Beware of Scammer.....AKA Steve Schwartz

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Posted By: Dave F

I've made some dumb moves over the course of my life...here is another. A couple days ago I thought I found two Yum Yum tobacco cards on ebay. I did contact the seller privately asking if he'd be interested in moving the cards early..and he said yes. He said he wasn't a sportscard guy, that he does fall on some now and then from a local flea market he goes to but that he is first and foremost a non-sports collector. He said for $400 he would end the auctions and send both Yum Yums to me. The scans weren't great...I was iffy on them. I did ask two board members who are vastly more knowledgeable with these cards than I...and both said they felt the cards could be legit.

Thanks to a conversation on the phone yesterday afternoon with another knowledgable pre-1900 card collector...he himself decided to do some investigating and found the same cards listed a few weeks earlier by "marketkingman" (oh boy). So the bogus story I got from "dspbaba999" about finding the cards a few days ago at a flea market along with some other cards (a couple goudeys that he now has on ebay and trying to pass them off as real, when I found a couple months ago he bought them as known reprints for 99 cent or something) has fallen to the wayside. This guy is nothing but a scammer. I did file a report through paypal for whatever good that does.

I would love to find out if this "dspbaba999" is in fact Steven Schwartz which is the name the paypal transaction went to. Supposedly he is in New York...not sure yet though if thats even his real name. I guess everyone on here already knows to stay away from "marketkingman" but please be careful and stay away from "dspbaba999" as well..they very well could be one in the same.

Here are the links for both sellers-

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=44821&item=120236990578

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=44821&item=120236990702

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4120&item=160217637738

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4120&item=160217639028

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Posted By: Matt

thanks for posting this - sorry you got nailed. Hopefully Paypal will cover you.

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Posted By: Dave F

Thanks Matt. The dumbest move (or one of them) was not using a credit card through paypal...but I'm going to explore every avenue to track this dirtbag down. $400 isn't much...but not going to let him off that easy.

Oh- and if anyone has any information on "marketkingman"...where he is located, what his name is, etc...please email me privately as I would love to start trying to see if these are the same person.

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Posted By: Matt

Dave - I always thought CC was safer as well, but the last time I got scammed, I used a CC through Paypal and the CC were the ones being difficult about the chargeback despite the evidence I offered. Paypal, however, upon seeing the evidence, got me my money back.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Finding Yum Yums at a flea market does raise a red flag...possible but very unlikely.

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Posted By: Frank B

When they start their description with "Please check my perfect sellers feedback",
you know you might have a problem.

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Posted By: Dave F

Definately should have dug deeper to start with....this is from the nonsports forum-

http://www.network54.com/Forum/526604/thread/1187435714/last-1203360614/Bad+eBay+seller+-+dspbaba999

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Posted By: Mark T

Looks like you are protected for at least $200...

I see you have his phone #'s, let us know if you get in contact with him.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I was pretty sure Marketkingman was in Florida. I saw another seller on ebay from Florida selling those Market King tobacco "cards" as well. Looks like a new forgery ring.

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Posted By: Jerry Hrechka

It is indeed Steve Schwartz. This thief ripped off Mark Finn for several hundred dollars worth of G-Men cards. There are a few threads about this crook over on the Non-Sports Forum. He currently has a partial G-Men set up for auction on Ebay.

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Posted By: Fred C

Dave,

I hope that guy doesn't fall back on the item description of being "sold as-is with no refunds".

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Posted By: Dave F

Well,

I just got off the phone with Steve Schwartz. I was surprised it was actually his number...left a message and he called me back in five minutes. Didn't really get anywhere though. He says he won't refund until he has the cards back. Now, what kind of cards he is sending...I have no clue..fakes? empty box? I told him he didn't have to worry that i've told my wife to refuse the package. But he says he cant refund until he has the cards back...BECAUSE I MAY BE SCAMMING HIM! HA. I told him either way...by the end of the business day today the money isnt refunded I would be filing a case with the City of Mamaroneck and the County of Worchester where he lives. Basically it was 15 minutes of both of us yelling at each other...and everything i'd bring up about finding this or that scam that he has pulled on someone else he didn't have an excuse for, other than "not all ebay transactions go great". Apparantly not.


Dave

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Posted By: rob

Hey Dave,

FYI, Mamaroneck is a "town" in "Westchester" County. I replaced city and worchester from your post.

Rob

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Posted By: Dave F

Ahhh ok, thanks Rob. Not that I have any idea if it will do any good contacting the authorities up there or not...but, if I were him thats the last thing I'd want someone doing.


And I meant Westchester....a bit razzled today for some reason.

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Posted By: Mark T

wish i could have been on the phone to hear that conversation. Obviously he is being defensive and knows what he did. Hopefully you scared him enough. The only thing is, if you refuse the package and they send it back i think you need proof he received it. I assume there was insurance and it has to be signed.

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Posted By: Dave F

He was supposed to overnight it with insurance Mark...so who knows what hes done.

He basically told me he couldnt refund anything even if he got the cards back before Sunday..as he wont be around his computer before than. (yeah right). I bet if someone asked him a question about one of his auctions in the meantime he'd be around...

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Posted By: Mark T

i will ask a few questions about his auctions for the next 4 days and see how fast he answers.

Also, i will ask about the Yum Yum cards to see why he ended the auctions. Curious to hear what he has to say.

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Posted By: Dave F

ha! there you go Mark, maybe he can give you a better deal on them since he already has $400!

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

That name sounds familiar...as is his location. Are there any other scammers or card doctors located in Westchester that deal with this guy?

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Posted By: Larry G

Here is the Mamaroneck NY(westchester County)police dept phone #, maybe you can file a report, especially since you have his phone # and paypal info, send documentation certified....

1-914-381-6100

hope that helps

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Posted By: Dave F

Thanks alot Larry. I am going to pursue that, hopefully others will see this and avoid this deadbeat.

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Posted By: Tom Boblitt

Market King tobacco card of Benjamin Harrison...........($3.74 with shipping)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160215880371

The paypal payment went to:
lukehart@post.harvard.edu

Obviously, another scammer skirting the reprint rules. Upon receipt of my very valuable Market King tobacco card, it does appear to be printed on older photo paper--but photo paper none the less. The back Market King tobacco insignia is green dot matrix or inkjet printed. REALLY high quality stuff. Yeah right. Just take a look at some of the others that he'd sold........

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160217278874 $25
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160211069477 $59
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160214339514 $49
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160211126510 $77
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160208165227 $37
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160208204085 $73

etc.

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Posted By: Anthony S.

hmm, Harvard. Maybe he's doing a thesis on mail fraud.

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Posted By: Gene Palmer

I reported that Market King guy to Ebay a few weeks ago. Obviously you can see the results of that.

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Posted By: 1880nonsports

Steve ripped me off about 4 years ago for an Allen & Ginter card on eBay - never sent it - not a high dollar item but just the same a bad thing.

(edited to delete an incorrect and irrelevent reference)

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Posted By: Matt

Tom - The Luke Hart fellow should be easy enough to shut down - send 1 email to him that threatens to contact Harvard letting them know they have a scammer violating their ethics code and, if that doesn't work, the follow up email to Harvard.

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Posted By: boxingcardman

The photos on the cards were ripoffs from various sets. I recognized a few of the boxers from later (1920s) sets.

Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc

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Posted By: SC

Are you sure you're not thinking of Gerry Schwartz (i.e. Moser's partner)?

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Posted By: Dave F

Woohoo....

Just logged into my email and noticed Steve Schwartz has refunded my paypal money! I'll consider this my one lucky break.....



Dave

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Posted By: Matt

congrats Dave - glad you made it out clean.

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Posted By: Dave F

Thanks Matt. It definately wasn't a pleasant phone conversation yesterday..but seems it was worth it. He did send a message in the paypal refund "dont ever contact me again or you'll be the one brought up on harrassement charges". you got it steve!

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Posted By: 1880nonsports

that confussion had been bothering me for some time.... Appologies. It still was Steven Schwartz from whom I bought the Ginter and never got the card, money, or response back from.

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Posted By: Brian

Be sure to leave him a negative to warn others.

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Posted By: Steve

e


oops this is what I get for not reading the entire thread. Glad it worked out for you David.

Steve

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Posted By: Dave F

Steve,

I responded a couple posts up that he did actually refund me through paypal today...surprising as it was.

In this business of wheeling and dealing like we all do so much of it is based on trust....I guess there is always that chance of getting burned..I'm just lucky this time I was able to get myself out of the tangled web.


Dave

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Posted By: Dave F

And by the way...it was a straight scam from the get-go. The package he supposedly sent Tuesday (express overnight) still hasn't shown up.


Just avoid the guy is all I could tell anyone.

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Posted By: Paul

I bought two Market King tobacco cards from Marketkingman, two months ago. They turned out to be very obvious scams. I filed a claim at Paypal about them (it's still running).
However, Marketkingman as well as Steve Schwartz have a 100% score at ebay. Nobody gave either of them a negative! Why's that?
Paul

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Posted By: dan mckee

Who will soon be having the pleasure of meeting me in person. I too filed a paypal claim for the fake Fatima card. I am not going to wait a month as I paid with my credit card and am going to stop payment that way. Paypal has had a week and I want my money back. These 2 slime balls are connected and need to be stopped. Bidders do not leave negatives because they do not want them in return. The ebay feedback system is the absolute worst ever! Pissed off, Dan.

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Posted By: Matt

Dan - when I was in a similar situation, the credit card company temporarily found in my favor but waited until Paypal was satisfied before they made the credit permanent.

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Posted By: dan mckee

Matt, I have had to do this about 4 times over the past 10 years and my Mastercard wastes no time refunding me. I show them the ton of good paypal transactions each month that I do that are good and the $10K per month I spend using their card. Dan

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Posted By: Matt

"I show them the ton of good paypal transactions each month that I do that are good and the $10K per month I spend using their card."

Good advice!

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Posted By: dan mckee

Heck yea, there is plenty of competition for credit cards.

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Posted By: Bill Cornell

Marketking even has his own website: http://www.geocities.com/~marketking/index.html. It's staggeringly stupid. Constitutional scholars can even phone him!


Bill

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Posted By: Matt

http://www.geocities.com/~marketking/friends.html>

"They taught me to never covet material things. I took that to heart and do not respect the objects that I sell, however esteemed in the world, more than the folks buying them."

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Posted By: dan mckee

Bill, is that website for real???? That idiot needs a doctor!! I am starting to feel sorry for him, well maybe not til I get my $$ back.

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Posted By: dan mckee

WOW! Click on his friends and family link. He looks like a normal decent guy. But then why would a normal decent guy steal when he knows he is stealing?? Very strange situation.

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Posted By: Paul

Marketkingman has only 35 positives. 1 or 2 negatives mentioning forgeries would effectively damage his ebay reputation. If so many people in here have been scammed, how come he still has 100%?

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Posted By: dan mckee

Because of what I stated above, I don't want the negative when I have done nothing wrong. The feedback policy stinks!

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Posted By: Dave F

Well in my case Marketkingman wasnt Steve Schwartz, two totally different people. And I would have left Schwartz a neg, but it wasnt an ebay transaction, just a paypal transaction.

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Posted By: dan mckee

You shut him down Dave? I guess it was worth the risk, I would have done the same thing. Luckily mine was an ebay transaction. I hope we both get our $$$ back.