Does anyone personally know Dave who ran Coral Reef in Michigan

[leigh]

I've been trying to track him down. He still owes me money from items he sold for me on consignment, but he closed his shop, told me he'd mail me a check weeks ago and still hasn't. He theoretically sold all my livestock, corals, inverts, rock etc...and the only money he's given me is for 1/2 my sand. I've left him a couple voicemails and he's not returning them. Anyone know him and if so anyone know where I can find him?

 

[nm reef]

Definitely doesn't sound like a pleasent situation to be in!!
Sorry I don't know of him...much less know him. But I hope you get your money or resolution. Best of luck.:notsure:

 

[007]

A few possibilities here . . . file a claim with the BBB and see what comes up. I know he's outta the bus. but they should have some contact info.
You can also try contacting the state of michigan to get the info from his business lic. Lie to them if you have to . . . say you are from a bank and he has applied for a loan and you need to verify his address or something.
File a police report . . . its some form of legal documentation should anything come of it or should it be necessary.
Talk to Fish Doctors over in Ypsi . . . he used to work there for a long time.
I hate to tell you this, but I would have never trusted him even one bit. He tried to sell me a tar and coil VHO ballast that was so used the plates had rusted for get this . . . two hundred bucks. Then he tried to tell me that a trigger was reef safe. He claimed that he personally maintained reef tanks for members of the detroit lions and all this other crap.
The guy was nothing more than a scumbag. I doubt you're getting your money back . . . . but best of luck!

 

[leigh]

NMReef--thanks for the support!
007--
Ugh...thanks. He was always super cool to me; I guess I put too much faith in him. At least I never got around to bringing him my lights to sell, then I'd be out more serious $$$. I will try the fish doctors first, I was thinking about seeing if they'd sell my lights for me anyhow. (I'm mostly not-so-secretly hoping that he's trolling this board, and will realize that if he just gives me my money I'll go back to saying wonderful things about him so that if/when he reopens in his new location he'll have all this positive internet feedback...hint hint). BBB is a good idea, I'd forgotten about that. A police report seems so drastic; and as for his business license I know he had a partner who was the financial backing--my guess is licenses will be in the partner's name?

 

[007]

then talk to the partner . . . he should know what kind of person he is dealing with if he doesnt already.
I know that a police report is drastic . . . I guess it all depends on how much money were talking here. I really have no idea, but if its enough $$$ than file a report.

 

[leigh]

Then I think it's off to the BBB for me to find the partner. We're talking a couple hundred $$ I think...he gave me like $60 for the sand, so it's another 30 lbs of sand, around 50-60 lbs of live rock, various softies, a purple tang, a bunch of hermits/snails including 2 giant hermits, well one since he killed one in the shop accidentally, and the tanks and iron stand themselves. The stupid thing is that should be chump change compared to what he had in the shop--I don't know why he's making this so difficult!

 

[007]

50 pounds of live rock on its own is at a bare minimum $200.
You definitely need to file a report with the BBB . . . and being a Grad Student myself here at the U . . . a couple hundred bucks is a LOT.
Last resort . . . take him to small claims. He will probably never show up, but he will NEVER own/operate a business in MI again.