A guy offered some speaks out of the trunk of his car????

[elgrillo]

Well coincedentaly just around the time that I was researching speakers, and right after I purchase my klipsch RF3II package some guy drives up to me in the parking lot of a shopping center and asks me if I wanted some speakers. So I said sure, thinking that he might give them to me for free. SO he tells me that he had 2 extra speakers from a shipment that came in and he couldn't take them back to the store because his boss would just keep them, as he has done in the past. He showed me a paper from what appeared to be from a packing slip from a local audio store here, and he says that he works for them.

So he shows me 2 floor standing speakers that did appear to be unopened from the factory. They were PTS skyline adsl 800 model(not too sure about the adsl part) speakers which I had never heard of. He then whips out a catalog of a bunch of speakers that they sell and he shows me that they have a msrp of $1500. He opened up a box, and they did look very professional He tells me that he had to pick up his boss in half an hour so he couldn't take them home. He said that he would sell them to me for $400 for both. I argued with the guy and said I would give him $100 for both. He said that that was too cheap and the lowest would be $200. So he went on his way.

Now thinking about it $200 for those speakers would of been a good deal. They looked pretty nice and even had biwiring in the back with a woofer on the side along with some plastic wood finish on the sides. Ive tried to do a search for them but have found nothing. What do you guys think? Smart move on my part or no? Then I was thinking that it may have been a setup by the cops?(this is my watched to many movies thinking coming in) What would you have done?

[Mighty Favog]

Well, if it were the cops they probably would have taken you in right there and then. For what, I don't know. I have'nt heard of too many stings that go for "receiving stolen property". It couldn't have been the cops anyway. Because if they were stolen and the cops had them then the cops have the resposibility to get them to the rightful owner once they've been used as evidence in convicting the people that did steel them (drugs are a different story all together). The catalog could have been drawn up on any half way deacent computer. As far as his story goes it sounds totally bogus. If anything he stole them from his boss' store. I would look inside of them and see what's inside. Are they weighted down with something other than drivers, crossover and cabinet?? How do they sound? Do they work? I hate to sound negative about this one but I've seen it quite a few times before. You should have gotten his license plate number to give to the cops after your sure the deal was bad.

Again, I'm sorry for sounding this way but it just doesn't look good....

[Stephen328]

Well, id look at it this way. Say this whole incident had never happened: you would be right where you are now, with beutiful Rf-3s (i want a pair). But say you had bought them, you could be very happy with your new speakers, but probably not. I mean theres always the after thought of what could you have done. You will always have afterthoughts, but in this case I think you made the right descision. Its just to risky, you know they guy had to be lying. I would just sit back, not worry about it and enjoy your rf-3s.

[dougdrake]

OMG - This is a joke, right?

See the following:

http://www.scamshield.com/Feature.asp?id=1

http://pub42.ezboard.com/faudioforum83468frm1.showMessage?topicID=179.topic

http://www.audioreview.com/PRD_120850_1594crx.aspx

DD

[danbry39]

Elgrillo,

Just be thankful you didn't throw away a couple of hundred bucks on a scam. You were lucky and a bit wise for not taking the bait. Just enjoy those new Klipsch you're going to be getting.

[Malcolm]

Sounds like the "white van" scam. You can find out more about it by searching the archives.

[kjohnsonhp]

I remember the white van scam from the 80's when I was in Santa Clara County, CA. It was pretty common to see the white van with their "extra pair" of speakers they needed to unload....I just laughed and moved on.

There is a simply rule..."if it sounds too good to be true it probably is"

Beware of men in vans selling things just as you would men in trench coats. The line "wanna buy _____ cheap" is a classic.

[Soundthought]

That's definately the White Van Scam.

If you would have bought their speakers, they would have surely hit you up for beer money. LOL

It's all B.S.

We just had them come through our town about a week ago.

There is like 3 sets of this junk in the paper for sale.

Unbelievable.

One of my buddies said he scored me a job setting up a system for his boss.

As soon as he told me that his boss aquired them from a couple guys in a white van, I laughed.

I had to turn that job down.

There is no way i'm gonna be held accountable for the sound of that stuff.

Hell, I ran into them at the gas station last sunday.

I was out with some friends when I popped in the store for a pack of smokes.

When I came out, one of my friends was talking with a couple of seedy looking chumps in a "White Van". LOL

He said, "Come check this out, these guys have a killer deal on some speakers."

I said, "Oh Yeah, let me guess."

"They have an extra pair and they can't take them back."

My buddy said, "No, they have a whole HT set up and can't take it back."

Oh man, golden opportunity to rip some white van a$$.

I stepped over to the van and right up to the driver.

"Hey, I know you guys." "Your the white van speaker company guys, right?"

No response.

I ranted, "Oh yeah, you gotta be them!"

"Damn, you guys are a bunch of theivin' bastards!"

No response.

I continued, "What you guys peddling this month, Junk Denmarks again?"

My buddy interjected, "No man, they're Audiofile."

Oh lord...

I continued on with the driver.

"So tell me something, how do you guys work this?"

"Do they give you a general area to cover or are you on some kind of grand scam route?"

His eyes got wide.

I said, "I have been wondering how you pull this off."

"I can't believe you guys still get away with it"

And as put it in gear and started to take off he said this,

"I'm not sure what your talking about, i've never heard of denmark."

Oh god, I hate those guys!

I should have grabbed him up while I had a chance. LOL

Then again, I did feel a sort of elation from just busting their chops.

Here's the white van deal,

They are a national chain of independant distributors for a shoody speaker manufacture.

That company buy surplus and scrap grade parts and slaps them in a cheap box and calls it a loudspeaker.

Well, technically loudspeakers they are, buy quality they are not.

They are like Dell in the way they skip the middle man and sell factory direct.

They claim it allows for a substantial savings to the consumer.

Whatever...

I say they sell junk that nobody would allow on their shelves.

A couple of names i've seen them use are Audiofile and Denmark.

Avoid these guys at all cost.

If you feel bold, then tell them where they can put their speakers.

If not, then at least write their licence plate number down.

There is alot of info about them around on the net, too.

Just got to do a little digging.

[TheEAR]

Audioreality,

"I say they sell junk that nobody would allow on their shelves.

A couple of names i've seen them use are Audiofile and Denmark."

LOL

I think you should not forget the most dangerous White Van Co.,and I name B0$e!

B0$e speakers are in the same class as the "Audiofile" trash these grease bags sell.Only B0$e is sold in stores,LEGAL RIPOFF!

And B0$e claims to have technology nobody else has! LOL

[Soundthought]

Bose blows.

They ran around buying patents to 50 year old ideas.

Then they try to reproduce full range sounds with incompetent drivers and helmholtz resonation.

You know, it's like fools gold, only on an audio scale.

Fools audio.

But, but, but, to be fair.

There are those whom chose to go with bose.

There is nothing wrong with that.

To each their own.

Live and let live.

Just keep them the hell out of my house.

Wanna hear bose, go blow on your beer bottle.

Wanna hear klipsch, better hold on to something.

[elgrillo]

Well this is actually the only reference to those speakers that I have found. were 3 items on sale on ebay. Just type skyline speakers in search.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1393428589

The speaker boxes looked exactly like this. They even have a simiar model number. Coincidentally they are from dallas where I currently live. THere is another auction from Virginia though. Anyone ever heard of this brand?

Well this definetely does not add to the credibility of this guy. By the way it was a young guy in his early twenties was in a green explorer.

Well if the speaker brand would of been named audiofile, I would of laughed my *** off, and probably taken the guy's license plates. Thing is is that they had pretty impressive looking catalog with the nice glossy paper and such. The biwiring in the back along with the subwoofer on the side made me wonder. I also forgot to add that they had some tweeters on them. I mean I were going to make a fake speaker I wouldn't waste my money putting biwiring, a sub on the side, along with a tweeter. Well who knows it was the fact that they had this that almost convinced me to buy them. Who knows?

[tripod]

You made the right choice not getting the speakers.

As far as busting their chops, Audioreality got off lucky with what he did. I have a very distant (removed by several marriages) relative who runs one of these "groups" out of North Carolina. He and his "family" are originally from Chicago but liked the weather down south so moved there. Anyway, these companies are 100% mob, so you might want to avoid hassling them, just avoid them. Most of their drivers are probably just low level guys from the street, but you never know when you'll run into someone looking to move up or prove how tough he is.

[RWMIN]

Several years ago I ran into the same scam. I bought 4 speakers that day for $400. I couldn't wait to buy an amp an listen. I bought a Yamaha, rushed home, hooked it all up and BLAH! I sold all four speakers for $125 and felt bad about it.

[Soundthought]

Tripod, duly noted.

I must say that in todays society, one must try to conduct themselves in a respectful fashion.

We all should indeed exercise extreme caution when engaging in altercations with anyone.

Especially, with the enormous growth in CCF permit popularity.

You can't be too careful.

Unfortunately, my vigalence sometimes gets superseded by an overwhelming desire to intimidate those who wish to take advantage of others.

Tis' my nature and my cross to bear.

[AUGIE]

I live in the south side of Chicago and low and behold my buddy tells me that he just bought a set of speakers from "you gussed it" a guy in a white van! There supposed to be Paradne speakers. He says they sound okay but he was expecting more. They supposed to list for 1500 and he paid 500. Buyer beware!

[erikjohn]

I got stopped by these clowns in the Home Depot parking lot about a year and a half ago. I was slowly cruising out of the parking lot in my 67 camaro and a guy in a white van pulls up bside me and sticks his head out the window and is like you wanna buy some big speakers for cheap?

I looked at his van and him and said no thanks I have more speakers than I know what to do with as it is and kind of laughed. I did ask him if they were Klipsch and he said no so I just drove off. He probably sold some in that parking lot though.

This is the first time I ever heard that this was a scam. I didn't even remeber that day until I started reading some of the links that were posted. After seeing those speakers, Idont think I would have pisd more than $100 anyway if I did need speakers.

EJ

[Invidiosulus]

Some guys offered me the same "good" deal about a week ago right after I had ordered my heresies.

They had their white van disguised as a black suburban lol.

I got the same story(extra speakers,boss,half an hour blah blah). I told them that I had a stereo and I did not have the money for whatever it was they were selling. Then the little punk had the nerve to ask me how much money I had in my bank account I told him that it was none of his business and he said "I know that but i mean like how much do you have"

I said what part of "NONE OF YOUR FREAKIN BUSINESS" don't you understand.

I said do you have a retail licence??

Then all of a sudden:White van Co(disguised as Black Suburban Co.) exits stage left

LOL was'nt about to buy any of what they were selling.

To top it off he said these my$tery speakers would "out perform any Klipsch"

I guess he's never heard of the almighty Khorn.

Oh well just be wary of fraud.

Peace, Josh

[Bruinsrme]

Here is an update to the amazing Auction.

The original auction's bid started at $800 with a buy now at $1500

Now the auction is starting at $700 with a buy now of $1000

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1395497177

Wonder how low they will go before the sucker some one into making a bid?

[Invidiosulus]

Oh yes, we must not forget the "aluminized" cones on these speaks, thats why they can out perform "any" Klipsch speaker

Peace, Josh

[synthfreek]

Yeah the ever-popular "white van scam". I believe this started in the UK YEARS ago. I had a guy in a danky truck try to sell me some huge crappy looking speakers a few weeks ago. The brand was Dunlavy. They had to be like 6ft tall. I think they were the SC-6 model. He said they were too heavy to carry up the stairs to his second story apartment. He wanted $200 for both of them and I just laughed and said "Man I'm not that stupid!".