Cant visit FPN anymore...

[peteyb]

I can help out here. I'm not a pen guy, I'm Peter from Double Helix Cables (http://www.doublehelixcables.com/store).

Brandon is a young guy and maybe isn't the best at expressing himself at times, but he means well. If he wants one of your pens, it's because he really does want to review it, although his site is not especially famous and a review from him may not yet equal the retail value of one of your pens. He has helped me develop my Symbiote IEM cable - http://doublehelixcables.com/store/i...products_id=39. He's tested 5 or 6 prototypes over the past year, has helped me select different wires to invest in. This cable has benefitted a lot from his testing and did get some exposure from a review he wrote on Head-fi. With all the prototypes, he sent them back to me promptly after playing with them for a while, at his own expense. I agree that he probably should not have used a project fundraising site for taking donations to fund a school project, since it's not exactly a project with a tangible finished product (like a book, album, or invention) but instead the reward was more of a thank-you item. Indeed he has a lot to learn, but he is not a scammer, he is just trying to get established as a reviewer and it is not easy to get started.

[Silverhand]

Sorry Brandon, your explanations don't fly. You either have a very short memory, or you are actively lying about your interactions with people like me. I know what you tried to do with me this week. I believe others when they say you tried the same scams with them.

When I am approached by a journalist to review my work, I expect them to have basic English skills and an established forum to post that review. You have neither.

[brando090]

Sorry Brandon, your explanations don't fly. You either have a very short memory, or you are actively lying about your interactions with people like me. I know what you tried to do with me this week. I believe others when they say you tried the same scams with them.

When I am approached by a journalist to review my work, I expect them to have basic English skills and an established forum to post that review. You have neither.

Chris,

(Sarcastic) You got me, me trying to collaborate with you and design a pen and trying to then review the pen, and sell them exclusively on my site for 10% off retail to gain interest.

(Reality) Sorry Chris, but in any way, shape, or form is that a scam. And sorry that i was banned on FPN, and in total i would of had several thousands post's.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I am neither defending nor attacking anyone here. I am curious, though, about review protocol. In the past i have reviewed yarn, yarn equipment, cookbooks and software. In all cases i asked the manufacturers for review copies and most supplied me with any I was interested in.

I review fountain pens, too. The majority are ones I bought, but a couple of people sent me pens to review.


Is there a different procedure in the fp world for attaining review material? Is it considered illegitimate to ask for a pen to review?

[manoeuver]

Is there a different procedure in the fp world for attaining review material? Is it considered illegitimate to ask for a pen to review?

Well, seems to me one must first develop either reputation or repoire with whomever they are soliciting. Your skill as such may well be superior to certain others'.

[bgray]

It's this simple.

Brandon solicits manufacturers and merchants for free merchandise. When he is turned down, he persists incessantly to the point of where most have blocked his email and some have threatened him with legal action.

He solicits forum members for free items from their personal collections to the point of where he's been banned from forums.

Whether or not he personally wishes to consider this a scam is not the point.

Merchants and manufactures have labelled him as a scam artist, forum moderators have banned him, and forum members have resented him as a result of his actions.

If Brandon's intentions are true as he states, then he couldn't go about this in a more fallacious, deceitful, and persistent manner. There are multiple merchants that can produce emails to prove this.

I'm finished with putting anymore time, energy, or even thought into this. I have not bashed Brandon. I have presented only facts regarding a topic that he brought up.

If he wishes to be a respected member of the pen community, then he needs to acquire items for his personal collection and for his reviews the same way that everyone else does. Buy them.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks for the clarification. To me, no meant no, so if a company declined to send review material I moved on.

I can also see how asking for items from personal collections is frowned on.

[brando090]

It's this simple.

Brandon solicits manufacturers and merchants for free merchandise. When he is turned down, he persists incessantly to the point of where most have blocked his email and some have threatened him with legal action.

He solicits forum members for free items from their personal collections to the point of where he's been banned from forums.

Whether or not he personally wishes to consider this a scam is not the point.

Merchants and manufactures have labelled him as a scam artist, forum moderators have banned him, and forum members have resented him as a result of his actions.

If Brandon's intentions are true as he states, then he couldn't go about this in a more fallacious, deceitful, and persistent manner. There are multiple merchants that can produce emails to prove this.

I'm finished with putting anymore time, energy, or even thought into this. I have not bashed Brandon. I have presented only facts regarding a topic that he brought up.

If he wishes to be a respected member of the pen community, then he needs to acquire items for his personal collection and for his reviews the same way that everyone else does. Buy them.

Lets clear this up, your stating im asking for "free items from their personal collections"; ive never done that, and when it comes to personal collections i hear that as being vintage pens. When it comes to vintage pen collections, i either trade or buy. I dont mean to bash that comment, but how the heck do you acquire, say a Waterman World's Smallest Fountain Pen or a Parker 27 for free from a Parker or Waterman extraordinaire? Please explain this, because anyone who thinks for a second i gain all my pens for free, are sadly mistaken.

Stating that manufactures makes nice pens, and id like to review one of their pens, in my book does not result as a scam.

[dragonstail]

I have been a member of FPN since October 2006. I was participating in a thread there that was ended by a moderator, immediately before brando090 was banned from FPN. As I recall in that thread he was trying to sell old pencil stubs and old disposable pens at grossly inflated "appraised values". Since it was obvious that these were not anything vintage, antique, or otherwise valuable, labeling his activities a scam may be an overstatement. On the other hand, behavior causing him to be banned from any community is informative, and he should be given a chance to explain himself.

So brando090, can you explain why you have been banned at audiokarma.org, and head-fi.org, and also why you are no longer a registered member on ebay? Regarding ebay, why do you have 5 negative feedbacks in the last 6 months, all related to selling fountain pens? Do you have a connection to this site: 2011pen.blogspot.com?

[PIBer]

Some google searching for brando090 and cifani090 turns these up:

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo.../page__st__629
Posts #663 - #681, #685 - #694 are pertinent. Says he's 14-years-old in post #665. Current Age: 15-16

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...t=93282&page=3
Posts #60 - #61 are pertinent.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...istory-Project
Whole thread is pertinent. College student? How old is he?

http://2011pen.blogspot.com/
Here he says he's a high school student. Something doesn't match.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/552380/thse...re-price-range
Questionable behavior in regards to reviewing products: Posts #4 - #11, #9 is particularly interesting

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP...s=negative_365
Semi-pertinent. 5 Ebay negative feedback, 3 related to pens. All indicate dishonest selling methods, no explanation or rebuttal

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP...ms=neutral_365
Semi-pertinent. 3 Ebay neutral feedback, 2 related to pens. All indicate dishonest selling methods, no explanation or rebuttal

http://www.head-fi.org/t/590486/to-tell-or-not-to-tell
Semi-pertinent. Questionable view of ethics

[dragonstail]

Some google searching for brando090 and cifani090 turns these up:

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo.../page__st__629
Posts #663 - #681, #685 - #694 are pertinent.

...

http://www.head-fi.org/t/590486/to-tell-or-not-to-tell
Semi-pertinent. Questionable view of ethics

Also this one:

http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=93460
Post number 5

[brando090]

I have been a member of FPN since October 2006. I was participating in a thread there that was ended by a moderator, immediately before brando090 was banned from FPN. As I recall in that thread he was trying to sell old pencil stubs and old disposable pens at grossly inflated "appraised values". Since it was obvious that these were not anything vintage, antique, or otherwise valuable, labeling his activities a scam may be an overstatement. On the other hand, behavior causing him to be banned from any community is informative, and he should be given a chance to explain himself.

So brando090, can you explain why you have been banned at audiokarma.org, and head-fi.org, and also why you are no longer a registered member on ebay? Regarding ebay, why do you have 5 negative feedbacks in the last 6 months, all related to selling fountain pens? Do you have a connection to this site: 2011pen.blogspot.com?

That was way back than, how was i suppose to know the value of vintage pens and pencils? Relating audiokarma.org it was because of head-fi, and head-fi was because of some stuff i had brought up to one of the moderators. The reason im not on ebay is really not any of your business, and is related to me not being old enough (18). Also ive had people scam me personally out of fountain pens on ebay, and want their money back, as they kept half or more of the pens i sent them. There were some very dishonest buyers that purchased items from me. I had some pens to pay for, and that is why i got negative feedback because i cant pay for the items now.

[fountainpenkid]

I would give you some credit if you did great reviews, and were one of the only good reviewers out there. Your reviews on your blog, for the most part seem to be relatively short, with very sloppy handwriting, and a couple O.K pictures. There are some amazing reviewers out there, who provide excellent pictures, details, and some humor. There are pen magazines(at the forefront online I would say Penna Vintage) that really do a amazing job. Sites like Richard Binder's, Pen hero, Stylophiles Olnile, etc... All provide amazing online reviews. You get the point-the online world is hardly lacking in pen reviews and articles. I think there are better ways to get around here then to beg. I begged when I s on FPN, and I managed to get my way, but it creates a bad reputation for you. I am more inclined to trust the big names here, Brian, Watchart, etc are all known people that go to shows, do really cool projects, and much more. I regret ever offering my Parker Duofold that Paul Erano gave me.

Will

[fountainpenkid]

Also this one:

http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=93460
Post number 5

If you read the firearms topic he lies about his age. This is not trustworthy. I am done looking at this topic. Sorry I ever got into this muck.

Will

[Jon Szanto]

Brando, give us a break.

You've got an amateurish blog that you use to foster your pen habit. It is apparent that your immaturity in dealing with pen and -related manufacturers carries over into other areas. The louder and longer you complain, the more it becomes obvious, and it is pretty embarrassing when seen in context next to some of the solid people in the pen community.

You'd do well to take a back seat for a while, watch and listen, and try again when you've grown up a little. And if you insist on having some kind of "review" site (ffs, anyone with a browser and a Blogger/etc account is a reviewer these days...), at least learn basic grammar skills.

Got it?

[david i]

Gents and such,

David Isaacson here. Nice website here. Many of you likely know me from Vacumania.com, Fountainpenboard.com, articles in PENnant (monster run of vintage Sheaffer material just the last year), articles in STYLUS magazine, Articles in Stylophiles (print and online), profile in Penworld International (likely with articles there soon as well... just need more time to finish). I'm happy to chat with Brandon when he pops up on FPB, but I advise a bit of caution no doubt. If nothing else, his offering pens for sale he doesn't even own is of concern. Having offered me a rare pen for sale that he not only didn't own, but which in fact at that time was already owned... by me... was, I admit, entertaining, in a somewhat frightening way.

regards

-d

[dannzeman]

I think David's post is a good way to end this thread. For more info about what David's referring to, head to fountainpenboard.com and look for some of Brandon's posts. And if you haven't been to fpboard you should go there just to take in some of the best vintage pen talk on the web.

-Dan