Scam: Scammer drove by as I was parking and said, "This may sound strange, but do you want a brand new home theater system? I was here to renew my business license (which he showed me) and I've got these home theater systems and projectors with screens that I picked up at the airport and was delivering to the city of charlotte and it turns out they sent too many! I own a home theater store in Mooresville called Custom Audio. Anyway, I have these high-end systems that we didn't pay for and I don't want to take them back to the store because I know my ex-brother in law will want them and he isn't paying his child support, so I don't want him to get them." He showed me the back of his Xterra, which was full of boxes of systems. He had a folder of information including the business license he claimed to just have picked up.
I asked what he wanted for them and he said that he wanted as much as he could get for them, he just didn't want to take them back. He seemed anxious and in a hurry. Blinded by my own impulsive nature, I had him meet me at work and wrote him a $1000.00 check for a projector and screen, which he had already shoved in my back seat. He pointed out quickly that I had written the numerical amount in the space where the date should go and that I needed to change it, which I thought was a little strange. I finally started to trust my instincts and took down his license plate number as he drove away. I did some research in the next hour or two and came to the conclusion that I had been scammed, so I called the bank and stopped payment on the check. I would attempt to return the merchandise, but the fact that he lied and manipulated me, and that he has clearly done it to so many others makes me rethink that action.
It turns out that the merchandise is far below the specifications marked on the box, just enough to make them work for a few days to fool a consumer. There is very little information about the brand company, and the website is very vague and simple, again, just enough to fool an impulsive consumer like myself. With my projector, it turns out to be more like a standard VGA resolution, not the 1080p stated on the box, instruction booklet and website. It also has a lamp with far less brightness than stated, and cycles off after overheating every 15 minutes or so. I could go on, but the point should be clear. Mr. Weddington must be fully aware of the quality, as he undoubtedly purchased the merchandise for less than $100 per unit.
