[HiFiGuy528]

What were the terms of the deposit?  If you back out of a custom work deal, you most likely not be able to get all $500 back.  He has the rights to kep a portion of the money for the time spent kicking the tires with you.

 

[TruBrew]

It was not "custom work". It was his second amp, and was supposed to represent his standard commercial offering. I did not ask for particular parts or anything like that. He told me he was beginning to build KGSSHV commercially and was willing to give me a discount for being one of his first customers. Considering that, I do not interpret his build for me as "custom". Like I said in my last post, no conditions were placed on the deposit, but when I asked for it back, he agreed. 

 

[pcf]

I am curious about why you put your deposit down when he said you didn't need to ( twice)? Once you did that, you were committed.
It doesn't look like there is anything you can do to get your money back now. Sending it as gift doesn't help either. 
Sorry about your lost.

 

[KT66]

legally in the UK, deposits are non-refundable.
however if this was me and he was always in the UK, I would send some acquitances to his house and get my money back there and then.
 
he sounds like a keyboard warrior, who would cry if he got a knock on the door
 
do you know his address?

 

[ericohgb]

The question here is not about the deposit itself...
Andrew is trying to warn the users from this forum to avoid the user hi's having problems with and I have to agree with him.
The KGSSHV he was talking about is mine.
I already had to change a lot of fried transistors and resistors, but still need to do a lot of testing before spiking any headphones. It's a shame since the components uses in it were very good indeed (toshiba transistors, khozmo etc).
Regards,
Erico

 

[Beefy]

Quote:

Well after reading it all, i dont see what the problem is. You commissioned an item to be built, you then reneged on that agreement. You chose to send him the money, noone forced you to do that. Obviously the guy spent money making the item, and his time.

The guy is obnoxious, and didnt handle the situation right, if i was him, i would of accounted for what i spent, and my time, and refunded you a prorata amount.

 
Whether the deposit is refundable or not is questionable, but Hennyo flat out lied about his experience and the quality of his work.

 

[MuppetFace]

Always a shame when things like this happen in the community.
 
I've seen the two of you around for a while now, and you both seem like reasonable people, so it's unfortunate something more civil couldn't have been worked out before it came to a public outing.
 
He made it clear a deposit wasn't required, let alone a non-refundable. Since he didn't ask for a deposit, your paying him the $500 wouldn't technically be a deposit. His turning around and saying the $500 was part of an agreement and went toward costs as if it was a deposit suddenly seems pretty bogus. Secondly he seems to have grossly exaggerated his competency, misrepresenting himself as a result. Electrostatic amps aren't simple builds in most cases. They're extremely dangerous for those who don't know what they're doing, and you have every right to be concerned about his inexperience. Thirdly, the way he replied to you seems pretty suspect as well; he's saying things a boastful con artist would say, giving the whole 'you can't touch me' and 'just go ahead and try' shtick, though that could just be his scared way of coping with being in over his head.
 
Honestly I'm with pcf though in wondering why you went and paid a deposit anyway when he said it wasn't required? Unfortunately because you sent it as a Paypal gift, and Hennyo isn't exactly an established business, you don't have much in the way of a claim. You're pretty much out of luck.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

Sad to hear Drew.  I hope you find a way to get your money back.  His extreme swings in attitude is really not helping his side of the story!

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Quote:

 
Whether the deposit is refundable or not is questionable, but Hennyo flat out lied about his experience and the quality of his work.

Well this.. therefore the refund should be mandatory as he obviously lied. What a crook. 
 
Good luck young Bender.

 

[mwilson]

And then there's karma. It somehow always seems to come around. He'll get his dues, somehow and at some time.

 

[justin w.]

I intend to put Justin out of business...

...I've asked for Kevin's blessing.
...Kevin has now given his support. 

What a delusional man.

 
 
He's not the first to use this line.  TrevorNetwork did back in 2004-2005.  See how that turned out.  
 
If someone can't function without being handed the circuit boards and a bill of materials there are going to be problems.

 

[Radio_head]

Wow... viewing his posts on the thread Andrew mentioned I would've backed out too.  Making mistakes, oscillating between acknowledging them and railing at those who point them out, soliciting anyone with a wad of cash and a little gullibility (or idealism).  Sometimes people cultivate a persona of rationality and only in the event of a claim do you see the "real" them.  The only semi-good thing about this situation is that he was weeded out relatively early.  This hobby does not need another Mikhail.

 

[AudioDwebe]

C'mon, now.
 
You act as if you entered into some sort of contract with a legitimate business.  You did not.  You got into a quasi-verbal agreement with a DIY'er, at best.
 
He gave you a line of BS about his competancy, and you bought it...hook, line, and sinker. 
 
As another head-fi'er said, it's a $500 lesson learned.  Just be glad it wasn't a 5K or 50K lesson. 
 
Life sucks sometimes.
 
Just make sure you don't seek out medical care in the same fashion.
 
Sorry for the reality slap.

 

[The Monkey]

I don't understand why situations like this keep repeating themselves here.

 

[justin w.]

Quote:

I don't understand why situations like this keep repeating themselves here.

 
Lack of education.  If someone told you they'd build you a new Ford Mustang for $15k, nobody would take them up on the offer.  For some reason, people want to regard these amps by a much lower standard.  They're not Lego kits.