Several PPC cards on Amibench

[JaXanim]

If you pop over to Ebay and do an Item by Seller search under Kralle900, you'll see that Mr Binder is actively selling stuff at this very moment.

There is so much stuff on offer here, it must be a full time job keeping everything in order. I notice items which received no bids ending a few days ago are back on offer right now.

So, Mr Binder is up to his neck in Ebay, selling everything from Amiga kit to mobile phones and car parts. The question is, why did he put the PPC cards on AmiBench?

Now when this question was raised early on, it was suggested he probably didn't want the hassle. That's clearly not so. He spends a large part of his time with Ebay, so he could have made a small fortune selling these cards by auction. Check recent PPC auctions, people are going quite mad over PPC stuff.

I have contacted him via the Ebay Members Messager and asked him why our cards haven't arrived. I put it to him that he has sold them before he actually had posession of them (remember they were obtained from bankrupt stock somewhere). I asked him to admit this if it's correct, so we can at least understand the delay.

That is the only reason I can suggest for the current situation. Kralle900's Ebay feedback is 100% good. That applies to stuff sold during the time we have been waiting.

I still feel this deal will be OK in the end, but it's a very bad way of doing business. It's a pity that AmiBench doesn't have an Ebay style feedback system!

IF I get a reply, you'll be the first to know!

Cheers,

JaX

[JaXanim]

There appear to be two Bernd Binders living in Albstadt.

I called the first one today around noon and got an old gent who hardly spoke English. After a very short discussion in my pidgin German, he was clearly the wrong one.

I called the second number and got an answer phone gabbling on in German. I'll call again this evening. This second Mr Binder has a diploma in engineering (Dipl.Ing.FH) which sounds more promising.

Cheers,

JaX

[JaXanim]

I just called Bernd Binder No.2 and he's not our man either. This one's an architect with no interest in the Amiga or Ebay.

He did say that there are 'many' Bernd Binders in Albstadt, though I can see only the two in the online directory. He was aware of one in the Taelsfingen (?) area of the city.

If anyone thinks they have 'our' Bernd Binder's phone number, please PM it to me and I will have another go.

Cheers,

JaX

[JaXanim]

OK guys, this is how it is from my standpoint.

I have the same address everyone else has. That's where we sent the money. The online phone directory does give the street addresses, but 'ours' isn't there under Bernd Binder. However, someone here posted that Binder's secretary received the cash, so that address isn't of any use, OK. BTW, whoever posted that info, how did you get it?

So, I've just called the phone/fax number PM'd to me by x56h34. Unfortunately, this isn't recognised! I tried it umpteen times.

@ x56h34
What's the 'Handy' number? Looks like a mobile, which I'm reluctant to call because of the likely cost.

So, at this stage we're back to square one.

Earlier I posted a URL showing all the Amiga clubs in Albstadt. Did anyone follow up on that? ....No..?

I tried emailing one of the sectretaries, but that bounced. I think we should all take another look at this route. There should be at least one of those clubs still running, 'cos Mr Binder is said (again by someone on this list) to be a member of an Amiga Club.

If anyone knows exactly which club is involved, please post it here so we can send some emails.

@Lemmink

I understand from x56h34 that you have some info on this.
Is Lemmink following this thread? If not, could a Mod alert him please?

[EDIT: I just PMd Lemmink myself, cheers.]

Cheers,

JaX

[JaXanim]

Assuming 'kralle900' is indeed Mr Binder's Ebay ID, he hasn't responded to my message sent via the Ebay system.

I couldn't really understand how this ID was picked up, but 'kralle900' is certainly located in Albstadt, so it looks pretty convincing. And he's selling Amiga stuff, which fits even better.

Anyway, I suggest that EVERYONE who's sent Mr Binder money for goods not received should mail him via the Ebay messager service and hope he responds to at least one of them.

As I said earlier, 'kralle900' is very active on Ebay at this moment, so it's worth a shot.

JaX

[EDIT: Maybe (?) we should tell him that the Police will be contacted if this situation isn't resolved pretty soon. What do you all think about this?]

[JaXanim]

@odin

None of the phone numbers we have collected seem useful.

It might be helpful to know who lives at the address we all sent our money to. And the Police would know where to go, and who to arrest, eh?

How do you find a 'semi-legal' site running a reverse address service in Germany?...? If anyone can figure this out, then please try to get some new info on this!

If we don't help ourselves, then nobody else will!

JaX

[JaXanim]

This is getting stupid!

Are you now saying that Bernd Binder is not the name of the seller?

Why the Hell am I calling Germany for Bernd Binder if he's not the person we want..?...!

I've managed to contact the Albstadt Amiga Club and they've never heard of Bernd Binder!

Who does everyone think we are looking for?

JaX

[JaXanim]

@punkpie

It's not surprising this thread has impacted on Google. If this farcical show runs for much longer we'll get listed as the Bernd Binder Research Society!

Laugh..? I'm almost crying...!

JaX

[JaXanim]

Good, some local help will be much appreciated. Here's a few facts on the case.

The address to which I sent my cheque, payable to Bernd Binder, is the same address he had in 2001, when he sent a sales brochure to Lemmink. At that time, he used the ID 'Kralle'. The phone number on the letterhead is not recognised today. That could have changed, I guess.

In 2001 his email was 'kralle2@gmx.de' which I posted to, but is no longer recognised.

His current Ebay ID appears to be 'Kralle900' which someone here determined via a Google or something (?). This ID appears convincing 'cos 'Kralle900' is auctioning lots of stuff right now, including Amiga kit and he's located in Albstsdt. That's the place I sent my check, as did most others here I believe.

I have repeatedly sent messages to 'Kralle900' via the Ebay members' messager system, but had no reply. That in itself is suspicious 'cos 'Kralle900' is sending and receiving Ebay feedback right now. I asked him to post something on AmiBench or Amiga.org to show us he isn't a fraud.

There was a 'Kralle1' or 'Kralle2' on Ebay a while back and that had only negative feedback, but there were only one or two auctions under that ID.

Maybe someone would be prepared to bid/win something trivial on a 'Kralle900' auction and use it to make contact? A lot of his stuff goes for a couple of Euros.

I have been unable to find a Bernd Binder at the Albstadt address I sent my check to. I have spoken with the only two Albstsdt/Bernd Binders in the German phone book. Neither is our man. Maybe he is now ex-directory?

I made contact with the only Amiga Computer Club I can find in Albstadt and they haven't heard of Bernd Binder.

There isn't a Roland Geiger in the Albstadt phone book, though there is one 'R. Geiger'. I don't think I will call that number 'cos the connection's too weak. Maybe someone in Germany would call it? ...eh?...Pretty Please!

I will be seeing my Bank Manager next week and I will try to get him to contact Binder's bank. We have his account number. In fact this makes the whole scam idea seem unlikely. Who would give away his account details if he were obtaining money by fraud?

It's all very queer ain't it?

@cgutjahr

If you need anything else, like Binder's full postal address, etc, please PM me or one of the others on here. Many thanks for your offer of assistance.

JaX

[JaXanim]

If this does turn out to be a scam, then the proper way to deal with it is through the Police. Talk of duffing him up is silly and will land you in an even worse mess. And we don't really know who's who, do we....?

Hopefully, I will soon have a contact at the Albstadt local Police Station, which I will appraise of the situation as and when everyone thinks it's right.

My rough guess is that around a dozen people have sent Binder money amounting to around two thousand Euros. When the list being compiled is ready, we'll know the firm numbers.

Meantime, let's hope our German collegues here on Aorg can get some more local details. And bidding for some cheap Ebay stuff from Kralle900 gets us in more direct contact with our presumed Mr Binder. It would be really useful if several people following this story, but not directly involved, would try to win something from him. That would give us a broader contact base to use.

And before we get too far ahead in all this, maybe Mr Binder is in hospital, or sick or dead even? And doesn't it look like there maybe other people associated with this deal? Maybe they are the real scammers? All I am saying is keep an open mind and avoid doing anything you might regret..

Cheers,

JaX

[JaXanim]

@AccyD

Kralle900 appears, through circumstantial evidence, to be Bernd Binder. I haven't seen any proof yet.

If someone here will win one of his auctions, then we'll have the proof. Till then, it's circumstantial.

Cheers,

JaX

[JaXanim]

@cgutjahr

Your help is much appreciated. Let's hope this sorry situation has a simple answer!

I have sent you an email with all the information I have received directly from the people involved in Germany.

I suggest EVERYONE with a financial interest in this problem sends their information to cgutjahr TONIGHT!

Cheers and thanks,

JaX

[JaXanim]

I got his email too.

There are several ways to consider this.

If he was scamming us all, why bother with this email? It ties him into the deal even more doesn't it. And it updates his involvement to the present, rather than several weeks ago.

Assuming it's legit, the boards should start arriving sometime, but who knows when. If nobody gets their board in say one, two or three weeks time, they are either all stuck in the same place somewhere, or we have indeed been scammed. In that case, we should get the cops involved. The question is how long do we give it now?

As to the value of the receipt. It's an official document issued by the German Postal Service and that must carry a lot of weight.

With a receipt of posting, you can indeed get a search done. I've gone through this before with the Royal Mail. Someone posted me a parcel from Venezuela which got 'lost'.
I believed there was probably no chance of my ever seeing it, espacially from South America.

Anyway, I sent a copy or the proof of posting and a few weeks later, the Royal Mail came up trumps. It had been 'held up' by customs people in South America. Anyway, after that the Royal Mail is great as far as I'm concerned!

Cheers,

JaX

[JaXanim]

@Flowman

Have you emailed Binder's phone number to cgutjahr?

Would you PM me with it? I suggest anyone else here who has reason to want it asks for the number. It's the most vital detail we've got so far.

JaX.

[JaXanim]

I guess one thing will be clear from these postage receipts (assuming we get them)and that's the date of posting. That in itself may account for some of the delay. Someone here, not involved with this deal, said Binder was a bit on the slow side. Maybe as a trucker, he's not home much?

So, IF that IS the case, how come Kralle900 can send/receive Ebay feedback on a day by day basis?  Maybe Kralle900 is not Bernd Binder at all? I haven't seen any convincing evidence to support it anyway.

Cheers,

JaX

[JaXanim]

@-BobW-

My God, that's all we need!
Maybe they're all at it!

JaX