Jay Phillips
Complaint 25262 Details

In December I responded to an ad on craigslist/Cincinatti for a trade on a 2005 Gibson Les Paul Custom from a gentleman named Jay Phillips from eastgate [cinci]
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Here is the ad I responded to and header and email from our initial contact

Initial Ad I responded to.
les paul custom (eastgate ) [email protected]
I have a 90s gibson les paul custom gold hardware schaller keys plays great sounds great little fadding on the gold of the pickups make me an offer not super motivated just testing the waters I am not including the case (keeping for my other LP) Cash is king but trades are welcome however I only really like Fender and Gibson thanks.
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Initial Email from me to this ad on CL/Cinci.
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: les paul custom (eastgate )
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, December 2, 2010, 2:00 AM

I have some nice USA strats, let me know if youre interested in any of these. Pics attached. from left, Blizzard pearl 1984 USA Deluxe players strat, Walnut USA 1975 strat, black USA 1972 strat, natural 1979 USA strat, red sparkle 1989 USA deluxe strat and a 1952 RI MIM Kieth Richards tele.
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We worked out a deal and met up half way [in Monroe, Oh] on 12/15/10, i traded him my 1975 USA Walnut Stratocaster and a 1984 Blizzard Pearl USA Stratocaster [value approx. $2500] for his Black Les Paul Custom.

Mr. Phillips assured me that it was a real Gibson Les Paul Custom and stated that he had purchased it from Mikes Music in Cinci [a legit. music store] I have recently been informed that this Les Paul Custom is a fake [probably chinese] and got a second and third opinion to verify that it is indeed fake and basically worthless.

This is straight up fraud. I have dug up info on Jay Phillips including a possible cinci. address, his facebook, twitter, soundcheck and seekyou accounts, info on several bands he plays in and also some videos of him playing the 1975 strat i traded him. I also have copies of all the back and forth emails concerning this trade. He deactivated the email address he used for this craigslist transaction shortly after the trade and never gave me any phone info. That email address was "jay phillips" [email protected] I have sent him an email [to his band address i found online] asking him to either trade back and make this right, with no reply from Mr Phillips.

I believe that dealing in Fake Gibson guitars is a crime, and fraud is certainly a crime, Should I report to the local police? Should I report to the Cinci. police? Do I need a lawyer? How can I get my real guitars back? What exactly are my options?

Richard Stewart
(Personal Information Removed)