Jinxed Universe

So, earlier this year my brother and I became interested in Russian bees.  As they are the newest revolution in beekeeping as they are resistant to many of the illnesses of other breeds of Honeybees.  So, we set out to find us some Russian bees and I let my brother do the research.  In March, he emailed me with the information of David Winters a guy in Parrotsville, Tennessee who has Russian bees and was the cheapest breeder around.  So, with the assurance that I would be receiving two 3lbs. packages of Russian bees after Memorial Day, I sent off a check for $266.10 with a Purchase Order I had made up for the transaction.

After the order was placed we began preperations for the parts needed to make the hives and to assemble them for the Russians.  When the week of the promised delivery came, I checked the mailbox and the porch daily to see if they had come unannounced.  But, as days past, I began to wonder what was going on.  So, I sent an email to David Winters asking if there was any sort of delay.  But, I got no reply.  As the days turned to weeks, I began to worry as I hadn't heard from him, and I would be going on Trek and High Adventure and I wouldn't be there to pickup the bees.  So, I called his number, left a message, no response, I emailed again, no response.  Finally I went to his website where he stated that there was a tornado that came close by that has delayed his delivery of bees by weeks.

I can understand this.  Come on a tornado!  So, I began to plan for the bees arrival while I was on Trek and High Adventure as this was three weeks after the promised delivery.  But again, I got home from vacation and still no bees.  I fired off a frustrated letter asking if he was screwing with me, and yet I still got no response.  My brother even called and left a message.  Again, no response.

So, we checked his website.  He had changed his scrolling banner to state that he was having some bad health and that once he filled all his orders he was no longer going to keep the business.  This got my thought running as I didn't want his business rolling up on me and him disappearing into thin air with my money.  So, I tried to email him again and ask when I could expect my delivery.  But as he is a man of many words, I got nothing!!  Finally in August I checked his site again which stated that his last batch of queens weren't any good so he wasn't going to send anymore bees out this year.  That he would provide a refund at the end of August to everyone with an outstanding order.

I patiently waited a week or more and finally had it with David Winters and so that is when I began trying to see what my options were as he never directly communicated with me since he cashed my check.  It was looking bleak as I would have to file in small claims court in Tennessee, which required me to go to Tennessee.  That would cost more than what I paid for and didn't ensure me my money at all.

So, finally I had an idea and I contact Matt Gephardt with KUTV News.  I was surprised when I got a call from him!  So, I explained to him on the phone my problem and he said that this was all probably a miscommunication as in his research of this guy that he looked legitimate.  But, once he called David Winters and left him a message.  David called back leaving a message stating that he knows how the news people would never support his position and so he won't talk to Matt unless he gets full editing rights, which nobody would ever do.

Matt began to dig deeper, and in doing so found pages and pages of people complaining that David and his business have done this before.  This is where, I began to lose hope of seeing my money again.  I knew better than to send my money to any old schmo!  I didn't even do any research on this guy or his company before I agreed to buy his bees!!  Stupid me!!

Anyways, after doing an interview and showing Matt what I did.  He did his news report and I became famous!  Well, I looked more like a goober than anything!!  Especially when I said, "I'm getting the screw job!"  I was trying not to say anything embarrassing!!

Well, Matt recommended that I contact the Utah Division of Consumer Protection and the Tennessee Division of Consumer Protection, to which I did. 

It was at this time that I got a demeaning email from David Winters saying that he never refused to give me a refund and that if I can't understand how weather has delayed him, that I will never become a successful beekeeper.  To which I replied that I never claimed that he refused to refund me my money.  I just said that his lack of communication was unnerving and I was officially asking for a refund and getting the state of Utah and Tennessee involved.

As I waited for things to happen, I began to read the nightmarish posts.  Pages upon pages of bad deals made by David Winters.  People who have been waiting for more than a year for their bees or a refund.  Then, they were followed by the angry responses of David Winters, of how he claimed to be going through a divorce and that is why he hasn't filled his orders, but he also has claimed that last year was his last year to be in the bee business.  Everything seemed to be excuse upon excuse!


A week later I got a letter in the mail from the State of Tennessee stating that they would contact me by letter on the case otherwise, don't call them, they'll call me.  That was promising!!  NOT!  But, just a few days later, Adam Watson from the Utah Division of Consumer Protection called me and asked me if I had received a refund as of yet.  To which I said no.  He explained that in the State of Utah that it is against the law to cash a check and not fill the order within 30 days.  That it also is against the law to not provide a refund.

He proceeded to tell me that he was going to call David and let him know that if he didn't provide me with a refund that he was going to nail him with a $1500 administrative citation.  Which, sticks to him personally and his business so even if he was to file bankruptcy, it would still stay with him.  Then if that didn't work he would slap him with another $1500 citation.

Well, needless to say, I got a check August 31st for the whopping amount of $26.61!  10% of what I had paid him!!  Included with this letter was an explanation saying that once he has sold off his hives and equipment, that he would take the remaining money and divide it between me and all the others he had screwed!  In layman's terms, you aren't going to get all your money back as I have already spent it.

I let Adam know this, and it was just days later on Sept. 10th I had a knock on my door from the Postlady needing me to sign for a letter.  This surprised me, but then I remembered who I was working with.  I signed the forms and found a letter with a check for the remaining amount.  The letter made me laugh!  Here is what he said:

'I recently had a long "discussion" with your state "Gestapo" investigator Adam Watson.  After a review of Utah law, I have decided to refund the balance at this time, subtracting this amount to be distributed to others receiving refunds.  I will also notify all queen and package producers that accept orders from beekeepers from the State of Utah that they can not take orders more than 30 days in advance of shipment or be subject to a $1500.00 fine per occurrence by the Stat of Utah.  Please find enclosed a check for $239.49 for payment in full.'

Just because the State of Utah doesn't condone his actions of hosing people over, we now are living in Third Reich central?!?  I guess thank goodness I do, cause I sure got my money back in a hurry!!

Lesson for me!  Do some research before you buy!

Lesson for you!  Buyer beware!  I would rather spend the extra money with someone else that has good reviews.  If you don't believe me check this out!

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?232835-Dealings-with-Long-Creek-Apiaries

30 pages of bad news!!