Schemes, Scams, Frauds.

www.crimes-of-persuasion.com Site Directory

White Van Speaker Scams Fraud Involving Scam Speakers Sold From White Vans by Speakermen Fraudsters

Subject: Speakers sold from SUVs
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001

I have been approached several times in Los Angeles and Seattle by 20-30 year old men while driving in my car. They always have this bug-eyed shifty look to them and they want to sell me home speaker systems. And we all enjoy fast-talking, hurried salesman.

The first time, out of curiosity, I stopped and looked at the products. I am somewhat familiar with speakers but I had never heard of these "revolutionary" brands. When I finally said that I wasn't interested, I was met with lower prices and "do you have any friends that might be interested?"

I'm almost sure their business is not legit, but I'm curious as to where they get these speakers (and it's always speakers), and why do they always hit me up when I'm driving.

Thanks for any info.

Tim Harrington

Subject: Stereo Speakers Invoice Overage
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001

Maybe you know the scam I've encountered a few times years ago and recently twice within the last month.

Two guys have a bunch of Speakers in their vehicle.  They find someone to approach. Their story goes, "I've got these speakers to install in a nearby home.  When picking these speakers up at the warehouse, our invoice indicates 4 speakers, but the warehouse gave us 6 speakers.  We're trying to unload these before we show up at the house to install." etc. etc... with various high pressure tactics, manipulations, etc.

Two guys approached me just before going into my bank about 2 weeks ago. When I went to the same bank today, I saw another 2 guys pitching the same story to a guy as I walked by.

Do you know what the real story is to this scam's design?

Brian Fleming

No Love Lost

I would like to compliment you on the simple design & layout and the great information on your website.  I was reading through some of the popular street scams when I came across something that caught my eye  - "The Speaker Scam".

This actually happened to me in West Los Angeles about four years ago. I was driving down Sepulveda Blvd with my boyfriend, when two very friendly looking guys pulled up in a blue pickup truck in the lane next to us at a red light.

They excitedly explained that they had just come from the "warehouse" and "the factory ordered four speakers but they gave us four sets" and "we're just two broke delivery guys trying to make a buck!"

We initially said "no thanks" but then the driver proceeded to tell us how state of the art the speakers were and how he'd give them to us for CHEAP. They would even follow us to the ATM!

So we pulled into a parking lot and they bombarded us with all these glossy brochures and advertisements from so-called hi-tech magazines. They really suckered us.

They pull the speakers out of the box and believe me, they were impressive looking to someone who is not an expert. I still remember the brand name "Acoustic Response" (which I had never heard of, but I just thought that was because it was such a high-end brand!)

First the guys wanted $1400 for the pair!!! We told them no way, and actually started to leave, when the guy said, "Hey dude, what can you afford? Your ATM limit is $300, right?" So he convinced us to EACH take $300 from our bank ATM's, and we actually gave it to him!

When we got home, we hooked the speakers up to our entertainment system, and of course, they were CRAPPY to say the least.

At least when I broke up with the boyfriend, HE got to keep them.

Amina Williams 12/19/01

Pay Me In Ones Please

I was checking around on the Net trying to find out the real price of some speakers I had just purchased, when I came across your site. I started reading and noticed that the stories sounded a little too familiar for I too had bought some speakers from two guys in a gold SUV who pulled me over, while I was driving near Salem in Oregon, by yelling something about free speakers.

Anyways, they told me they were picking up four house speakers and got loaded with six. They wanted to get rid of the two extras before they had to meet their boss. He went through the steps on your site perfectly, though he told me he just needed some extra money for the "titty bar".

I guess I got off easy buying two Audiofile 830LR speakers for $150.

Scott Chamberlain 04/28/02

Speakers are being sold the same way, under the brand name of Denmark, all over Texas. They are exactly like the Audiofile Speakers, same make, numbers and all.

A spec sheet on the Denmark Loud Speaker E830LR gives the retail price of $1390.00 a pair and the name of the company they came from is none other than JAM Audio.

The people that we got this sheet from (thank God I didn't buy these) come from a company out of Irving, Texas, called T & M Enterprises. But from what I understood from the "scamsmen" they are almost all from Michigan, Pennsylvania, and a couple of other places up north.

The more consumers that buy from these scam artists, the more than can continue to screw us. These people need to be stopped.

dYsFuNcTiOnAl_ PrInCeSs 05/09/02

Down Memory Lane Together

I've been approached 3 times with this speaker scam. Once when I was 18 years old at a Shell gas station in Coral Gables FL then by the same guys when I was 23 at the International Mall in Miami, FL and by the same guys just last year when I was 28 close to The Mall of the Americas in Miami, FL. Incredible.

I didn't know what they were up to but I knew it was a scam of some sort. The last time I saw them I reminded them of the last 2 times and quickly informed the shopping mall security and Miami Metro Dade Police.

Tony Sevillano 08/09/02

International White Van Speaker Scams

Surprised that I received the initial letters within days from different parts of the country led me to investigate this situation which I had never before heard of ( yes, I am fallible ).

Much to my surprise this turns out to be a scam of international proportions ( Canada, U.S., Australia, U.K., Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Switzerland ). There are even web sites specifically devoted to exposing it.

Essentially it involves selling cheaply made, but impressive looking, home stereo speakers under the names:

	Acoustic Response Series 707, Acoustic Image, Acoustic Lab Technology, Acoustic 3312 Studio Monitor
	Dogg Digital, Digital Dogg Audio
	Dahlton KV 1500, Dahlton KV 2500 TI Speakers, Dahlton AV5.1 THX
	Grafdale,
	Digital Pro Audio, Pro Audio, Digital Pro Audio SL-T 2.8,
	Digital Audio SL-3810, Digital Audio DA 2000SL / 2000CS, Digital Audio 2000, Digital Audio Professional Speaker Systems SL-3810, Digital Audio Skyline 900-SL, Digital Audio SL-3910 Speakers, Skyline AD-900SL, Digital Audio 2003 DA 5.1 Pro-Series III
	Digital Research 5.1 Pro Series, Digital Research DA 5.1 Pro Series III
	Dynalab
	Di Vinci Innovative Sound & Bass, Di Vinci D-52, Di Vinci Home theater system,
	Audiofile 835LR, Audiofile 583LR
	Denmark
	Epiphany Audio speakers, Epiphany Solo Limited, Holographic Imaging System, Epiphany 1200, Epiphany Bantum Speakers, Epiphany Bantam Towers, C4 Tower Epiphany, Model H3, Lightning S21
	Onkyo HT-S650
	Genesis Media Labs, Genesis Media Labs G-505, Genesis G1620, Genesis Home Theatre System, Genesis G6030 Home Theater System
	London Audio Speakers, London Audio Oxford Speakers,
	Kirsch K2030 Home Audio,
	Matrix Audio Concepts MX-1300, MTS Cinema Series PS-4200
	Theater Research TR-1120, Theater Research TR-6000, Theater Research TR-1410 Digital Sound Speakers, Theater Research TR-900 Speakers, TR-5210 Professional Home Theater, Theater Research TR-2810, TR900, TR-6100 Digital Sound/5.1 Home Cinema, Theater Research Pro Series III Professional Home Theater TR5160
	8810 Linear phase studio monitors
	Cerwin-Vega AVS-632 Surround Sound, Cerwin Vega AVS 632 Speakers
	Protecsound PT-5000 digital surround sound system speakers
	Pro Dynamics Studio Speakers TX1200
	Skyline AD900-SL speakers

using a variety of ruses out of the back of vans and SUV's. Most shocking is that it appears to be some kind of franchise operation for cons with impressive brochures, van decals, and a bogus website to delude you into believing you have gotten quite a deal.

In addition to the info below I direct your attention to ScamShield White Van Speaker Scam, www.badbusinessbureau.com   www.bbb-bec.com

Ecoustics.com White Van Epiphany Speaker Scam

Speaker Scam

The Speaker Scam Approach

In the typical stereo speaker scam scenario you are either approached on foot in a large high-traffic retail parking lot ( Home Depot, Loews, McDonalds, gas stations, banks ), hailed to the side of the road by someone next to a van in apparent distress waving a sign, or actually urged to stop while driving by the demonstrative hand signals and shouting of the driver of a company delivery van.

In most cases the van will be white, new and bear a stylish corporate logo with the name Dynalab on the side. Your fears of being hijacked, kidnapped or robbed are dispelled by both this and the neat, respectably monogrammed t-shirts with name tags the young driver and assistant are wearing.

Fearing an unnoticed mechanical difficulty in your own vehicle; coming to the aid of a person who may be stranded; or simply being sociably compliant to a reasonable request to approach their vehicle, you eventually hear their story.

They begin their rehearsed routine which is both persuasive and assertive. They generally say that they are delivery drivers and/or installers who have just finished a job, telling you that by inventory error, they have extra hi-fi speakers that are available for a much reduced price.

Some quoted versions have been:

"We're delivery people for an audio company and they accidentally just gave us twice as many speakers as they were supposed to."

"We just got done installing a sound system at a restaurant, and we have these extra speakers we want to get rid of for dirt cheap, they cost $1000+ a set, but you can take them for $600 a pair!".

"We have just made a delivery to a dance club and we have several extra speakers in the back of our van."

"We just finished a job here in town, have two extra pairs of speakers and if we take them to our next job today our boss will want them back."

"I have an extra pair of speakers my "tyrant boss" won't let me keep, so I thought I'd let someone else have them and make a little money at the same time."

"Hey you guys, are you all into stereo equipment?  We have two extra pair of speakers here we will sell you for $500. We were going to a jobsite and they put too many on the truck."

"We have this overstock of speakers from a job and if I take them back I have to wait for 8 weeks for the credit note and I just can't wait that long because, what with my bills, I need the money now. So tell you what. I'll let you have them for a great price."

"....as I told you, I'm not going to stand here forever. These are left-over studio speaker sets from a job we did over at the Olympic Stadium. If we can get rid of them now, at cost, we won't get toasted by the boss. You know they're worth over $2000 a set, but if you want to take them now, you can have them for $800...."

They suggest that they need to get rid of them before they return to the warehouse and have to give them back to their boss. Some have presented themselves as Dynalab representatives, while some indicate that they are drivers for local Audio/Entertainment companies.

We Can Prove It

They present you with the delivery invoices and business cards to back up their claim. Then they show you speakers they describe as high-end speakers worth well over $1000 per pair (Dynalab SD2.8 Tower Speakers).

They then present you with a laminated promo card for the particular model of speakers which prices them at from $1,500-$2400 a pair while emphasizing that they are used in all the bars in NYC or a major city near where you live.

They further justify their claims with colorful ads in audiophile magazines or slick brochures listing a very high retail price. Even the web site address www.DynalabUSA.com which is displayed prominently on the box justifies the high price for its speakers should you check online once you get them home.

They may also provide you with a phone number for an audio company (Extreme Audio) which you can call and confirm the price before you proceed further. The guy who answers confirms the $2400 price for the speakers. He is, in fact, actually a shill who assists in the operation.

First they roll out all the trappings of respectability. The van, nametags, documentation, T-shirts, brochures, the impressive looking speakers, all emblazoned with the company logo.

Let the Bargaining Begin

After establishing a sky high value in your mind they simply try to get as much out of you as possible while making it seem like you're getting a deal.They start with a price of around $1000, bargaining it down with your compliance or, should you start to walk away unsold, finally ask what you are willing to pay for the "high-quality" speakers.

Victims have paid anywhere from $200-$1000 for a pair, thinking they have made a great deal based on the info provided them. The drivers, from all around the world, have been known to ask for extra "beer money" for giving the buyer such a great deal. This personalization offsets buyers remorse by reinforcing that it was you, not them, who made the deal. This aspect of the scam causes the "Speakermen" ( as they call themselves ) to regale with laughter at your gullibility once they leave your sight.

Some buyers just give in due to the pressure of intimidation. They end up just hoping they can recoup their costs by reselling the speakers. It reflects poorly on society, and is perhaps a bit sad, that a marketing pitch is successful when it involves creating the perception that the merchandise is stolen.

An Unethical Guide to the Street-Sold Stereo Speaker Business:

- kindly submitted by Le Saint, of Montreal Canada.

Do you want to make money?  Does the thought of bringing home a $1,000 a week while having the time of your life interest you?

It's easy as long as you (1) have a legal business license for the town you intend to sell in, (2) work for the local stereo speaker scam company, and (3) want to make money!

All you need to learn are these few skills:

Here you will learn to pick the best target to sell to. Within the business, these people are referred to as "hits."  For obvious reasons, the ideal person to choose is the single male, age 20-35. These particular individuals seem to enjoy their electronic gadgets, regardless of cost, and the more high-tech they sound, the more they want them.

Men in expensive cars and trucks are the best to choose because they don't mind spending the extra money on nice things.

Preferably, these men are driving alone because when there is more than one person in the car, it makes it twice as difficult to focus your energy and influence on the "hit." Also, the other person can have time to think about what is going on and may clue in their companion.

Wives and girlfriends can be dangerous to your efforts, as well. If you see someone fitting this description with your intended hit, pass on them unless you're feeling brave, because there is nothing more demoralizing than a spineless man who after buying into your whole story says "I love these things, but let me go ask my wife."  Ninety-nine times out of a hundred the man will return, crestfallen to inform you that SHE doesn't want them.

A single woman in a car is a different story, however. While never as easy to sell as a man, women can also be convinced that they need speakers, but remember that you cannot be as aggressive with the sale.

"The Pitch"

This is the most important part of the entire process. The pitch is which you quickly (since you may be speeding down a road yelling out the window) tell your hit what you have to sell and why.

The story that you use is always the same. Why?  Because we have been in this business since the seventies and it works! The pitch must be given with all the excitement that you can muster. Remember, you are trying to convince your hit that you are sitting on $6,000 of surplus equipment.

The pitch is:

The majority of the population has an attention span of thirteen seconds before their mind begins to wander. This is because everyone is so used to the short spot commercials they see all day long on TV, so make it quick.

After shouting out the pitch, follow it immediately with "Pull over and I'll show you!"

Always tell your hit what to do. The concept is to take control of their mind, making them think in an ordered way as you follow through your routine. Therefore you never ask the hit to pull over, because they have the option of saying "No."  Just tell them to and you will be surprised how many people follow you to the side of the road.

This is the time to let your dramatic skill shine. You are about to bring the hit to the van and actually show them the product that you are trying to sell for much more than its worth, so you must be convincing.

You are only supposed to be a delivery driver who got overloaded, so don't act too knowledgeable about the speaker. You will be give a spec sheet that has the dimensions of the speakers and false power ranges and additions that do not exist, but they won't know this. All they see is the shiny, laminated, professional looking sheet, and you.

When the hit gets out of their car, bounce up to them and grab their hand, shaking it while explaining the following story. Be sure to include any possible detail that you think might have occurred, since it will make your story much more believable.

If you just won the lottery, I bet you could tell someone everything that happened to you that day, minute to minute.

You tell the hit that you arrived to work in order to pick up your daily deliveries, and someone in the confusion of the morning accidentally doubled your order since regular speakers come in pairs, but the "special" studio monitors that you have actually sold individually.

Treat the hit as thought they know more about everything than you do. Build their ego and they will become your instant friend. While at the warehouse, the foreman signed the invoice (an imitation copy given to you every morning at the office), and you left with the extra speakers.

Make your boss out to be a real hard-nose, so that they feel bad for you, the minimum wage earner, and forget about the moral side of the issue. You need to bring back $200 for each pair sold, but the suggested retail price on the spec. sheet is $850 apiece, so you have a lot of leeway since all other money over $ 200 is your to keep.

Now show them the speaker, all the while telling them of the different interesting things that these "professional quality" speakers have that others don't. Remember, these people did not leave their house with the intention of buying any speakers that day, so it's up to you to convince them that they need these things.

Always look them in the eye, as well. It may make them nervous at first, but once they become caught up in your voice they will see you as less shady. Tap the woofer of the speaker to show them the quality of the polypropylene, but not too hard. In order to make it sound more solid, hit the wooden box of the speaker with the palm of your while your finger taps the woofer.

After going over the other qualities of the speaker, it's time for the sale. If the guy is still there at this point, you've got him interested so close the sale and get your money! The easiest way to reach this point is when you finish the whole story immediately follow it with "So Bill (always use their name if they tell it to you), what's the most you can do?"

Then STOP! Do not say another word.

The Close

This is the only part of the show where silence is golden. You have asked the buying question, now leave it to the hit to bring up a figure. Wait five minutes if you have to, all the time staring at the hit with an expectant look on your face.

After receiving his offer, blow it out of the water with a ridiculous over-offer. You never know how much money your hit can get his hands on, so don't cut yourself short.

Pitch 'em high, look 'em in the eye, and watch 'em buy.

As you say this, grab his hand again and shake it as if you just sealed the deal, pick up the speaker and start walking it to his car. If the door is unlocked, o pen it and stuff the speaker in. If the hit had any doubts about the status of the sale, they are gone now. This is called "the slam."

Off to the Bank

If you are working with a partner, ask the hit if you can ride with him to the bank, already assuming that you are going there: "Not that I don't trust you or anything, man, but you know how it is."

Have your partner follow the two of you in the van, in case the guy tries to flee with the goods. At the bank, get out and follow him to the ATM, teller, or whatever, and stand right next to him, all the while talking about something other than the sale, so that he does not think about the fact that he is about to take out hundreds of dollars for something that he doesn't need.

If you happen to see that he has more money in his account, don't be afraid to make a scene accusing him to trying to scam YOU: "Hey, guy, come on, these are worth almost $2,000 a pair and I'm giving them to you for $600 (a $400 profit under the false front of a good deal), you can do another fifty bucks." They may buy this, they may not, but it's worth the try, and the sale is technically already over so it's hard to screw up at this point, since you are in control.

You have just successfully made $400 (which you split with your partner) for fifteen minutes of work. Not bad! Of course, the majority of your pitches will not be successful, but the more you pitch, the more you sell. Happy Hunting!

No Experience or Scruples Required

Well, it doesn't come as much of a surprise to see that Jam Audio, is a really big scam.

Let me start by saying that I found a local ad in the newspaper saying "Make $600-1200 weekly, distributing home theatre products."

In college and always needing money, I called and was greeted with a friendly voice, very politely giving me directions on how to get to the establishment, but never mentioning anything about the company or its practices.

I went for an "interview" which involved filling out a generic application and was offered a job helping to sell speakers.

I was told that the boss's "best guy" made $2800 the previous week, and his worst seller still managed to rake in $600. I took the job hoping to make as much money as possible, never wondering why everyone wasn't quitting their job and running for speaker sales.

I was told to wear a collared shirt and jeans or shorts to start the next day at 8 a.m. and when I arrived music was on and there was about 15 guys running around a make-shift warehouse hurriedly dumping speakers into the back of cargo vans.

After all the trucks were loaded we had a team meeting, which covered sales goals and a pep talk on the bonus money given to the teams that arrive back at the shop first with the most speakers sold.

So, I hopped into a van with my teammates; one a "trainee" like myself and the other a seasoned veteran, the guy who made $2800 the last week.

So we venture out into a suburb and pull into the parking lot of a gas-station. I thought we were just filling up to start the day out, but that's when I first heard the come-on and knew this career move was a bad idea.

The veteran leaned out the window and yelled to some unsuspecting driver, "Hey buddy!!!, Crazy question for ya. You need a set of house speakers?, I got some extras," "How much you want for 'em?" came the reply. "Pull over here real quick and I'll show 'em to ya."

Then we all became part of the act. The driver asked us to hand him a magazine with a marked page showing this particular brand of "Denmark" speakers. He explained to the guy that these speakers were originally priced at $1400 but since our inventory guys messed up and gave us extras we were gonna sell them to him really cheap. After all, if we brought them back some guy with seniority would get them instead of us.

After laying a guilt trip on the "hit" about helping out a few young delivery guys, he was sold, then we walked to his ATM, and had him withdraw $400.

You were to take no less than $200 for the set. I was told that the warehouse boss buys them for $100, so first off, he always makes $100 on every sale. Then, in order to make any kind of profit yourself, you must sell them for anything over $200.

This little "show" must have happened at least 300 times throughout the day with only a handful purchasing but it seems the mark gets made fun of afterwards if you buy them or not. That the speakers are junk is openly discussed. All employees are required to fill out independent contractor forms which I suppose allows the company to operate without being held liable for the salesperson's actions.

I hope something can be done to get rid of this crap, I worked there for one day and saw right through what they were doing and wanted no part of it.

Jason 06/27/02

Experiences of White Van Speaker Victims

"They were in a white van, and honked at me until I finally pulled my car into a parking lot."

"Well, I was kind of leery. At first I thought they might have been stolen but they looked like the real thing. White van with Dynalab decals on the side. Dynalab shirts, paperwork and everything."

"They showed an ad from "The Absolute Sound" "proving" the MSRP was $1200.
Something about rubber speakers that the "salesman" demonstrates by bouncing his fist off of left me more than a bit skeptical."

"After showing an ad from the back of some Audiophile magazine with speakers priced at $1,200 they tried to sell them to me for $600."

Hey everybody. I kidnapped two speaker guys here in Maryland! I will be auctioning them on ebay with no reserve.

You will be bidding on...

1 Chevy work van
20 boxes of low-grade speakers(retails fo well over 50k) Imax uses Epiphany!
2 name tags
2 magnetic SounDivision signs (for the van)
1 dirty Pothead with a jamaican rosta hat
1 kinda fat kid with glasses that doesn't shut up
Assorted invoices, blank receipts, full color documents showing retail prices for the speakers

Buyer pays all shipping.

This is a one of a kind auction guys...Happy Bidding!

"A friend of mine was driving down the street when he was waved down by this guy standing by his blue van holding a sign. He pulled over to see what it was he wanted and he was shown this brochure of speakers."

"The brochure had pictures of all different MTS (millennium theater speakers) speakers. The guy was persistent in trying to convince my friend to buy the speakers for $1,000. He said that they were the best around and used in all major clubs around NYC. He also said that they retailed in stores for close to $1,500 and that he was cutting him a deal. But, my friend turned him down. As he was walking away the guy bargained with him until they talked the price down to $200."

"When I started asking questions - they said the speakers were set up so that even if you put them into the low-level outputs of a TV, you "still got the full 200 watts". I said, "Oh, so they're amplified then?" "No,...blah blah blah". I stopped listening."

"Their despicable tactics have to catch up with them sooner or later. I wonder if they have medical coverage for their employees selling this junk. When I went to the warehouse for a refund they were unloading a tractor trailer load of these pieces of crap."

"They first offered the speakers at $500 each... (who sells speakers one at at time???)"

"According to a real audiophile mate of mine, these speakers are perfect for those with total hearing impairment and a vacant space in the lounge room."

"I wasn't impressed by the 'Loot' advert as they can be placed easily (and for free), but I was taken in by the ad in the glossy American magazine."

"I had asked to listen to them and after a brief protest about being in a hurry, they complied. I know this was outside in a van, but I could easily tell that the sound quality was poor. The lows were moderately powerful but very muddy, the mids were almost non-existent and the highs were annoying."

"I also asked them to disassemble the cabinets for a look and and they refused with some BS about them being "high end" speakers and that would void the warranty. Of course they didn't remember bragging about how easily the user could service them at the beginning."

"I waited for a refund from "Jay" in the parking lot from 6:30 PM. Guess how many white Mercedes vans pulled in? Seven!!! All with a "Dynalab" sign on! Seven of these vans are cruising all over the streets of Sydney. All of sudden the office became a swarm of all these "JAY" dudes... about 20 of them, plus a dog."

"They did the classic "we'll follow you to the ATM" routine and accepted my withdrawal limit (with feigned but convincing reluctance)."

"This has been about the fourth time that I have been approached to buy a set of "overstock" speakers. They show you the bogus ad, the bogus price and a "supposed" receipt."

"It seems like there tactics are getting bolder. The one gentlemen unlocked my door and put the box in my car, even after telling him not too! Then the guy starts complaining and saying " I already put them in your car, c'mon we'll follow you to the ATM" after about 5 minutes of arguing the one guy started talking trash, and lets just say that he went home with a beating."

"Paid $500 for four (and threw in $20 cash for beer)."

"They make a show of pulling one out of the box to make sure that you aren't getting a birdcage or something."

"I went for a refund at 8:30am this morning and there was the boss, half a dozen salesmen and three vans."

Customer Reviews of Speakers Purchased from a Van

"I get home to find they are truly a piece of crap. My head is going to explode I am so mad."

"I think SDA stands for Some Dumb A**!"

"When I read through the reviews after buying, I nearly fainted, and dehydrated by sweating through my A**."

"Contact me about joining a class action lawsuit to be filed against JAM Enterprises and affiliate vendors. lawsuit@thegrab.com"

"People selling black-market items shouldn't scam black-market buyers. It just isn't right."

"How many of you own Rolex watches bought the same way?  If you were an honest person to begin with you would have never bought anything from these white vans."

From the Dynalab SDA 2.8 Signature Reference Loud Speakers Reviews

http://www.audioreview.com/reviews/Speaker/product_7439.shtml

Assorted Strengths:

You can use it as a bench. The white van was very clean.  Home delivery. The salesman.  I have firewood for the next Christmas.

Assorted Weaknesses:

The horrible sound they produce.  How long have you got?    Takes up space in the trash can. Me.

Similar to what other product:

Tin can and string. 10 year old clock radio. Thank God I have not come across a product as horrible as this. Dry rotted KRACO 6x9 in the back window of a late 1970's Trans Am. Junior Morse code kit. My parents' speakers from 1960. The cardboard boxes that my other speakers came in.

Purchased At:

The White Van

Audiophile Reviews of White Van Speakerman Speakers

While the technical specs below ( placed by a "Speakerman" at a review site where he tried to bump up the ratings with planted "unbiased" reviews ) sound impressive the more technical purchasers dig a little deeper into what they actually represent.

Dual 8" Floor-standing 2-way Tower Speaker Utilizing a 4th Order Butterworth Ported Design - 15 Watts RMS Amp Power, 200 Watts Music Power, 8 ohms, 91B 1W/1M, 100dB, 39-22,000 Hz (+-3dB), 12/6 dB per octave, 4,000 Hz crossover, 2-8" " High Modulus" Bi-Lamented Cone Butyl Rubber Surround, 1 1/2" Dia. High-temp Voice Coil, 24 oz. High Strength Ceramic Magnet, 13mm Titanium Coated Dome Computer Opt. Phase Dispersion Ring Tweeter, all in a wood black veneered finished ported cabinet.

"The speakers were weak, and could not compete with my ten year old stereo and speakers. He told me once I buy some 12 gauge speaker wire to hook up to them, they would blow me away. After the rewiring, I have not been blown away and I am disappointed."

"I decided to find out for myself just what these speakers were made of, so I proceeded to disassemble them. The two way crossover is very insufficient and not capable of handling what the speaker says. No insulation was placed on the inside to help with bass reproduction. The speakers have weak magnets and no specifications on them. The cones appear to be a polymer product, but when flipped over they are not. All in all, I paid for a speaker box and a nice speaker plug."

"I have personally believed that either the Bose AM series or their VCS was the single worst speaker listening experience that I have ever heard from a non-blown speaker, until I heard these."

"I unscrewed the drivers from the enclosure, these drivers look like they were made by some cheap manufacturer in Taiwan or Hong Kong. The cross-over network contains of some cheap and simple elements. The wires were thin and they weren't even soldered onto the driver. They were clipped on."

"When I pointed out these speakers had dodgy rubber rims and were crappy paper cones, and the titanium tweeter was in fact aluminum, the guy got really shirty and said he was in a hurry."

"On the box it says "Computer optimized crossover on Military spec PC board" but when you open it, There ain't no stinkin' crossover PCB. It's got a single capacitor in series with the tweeter. No circuit whatsoever on the bass cone."

"Their so-called "patent pending" grill design - I thought it was always better to listen without the grill- it's nothing but a piece of wood with black cloth over them. Bass drivers are not flush with the baffle. Even cheap $100 speakers do that."

"Cabinet is made out of cheap low density particle board, and is empty, resonating everywhere. No stuffing, no nothing. They used cheap 20 cents/m connecting wires."

"They produce terrible sound quality and are manufactured from extremely low quality components. Just reading their spec from their "website" is enough to tell anyone that it is a load of cobblers."

"For example, if anyone can tell me what a "Controlled DirectivityT integrated grille" is, other than a couple of slats pointing in a particular direction then I would be amazed. Ditto "High ModulusTM treated cone with butyl rubber surrounds" - other than a polypropylene cone that is no longer used in credible woofer designs."

"These speakers don't even qualify for being in the lowest common denominator mass market category. They are even lower than that.

"If you are one of the rare folks who do like the sound, I advise that you go to Wal-Mart or Dollar General Stores first. You'll find better speakers from Yorx, Emerson, or Symphonic for less than $50.00 and that includes the rest of the system."

"I took them home and hooked them up. The bass was strong - in fact I had to turn down the bass on the graphic to test the high range. About ten minutes of playing and one tweeter stopped working. I took them apart to investigate."

"The spade connector had fallen off. Inside, they are as cheap as the outside (about the same quality as my AUD$200 Wharfdales. Tiny wires, slip on spade connectors, but they do have a pcb with two inductor, two capacitors and two high wattage resistors."

"I  did not analyze the filter, but it probably is fourth order Butterworth as in the specs. There was some black baffling inside for damping. The cases are just particle board, and the screws are already pulling out."

"He pulled out a magazine and flipped to a marked page and showed me an ad. I've seen this ad before because I read HiFi magazines quite often. The ad was for a HiFi store that deals in very expensive equipment. There were names like Bryston, Wilson Audio, Cary, Dunlavy, etc."

"There right in the middle was Magnum Dynalab. In the layout of the ad, they had to kind of offset the word Magnum from the word Dynalab. I said that this is in fact MAGNUM Dynalab and it is a company that deals in power conditioners and stuff. They have never made a speaker. Actually they should sue, if you ask me!"

Industry Reviews of White Van Speakers

Industry estimates rate the worth of the units at about $100 a piece which represents the value of the housing alone, allowing nothing for the electronic component portion.

The Fall (Oct) What HiFi magazine issued a warning about this scam. They even got a pair and tested them out. They apparently claim the units have no internal bracing, terrible crossover, terrible speakers etc. resulting in a boomy, resonant mess.

Hometheater Magazine did a humorous article in their April 2001 issue.

Refunds of White Van Speakers

To get a refund, you should contact the local distributor within three days, which may be listed below or by selecting the nearest city to you the SIGHTINGS & LOCATIONS section at ScamShield. If the information is not yet available, you should contact the manufacturer, Audio Wood Products and ask for the contact information of the nearest distributor.

By occasionally giving no receipt they hope you will feel too guilty to ask for a refund due to the larcenous nature of the "shady" deal, .

"I was able to get a full refund, which is really because of the law, not company policy. I'm not sure of the specifics but as I recall when people use such deceitful sales tactics that, by law, the buyer is entitled to a full refund if the goods are returned within a few days. This is the only reason I believe this company would ever return any money to anyone."

" He also said I could get my money back if I threw in an extra $20 so he could buy beer."

How to find them:  In any large city you can find a "Speaker Office" by just picking up the morning paper - it's that easy!   Look under general in the want ads, find an ad for "Delivery" or "Rock & roll", "long hair okay".

Call it and then go to the interview location where they hope to recruit you as one of their "speakermen" to demand your money back or arrange the bust.

The Paper Trail

The manufacturer Audio Wood Products in Chino Hills, California ships the product to regional/local distributors who have independent contractors (van drivers) who sell the speakers. JAM Entertainment has their name and address listed on the speaker boxes, but they say they they no longer work with Dynalab.

Because these independent contractors do not work for the distributors nor the manufacturer, these companies claim no responsibility for the actions of these salespeople. Some van teams are also selling Omni Audio speakers. Republic Distributors, inc. is the parent company of both Omni Audio and Dynalab.

When an Orlando man who recently bought a pair of speakers called to complain about the way he was pressured and lied to by the salespersons, one by one the company representatives denied responsibility and referred him down the chain of command.

John Mahaffey of JAM Enterprises referred him to Mike Amoroso of Audiowood Products who referred him to Michael P. of Orca Distributors in Longwood, FL.

Each person claimed to be running a legitimate business without any direct ties to the contract salespersons. Yet it seems to stretch the limits of coincidence that there can be so many similarities in the marketing tactics worldwide without a deliberate and coordinated effort from a parent organization.

Manufacturer:
Audio Wood Products
14430 Monte Vista Avenue
Chino Hills, California
Contact: Mike Amoroso
Phone: (909) 606-1656
Alt. Phone: (909) 606-4057

We're trying to work out if Acoustic Reference LS-1000's are produced by the same company.

Their Chino Hills office for Audio Wood Products Inc is now an empty building recently vacated. 03/02  The BBB in Chino had no reports or complaints about Audio Wood Products on file.

Legal Note: This firm has obtained a judgment against Audiowood Products, Inc. in the amount of
$43,355.29. They represented Foss Manufacturing who supplied Audiowood with the cloth for the speaker enclosures.

If you know where they are, let them know.

Law Office of Alan Leigh Armstrong
18652 Florida St., Suite 225
Huntington Beach CA 92648-6006
(714) 375 1147  Fax (714) 375 1149

Parent Company:

Republic Distributors, Inc. RDI
1000 Devonhurst Ct.
Apex, North Carolina 27502
David Girgus, President

Dynalab, JAM Enterprises, Omni Audio
PO Box 37, Apex, NC 27502
919-460-1170, 919-460-0456, 800-296-5871, 888-297-9228

Corporate Headquarters:
Dynalab
1140 Kildaire Farm Road
Suite 302
Cary, North Carolina  27511
Phone: (919) 367-0408 919-460-6300
Fax: (919) 460-1170

Note: Site has been down and locals indicate it is a ReMax office at this location.

www.dynalabusa.com
info@dynalabusa.com

Omni Audio, Omni-Audio Products
Omniaudio SA123

Based on their domain name registry info the "parent" company for both Dynalabs and Omni Audio is Republic Distributors, Inc.

One group operates as Jam Enterprises (Huntingdon Valley, PA)

JAM ENTERPRISES
5100 Mellon Rd
Export, PA 15632
(412)780-4443
(412) 607-1100 Fax: (724) 327-8425 disconnected
David Girgus, Manager

now called Kelfi Distributors, at 453 Davidson Road, Plum, PA. Manager is still David Girgus
"Business" hours are 9-5 M-F. People have three days from purchase to "cancel the transaction" and get refund.

Jam Audio
1000 Devonhurst Ct
Apex, NC 27502
(919) 367-0408
Thomas J. Sophie -Vice-President

Republic Distributors Of Canada
6976 Palm Ave
Burnaby, BC V5J 4M3
(604) 451-4124
Bill Crooks, Manager

Apparently out of business.

Republic Distributors Inc
853 Fairway Dr
Bensenville, IL 60106
(630) 766-5909

Sound Vision
144N Eisenhower Ln
Lombard, IL
630-495-9330

SounDivision a.k.a. Vision Ventures
11700 Wormer Street
Redford, Michigan 48239
Contact: Larry Kaiser

SounDivision
1710 Chattahoochee Ave
Atlanta, GA 30138

Epiphany Speakers

Epiphany Speakers - epiphanyaudio.biz epiphany.biz

Dog Digital Audio www.doggdigitalaudio.com  

Millennium Speakers
Musical Technology Millennium Theater System 2012

Fuller, Joe
info@MILLENNIUMSPEAKERS.COM
Interactive Supplies Corp.
998-C Old Country Road # 307
Plainview , NY 11803
516-242-8135 (FAX) 516-242-8137

Republic Distribution GmbH,
Alios Wolfmüllerstr. 8,
80939 München, Germany

RDI,
Fokkerweg 199, 1438 BG,
Oude Meer, Netherlands
Tel. 020 6534487.

For those in Australia the distributor is:

Melbourne:

Century Distributors PTY LTD
Unit 5/51 Grange Rd
Cheltenham (next to Moorabbin Airport)
VIC

Ph: (03) 9584 0133
Fax: (03) 9584 0144

Sydney:

Century Distributors PTY LTD
ACN 086 564 150
Unit 13/98 Old Pittwater Rd
Brookvale
NSW 2100

Ph: (02) 9907 4988
Fax: (02)9907 3435

United Kingdom

As of 10/15/00 the address of the operations operating in and around London:-

J.A.M. Audio Ltd.
Dynalab Audio Technologies
Unit B  10 Waterside Way
Wimbledon  SW17 7AB
Tel:020 8944 9551
Fax: 020 8944 9558

Getting a refund is possible as it appears they accept that a percentage of people are going to track them down. The best time to visit them is at around 7:30pm when they are returning to the warehouse. The chap to speak to there is 'Kenny' (Ken Holder).

"No problem getting a £200 cash refund from Kenny at the warehouse in Wimbledon. I think they accept that a percentage will get returned and they bank on many people not getting a receipt because they believe the goods are stolen, or being to embarrassed/scared to try."

Steer Clear of 'Ere

In Britain this scam is often focused on unsuspecting students around Universities and Colleges, where two men, posing as deliverymen in white Ford Transit vans, attempt to off-load their “surplus stock" of huge, P.A.-style speakers, at “bargain" prices.

“'ERE MATE, wanna buy some cheap speakers?" is the refrain that is becoming all too familiar for London University students as the repeated attempts at the same locations somewhat contradict the "once in a lifetime opportunity" spiel.

One of the men will brandish an official-looking delivery docket, saying that he has too many/couldn't find the buyer/buyer declined et cetera, and that he has to get rid of them somehow. He will offer the speakers at a third, or less, of the price on the docket while going on about their high quality and power.

Leads: Montreal Area: authorities may contact "Le Saint" at:  Mtl_van_scam@hotmail.com for additional info on perpetrators.

GLOBAL AUDIO NETWORK (GLOBAL AUDIO LTD)
LINDSTROM, FRANÇOIS  1st Shareholder 
827, LAKESHORE DR. DORVAL QC   H9S 2C7

Les Ventes LTS ltée 
8012 Jarry E., Anjou PQ H1J 1H5
514-355-7430 
Owner: Slater, Norman  Cell # : 486-5296  

Sound Illusion Production 
11820 Alexandre Lacoste, Montréal H3M 1Z2 
514-737-6949 
Head: Unger, Jack

Musique Depo 
8480 St-Michel  

Jan, Sandy (Office manager) (514) 845-1558  
3462 Aylmer , Montreal H2X 2B6

Scam Vehicles Montreal Area/ Quebec plates:  1) FK13056 2) F4Z8746  3) FY93920  4) FYB3331  

Something to Sit On While Listening to your Speakers

Someone rang my doorbell and said they were deliverymen for a major furniture company. They had a delivery for someone on the block who had refused, so they were "willing" to sell me the merch for 2/3 off! I told them to hold on a minute while I got the wife. What I really did was call the police.

The police REFUSED to do anything because they had a valid business license! (Even though I had a no soliciting sign on my door, the police said, incorrectly, that they still can't do anything.)

I told the police that their story is untrue---isn't there a law against fraud, and the cops said that they can't prove that their story wasn't true.

Well, maybe stupid cops can't but I can! If because my neighbor refused a delivery they're able to unload the stuff at 1/3 retail, then all I need to do when I need furniture is conspire with a neighbor to order it for me and refuse it! Obviously this is a load of hooey.

It was schlocky furniture. I saw it. Easily worth a lot less than what they were asking for it.

Because these scams prey on the "victim" thinking he's getting stolen or misappropriated mech. as a steep discount, I think law enforcement should prosecute both the perpetrator AND the victim! They're both guilty.

-- Robert Swirsky
Sunnyvale, California 03/04

'Back of a van' speaker scam hits central North Island

04/04 - New Zealand - The Commerce Commission is alerting the public in the central North Island that an international scam involving the sale of speakers from the back of vans has hit the area.

The Commission has been investigating the scam since February and has been aware of operations in Auckland's Eastern suburbs and Whangarei.

The stereo speakers, which carry the brand names Pro Audio or Acoustic Reference, have been promoted as being made or developed in the USA, come with a 'certificate of authenticity' and are sold at prices of up to $1,500 per pair. The speakers are in fact made in China and have an estimated value of $50 per pair.

Director of Fair Trading Deborah Battell said that the salespeople have been operating out of the back of white vans. "The sales pitch is usually along the lines that they have an extra order that they can't return to the warehouse, so they will do a good deal," Ms Battell said.

"We are concerned people do not get conned into buying these speakers or other 'fallen off the back of a truck' type products, without being fully aware of what they are buying. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is."

Members of the public are encouraged to call the Commission's Contact Centre on 0800 943 600 if they are concerned that they or others may have been misled by the scam or if they hear of anyone operating in this manner.

Surely they'd change the van color by now!

02/07 - The scam referred to as the white van scam took place as the senior filled up his tank with gas in Edmonson County.

He was approached by two males in a white van wanting to sell him home audio speakers. The salesmen claim the speakers are worth 31-hundred dollars but in reality they aren't. Melvin Morrison's stepson agreed to purchase the speakers from them.

"I guess they finally agreed on a price and he paid two hundred and sixty dollars for two of these speakers", says Morrison

Once the senior arrived home and told his step-father about what he thought was an amazing deal, his step-father was immediately alarmed.

"According to the articles on the Internet I have actually read that they can damage your stereo if you connect them and use them or they won't even work out of the box" says Morrison

These scammers have gone pretty far to make you feel like you have made a great purchase.

"The web address is stamped on the box so they can go there and it makes them feel like they have made a really good deal because there is an actual website that has all this information about them and says 3100 hundred dollars for these speakers and if you stop there you think you did well" says Morrison

Melvin wants other people to be alarmed that these so called salesmen have been in the area and people need to beware of the scam so you don't end up their next victim.

"I would like for him to get his money back on them but that's pretty doubtful", says Morrison

WBKO.com

Speaker Scam Victims Seek Truth from Reputable Salesmen

03/08 - WI — An owner of a local custom sound business says he can’t believe how many calls he has received about a potential stereo equipment scam occurring in the area.

Since last July, Rod Carter, owner of Carters Custom Sound, estimated he’s been called 75 to 100 times regarding a scam in which people buy merchandise from someone with a van full of bad stereo equipment. Within the last few weeks, he said, he’s had five calls from people who fell victim to the scheme.

The people selling this equipment try to catch others coming out of banks or places where electronics are sold, Carter said. Their selling pitch usually involves a claim about unloading extra new stereos they have.

In addition, they tend to present only one or two pieces of equipment at a time even though they might have a van full of equipment. The merchandise is then sold at a fraction of what they say it’s normally sold for, and typically the sellers take cash payments.

Since Carter’s business provides electronic equipment services, he said those who fall victim to the scheme often come to him wanting help with the faulty equipment.

Carter said he remembers watching a news program about five or six years ago about a similar scam and noticed it had picked up again about a year ago.

“There’s a lot more of this going on than people know,” he said.

Carter has heard of people paying from $300 to as much as $1,500 for the equipment, which he said doesn’t even work 80 percent of the time.

To add to their credibility, Carter said, the people selling the equipment make up fake invoices.

“These guys are smooth. And are so good at what they do,” he said.

Lt. Cletus Smith of the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department said the department has received a few tips about the scam.

Smith said he has seen this scheme before and believes it’s coming from Toledo.

“It’s an ongoing thing,” he said. “Last year, we had two or three complaints.”

He said the department doesn’t have any open complaints.

“Right now, we’re seeing an increase in fraudulent crimes,” he said.

Adrian Police Department Detective Sgt. Lynn Courington said, “We get calls on those all the time.”

When the APD receives those calls, he said, often the sellers have purchased vendors’ permits to sell their equipment legally.

He suggested that people buy electronic equipment from a reputable store and not from the back of someone’s van or pickup truck.

As for the people selling the equipment, Courington said they may buy the equipment and put stickers on it. They can also make the equipment look good while it could really be a “piece of junk.”

“The quality isn’t there,” he said.

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