by DO NOT DEAL WITH CRAIG KETSENBURG/TOM ARRAS. HE/THEY IS/ARE POTENTIAL
THIEF/THIEVES. BEWARE!!!
Hello, this is a post warning anyone and everyone not to make any
deals with CRAIG KETSENBURG/TOM ARRAS as he/they are potential thieves.
Full details about the reasoning and situation are below for anyone who
wishes to read it. Anyone wishing to discuss it can e-mail me at
fact I encourage it. He/they have no defense and will not be able to deny
Craig Ketsenburg
14730 Piety Ct.
St. Louis MO, 63034
USA
On February 10, 1998 I agreed to trade Craig Ketsenburg a 97-98
Epix Moment Orange Jaromir Jagr (Beckett value at the time $80, now $100)
for his 97-98 Pinnacle Certified Mirror Blue Jeff Friesen. The deal was
confirmed and agreed upon and so I sent out the card to him (registered).
He received the card. I received nothing from him. Craig claims that he
did send the card, but neglected to send it registered/certified (whatever
traceable method is equivalent to Canadian registering of a package), and
was at a loss what to do next. I told Craig that it was unfortunate that
he (claimed he) sent the card regular mail, but that it was his
responsibility to make sure that I got the card, and that if it didn't
arrive that I would either want a card to replace it that I could use, or
I would want my Jagr Epix card back (although I really wanted the Friesen
as I had arranged a pre-deal to sell that card to someone else for $65 US).
On April 1, 1998 I received a message from Craig's mother which
stated again that Craig was sorry he (claimed he sent) the card by regular
mail but was at a loss with what to do next. Upon hearing this, it came
to my realization that Craig was just a kid and the likelihood that the
card was sent was just as likely in my mind to be false as true, but of
course, there's no way I can prove otherwise at this time.
After about another week and a half of e-mails that went
unanswered (in the e-mails were statements that while it was too bad that
Craig (claimed that he) sent the card regular mail, it was his
responsibility and I would not take a loss of an $80, now up to $100 card
because he chose to send it by regular mail. It also stated that if
necessary I would resort to use whatever legal methods were open to me,
and that I had made connections with other collectors in St. Louis which
might be able to help in that respect) I finally received a message with
the excuse that "Have a little faith buddy. Fill out your paper work from
the Canada = Post office and don't have such an attitude, it gets you no
where." Right there, It pretty much clinched it for me that I would be
getting nowhere with this kid. So I used 411.com to find out Tom Arras's
phone number and contact him if necessary as it was clear that was the
owner of the e-mail address. At the time I was unaware of the connection
between Tom and Craig. Apparently this didn't matter at all because I got
an e-mail from Tom, who turned out to be Craig's stepfather proposing the
following
"1.) Submit to me the results of the post office inquiry in to the matter.
2.) You will cease any more threatening e-mail responses.
3.) I will send you a $20.00 money order to split the cost of the card.
I arrived at the figure by determining the market value of the card
(the replacement value) as recorded in the Beckett book divided by half.
Although I do not collect cards myself I am aware that the Beckett values
are inflated and that the card could be purchased on the open market for
half the Beckett value.
4.) As far as any criminal matters I obviously have no control over what the
police will do. It is not our intent to encourage any charges at this time
and I do not believe the police will pursue them now."
So basically Tom wanted me to take $20 to cover the loss of a $100
Jagr Epix card and/or an $80 Friesen card that I had made a deal to sell
for $65 US.
I informed Tom that there was no way that I was going to accept
$20 to replace the card(s), and that it was totally unacceptable. Yes,
most cards do sell for half Beckett, but as anyone in the hobby would be
able to tell him, some cards do sell for more (mirrors, game jerseys...),
and on top of that, the Friesen listed in Beckett at $80, not $40.
DESPITE learning of Beckett's value of the card and my stating that I
would not accept anything less than $45 US to replace it and that there
was no reason that I should, I received the following reply from Tom:
"I renew my original offer for settlement
of the matter. If this is not acceptable please do not respond any further
or I will consider it as harassment. I am trying to do what is right but I
will not tolerate this any further."
Clearly Tom was not trying to do what was right. So after I received that
e-mail, I replied with my address stating that if I received anything less
than $45 I would do everything in my power to make sure that Craig/Tom did
not rip anyone else off, and that I would do everything in my power
legally to obtain retribution. I said that I would give 14 days for
payment to arrive before acting. It's been well over 20 days and I've
received nothing. Therefore, as I said to Craig/Tom, I am and will post
this warning wherever I can, as well as up on my website for all to see.
None of it is a lie and thus is not harassment, libel or any of that other
stuff. And as I said at the beginning, anyone wishing to discuss the
matter can contact me, or can e-mail Craig/Tom.
DO NOT DEAL WITH CRAIG KETSENBURG/TOM ARRAS. HE/THEY IS/ARE POTENTIAL
THIEF/THIEVES. BEWARE!!!
--
"I'm at first and first... how can the same street intersect with
itself?!? I must be at the nexus of the universe!"
-Cosmo Kramer-