MTGChicago // Stasch Kuras // SKuras // Scam

[ErkBek]

As many of you know, I wrote 6 articles for a website launched last year, MTGChicago.com. The owner and the site’s creator, Stasch Kuras, seemed to have big plans when creating the site, but it appears now that it that was either a blatant lie or a business plan gone horribly wrong.

Stasch didn’t pay any of his writing staff which included Gerry Thompson, Rich Hoen, and myself among others. Stasch has ignored my repeated attempts to contact him and clearly has no intent to pay his staff.

What prompted me to write this today though was a link from Ben Carp to Stasch’s eBay account, mtgchicago, he’s now been banned.

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=mtgchicago&ftab=AllFeedback&myworld=true

MTGChicago.com is also down. 

Until now I didn’t realize Stasch was ripping off buyers too. I didn’t write something like this sooner because I didn’t want to invalidate “store credit” that several friends and acquaintances have.

Apparently Stasch still deals cards at tournaments and I know for a fact he was at PTQ Indy dealing cards.

I don’t know how he sleeps at night; he’s still ripping people off and getting away with it. If you ever see Stasch dealing cards at tournament be sure to inform everyone there that he’s a scam artist and never to do business with him. If Stasch owes you money (and he owes a lot of people money), do whatever you can to try and get it. If you need to contact him, here’s his personal cell phone number: 312-208-8402.

[Hatchman]

Is this the guy that ran day 2 at chicago?

[Tha Gunslinga]

No, that was John Donovan.  Different Chicago-area guy.

[vroman]

I must say this is surprising, since Ive had several satisfactory $100+ deals w stasch over the years. though forced to choose, Id take becker's word over stasch's.

[ErkBek]

I must say this is surprising, since Ive had several satisfactory $100+ deals w stasch over the years. though forced to choose, Id take becker's word over stasch's.

Where they face to face deals? If so it's hard to rip off an informed trader.

I thought Stasch was alright when he offered me the job. He ran several successful mox tournaments in the Chicago area and even helped me sell off my collection in offering me fair buy prices on most of my cards. Stasch apparently has ripped people off from around the world.

After about 3 hours on the road, we reach the guys house, and bring in the luggage. After a few minutes of settling in, we are introduced to this guy's friend who was over testing who procedes to ask:
"You guys are from Chicago, right?",new guy
"Yes",me
"Do you know a... Stasch?" ,new guy
After plenty of laughter, rather than bash him right away, I ask why, to which he responds
"he owes me $450 from an order from his website that he still hasn't shipped"

So, if this were a mastercard commercial, it would go like this...

Round Trip to Seattle - $219
Rental Car to drive to Vancouver - $90
Finding out that the biggest douchebag in Chicago has screwed people across the world - Priceless!!

[KandyKid]

Hmmm... he has 12K of my cards up for consignment on his site, and the site no longer exists. No wonder he didn't return any phone-calls. Whats worse is that he knew I need that cash to make steady payments on my mortgage.

[M.Solymossy]

He owes me store credit yet from a tournament in OCTOBER.

[Shock Wave]

Why hasn't anyone initiated legal action against the guy?

[JewLightning]

This is a real bummer because my friend ordered Tarmogoyfs from this guy and never got them at all. I will have to pass on the information to him.

Brennen

[Drummer79]

First off, I feel horrible for all the people who have been screwed over by him.
I have been in the Chicago area all my life, and feel bad that I am even associated with the piece of trash by location.

Second, I was the TO running the Chicago Day 2 with a big help from head judge Goblin Nick.  And I hope it was enjoyable, because we want to do it again, with or without SCG.

Now, here's what I can say for those of you that have been screwed. 
If you can get to Chicago, I know what event he goes to weekly.  I just don't want to see someone screwed out of 12k

If anyone want's to contact me, get me at drummer79@aol.com

[ErkBek]

It has been brought to my attention that Stasch has re-entered the magic scene. If you ever see him at a tournament please make him feel as awkward as possible.

His website MTGChicago is back up too. Obviously don't buy anything from the site, there's a pretty good chance he'll just take your money and run. Anyone have any idea were I could go to try and get it taken down? Better Business Bureau maybe?

[Samite Healer]

Hmmm... he has 12K of my cards up for consignment on his site, and the site no longer exists. No wonder he didn't return any phone-calls. Whats worse is that he knew I need that cash to make steady payments on my mortgage.

I was at Stasch's house at the end of May after I hit a deer with my car in the vicinity and I know for a fact your cards still exist and are all there if it makes you feel any better at all.  They were sleeved in a few binders and graded, everything still there as far as I know with plenty of expensive cards.  It came up that they were yours and I told him that he should give them back to you, and I'm pretty sure you will get them eventually.  Why it's taken him this long for anything, I don't know.

[forests failed you]

I don't know what the deal with Stasch is, but I do know that I have dealt with him many, many times in the past and he has always been a good person to trade, sell cards to, and do business with.  I can appreciate the fact that many people may have had a very different impression of their business with him...  But, in spite of what people are saying--I have only had positive experiences with doing business with him.  He has gone out of his way to help me out looking for obscure foil japanese cards before, and always traded fairly with me.  I can't speak to any of the other things that people are acusing him of, because I simply have no idea about what is going on.  But, I just wanted to point out that I don't know him except in passing and trading, and he has always done right by me.

[bluemage55]

Don't we have a few people with law degrees on this site that could offer some advice on how to deal with this guy?

[Hi-Val]

The first step involves paying about $200 to have a lawyer write a letter to him.

[bluemage55]

Between the number of people he's offended, $200 wouldn't be a huge amount to pool together.

Alternatively, one of the lawyers on this site could perhaps offer to write it for a reduced cost or pro bono?

[shawnphase]

hello all, first post by me, as i did a search for this piece of human waste in an effort to get his cellphone number. he ripped me off on anywhere from 7-800 bucks worth of cards. all 4th edition and before. lots of antiquities, arabian nights, lots of artifact stuff. i did one sale with him before where he sent me a check for $200 and then i sent him another batch of cards in november of last year, i still havent gotten payment. i call this guy every so often to see if he will ever pick up and like a coward, he lets his voicemail answer and i give him some harsh words. if he has ripped people off this hard, then some action needs to be taken. this guy is a scam artist and i would like to know some of the places that he goes and when they are in an effort to confront him face to face. he took my cards and i am in poor health and need the money for medical bills because i was rejected state medical assistance. very messed up to see that he's ripped off people for way more than i, but all of the cards that i sent him were cards that i earned and built up over the years, and i sent him so much artifact, direct damage/counterl, and creature stuff that i cannot even play anymore because he scammed all of my good cards off me. i want restitution.

[shawnphase]

weeks later and many emails and calls later and still no response. has anybody else heard anything from this lowlife? i want to take this guy to court, maybe theres something we can all do to get restitution. i gave this guy moxes and stuff like that over the years and he ripped me off on a final transaction i sent him. maybe i should show up at the college of dupage and take care of things that way.

[ErkBek]

has anybody else heard anything from this lowlife?

Nope.

i want to take this guy to court, maybe theres something we can all do to get restitution. i gave this guy moxes and stuff like that over the years and he ripped me off on a final transaction i sent him. maybe i should show up at the college of dupage and take care of things that way.

I don't have the time to chase my $150 down. If I still lived in IL, I make my way to COD to confront him about it. That's what I'd recommend you do before trying to take any legal action.

[papercrackaddict]

He had a dealer table at the Alara PR in Indianapolis.  He also was at GenCon Indy this year at Hotsauce's Cards booth.  I've heard so many of these stories from people in the Chicago area. I dont see how this guy is still allowed to do business.  As a player in the area, I can say that I haven't done any business with him and don't plan on it.  EVER. His rep has definitely made him someone that I and my friends want to stay clear of.  He manages to get the Pre-Release tables thru Pastimes.net as they are the PTO (or should I say were) for the Chicago/Indiana area.

[papercrackaddict]

I just checked, and MTGChicago.com is up and running again, if your interested.  You should read it, there are addresses of all types on it.

[JACO]

I just checked, and MTGChicago.com is up and running again, if your interested.  You should read it, there are addresses of all types on it.

"Feel free to contact us Monday through Saturday from 10AM to 7PM at 847-749-4369, or at MTGChicago@gmail.com 

We are currently located at:

MTGChicago.com
1497 Chippewa Trail
Wheeling, IL
60090 "

[lillyprof]

Yeah, it looks like I too just got scammed by the Stasch Kuras.   I was ordering off tcgplayer.com's integrated site.  Four Baneslayer Angels.  Luckily that was all I ordered from him.

The 847-749-4369 number rings through to a woman who answers "Service Department," and then hangs up if you make a single mention of M:TG cards.

That number is within the jurisdiction of the Rolling Meadows Police Department in Rolling Meadows, IL (outskirts of Chicago, apparently).  Anyway I'll be filing a police report with them tomorrow.  I didn't use eBay, I used his direct site.  So if I read the statutes correctly, that makes it interstate wire fraud, a federal offense.

Just doing my part, I guess.

[Tha Gunslinga]

Try this one:
312-208-8402

[lillyprof]

Yeah, I've decided that maybe Stasch is probably more lazy than nefarious.  Still, the credit card contact number rings through to someone who has no idea who this person/business is.  That's a red flag, and anyone aware of the very real possibility of fraud/identity theft doing business on the Internet would be wise to avoid knowingly doing business with an operation that works in that manner.

It seems that while I was busy initiating a dispute with my credit card company and having my card cancelled, Stasch finally went to the post office and mailed me what I ordered (at least I assume he did; I haven't opened the package yet).  Now I don't want a genuine slacker being out the product; if any of you know Stasch personally tell him to contact me (he has my contact info) and I'll mail him back his unopened package.

And for the love of god, if any of you want to do business on the Internet, at least use a contact number where the person answering won't hang up on you.  That raises all sorts of red flags and automatically sends an honest-minded buyer to Defcon 5.

[Nefarias]

Yeah, I've decided that maybe Stasch is probably more lazy than nefarious.

Lazier than I? Never!

[Tha Gunslinga]

Aaaaaaand Stasch gets banned again.

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&ftab=AllFeedback&userid=masters_of_the_game

[lillyprof]

Stasch Kuras/MTGChicago.com and I will *never* do business again.  You can get your cards in a timely fashion, but only if you call his girlfriend listed on your credit card statement "contact info" and threaten police/bank fraud intervention and actually involve your financial institution in the dispute.

This guy is an insult to lazy card dealers.

And after all the bad blood he had with me earlier, he still has the gall to send me Zendikar advertisements.  heh.

[Joblin Velder]

Let Google know his site is fraudulent. They will black list it.

[ErkBek]

Let Google know his site is fraudulent. They will black list it.

How do I go about doing this?