Swanhouse Miniatures and Prop. Greg A. Madl
Complaint 79678 Details

  • Date Occurred: 02/02/2014
  • Reported Damages: $1,231.99
  • !

The complaint is against an online dating profile

The complaint is a listing fraud posted on public forums or sites against an anonymous entity

The complaint is mobile text spam or smishing related against an anonymous entity

The company or person contact no longer exists

International boundaries

THE NARRATIVE BELOW IS WHAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO A SMALL CLAIMS COURT IN MY EFFORTS TO RECOVER MY MONEY IN A CIVIL JUDGMENT. CRIMINAL FRAUD CHARGES HAVE ALSO BEEN FILED AND ARE PENDING. GREG MADL DBA SWANHOUSE MINIATURES IS A THIEF WHO KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND THE SYSTEM.


Between November 1, 2011 and November 8, 2011, defendant purchased 5 separate items from me at on line auction through eBay. These items were higher end, handmade (and as such made in very limited quantities) doll house furnishings.
One item was listed in the auction as having existing damage. Defendant purchased that item anyway for $99.00.
Upon receiving payment for the items, I carefully packaged and shipped them to defendant’s home address, using a pre-paid UPS label provided by the defendant.
On November 22, 2011, defendant sent me a message through eBay stating that one item was damaged. I advised him that the item had existing damage, and was listed as such at auction. He responded that the item was in 4 pieces upon arrival. At my request, he sent me a photograph of the damaged item. It was clear that the item was further damaged in transit. At that time, I offered him a choice of three options: 1) return the damaged item for a refund of the purchase price ($99.00), or 2) keep the item, and file a claim with the shipper, or 3) keep the item, and accept a partial refund. He chose the first option, but immediately initiated a claim through eBay and my payment service – PayPal – for the same amount (eBay case ID 5012962286). That claim was unnecessary, as we had reached an agreement. I responded to the eBay claim, and advised that the buyer and I had already agreed to a refund, and that refund would be issued upon receipt of the damaged item. The item was received by me, inspected, and a refund issued immediately. At the time of the original transaction, defendant requested that I NOT leave him feedback (a sellers rating of the transaction), claiming he didn’t want people to know what he buys on line.
On January 21, 2012, I received notification from PayPal that the defendant’s charge card issuer had filed a charge back for the ENTIRE transaction amount at the defendant’s request. He claims that ALL items were either damaged, or not as described. This occurred TWO MONTHS after receiving the items, and filing his initial claim for the ONE damaged item. I responded to PayPal, and provided background information on the transaction, and defendant’s prior claim through eBay. On February 1, 2012, funds were disbursed by PayPal from my PayPal account to the charge card issuer in the amount of $1231.99.
On February 1, 2012 I contacted defendant via email, and requested that the items in question be returned to me, as he had been issued a refund through his card issuer. I allowed a two week period for which to return said merchandise. The items have not been returned, and I have not heard from defendant in any way, shape or form since November 22, 2011.
It should be noted that the defendant operates an online store named swanhouseminiatures.com, wherein he sells upscale doll house furnishings. In searching his online store after the chargeback, I found three of the remaining four items listed for sale on his site:
http://swanhouseminiatures.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32&products_id=21217
http://swanhouseminiatures.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32&products_id=12739
http://swanhouseminiatures.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32&products_id=17709
I have filed a criminal complaint with the Ottawa County (Michigan) Sheriff’s Office , alleging theft and fraud. That investigation is ongoing, and I was advised that the defendant has been involved in similar situations previously. The incident report number with the Sheriff’s office is OCSO: (redacted).

Update: 12/20/2012

The matters ensuing from this complaint have been reviewed and successfully resolved.

Do You Have a Complaint?

Submit a Complaint

Comments

  • e6s4life
  • e6s4life SBID #10137a2381
  • Posted 02/26/2014
  • Wow! I feel for you! Very unfortunate situation. I hope you and the Sheiff's office can finally take this scammer out of circulation. Have you contacted his hosting company about this? I am certain they don't want to be involved with someone with litigation tied to a website they are hosting. Bet they would drop him like a "hot potato". ;)
    Don't get mad - get even!
  • Was this helpful?
  • Juju
  • Juju SBID #c40c0067e7
  • Posted 03/01/2014
  • It is unfortunate that others will jump to conclusions without knowing the full circumstances. Perhaps they should follow through before attacking someone. Trashing someone is like shooting from the hip. This is disgraceful. Andrew should not be selling damaged merchandise even though he says it is damaged. How "damaged" to one person can have a different meaning to another. Maybe Andrew is not an honest seller - OH! am I shooting from the hip, too?
    Also Swanhouse has been a patron to miniaturists around the world and has an excellent reputation.
  • Was this helpful?
  • aNDREW
  • aNDREW SBID #906726ebfe
  • Posted 03/01/2014
  • JuJu, I HAVE followed through. Mr. Madl has stolen my items, and is now reselling the same items on his web site. Anyone who purchases and inspects an item, and then TWO MONTHS LATER files a chargeback with his card issuer claiming the items are damaged, gets a refund from the charge company while selling the very same items for 3X what he paid is a scammer and a fraud. The detectives from Grand Haven MI and Ottawa County have confirmed that Mr. Madl has been on their radar due to similar complaints in the past. So in short, nobody is shooting from the hip here my friend. The facts are very clear, and the evidence is abundant. Since Madl bought SwanHouse in 2009, their reputation has deteriorated, by the way.
  • Was this helpful?
  • swanhouse
  • swanhouse SBID #f6a73050ac
  • Posted 03/02/2014
  • I will now set the record straight.I did buy items off of Ebay from Andrew.When I received the items they were poorly packed and most of the items were broken and damaged.I contacted Andrew with no response I then contacted Paypal they said to pack all the items and ship them back to Andrew.I sent them back on 11/24/11 by UPS and they were delivered to him on 11/30/11 at 1:20PM UPS tracking #1Z322AX0392635287.He refused to refund my Paypal account so I contacted my credit card CapitalOne to start a disbute.I have provided them with the shipping information and CapitalOne ruled in my favor.The Herbillon items that are on my site were bought directly from Bruno Herbillon and I have the invoices as my proof.I'm the exclusive dealer in the U.S. for Herbillon.Andrew is the one commiting fraud he has his merchandise back but refused to refund my money.

    regards,
    Greg Madl
    Swan House Miniatures
  • Was this helpful?
  • aNDREW
  • aNDREW SBID #906726ebfe
  • Posted 03/02/2014
  • Greg, you are a liar AND a thief. Your items were VERY carefully packed, yet ONE item was damaged in transit by UPS. You contacted me claiming ONE item was damaged and demanded that i "make it right wihin 24 hours". I offered you a refund for that item which you accepted, but proceeded to file a claim that same day with eBay. The item was returned to me 10 days later, and a $99.00 refund was released by PayPal at my direction. 2 months later... TWO MONTHS later, you filed a chargeback since you KNEW eBay would not honor a clain at that point. You claimed in your chargeback that ALL the items were damaged, yet never returned them. When you sent back the table, you noted the package as being 9 pounds. I have a copy of the email that I sent you at that time asking why you would list a 4 ounce item as 9 pounds. Now I get it.. This was plotted by you all along. Greg, i have the evidence, the proof and the TRUTH on my side. I also have the Ottawa County Sheriffs Department onmmy side, since they are quite familiar with you and your practices. You have your money back, and yu still have the merchandise that at his point is considered stolen.

    I'll see you in court. And when we're through there, I'll be filing motions to have liens placedon your home, business, cars and bank accounts until the judgment is satisfied. When the criminal charges are ajudicated, you will be facing felony charges.

    You screwed with the wrong person...
  • Was this helpful?
  • aNDREW
  • aNDREW SBID #906726ebfe
  • Posted 03/02/2014
  • To further 'set the record straight', let's make sure you get your fact straight first.. Number one, your claim was filed with eBay, not PayPal. Number Two, once you involve eBay OR PayPal, THEY have control of the refund processing: not the seller. Once the single item you claimed as damaged was received by me, I authorized the refund from PayPal. As I understnd it, you filed a complaint in Michigan alleging a buyer returned a box of sticks and rocks to you AFTER you sent a refund. Nobdy, and I mean NOBODY - even a shrewd businessman like yourself - issues a refund without having a return in hand. If your claim of MY committing a fraud against you even carried. Modicum of truth, then I'm sure you can produce all of the correspondence you sent me, PayPal and eBay in that two month period between the time you received a refund and then filed a fraudulent chargeback? Of course you don't Greg, because it never happened. In fact, after 11/22/11, I never heard ANYTHING from or about you until 1/21/12...

    By the way, thank you for providing me with additional evidence to use against you. PayPal is disputing the chargeback, and since you have seen fit to put words in their mouth, they will use those words against you. Additionally, I will be contacting Capital One directly to dispute the chargeback.
  • Was this helpful?
  • blkwlnt
  • blkwlnt SBID #ec55ebbe77
  • Posted 03/09/2014
  • My experience with Mr. Madl and his Swan House Miniatures is very similar to Andrew's, and I can attest to the fact that I have spoken to members of the miniatures "world" and learned that his reputation is not as clean as some might believe. He is very familiar with my case, and as a matter of fact, he sent me a threatening email when he read this complaint because he thought I had written it. In summary, I sold $6,750 worth of miniatures to Mr. Madl, he paid for it via PayPal, and two months later, he had his credit card company request refunds via "chargebacks" for approximately $4,000 of the purchase because he claimed the merchandise had arrived broken. Two months after I shipped it to him. I have to thank you, Andrew, because you have given me several ideas as to legal remedies I can use against Mr. Madl and Swan House, such as contacting the Ottawa County Sheriff's office (already done) and filing a small claims action (in process).
  • Was this helpful?
  • aNDREW
  • aNDREW SBID #906726ebfe
  • Posted 03/10/2014
  • Good luck blkwlnt. While I'm sorry you have been victimized by this scumbag, knowing that there are others only bolsters our cases against him. Be sure to have a mountain of evidence (as I do) when submitting your case to court and the Sheriff's office. I suspected something was off with this guy when he started making odd requests about shipping, etc. As such, I have kept each and every communication to and from him, as well as affidavits from eBay and PayPal contradicting his statements above (amazing what an attorney friend can get done for you!). Once a judgment is rendered in my favor (as I expect it will), all of those documents will be submitted to his credit card issuer for further prosecution on the grounds of credit card fraud; another felony charge. Depending upon your home state, you can sue him in YOUR jurisdiction, and have the judgment domesticated to his in Michigan, after which you can have a collection agency, private investigator or attorney do whatever is necessary to collect on your judgment. If you filed your complaint with the Sheriff's office with the right person, that should accelerate their criminal investigation. Let me know how you make out.
  • Was this helpful?
  • aNDREW
  • aNDREW SBID #906726ebfe
  • Posted 03/24/2014
  • UPDATE: Much to my surprise, I was contacted by the producers of "The Peoples Court". My small claims case caught their eye, and they asked if I'd be willing to do their show. I consented, seeing how if I won there, I would be paid immediately, and wouldn't have to worry about the hassle of placing liens against Mr. Madls home, business and bank accounts to satisfy my judgment. Of course, this was all dependent upon Greg Madl of Swan House Miniatures consenting as well. He apparently declined their invitation. Now, my question is this: If Greg Madl is so convinced that he has done nothing wrong or illegal, why didn't he agree to appear on the show? They would have paid his way to NYC, and even if he lost, he'd win.. He wouldn't have to pay me, since the show pays the claim, AND they pay HIM for appearing. Answer that for me Greg Madl? What ARE you afraid of?
  • Was this helpful?
  • aNDREW
  • aNDREW SBID #906726ebfe
  • Posted 04/04/2014
  • No. This battle was lost, but only temporarily. Mr. Madl's testimony provided me with an opportunity to gather new evidence from eBay, PayPal and UPS to present on appeal. I'll be looking to the court very soon to reverse the decision rendered.
  • Was this helpful?
  • Sissyjuju
  • Sissyjuju SBID #e27d20d237
  • Posted 06/24/2014
  • Andrew and Bikwint, don't give up on Greg because he is a scumbag. I should know because I am his sister and he is in a huge lawsuit with the family cause he is trying to scam the family. He scams everyone he can including the government, charge cards, customers and etc. please contact me cause I have a lot of info I can share!!!!!!
  • Was this helpful?
  • aNDREW
  • aNDREW SBID #906726ebfe
  • Posted 10/04/2014
  • SissyJuJu: Happy to hear what you have to say, but would need to know how to reach you. BTW: The post by "Karen" above was actually posted by Greg using an alias, as evidenced by the unique SBID code...
  • Was this helpful?
  • Sandy
  • Sandy SBID #06dfe236bf
  • Posted 12/12/2013
  • I have never experienced such poor customer service/support in more than 20 years of on-line purchasing. First, they charge your credit card as soon as you order. Took them more than 30 days to ship. There was some confusion regarding item numbers for some miniature tiles, in that I couldn't tell which number was for the corner tiles and which was for the inside tiles. When I received an e-mail showing the order, I realized that I had put them in backwards, so that it read 12 corner tiles and 4 inside tiles. I e-mailed the company. Their initial reply was, "I'm not a do-it-yourselfer, I don't know what you want," when I said I wanted 4 corners and 12 inside tiles rather than the opposite. I explained over and over again, asking that the order be checked before shipping so that it would be correct, and finally got an e-mail that said "Ok."

    I received the package yesterday. It was practically demolished -- and one could see that old cardboard was used and the edges didn't even overlap where it was taped. One end was completely open Lucky for me that nothing was missing, but I sure did get 12 corners and 4 inside pieces. Several e-mails later, the response I got from Greg Madl, the proprietor at Swan House read, and I am copying and pasting directly from that e-mail... "because I sent you what you ordered and what you asked for as far I understand it was what you ordered so there was no reason to change it." In an earlier reponse, Greg Madl said "...I do not change someone [sic] order as this is illegal and unethical..." Now, remember, I specifically asked him to make this change.

    I have a package ready to ship back with 1) the tiles in question and 2) two boxes of slate tiles that look nothing like the images on the site. Should I keep them (for whenever I might use these) rather than returning them and never getting a refund? Sissyjuju -- what do you suggest? Once before, about a year ago, I cancelled an order with them because it took so long and did get a refun.
  • Was this helpful?
  • Sandy
  • Sandy SBID #06dfe236bf
  • Posted 12/27/2013
  • Well, for what it's worth, I did receive a refund for the items returned, less a 20% restocking fee for the slate tiles which, according to Greg, was a special order. He apparently ordered them from Richard Stacey in the UK, which I should have done myself! Next time, I'll be sure to listen to my inner self when it tells me, "Beware!"
  • Was this helpful?

Do You Have a Complaint?

Add a complaint and spread the word. High volume complaints have a better chance to get their money back. Submit a report and join forces with others like you!

Submit a Complaint Now

Business Profile Summary

  • Swanhouse Miniatures and Prop. Greg A. Madl logo

Company Statistics

  • Complaint Against Swanhouse Miniatures and Prop. Greg A. Madl
  • Complaints Filed: 1
  • Reported Damages: $1,231.99
Visit Complete Company Profile

What is SBID?

SBID is a unique id code that identifies the user's computer and location. SBID is used to prevent fraudulent postings and help our community find users who create duplicate user accounts.