Victim Location 15317
Total money lost $1,000
Type of a scam Other
Here’s Kitchen Equipment Contractors, LLC & Bruce Roberstson’s SCAM in a NUTSHELL: He posts various high demand used kitchen equipment products on craigslist and other platforms at extremely competitive prices. When you contact him to express interest in the product, he tells you how great the product is and that there’s high demand for the item, but he can’t provide product serial numbers (because he doesn’t actually have the product). He then offers to hold the item for you for two weeks with no obligation to buy it if you wire him a $1,000.00 deposit within 24 hours, all with the understanding the deposit is refundable if you decide you don’t want it. Within a week of Bruce receiving your (wired) deposit, he calls you and tells you he can’t hold your item any longer because the demand is so high and he has other buyers willing to pay more, and that if you want it, you must wire him the balance due, in my case an additional $7,000.00. If you don’t want to proceed with the purchase, he tells you he’ll return your deposit. At that point my instincts kicked in and I thought something is not right with this guy, and I told him (via email) to sell it the pizza oven to someone else and to please return my deposit. Suddenly, like a switch, Bruce goes from being Mr. Johnny on the spot, to not responding to emails and phone calls. I’ve been waiting for my $1,000.00 return deposit for several month’s now. Of course "the check is in the mail". After doing the "check’s in the mail" dance for 6 weeks, it became clear Bruce has no intention of returning your money. Notice he doesn’t take the deposit or payments with a credit card, because those charges could be reversed, a wire cannot). I’ve patiently waited just about 3 months for Bruce to do the right thing, and I get no pleasure in reporting my experience to the Better Business Bureau, other than to protect other entrepreneurs from losing their hard earned money to a thief like Robertson. For me it’s not about the $1,000.00 and I’m thankful it wasn’t $8,000.00. For me this is about principle, ethics, and morals. There’s a place for people like Bruce Roberston, it’s called Jail! I don’t think the Colorado Attorney General is going to stand for this in the Great State of Colorado! Let’s hope not!