I guess it's time I posted my story about Nitewalker ... this is going to run long.
Last year, I needed three custom sticks built. After fielding several offers from the trading forum, I decided to go with Nitewalker because of his quick turnaround time and low price. While he was still learning the stick building trade, I had confidence based on his work that he would indeed be able to complete the work and get the items to me by the time I needed them. This transaction worked out well, he built them fast and for what it's worth, all three still work to this day.
Now we move onto the not so great part. Shortly after the successful stick build, I came into some money and decided to embark on a new kind of project, a control panel/supergun that would be a large two player panel with the CPS2 board and everything inside. Of course, seeing as our first transaction had went so well and he expressed interest in it as well, on May 19,2006, I paid him $100.00 to start the project and get parts together.
Time went by with little to no progress, seeing as I knew it was a new style build for him, I didn't want to rush him, I figured he would be finished when he would be finished and that was it. I finally get a progress picture, it's the top panel, a large piece of MDF with holes drilled in it. Upon seeing this progress, as we agreed, I forwarded him another $100.00 to him on June 7, 2006.
So let's keep track, to date $200.00 spent.
Knowing I couldn't have a great setup like this with no art, I contacted DJ-Van and had him make a custom piece of stick art for this panel that was almost four and a half feet in size. Because of the scope and time involved, I paid him $60. Of course, I needed to get the boards ready for this project, so I purchased them from ebay for about $100.00 shipped. A set of Capcom A+B boards. After having them sent to Nitewalker, he was going to forward them out to Razool for Phoenixing. This is where the long no contact periods began. I would go a week or two with no update or contact at all. PM's and emails begun to go unanswered and there was no response.
Total of $360.00 spent
Out of the blue one day, I get a message that he fell on some hard times but he is still going to complete the project at his cost. After so long of not hearing from him, I figure this is pretty fair and decide to wait it out. Again, long periods of no contact begin before I finally just tell him that I want my money and boards back. After getting no response from this, I decide to go the police route.
I send him a PM mentioning that I will contact the police if I don't hear from him by the next day. Ten minutes later I get a reply telling me that he will send me back the boards, sticks, buttons, wiring harnesses he bought, control panel progress he made and $200. After another month of pestering him, I finally got my CPS2 Boards back (Missing parts that had been there when it was sent to him) and the wiring harnesses. When I asked where the sticks and buttons were, I was told he 'ended up needing them'. I was able to recover some of my money from selling the now Phoenixed boards but not much, I was still very much in the negative.
As it stands, I'm still owed the control panel progress and $200.00. I'm not holding my breath on seeing either anytime soon. I got an email from him last week saying he was going to pay me soon, but I'm sure it's just more BS from someone whose best practice is making excuses.
I understand life happens, changes happen and we all have to adjust but it's been nearly a year and there's no excuse for not contacting me, it wouldn't have taken more than a minute or two to send a PM.
If you're looking for information on him, here's what I was able to find on the web.
Personal information removed - don't post people's addresses & phone please --- saintThat is his fathers address, perhaps by contacting him, I might have more luck getting my money and panel work back.
Here's the last address I have from John ...
Personal information removed - don't post people's addresses & phone please --- saintEmails are as follows ...
hdililoo@nycap.rr.com (paypal address)
nitewalkergr@yahoo.com
Active forum profiles ....
Shoryuken - Nitewalker
Arcade Controls - Nitewalker (
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/inde...profile;u=6207)
Photobucket -
http://s57.photobucket.com/albums/g217/NiteWalkerGR/