific, as have been these recent cases. We will not interfere the majority of the time, but this is a character we've had careful, quiet behind-the-scenes dialogue off and on for months.

That we are "outing" him should tell you how serious we are about this individual. Understand however, we are not inciting a public offensive, just urging extreme and communal awareness.

[EarlG]

I have the bad luck to be in the middle of a bad deal with this guy. I also sent him money in good faith only to have no mandolin and no returned money, at least yet.

This guy seems to know pretty well what kind of mandolins catch Cafe' readers interest and he advertises those. In my case, he admitted to never having the mandolin I paid him for.

Scott has helped where he can and the police where I live and in Sevierville have an eye on him.

I hope he does not con any more of us.

[EarlG]

I have filed a police report in my hometown and contacted the Sevier county sheriff office. The sherrif's investigator said he would look into it.

The investigator seemed sincere, maybe they will help.

Maybe if I buy used again it will be from a real store or someone that's been on the Cafe' at least a few years. Seems like that should be safe.

Earl

[Scott Tichenor]

There are updates. Not good. One instrument was received today, but while it was described as being in mint condition, it was a total wreck with many cracks, and shipped with no case, filthy. A real mess. Another party has a live working police report and is in contact with the Sevierville Sherrif. I've visited with them as well. I also caught up by phone with an attorney today and plan to file a tortuous interference suit against him for activities carried out on this site.

[Rob Gerety]

Thanks for posting all this Scott. I think your efforts to expose the fellow will be more productive than law suits etc. You can't get blood from a stone. Maybe the the criminal complaint will get him off the street - but I fear the money is gone. My advice - don't throw good money after bad.

Tell me though - do you all know what his screen names and such are so that we can recognize him when we are looking at listings here and elsewhere - like eBay?

[Scott Tichenor]

I had an eBay friend that found this thread and contacted me with information. Normally i don't endorse the sharing of eBay user IDs, but I'm making an exception here due to the nature of the crimes being committed.

User: danmandospurge

He just won this auction on eBay. Obviously, anyone that deals with him on this one will be wading into dangerous territory, that is, if he pays for it...

[gw16]

Thanks for posting Scott - I've nearly been burned a few times and I think it's great when these people are exposed for what they are. Kudo's to you for doing so and for putting up a great site with great people. Well, 99.9% of them anyway....

Cheers,
Glenn

[Bill Halsey]

Yes, Scott -- thank you & Ted et al for going the distance on this, to the benefit of us all. You're best.

Best wishes to FL Dawg and EarlG for a quick recovery of your resources. Your coming forward on this is very sobering -- thank you.

[Eric F.]

I'm in this, too. I've filed a mail fraud complaint with the postal inspector and I'll be in touch with the Sevierville P.D. today.

[MikeEdgerton]

This looks a little worse every day.

[soapycows]

Scott, thank you for going above and beyond what most site owners would do. It is truly commendable.
Being someone who has bought and sold numerous times on the cafe, my best advice is to talk on the phone with sellers (and buyers). Build a rapport, communicate. Be careful of anyone that doesn't communicate openly and earnestly.

[FL Dawg]

Here is the update I promised. Yesterday evening a mandolin arrived from Danny, 17 days after he got my money. That is the good news.

The bad news is that the mandolin is trashed and not as described. When I first spoke to Danny I asked for a 48 hour approval period and he agreed - I am going to hold him to that and pursue a refund for this mandolin. He will need to send the money first before I return the mandolin because at this point, he has lost my trust.

Here are a few of the surprises:
1) Mandolin was sent Parcel Post
Danny promised Priority Mail.
2) Mandolin has no case
Danny said it had the original case.
3) Mandolin was postmarked October 28th
Danny promised to send it right away after getting the money October 17th.
Danny promised again to send it on October 23rd.
Danny told Scott it had been mailed on October 26th.
4) Mandolin is extremely damaged in poor condition with cracks and other issues.
Danny gave me an in-hand description on the phone of an instrument with no breaks, no repairs, and no issues.

Look at the pictures and you will see that the back looks like it's been off, the label has been moved, there is a filled hole from a pickup jack, multiple top cracks, a section of the top between cracks that is pushed in, a crack on the back, extensive finish damage down to the wood, air gaps in the binding, glue goop on the binding where it has been removed and replaced, and the tailpiece is a replacement.

This is fraud, pure and simple. And until I get my money back, I plan to pursue action against Danny with the postal inspector and Sevierville police.

Here are a few pictures of the mandolin that Danny Spurgeon sent me:

Filled jack hole, replaced gapped binding


Gaps in binding, binding separation, sloppy glue oozing out


Multiple cracks in top


Top cracks and heavy finish wear down to the wood