A bad deal with Box27, (Mario Catala, FL.)

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MRHAG

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Box27, Mario Catala, is not playing by the rules and needs to be called out.

On 7/31/10 I picked up a Les George Hydra-R from Mario Catala. (For reference, the original selling thread on; sale: custom knives individual (Marlowe,George,Barker,Starlingear !!! )).
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=761454&highlight=george

I only purchased the knife, for the amount I had, because he stated it was in mint condition. After I stated to him I would like to send the knife back due to its poor condition, he basically fell off the planet.

I have given Mario Catala ample time to come forward and step up and fix this problem. I have sent numerous emails and have called leaving messages. I have invited him to comment on the original thread I had written, especially knowing he is been online & using BF.

Other BF members, please be extremely careful when dealing with this member, or just avoid all together.

Full details in my thread, Bad deal with a member on the forum. Opinions?
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=766829


There is no excuse to rip people off in a great community such as BF.
 
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we really need to see pics and details of what you consider to be poor condition, and how this differs from the description in the original sales thread.

and post a link to the thread, we don't really want to have to go searching for what it is you are talking about.
 
Regardless of what the condition of the knife is, if you are not satisfied the deal is done, the deal is not done. He needs to step up and make this right.
 
I just wanted to add some photos to show off the damage. In no means this knife is mint.

~The scratches on the titanium and blade are something I could live with.

~The crack and blatant patch job on the ivory is a bit ridiculous.

~The patch in the crack & hole is a soft putty consistency. Someone put this in there to sell it quickly, and tried to get away with it. If I were to dig it out, there would be a deeper hole there.


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I can agree about the Ti, stuff scuffs if you look at it wrong. But that patch job is terrible...I'd be pissed too.
 
I looked at the original sales thread and it did not say that the Hydra was mint. Did you ask for more details? That's what I always do regardless of the description, posts can be edited later, PMs and e-mails are forever, so to speak.
 
I wouldn't have bought it if those pics were available in the sales thread. If you bought it w/o seing it, then I hope you get a refund. Barring that, I suppose it's one of those hard lessons that come down the pike in life and you just have to swallow hard and learn not to be so trustworthy. Sucks! :(
 
LorenzoL said:
I looked at the original sales thread and it did not say that the Hydra was mint. Did you ask for more details? That's what I always do regardless of the description, posts can be edited later, PMs and e-mails are forever, so to speak.
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Thanks for asking, & I did ask if was mint in an email:

On Jul 31, 2010, at 3:29 PM, "Derek H." wrote:

Ok. Just making sure it is mint condition, and if so I will send you paypal gift.
Please send me your info for paypal.


His response:

From: Mario Catala <boxx27@aol.com>
To: Derek H.
Sent: Sat, July 31, 2010 12:49:14 PM
Subject: Re: George !!

The Knife is Mint, I never carried it or used it !!

Mario C.
 
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You are pretty much up the creek should he decide not to refund you, you offered and apparently paid by gift option, which not only is dishonest and against the paypal TOS, it leaves you with no way to file a claim against him.
 
Hey boss, it was good to talk to you on the phone the other day. I was wondering what had become of this....

I really hate that it's my knife that is causing so much grief. Like I told you on the phone the other day, it's been though several owners (that I know of) since it left me a couple years ago.

I'll just say that I have never used the word "mint" to describe one of my knives. I dont think it applies to handmade knives.

If you dont get this worked out with the seller, let me know. We can work it out for the cost of the ivory. ;)
 
Thanks Les,
It has now been 3 weeks and still no response from Mario at all. I have seen him logged into Blade Forums several times now and still no reply to email or to this thread. I will be sending you the knife and will be looking forward to the new ivory.......


Thanks to all members for the support...

I just don't want people to get burned by this guy...
 
Karda said:
You are pretty much up the creek should he decide not to refund you, you offered and apparently paid by gift option, which not only is dishonest and against the paypal TOS, it leaves you with no way to file a claim against him.
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Pretty well sums it up. Really hard for me to work up much sympathy. He cheated paypal and got cheated. What goes around comes around.
 
I think you are missing the point....

There is a member on BF selling knives and not following the rules.

No deal is done till both members are happy, is what I follow. If there is a problem, take care of it. If mistakes are made, fix it.

I always felt that this was a COMMUNITY of knife collectors and enthusiast.
 
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MRHAG said:
I think you are missing the point....

There is a member on BF selling knives and not following the rules.

No deal is done till both members are happy, is what I follow. If there is a problem, take care of it. If mistakes are made, fix it.

I always felt that this was a COMMUNITY of knife collectors and enthusiast.
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:thumbup:

Unfortunately the odd moron slips through now and then.
 
I think you are missing the point....
There is a member on BF selling knives and not following the rules.
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Oh, I get the point all right. It's not a good thing when someone doesn't follow the rules. Hmmmm, are there rules about lying on paypal and cheating them out of their funds?

In fact, if you had followed the rules on Paypal's site (do I see situational ethics here?) you would almost certainly have your funds back and Box 27 would still be the only bad guy? You didn't and you're bitching because someone else didn't follow the rules you expected them to follow? Can anyone spell "hypocrite"?

None of this makes Box 27 any less of scammer, but it certainly helps if one has clean hands when he complains. You don't.
 
Gatogordo said:
Oh, I get the point all right. It's not a good thing when someone doesn't follow the rules. Hmmmm, are there rules about lying on paypal and cheating them out of their funds?

In fact, if you had followed the rules on Paypal's site (do I see situational ethics here?) you would almost certainly have your funds back and Box 27 would still be the only bad guy? You didn't and you're bitching because someone else didn't follow the rules you expected them to follow? Can anyone spell "hypocrite"?

None of this makes Box 27 any less of scammer, but it certainly helps if one has clean hands when he complains. You don't.
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Gatogordo, I can't refute what you're saying. The fact that this a common practice here and on other forums doesn't make it anymore right or excusable.

I think your first post was plenty and struck a tone of hard fact and truth. IMO though, it's time to step off the soapbox and pointing out the obvious. We all have dirt on our hands from situations we've been involved in. Just sayin...
 
OK, I made a mistake on the type of payment.......

Called out on it.......

Although this does not make it right, I made a mistake, learned my lesson, and it will not happen again........
 
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cziv said:
I think your first post was plenty and struck a tone of hard fact and truth. IMO though, it's time to step off the soapbox and pointing out the obvious. We all have dirt on our hands from situations we've been involved in. Just sayin...
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:thumbup: I am with you on this one
It is one thing to save a few bucks on both sides once in a while (I think almost everyone of us payed and will pay lots of fees during the years), but another to behave like the seller in this case did.
Maybe the condition of the knife did not bother him, but it does not look mint to me in the pics and I was always willing to refund money in a deal if the forum member would have liked to.
I even send out knives in the past to members without payment to see, feel and doublecheck the knife. Using the gift option only shows even more trust on the buyers side - Sad but true

The important point on this one is: I would not like to deal with the seller in any way :thumbdn:
 
This is a horrible scenario and I hate to see anyone get done this way. I think that this should be a lesson to all of us. A 3% PayPal fee is not much to ask to ensure good Karma and honest ethics. Not to mention that it helps cover your ass in times like these. We should all try to learn from instances like these.
 
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