MTGChicago // Stasch Kuras // SKuras // Scam

[drewt]

I'm being taken for a ride by this guy as well.  Received an e-mail from the company on 14 October saying my card was received.  It was a simple Paypal transaction.  Now, here I am 27 days and 3 or 4 emails later still waiting on playment.  What is the contact info for Crystal Commerce so I can see if they can resolve this for me?

I wrote Lisa Madigan, but nothing came of it. Basically they can't do squat and told me to I have to pursue this on my own and they don't just take action on behalf of private citizens. They sent a letter to them and IF they hear back they will notify me. Did the same with the BBB, they sent 2 notices and finally the complaint was filed as no-response and will go on their record. Not really sure what that'll do though, but if enough complaints are filed maybe something will happen. Wizards basically didn't respond after I sent them a few letters and emails. The best bet is Crystal Commerce, they host his website and the owner is concerned about the number of complaints. I urge everyone who has been wronged by this crook to send the owner an email.

dan@crystalcommerce.com -Dan McCarty owner

Get the word out and send him your complaints, he needs to hear them.

[dredge6]

I had a problem with MTG Chicago about a year ago. I ordered 4xSmallpox 4xDeath Cloud 2xWorldgorger Dragon after a month I called them and they finally sent me my order. From my experience i say don't order expensive cards for your first order until you know a store is trust worthy. Another store that rips people off is The Mana Crypt.com. I ordered 2xUrborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth and 1x Memory Sluice. They charged my card, took the money and never sent my cards. I emailed them and they said they were having server problems? I tried to email again they never responded. They still haven't sent my cards after almost a year.

[LotusHead]

http://forums.starcitygames.com/showthread.php?44234-Standard-for-4x-Jace-The-Mindsculptor!

I found this at SCG.com...

MTGChicago tourney!

[Tha Gunslinga]

Reported it.

[Fallen]

Just wanted to say I was ripped off too.

At least that's how it seems. I was told the post office lost my package. I kinda have a feeling I was just given a bogus tracking number.
My order was only $60. It was ordered in October 2010, so it has been a while. Not as long as some of you guys, but long enough to figure I won't be seeing the cards.

[sempifi99]

I know this is kind of an old post but I have been just scammed by Stasch too, in December I sent him cards for a buy order and he stole my cards and has not sent them back nor has sent me the cash. It was only about $50 but have you guys any luck getting anything from him?

[sempifi99]

Also here is a website to report any online scam/theft too:

http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

I am going to call one more time tomorrow and if payment is not made I will report it as a theft.

[secret stash]

He has an A. I wonder who he's blowin to get that grade


http://www.bbb.org/chicago/business-reviews/playing-cards/mtgchicagocom-in-chicago-il-88431483

[Diakonov]

Factors that raised this business' rating include:
No complaints filed with BBB.
BBB has sufficient background information on this business.

Fail

[racela1081]

Good News... Finally!!!

It took 23 emails, 3 voice mails, 2 BBB complaints an IC3 complaint and a "suggestion" that I would make a BBB complaint against CrystalCommerce to get movement.

Here goes... Everyone on this forum has a gripe with MTGChicago and the owner Stasch Kuras. I do as well. However, I am here to testify that IF you put enough pressure and ping enough people, MTGChicago will eventually come clean and pay you what you are owed.  In my case, I sold him cards 6 Oct 2010. I got a "Good Faith" email stating that the cards were received and I was offered $152 for them. I said cool, please pay my paypal. Then months of nothing.  I made constant "professional" emails slowly escalating my responses with BBB complaints, IC3 complaints, etc.  I finally got a hold of James@crystalcommerce.com.  Crystalcommerce (CC) is the hosting website for MTG Chicago. I felt that because they hosted the site and they were aware of Stasch's dealings from other customers that they were an enabler and should take some part of the responsibility.

I have nothing bu FANTASTIC things to say about James and Dan @ CC.  James especially because he took a lot of time to "gently remind" Stasch of his responsibilities.

I finally got an email form Stasch stating "personnel" issues and he offered me $180 in store credit. Then I got 2 more months of silent treatment and after a few more nudging emails from James, I got another email from Stasch stating more personnel issues.
At any rate I received 2 unopened booster boxes of NPH, MTGChicago paid shipping.

So, I'm here to tell you that perseverance is the key and you will eventually get what you are owed...

I will never do business with MTGChicago and I implore anyone thinking about it, to go else where.  For those still owed $$$/cards by MTGCicago, stick with it and enlist the guys at Crystal Commerce...They are more than willing to help out.

cheers

Racela

[shawnphase]

well, i found the list of cards i sent this guy in 2007 and never received payment for. so i guess i need to do the same thing. thanks for following up here, i will do the same.

[Tha Gunslinga]

Stasch was at Gencon working for Cardhaus with a Cardhaus shirt on.  Guess I'll never deal with them again.

[hitman]

They may not know about him.  I just got two minty Imperial Seals from them with no problems.  They had good communication and were a pleasure to deal with.  They're based out of the west coast so they probably just hired him for the event without knowing about him.  It would probably be a better idea to contact them about him than to cut off future dealings.

[Tha Gunslinga]

Well, if you google his name, this is the first result, so they're out of luck as far as I'm concerned.

[shawnphase]

well, a few weeks have passed and i havent gotten a reply. here's a partial list of what he got me for:


4 tundras (unlimited, minty)
1 arabian nights serendib efreet very good condition
2 4th edition sol ring
2 resets legends
2 7th edition city of brass
1 unlimited psi blast, 3 beta
1 4th ed balance
1 4th ed wrath of god
8 4th ed serra angel
4 4th edition serendib efreet
1 black bordered control magic
1 arcane denial
1 mox diamond
4 4th edition reverse damage
2 ivory gargoyles
4 4th ed. savannah lions
1 wheel of fortune 4th
2 sengir vampires 4th
3 hypnotic spectres 4th
1 demonic tutor 4th ed
2 fellwar stones, 1 from the dark one 7th ed
2 4th ed mahamati djinn
4 howling mines, 3 4th ed 1 japanese black bordered
1 furnace of rath
2 volcanic islands 4th
1 taiga
1 firestorm
1 sudden impact
1 fork 4th
1 shivan 4th


in addition to all of this, he got a fat stack of dual land and artifact land like mox diamonds, underground seas, you know, money stuff..this is just a partial list too..the fact that he was so insulting on top of it and sent me a $50 check 'because he felt sorry for me' (which never happened) just adds insult to injury. he got all my blue power stuff, all my artifacts. the guy needs to be held accountable for what he's done.

[nataz]

If card haus is working with him, couldn't they be held liable for dealing in stolen goods?

[ereasoner]

They may not know about him.  I just got two minty Imperial Seals from them with no problems.  They had good communication and were a pleasure to deal with.  They're based out of the west coast so they probably just hired him for the event without knowing about him.  It would probably be a better idea to contact them about him than to cut off future dealings.

Hi, guys. Eric Reasoner from Cardhaus. The post above sums it up nicely.

Stasch does not work for Cardhaus. We hired Stasch for the weekend to buy for us. My interaction with him at GPs had always been really good and personable. I had never read this thread or heard anything derogatory before GenCon.

Hitman- Thanks for that. And you should be happy; you got a VERY good deal on those Imperial Seals.

[Tha Gunslinga]

Hi, guys. Eric Reasoner from Cardhaus. The post above sums it up nicely.

Stasch does not work for Cardhaus. We hired Stasch for the weekend to buy for us. My interaction with him at GPs had always been really good and personable. I had never read this thread or heard anything derogatory before GenCon.

Would you hire him again, having read this thread?

[Tha Gunslinga]

I had never read this thread or heard anything derogatory before GenCon.

Did you know Stasch was banned from the DCI for assault?  Or that there are currently two open threads on MTGTheSource about MTGChicago ripping people off?  See, 10 years ago, not googling someone before you hired them would have been excusable.  Now it seems a little odd to me.  But hey, you want to associate with scum, be my guest.

[Diakonov]

I agree that googling someone before you hire them is a good idea, but saying that it's "inexcusable" not to seems a little extreme.

[Tha Gunslinga]

Hiring Stasch to buy and sell Magic cards seems like hiring a pedophile to work at a daycare, no?

[Meddling Mike]

Hiring Stasch to buy and sell Magic cards seems like hiring a pedophile to work at a daycare, no?

Probably more like not asking for the immigration papers of the guys you picked up at Home Depot as day laborers.

Cardhaus hired Stasch on a short term basis based on their prior dealings with him, it's not a good reason to demonize a company and start second guessing their hiring practices.

If card haus is working with him, couldn't they be held liable for dealing in stolen goods?

There's nothing to indicate that Cardhaus received stolen items from Stasch or anything stating that Stasch stole anything in his brief time employed by this company.

I think this thread has run it's course over the past two years and I don't like the direction it's headed in. It seems like a surprisingly large number of people have brought various stories about dealings that went sour with Stasch and MTGChicago. Some people only got proper compensation after being given a significant run around, others were not compensated at all. He seems to be the proud owner of two seperate banned eBay accounts. He is also listed as serving a 10 year suspension from the DCI as a player. Some of our members have had positive hassle free experiences in their dealings with Stasch, although they appear to be in the minority. Comparing this thread to one complaining about a bad experience with a more reputable business says it all:
http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=41704.0
The one complaint is buried under dozens of people who have had many positive business dealings with this company.

If you've had a bad experience with Stash, there are ample suggestions for how to contact him/pressure him to resolve the matter.

If you're going to do business with either MTGChicago or Stasch, Caveat Emptor "Let the Buyer Beware".

Thread Locked.