Breaking News on AnotherUniverseSUCKS.org. No Phone at AU!

[Spartacus]

http://www.anotheruniversesucks.org/mod ... =0&thold=0

And for those who don't want to click, the last working number for AU, 916-450-0707, has been disconnected.

This company is going to hell in a lunchbox.

[hollis27]

I really I hope I run into Rojek one day....I would LOVE it.

[so-called customer]

They can't be going to hell in a lunchbox, because there is no lunchbox!

I sure hope UPS didn't get paid with a credit card....

[Natasha (candygirl)]

Another nail in the coffin.

I guess that means kiss the lunchboxes buh-bye. They will die a slow rusty death in China.

[GaryEA]

I hate to say it folks, but say goodbye to the lunch box and bonus disc.

I'm not trying to be dramatic, and no, I don't have inside info. Here's my thinking (and I could be totally off); A company does not disconnect their phone numbers without another in place unless the company is moving towards bankruptcy. If a company still intends to do business while working through financial problems, you still have to have a contact number.

With AU now further disconnected from their customers, my guesses as to what's next are...

a) they will file for Chapter 11 at some point in the near future.
b) it's a severe stall tactic so that they can "catch up".
c) Ross is using choice b so that he can set up the new AU (minus CMIH), so that he can re-emerge and move forward with the Twilight Zone discs, but wash his hands of any MSCL matters.

I'll be stunned if this move doesn't get law enforcement on them. They might as well buy a billboard and spray the word "fraud" all over it.

Gary

[crimsonglowgurl]

wow, now THAT is drama..

[pgh kenny]

Assuming Reject is playing by the rules and files Chapter 7:

I'm no lawyer, but based on my experience living through Chapter 7, the lunchboxes will most likely go to the lawyer in charge of the bankruptcy liquidation. People owed lunchboxes will have the opportunity to claim them, but may have to pay for the shipping costs themselves. The lawyer will sell the surplus lunchboxes to help meet debts. That could mean that some of us that cancelled might get a chance to buy them. However, since they would probably be sold in bulk to another vendor, they may cost a lot more than we're willing to pay for something with a manufacturing cost of less than $5/unit.

I have serious doubts a reasonable judge would allow RR a Chapter 11 debtor in possession situation. But if RR tries it, we'll have to be sure the court system is well informed.

[fnordboy]

What kills me about this is that AU is basically gone, but that doesnt mean Ross is finished. He will most likely pop up somewhere else scamming again.

And if the liquidation of the lunchboxes scenario is true that means ONCE AGAIN we lost exclusivity on something.


Hollis, I too hope to one day see ross in the flesh .

[so-called customer]

That assumes that the lunchboxes are declared as a company asset, which they probably aren't, especially if being paid for out of an employee bank account or personal credit card. If AU does file for bankrupcy, I'm sure a lot of inventory will mysteriously vanish. What will more likely happen is that Ross will ship the lunchboxes to his home, and start ebaying them for $50 a piece, taking the profits himself.

[pgh kenny]

so-called customer: I agree with you. I don't think Ross would pay to ship these to customers on his own good will. But I do see him trying to unload them on ebay to generate more cash for himself. I don't think it would be hard for him to hide inventory.

[Jason R]

If he even remotely tries something like that, he is in a heap of trouble.

You see, he has the license under extremely restrictive terms. Not for individual sale, and for his customers of this DVD set.

If they were not going to his customers, and he was selling them to raise money on ebay, don't you think that I would-- don't you think that YOU would-- report him to Disney?

That's what I recommend. Keep this dude under a microscope. Severely restrict his options. His only choice is to deliver what he promised to you.

so-called customer: I agree with you. I don't think Ross would pay to ship these to customers on his own good will. But I do see him trying to unload them on ebay to generate more cash for himself. I don't think it would be hard for him to hide inventory.

[so-called customer]

What's Disney going to do about it? All they could do is sue Another Universe (who they'd have the contract with), which doesn't exist. Being a limited company Ross is exempt from personal lawsuits brought against a defunct company, and he could care jack squat about what Disney has to say. 3000 x $50 is another $150,000 he can pocket, and if he rips off the ebay customers, even more!

If the lunchboxes ever make it to the US, I will wager they will be up on ebay in no time flat from about 60 different shaded, first time sellers.

[Jason R]

Disney is mega-badass. There is no way that they would let him get away with that. They'd be all over this misuse of their intellectual property.

What's Disney going to do about it? All they could do is sue Another Universe (who they'd have the contract with), which doesn't exist. Being a limited company Ross is exempt from personal lawsuits brought against a defunct company, and he could care jack squat about what Disney has to say. 3000 x $50 is another $150,000 he can pocket, and if he rips off the ebay customers, even more!

If the lunchboxes ever make it to the US, I will wager they will be up on ebay in no time flat from about 60 different shaded, first time sellers.

[GaryEA]

Disney can pursue the matter the same way companies treat bootlegs DVDs and VCDs. Upon hearing that even one lunch box has been sold, Disney can contact Ebay and basically order them to shut down any and all auctions selling the lunch box.

It's not a perfect system, as bootlegs slip through before getting shut down, but if he tries it, three things happen;

1) he basically tells everybody that the boxes are indeed in his possession
2) he is willing to violate his contract with Disney/Buena Vista
3) he is telling everyone that paid for the limited set that they're now not going to get them despite paying for them.

The key is that because Ebay is essentially policed by sellers and bidders, preventing your boxes from being sold is going to need us to monitor auctions on a daily basis, twice daily maybe. If the boxes do indeed appear from any seller, whether they're new or have a long feedback history, both Disney and Ebay need to know about it. In force.

That way, Ebay will know that these are essentially stolen goods being fenced off, and Disney/BV can go in, get the info of the seller and take steps.

Like I said - it's not a perfect plan, but it can be effective.

Gary

[so-called customer]

I doubt Disney would be able to stop Ross before he had liquidated his stock. This is a megacorporation we are talking about. Getting anything to happen quickly, even in the legal department, just doesn't happen.

Ebay is next to useless in stopping bootleg sales, even when they have been informed about what is selling. I would bet there are a number of burned MSCL buyers who would overlook the legalities and buy the lunchbox just to get one for themselves. Ross plays the schill game with his company finances, it doesn't take a scientist to figure out the same game works even better on Ebay. He could have 1000 boxes sold before the first negatve feedback comes in, and with some slimey listings, be in and out before Disney catches on, since they need to shut down each auction individually.

Anyway, we'll see what happens, but if the boxes ever ship from China, I am sure they will never see their way to where they were intended, and there's little Disney will be able to do about it.