July 6 2007

To Our Valued Customers

    We would like to share a disturbing experience with you.

    Our problems started about 3 weeks ago when an Overseas Customer e-mailed and wanted us to sell him Cell Phones. He said he would give us an Extra $500.00 Each for them. Now I remembered hearing about a store out west that sold some cell phones to Arabs, and I was suspicious. So, I called the FBI in Detroit. Guess What?? The agent told me it was NOT Illegal to do this and to go ahead and sell the phones to him!!!! (I did not!)

    A few days later I got an order from another Overseas Customer for some pretty expensive R/C Cars, which I do not normally stock, but can order. Before I did anything, I ran the Credit Card I was given for approval and it was Approved through the company I do business with, First Data/Cardservice International, so, we ordered the cars and shipped them out as soon as they were received.

    This customer gave our web address to several of his friends and in the next few weeks we received many more orders for the same R/C Cars from different people. Each Credit Card I submitted for approval through First Data/Cardservice International, was Authorized by them for the sale, so as before, I ordered the R/C Cars and shipped them out.

    On June 28th, 2007, I  received a letter that was sent 2 Day Airmail from First Data/Cardservice International stating that all the credit cards I had put though over the last 3 weeks were Stolen, and they were Debiting my account $8571.67!!!

    My immediate thought was if the situation was this serious, WHY DIDN'T THEY PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL!!!!!!!!!! I called Them and found out they are No Help at All. All the information they gave me was proved to be wrong and now they are not answering their phone, or, if I do get someone to answer, I am told the person I need to talk with is either 1) Away from their desk, or 2) Out of town. I have left at least 25 messages and have had none returned. If someone there actually had a functioning Brain and Called me (since I had to give them my phone number when I contracted for their service) OR E-Mailed me (They have that address too) I could have saved myself a LOT of Money by NOT Shipping the items out! But they decided a 2 Day Air Mail Letter would be sufficient!!

    Now what could I do. I thought since the packages were sent out 2 days ago, and they were for overseas delivery, I could call the US Postal Service for help. Surly they would have a procedure in place for such an emergency. WRONG!! I was told they would not stop delivery regardless if they were stolen, or not. I then called the International Postal Service and was told the same thing! Now I do want to take a moment and say that my Local Post Office Personnel were Very Helpful during this time, and I thank them.

    My next step was to call the FBI in Detroit. I was told to fax all the E-mails, Credit Card Numbers, and Invoices to them and to make copies of everything and give them to both the Local and State Police. I spent one full day gathering this information, then another day faxing and delivering them to the Police. I them drove to the State Police Post in Bridgman, with the copies I had for them. I was told this was "Out of their Jurisdiction and to hand it over to the FBI! I then found out there is a Local FBI Office in Saint Joseph which could have saved me a lot of time. Gee, I wish the FBI Agent in Detroit had told me!! What he Did tell me after a week of running around was that they could do Nothing for me since the sale was Out of the United States!!

    I have now contacted the Insurance Commissioner here in Michigan in the hopes that they may be able to help me.

    The main reason I am telling You, my most valued customers, is that I want to apologize to you all because as a result of this incident and all the money I have lost (So Far!) I will have to cut back on purchasing stock for our store for a little while.  

As of July 14,2007  The First Data Card Services Credit Card Company emptied out our checking account.  They are approaching $28,000 and want more, but there is no more.   

To survive, we have no choice but to cut down on our employees hours and let one employee go.  We now have a big sale at the store.

That's the update so far.  No one from the First Data Card Services have answered our phone calls, faxes, or e-mails.  I am posting the following phone numbers for the First Data Card Services for anyone to try and call them.  They must be really important and have pull some place. 

Their phone numbers are Erica Fax 1) 810-230-1907, Tina phone 1)810-230-1900, Fax 1)810-230-1907,  1) 866-838-8472, Anthony Rubbs Simi Valley? 1)631-683-6135, Mark Rascher 269-321-5155, Fax 269-321-5145.

Last year I wrote the White House and got an answer.  I wrote the Senator of Michigan Ron Jelinek and got an answer.

I have more respect for the people who have stolen the credit cards and stolen from me, than the First Data Card Services and people who hide behind the Law.

IF we don't survive, we will still be in the hobby business someplace.  If we hear anything, I'll add to this.  

 I also Sincerely Apologize to our Soldier Friends as well since I have had to Suspend helping them out with our Packages for a while. (This Really Hurts me!) To find out More about our "Help Our Soldiers" Program, click here www.bobshobbyshop.com/soldiers

    Hopefully I will receive some assistance to get this situation resolved soon and things will get back to normal.

    Thanks to all of you for your support.

Sincerely

Bob Taylor      

                                   10 5-2007

List of people contacted about Credit Card Problem

Letters Sent to the following                                Response from

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm       Yes, turned info over to  Michigan State Attorney General Mike Cox

Michigan State Senator Ron Jelenik                9/22/07 Senator Ron Jelenik called the store saying Monday he is going to Lansing to look into this closer. We want to thank him for that. First Data will not return his calls

Michigan Representative Neal Nitz                   Yes

Michigan Representative John Proos               Yes

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Yes, turned info over to Ca. Attny Gen Edmund Brown

California Senator Dianne Feinstein                3 Letters, No Answer

California Senator Barbara Boxer                   Response-Referred to another agency

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox                  Response - Can't do anything

California Attorney General Edmund G Brown   Response- Can't do anything

United States Attorney General Alberto Gonzoles No Response

The Federal Trade Commission                      Responded and Turned over to another department in charge of Credit Card Banking Proceedures

Colorado State Division of Insurance             Responded

Speaker Nancy Pelosi                                       3 Letters no response

FDIC Office of the Ombudsman                     Responded

News Media

WNDU Television and radio                           Yes, did a interview & story - wonderful job

WSBT Television and radio                            No Response

WHFB Radio                                                    Yes did a nice segment, We thank You! First Data will not return their calls

WSJM Radio                                                    Yes did a nice segment, We thank You! First Data will not return their calls

WCSY Radio                                                     Yes did a nice segment, We thank You! First Data will not return their calls

WLS Television                                                  No Response

CBS 60 Minutes                                                 No Response

NBC Dateline                                                     No Response

ABC 20/20                                                          No Response 

KCBS Radio                                                      No Response

KFWB Radio                                                     No Response

KIFR Radio                                                       No Response

KLLC Radio                                                      No Response

KNX Radio                                                         No Response

KBHK Television                                              No Response

KCBS Television                                               No Response

KMAX Television                                             No Response

KOVR Television                                              No Response

KPIX Television                                                No Response

The Herald Palladium Newspaper                  Yes, interviewed Bob for story. Did a really nice story about us in the September 22, 2007 edition, we Thank Them! First Data will not return their calls

The Kalamazoo Gazette                                    No Response

FBI Saint Joseph Michigan                              No Response

FBI Detroit                                                         No Response   

FBI Washington DC                                          No Response

South Bend Tribune                                           No Response

Tri-City Record                                                  Yes- published a great story and we Thank Them

Cozy 98 Radio                                                     Yes- aired our story did a really Nice Segment, Thank You!

Federal Banking Commission                           Yes Referred to another department

Michigan Banking Commission                        No Response

California Banking Commission                       No Response

Senator Carl Levin                                             Yes- His office called and are trying to help

United States Department of Homeland Security    No Response

One of the Soldiers we help told us to contact Homeland Security because R\C Cars are used to deliver Home Made Bombs in overseas areas such as Indonisia)

After hundreds of letters and hardly no response and no help, mostly to California where this company resides, I came to this conclusion the chain of command is: