Slik Stik - Any Word

[JonathanEngr]

I've tried calling Christian's partner, Jerome Mascari, and to my surprise--no response.  I also tried to write him on his eBay account... any guesses on whether-or-not I got a reply? 

I'll tell you... I wouldn't have been happy about waiting this long for my controller, but if someone had just been honest with me about the situation I would have been fine.  And geez... even if they didn't call or write me, AT LEAST respond when I write or call you!  To heck with customer service... this is a crappy way to treat someone even if they hadn't sent you thousands of dollars waiting for something in return.

Anyway, just a reminder to contact the Nutley Division of Consumer Affairs.  I plan to call Ann Marie later today to check up on things.  PM me if you have any questions, comments, etc.

[Damoclese]

I did not recieve any confirmation from the e-mail I sent Ms. Nicollette last week.  Has anyone else that e-mailed her heard anything?  If she isn't replying to anyone then that is fine, but I just wanted to make sure I didn't get caught up in their spam filter.

[JonathanEngr]

I just spoke with Ann Marie, and she has been absolutely slammed with e-mails.  This is probably why she has not had a chance to reply to everyone.  PLEASE keep them coming.  She is compiling all of the information, and she will contact the Attorney General's Office on behalf of everyone.  She has been attempting to contact Slikstik, and they have even been ignoring her.  As things move forward, I'll see if she can create a mailing list to keep everyone informed of the progress of the suit, and I'm sure the Attorney General's Office will do the same with the contact list that Ann Marie provides to them. 

Based on our discussion this morning, she feels that this is likely going to become a significant criminal case!   

[Damoclese]

I hope Ann Marie has better luck with the Attorney General in New Jersey than what I did. I filed with them over a month ago and have not heard a thing.  I did get a response from the AG in my state with whom I also filed, but they just said that they have someone assigned to it and it will get back to me when they get a response from SlikStik.  I laughed when I read that and wished them luck. 

[JonathanEngr]

LOL!  I know the feeling!  As for the AG, they have lots of cases that come in the door.  There are so many frivolous suits out there it's difficult for them to sort them out.  This is why we need to go about it as a group effort.  First, if numerous people are involved, it's likely not just some personal vendetta from an unjustly irate individual (they don't want to get involved in a "he said" "she said" situation).  Secondly, the more evidence the case has, the more likely they are to pursue it since it will have a high likelihood of success.  Thirdly, this request is going to come from a Township inside of the state of New Jersey--not some individual from xyz town in xyz state.   As soon as it gets into the AG's hands we'll need to begin calling.  I have a few friends that owe me some favors, and I'm also going to ask them to make a few personal calls on our behalf to the New Jersey AG's office. 

At the same time, I'm also filing a civil suit against them for my money, which will eventually place a judgement and lien against them. 

I'm still in a tizzy abut this whole thing.  On one hand, I wonder how people can be so crooked and criminal.  On the other hand, I wonder if they're as "unintelligent" as this makes them out to be.  If you want to defraud someone, don't do it to a tightly-knit group of people who are in constant communication via a common and centralized system.  It's like calling the police, waiting for them to arrive and handing them a video camera to boot before you break into a house. I swear--this might just wind up on "America's Dumbest Criminals". 

[ahofle]

I'm no legal expert, but isn't mameroom.com going to be the unfortunate recipient of these complaints/lawsuits now since they purchased the company?  It's not like anyone can personally go after the people responsible for running Slikstick right?  I sure hope that isn't the case as mameroom has always had a good reputation.

[JimmyU]

I'm no legal expert, but isn't mameroom.com going to be the unfortunate recipient of these complaints/lawsuits now since they purchased the company?  It's not like anyone can personally go after the people responsible for running Slikstick right?  I sure hope that isn't the case as mameroom has always had a good reputation.

I don't know if mameroom.com bought them out or just their technology.  There would be a big difference.

[FrizzleFried]

Yah...I doubt they bought their debt...

[JonathanEngr]

Yes--I spoke with Mameroom last week, and they are not purchasing Slikstik due to the looming lawsuits.  I was glad to hear they have steered clear of this unfortunate incident.

[shardian]

Yes--I spoke with Mameroom last week, and they are not purchasing Slikstik due to the looming lawsuits.  I was glad to hear they have steered clear of this unfortunate incident.

What is there to buy anyways?? They haven't had a business license in almost a year! I doubt mameroom knew about that until recently. Sounds like they were trying to screw him too.

[Organic Jerk]

Well this sucks... I was eventually going to order a couple of the alluminum pear top joystick shafts (specifically the black)..


Does anyone know if they made these in-house?

[Damoclese]

Well, after reading the front page at CNN, I think I figured out why SlikStik no longer cares about getting the Courts after them:  New Jersy just abolished the death penalty!!  I'll bet those rascals at SlikStik knew that this change in legislation was coming so they said the heck with it, since they can't kill us for what we're doing, lets take our lumps! 

[CheffoJeffo]

Uze guyz n33dz 2 ch!llz, d00dz !

 

EDIT: ITZ a!! LI3Z!

[M37R01D]

Uze guyz n33dz 2 ch!llz, d00dz !

 

EDIT: ITZ a!! LI3Z!

I may have to change my opinion,
Last I spoke with Christain was 11/15 (same day "mikeyman" spoke with him) in which he said my panel would ship 11/16 (same day mikeyman went to pick his up), which it did not ship,
Then again on 11/30, which he said it would go out. Again it didn't go out, and I've had no word since.
I really trusted him, and looks like I may have got burned again in the process   

[Havok]

Good luck guys - I filed a complaint once with the NY AG - it went back and forth, and then squat! I basically ended up wasting my time. I hope you get something back at least. However, Christian and and friends were pretty smart, you were dealing with "SlikStik™ LLC" - a limited liability corporation: you won't be able to go after personal assets, most likely. However, hopefully the "limited" means you get some piece back. I think the thing that really stinks is that you saw them taking orders up until recently, even though it looks like they had no intention of filling them, they still have the website up like nothing, plus also just recently had fleabay auctions going for that crappy spinner they sell...

[JonathanEngr]

M37R01D, be sure to contact the Nutley Division of Consumer Protection (PM me if you need their contact info, or just Google Nutley, New Jersey and you can find them on The Town of Nutley's website).  File a complaint with them, and be sure to give them all of your contact information. 

REMEMBER EVERYONE:  We can always withdraw our case when Slikstik gives us full refunds and/or ships our gear!!   

Seriously, though--do get involved.

As for the AG situation, who knows what will happen?  One thing is for sure, however... nothing will happen if we don't get involved.  The best thing about this is we have tremendous momentum, and unbelievable amount of certifiable evidence, a boatload of witnesses and plaintiffs, and our own personal involvement and commitment will be minimal.  We've got someone who is the head of an agency that deals with these situations willing to take statements from us and do the legwork... we'd be crazy not to do it.

As for their business being an LLC, most businesses have to legally adopt a corporation type for liability and tax purposes be it an LLC, sole proprietorship, S-Corp, C-Corp, PA, LLC Sub-S, etc., etc.  And yes--they do offer some form of private holdings.  However, it's not that cut-and-dried.  In any case, Slikstik became Slackstik and let their license expire.  They're conducting business without a license, and have been all year.   Anyway, I have a hard time believing any of those guys have much in the way of personal holdings.

In the end, as I've stated before, if I can get my product or a refund, the next best thing is to see these guys get hit with a criminal suit.  If they can buy their way out, let them work it off in the state correctional system.

[M37R01D]

Yea I hear ya,
I'm just kinda lost, I mean really I want my panel, and not a refund, especially after having MameMarquees print and ship them an overlay cuz they didnt have it.
But I'm kinda at the point where it may be a lost cause. At least when Christian responded I did have hope, as he seemed really solid on his word.

[JonathanEngr]

Believe me--I understand.  I purchased the lightning overlay for my panel, along with illuminated trackball and joysticks.  I had Mame Marquees make a lightning marquee for me, and also paid a guy to create lightning graphics for my front-end.  I even bought all blue lighting as well as blue illuminated speakers for my system, and it's now sitting there 100% useless.

I ordered my panel back in June, and after a month (when I was told my panel was special-order and would take extra time--3 full weeks), none of my e-mails were being responded to, and my phone calls kept getting a "this number is no longer in service message".  I was worried--very worried.  Finally, I got in touch with Christian and we had a wonderful one hour conversation, and man.... he had almost had me crying when he expertly explained how Happ Controls had screwed him and turned his place into a PR nightmare.  We were like big buds when we got off the phone, and he told me that the trackballs should be in by the end of July, and my panel would be shipped the day after the trackball arrived.  Thus, I assumed everything else was ordered and ready to go.  Well, fast-forward four months to November, and I finally had a friend in Jersey drop by.  Now all of a sudden the trackballs were in--and HAD been in--but the overlay manufacturer was giving them problems.  Woe-is-them.  You know what?  This is 100% believable.  Why?  I'll tell you... if I was Mame Marquees or ANY other company dealing with oh SlikStik, I'd be expecting cash for everything.

Oh--one funny side note this brings to mind.  I should have seen this coming for a mile--stupid me.  I received an e-mail from "Paul" with SlikStik (I still think "Paul" is a made-up character), and he told me in an e-mail that a huge shipment of trackballs had arrived, but no one was there to sign and pay for the COD.  *C* *O* *D*??  I thought COD's disappeared with the dinosaurs.   Yup--that just screams, "Hey you bonehead!  Can you say mucho credit problems?"

Anyway, I've seen businesses struggle, and I've seen it break apart people's lives.  I've seen people exhaust every ounce of time and energy they have to try to salvage a business and do right by others.  In such cases, I have nothing but the greatest empathy and respect for the owners.  I just can't feel the same way i this case.  Look at this... you know he sees these forums.  You know he's lurking.  Does he even try to do anything to make it right?  Does he try to contact each and every person that he has taken hundreds or thousands of dollars from to negotiate terms?  No.  He won't even return a phone call or e-mail.    Neither does his partner.  Oh well.  They've made their bed....

[M37R01D]

I fully feel the same way

I have blue illuminated speakers, blue leds all over jus waiting for the panel, which has the blue/black overlay, illuminated joysticks and trackball, pretty much all the bells and whistles they offered.

I as well had about 4 calls each 30 mins to over an hour with him as he explained everything, and I totally felt for him.

He also wanted an XCM clear case with LEDs in it for his wii, that I had ordered the case, and he was going to mail down his wii for the install with a bunch of LEDs. I'm not worried about the case, as some1 else will pick it up if anything.

[arzoo]

plus also just recently had fleabay auctions going for that crappy spinner they sell...

Hey, the Tornado is a pretty good spinner and at one time was the best you could buy. Plus, now it's "collectable" 

[GAtekwriter]

I have my own s-corporation and while this does protect my personal assets, as an officer of the company I could be prosecuted for fraud and any other illegal activities if my company behaved this way.  The LLC isn't as protective as it sounds, especially if its true their business license expired.  You guys need to email this woman who is collecting information and stay on her.  I suspect that the total amounts here have pushed this into the higher levels of prosecutable fraud.  

Best case - you'll get some or all of your money back if the AG offers that as an option in lieu of prison time.  Worst case - you make these guys' lives miserable for a while and totally ruin their credit rating as this will definitely make it onto their credit reports.

The best thing they could do right now is issue full refunds to all parties before this blows up in their faces - which it sounds like is very close to happening.

Jim

[JonathanEngr]

And I need to clarify... their business license didn't simply expire--it was revoked by the state due to non-compliance on Slikstik's part.   Essentially, they didn't file annual reports for two years in a row, so the state pulled their license. 

[shardian]

Do they realize that a criminal case is being built against them? I would hope they would take something like this seriously. This is far beyond "screwing over the internet nerd" at this point. And the silliest thing is, it could all go away if they would just send out the stock THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE SITTING THERE!!

[M37R01D]

Do they realize that a criminal case is being built against them? I would hope they would take something like this seriously. This is far beyond "screwing over the internet nerd" at this point. And the silliest thing is, it could all go away if they would just send out the stock THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE SITTING THERE!!

Thats what I'm tryin to figure out, according to SS, my panel was "DONE" and was jus awaiting shipping.

[patrickl]

They might have just been lying about that too

[Tiger-Heli]

They might have just been lying about that too

You think??? 

[JonathanEngr]

Tell me about it... I have an e-mail from "Paul" on September 12, 2007:

-----
Happ has confirmed that it is now the rollers in the trackball that are causing the delay.  It was formerly caused by the chip, however as of the last few weeks, the rollers were mismanufactured and they've been waiting for the replacements for some time now.

This is extremely unfortunate, I wish we could just get your unit out of here.  As soon as we receive them, it's leaving right out of here.
-----

And nearly 3 months later they write saying the trackballs are in, but now they're having trouble getting the overlay.  There's something fishy here that I just can't put my finger on....    hehehehehehe

[Damoclese]

I just received a copy of a letter the Office of the Attorney General of Kansas sent to SlikStik stating that they had "ample time" to reply to the previous letter they sent, and that "If we are not in receipt of your written response within five (5) days of the date of this letter, we may issue a subpoena requiring your appearance or resort to other legal process available to the office of the Kansas Attorney General."

Soooo.... we'll see what happens when they don't respond, 'cause ya know they won't.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I'm amazed that anyone could be so lazy to stay on the phone with customers for hours at a time, rather than get these things shipped out. I hate going to the post office as well, but better that than, say, JAIL.

The self-entitlement on their part is absolutely stunning.

[Organic Jerk]

Well this sucks... I was eventually going to order a couple of the alluminum pear top joystick shafts (specifically the black)..


Does anyone know if they made these in-house?

Anyone?  I figure if they were exclusive SlikStik material, they would go over to mameroom, no?

[Spaced Ace]

Finally got an email from "SlikStik Staff".  Its not good.  Apparently they have an attourney who has advised them not to make any statements to their customers or on their website about all this.

They are no longer taking custom orders but are taking orders for their regular stock still.


"There are many pressing legal issues at the moment that would prevent
 us making a formal reply to the current situation."

So I wouldnt count on them being around too much longer.

[DrWho]

I finally have some good news to report!

I did get a credit back from my bank for the slikstik order ($800). 

But the bad news is:
I placed an order with Jack from arcadesrfun on 19 Nov, but because he is getting swamped with orders from slikstik going out of business, I doubt I'll get my panel by Christmas.

So....... Slikstik is still kind of giving it to me in a way... 

[M37R01D]

Finally got an email from "SlikStik Staff".  Its not good.  Apparently they have an attourney who has advised them not to make any statements to their customers or on their website about all this.

They are no longer taking custom orders but are taking orders for their regular stock still.


"There are many pressing legal issues at the moment that would prevent
 us making a formal reply to the current situation."

So I wouldnt count on them being around too much longer.

Ouch, I guess they were also advised not to send out any panels, even if they were complete 

[Brax]

This is why I Build My Own Arcade Controls.

[HaRuMaN]

This is why I Build My Own Arcade Controls.

Yep! 

[shardian]

Finally got an email from "SlikStik Staff".  Its not good.  Apparently they have an attourney who has advised them not to make any statements to their customers or on their website about all this.

They are no longer taking custom orders but are taking orders for their regular stock still.


"There are many pressing legal issues at the moment that would prevent
 us making a formal reply to the current situation."

So I wouldnt count on them being around too much longer.

Why would they even pay a lawyer? All they gotta do is make good and this will all go away...unless the Fed was already on them before the AG stuff started.

I wonder if Christian and Jerome have wives and families? I feel sorry for them that their husbands are total ---meecrobs---.

[JonathanEngr]

My guess is they are pretty crappy businessmen.  I see it all the time.  They have a product that becomes popular, and the orders rush in.  They incorrectly estimate their profits on these units, and begin to spend this money on personal items, and even things for the "business".  Next thing you know, they have about $50,000 in materials to buy to fill the orders, and they have $12,000 in the bank.  They keep taking orders hoping to overcome this shortfall, but the slow "getting it out the door" ends up killing their business, and they're stuck in the hole with lots of orders but no money to buy products to ship them.  Maybe they had good intentions (I'm seriously beginning to doubt this due to their obvious lack of concern/contacting clients), but in the end they defrauded people to get money for orders they cannot/won't fill. 

I feel sorry for them to a point, but my mercy only goes so far.  Heck--if he had called me and spilled the beans on their situation and been *honest* with me, I wouldn't be happy, but I wouldn't be going to the extremes I am now.  There was a point where I could have bailed, but he lied to me and kept me in the game knowing full well he was going to pocket my $2500.  Nope... no tears being shed on my side.

[JonathanEngr]

Damoclese--

That sounds like good news.  I'll also pass this along to Ann Marie so she can be sure to inform the AG that it's dealing with the same Company we're all complaining about. 

Actually, if possible, can you send her your information?  Include the steps you've taken thus far, any case numbers, etc.  It'll help to have everything she can to include in the submittal.  PM me if you need her contact info, or look back a few posts (Post #261).

[heffe2001]

The good thing is, since you ordered it from Jack, you know you'll get it, and he's good on communication too . 

I finally have some good news to report!

I did get a credit back from my bank for the slikstik order ($800). 

But the bad news is:
I placed an order with Jack from arcadesrfun on 19 Nov, but because he is getting swamped with orders from slikstik going out of business, I doubt I'll get my panel by Christmas.

So....... Slikstik is still kind of giving it to me in a way... 

[JonathanEngr]

Out of curiosity, has anyone posted this information on any other forums?  I've posted this information (and Ms. Nicolettes contact info) on Mameworld.net.   Please feel free to post her info anywhere you feel it might be useful.