Info on Scammer Lyle Livesay, Emmett Peck (CFA) Chase & Getty Images Extortion: May 2007

I signed up for this Blogspace about a year ago but since then I have not really found anything interesting enough to write about. However, things changed in the last month due to an online shopping experience I had trying to purchase a video game.

For those of you familiar with video games, you'd know the Nintendo Wii is hard to come by. (unless you are willing to pay higher than the MSRP of $249) High demand and limited supply brings out the most unscrupulous of businesses and most vulnerable of consumers. I was browsing Craigslist, when I came across a posting advertising the Wii for the regular price of $249 at a website http://www.livesayinternational.com/

I was kinda skeptical after browsing their website which contained broken picture links, spelling errors and a "build it yourself" Open Source shopping cart. However, when I saw that Authorize.net is the payment gateway accepting credit card transactions for them, I decided to give it a shot. I felt I could trust them because as my day job, I run two online businesses which uses Authorize.net as its payment gateways.

- Authorize.net happens to be one of the best and the largest online payment platforms for e-Commerce businesses perhaps..... until now.

This reminds me of something my friend said to me a few months ago:
"As Americans, we trust well known brands to a fault" - In retrospect, I see how appropriate his words are now.

A week after my purchase with Livesay via Next Day Air shipping (at my expense), I fet suspicious and proceeded to do some research on them. I received numerous phone calls including three calls at 11 pm from Mr. Stephen Biddy to "talk it out" with me when I voiced my dissatisfaction over their service via email. My research revealed many other victims scammed by them. One of Livesay's tactics is to call you or provide a phone number to appease your fears and to show they are real people instead of just a faceless website. Livesay's reps will give you reasons and excuses but it's all cleverly designed to delay order cancellations.

--- Besides, what's the point of a phone number and talking the customer's ears off when all Livesay has to do is ship what was ordered or cancel and refund the customer's money. Especially when they claim that all orders are shipped within 3 Business Days!

The same delaying tactics are applied across the board to all their customers:No real UPS ship date ie., "your item is on the loading dock..," "we are getting more UPS trucks for pick ups," "we're experiencing site technical issues" etc... Same story repeated many times to all customers who ordered from them. My "so-called" order, was given a fake UPS Next Day Air

number which sat at their dock for over a week! This further confirmed my belief that Livesay International had no product to ship me. Ever. Tracking number they gave me: 1Z3104XR1393928681 - A number anyone can generate on http://www.ups.com/ by filling in the Ship To address and estimated product weight.

Since then, I have written many online postings to warn others out there and quite a number of those scammed have contacted me to tell the same story. One of Livesay's customer told me he was scammed by "Global Export Distributors" for a 65inch Plasma TV on Yahoo Auctions for over $1,000 by Lyle Livesay, the owner. They were operating under the name Global Export Distributors until Livesay International was founded in Feb '07 by the same kid, Lyle Livesay & girlfriend Sheena Bradshaw (the official owner listed in the business registration in Oconee County GA.) Two known scam businesses by the same person. I use the term "Kid" on him and them because no legit company would communicate as unprofessionally as they do.

--- One must clearly be devoid of morals and values due to an inability to work an honest job and resorting to a life of internet scams. A skill set that is potentially valuable if channelled correctly. Pretty pathetic really. This kid Lyle Livesay has a pregnant teenage girlfriend Sheena Bradshaw who brags about it on her myspace page (I was informed by another customer they scammed.) I feel sorry for the child with such parents as role models. - Both Lyle Livesay and Sheena Bradshaw working in collaboration to scam.

(Note 11th name from the bottom "Addison Taylor Livesay")

Livesay International's marketing methods involve luring unsuspecting victims by casual online postings on gaming message boards and community based boards for example:

"I wanted to let everyone know that instead of paying top dollar for one of these Nintendo Wii's on ebay, or waiting in everlasting lines at Best Buy. Livesay International Inc (http://www.livesayinternational.com) has them at retail price, and they do what they say!! I purchased one about a week and a half ago, and i got it on Monday. It was Brand New sealed in the box, Great Product and Service!"

They have since verbally abused me through postings on their site and via email, claimed to have refunded my credit card with not a penny credited so far since April 14th (it is now May 16th), deleted other negative postings on their message board (which they deactivated due to negative postings by other customers they scammed) and going around trying to defend themselves after my warning posts online to others (note the ZERO seller feedback they have on eBay)

Learn from the rest of us scammed by Livesay International. You are better off waiting for the Wii to be in stock again at retail or buying from reputable sites and sellers like Amazon or eBay sellers with nothing less than 100% positive feedback.

Ironically, Livesay International claims to have the Apple iPhone in stock since March when its release date is in June 2007! Steve Jobs must be a close buddy of theirs ensuring the whole world waits for the release of the iPhone except Livesay International.....Right...Haha!