anyone remember the Phase 5 Cyberstorm G3/G4 Debacle

[kzin]

I gust got a letter in the mail that I think may be to do with the preorder money I payed all those years ago, but its in German and I cannot read it any one able to translate? Babel Fish was not to under stand able.

I suspect they want proof?

========================
hier: Forderungsanmeldung
Sehr geehrte Dame/sehr geehrter Herr/sehr geehrte Damen and Herren, sehr geehrte Damen and Herren Kollegen, sehr geehrter Herr Kollege,

mit Beschluss des Amtsgerichts Frankfurt vom 21.10.2008 ist fiber das Vermogen der obengenannten Schuldnerin das Insolvenzverfahren eroffnet worden. Gleichzeitig
wurde der Unterzeichner zum Insolvenzverwalter bestellt Eine Kopie do
Beschlusses sowie ein Merkblatt ist als Anlage beigefiigt.
Zu Ihrer Information weise ich darauf hin, class samtliche zum Zeitpunkt der Eroffnung des Verfahrens gegenuber der Schuldnerin bestehenden Forderungen von Ihnen - unter Beachtung des § 174 Abs. 2 InsO (vorsatzlich begangene unerlaubte Handlung) - big zum 29.12.2008 schriftlich in zweifacher Ausfertigung unter Angabe des Grundes and der Hohe (in EURO) bei mir (nicht beim Amtsgericht!) anzumelden sind.
Urkundliche Beweisstucke (z.B. Urteile, Vollsteckungsbescheide, Wechsel etc.) sind im Original sowie Rechnungen, Lieferscheine etc. in Kopie der Anmeldung beizufugen.
Liegt keine ordnungsgemaRe Forderungsanmeldung vor, kann dies zu einem Bestreiten der Forderung durch den lnsolvenzverwalter oder durch andere Insolvenzglaubiger fi hren.
Sollten Sie Ihre Forderungsanmeldung bereits vor Verfahrenseroffnung nach den o.g. Vorgaben eingereicht haben, ist eine nochmalige Anmeldung entbehrlich.
Mit freundlichen Gruaen
=================================

Or is it a scam?

[xeron]

I have no idea. I don't see any mention of Phase 5, Cyberstorm, G3 or G4 in it, though.

I pre-ordered with Blittersoft, but fortunately for me they didn't take payments until the thing shipped, so i didn't lose out.

[Golem!dk]

Got it last week here, the back of the first page is in english and covers most of it. Wouldn't mind a proper translation of the rest though

I know of a few other people who received this, scam? Don't see how that would work.

[djbase]

If you have pre-ordered and payed back in these days you may have now the chance to get some money back. Of course you have to prove your payment and send everything back to the lawyer.

[zipper]

Same here, too. Must exercise my German on the weekend - and check if I have any proof left.

[weirdami]

I wonder if having complained about it on amiga.org back then counts as proof. Then again, doesn't the fact that that had your address mean that they think that you paid them? Asking for proof from you in that case is pretty rude.

[Colani1200]

I suspect they want proof?

That's right.

Do I understand correctly that you received this by snail mail?

"das Vermögen der obengenannten Schuldnerin" means something like "the assets of the debtor mentioned above". So is there any company name mentioned in the letter? If all this is about Phase5, it seems really late.

[mikedouble]

From what I can make out on Google Translate, it looks like a letter that has been sent out to all creditors of "the company".

It is basically advising that by order of the Frankfurt court, "the company" has been made insolvent, and as such the insolvency agents are asking for all creditors to send a proof of the debt that they are owed by "the company". This proof is either a bill of sale, court order, or other such item.

I would guess that this has not only gone out to anybody who pre-ordered from them, but also to any suppliers that are also believed to be owed money as well.

Mike

[puppy]

Oops!

I moved home. So, where can i head for (lawyer/court)?

Thanks in advance !

[cgutjahr]

@kzin:

This is not a scam, some of our readers got the same letter (link to German discussion). Apparently, Gerald Carda (ex-Phase5, now bplan) had to declare 'private bancruptcy' (I don't know the proper english term) back in October, probably a late effect of the Phase5 bancruptcy.

The letter is from Carda's insolvency administrator, who asks you to provide proof (invoices etc.) if you think Carda owes you money. You should provide such proof until December, 29 - otherwise the debtor's lawyers have a good chance to deny your claims.

The one thing I don't understand is this: Phase 5 was a "GmbH", i.e. a 'limited liability company' - which means that only the company's assets would be used to pay creditors, not the assets of the company's owners. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something, but usually it would not be Carda's job to provide compensation to those who prepaid for a G3/G4 card...

Edit:

I just got told Phase 5 was actually two companies: Only the production branch was a GmbH.

[zyphoid]

kzin wrote:
I gust got a letter in the mail that I think may be to do with the preorder money I payed all those years ago, but its in German and I cannot read it any one able to translate? Babel Fish was not to under stand able.

I suspect they want proof?

========================
hier: Forderungsanmeldung
Sehr geehrte Dame/sehr geehrter Herr/sehr geehrte Damen and Herren, sehr geehrte Damen and Herren Kollegen, sehr geehrter Herr Kollege,

mit Beschluss des Amtsgerichts Frankfurt vom 21.10.2008 ist fiber das Vermogen der obengenannten Schuldnerin das Insolvenzverfahren eroffnet worden. Gleichzeitig
wurde der Unterzeichner zum Insolvenzverwalter bestellt Eine Kopie do
Beschlusses sowie ein Merkblatt ist als Anlage beigefiigt.
Zu Ihrer Information weise ich darauf hin, class samtliche zum Zeitpunkt der Eroffnung des Verfahrens gegenuber der Schuldnerin bestehenden Forderungen von Ihnen - unter Beachtung des § 174 Abs. 2 InsO (vorsatzlich begangene unerlaubte Handlung) - big zum 29.12.2008 schriftlich in zweifacher Ausfertigung unter Angabe des Grundes and der Hohe (in EURO) bei mir (nicht beim Amtsgericht!) anzumelden sind.
Urkundliche Beweisstucke (z.B. Urteile, Vollsteckungsbescheide, Wechsel etc.) sind im Original sowie Rechnungen, Lieferscheine etc. in Kopie der Anmeldung beizufugen.
Liegt keine ordnungsgemaRe Forderungsanmeldung vor, kann dies zu einem Bestreiten der Forderung durch den lnsolvenzverwalter oder durch andere Insolvenzglaubiger fi hren.
Sollten Sie Ihre Forderungsanmeldung bereits vor Verfahrenseroffnung nach den o.g. Vorgaben eingereicht haben, ist eine nochmalige Anmeldung entbehrlich.
Mit freundlichen Gruaen
=================================

Or is it a scam?

best i could do
Here: lodge claims
Dear Madam / Sir / Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, dear Sir,

By order of the court from 21.10.2008 Frankfurt is the fiber of the above vermogen debtor insolvency eroffnet been. At the same time
The signatories to the liquidator ordered a copy do
Decision as well as a leaflet is a plant beigefiigt.
For your information, I would point out of all class at the time of the opening of proceedings against the debtor existing demands of you - in compliance with Section 174 Paragraph 2 InsO (intent as tort) - 29.12.2008 big for writing in duplicate at Indication of the cause and the High (in euros) for me (not on court!) Are up.
Stucke documentary evidence (such as judgments, Vollsteckungsbescheide, bills, etc.) are included in the original as well as invoices, delivery notes, etc. in beizufugen copy of the application.
OrdnungsgemaRe is no prior notification requirement, it could become a contest the claim by the lnsolvenzverwalter or other Insolvenzglaubiger fi clocks.
You should call your application before Verfahrenseroffnung after the above Targets have submitted a further application is dispensable.
By Gruaen friendly

[Jose]

I'm sorry to be a bit off topic but does anyone one knows how finished those cards were and who has the schematics ?

[Jose]

BTW, Gerald is gonna be hugely screwed then, bet there were a few hundred orders back then...

[mike-]

Maybe someone could pick up the schematics for a bargain? Bounty anyone?

[umisef]

> I just got told Phase 5 was actually two companies:
> Only the production branch was a GmbH.

That's probably not the reason for this, though.

The letter mentions the "vorsaetzlich begangene unerlaubte Handlung" (i.e. a prohibited action undertaken intentionally). Probably related to taking pre-orders with the promise of keeping the money in an escrow account ("Sperrkonto" in German) while in reality the money was injected into the company, and thus lost.

The limited liability protection of a "GmbH" (similar in many ways to the US's "LLC") is conditional on following a number of rules; Once you break the rules, you may become personally liable. Taking money for non-existent products under false pretenses is likely to be enough to get the protections lifted.... And of course the mentioned clause of the relevant law requires of the creditor (here: the people who ordered G3/G4 cards) to provide reasons as to why they have a claim --- so sending this letter does not mean "you have a claim", but "you are hereby invited to argue that you have a claim".

Another possibility is that Carda could be liable not as one of the share holders of Phase5, but as an executive; Given that he was in charge when the company did something that was probably illegal, there is a chance that he, personally, might be seen to have done this. And as the courts are dealing with his debts now, anyway, the resulting liabilities would have to be taken into account.