The Steel Guitar Forum

Does anybody know if anything has happened to CrowBear Schmitt in France?
I haven`t heard from him for 3 weeks, although I have mailed him several times.

Some asked about Crowbear a while back and believe he is in Dominican Republic or that area, but don't know if is a full time move or just extended stay.

Would you know when he left France? Is it more than 3 weeks ago?
I wonder if someone stole his identity.

I think he moved over there some months ago, he was regular poster on British Forum as well as here, and people had been asking where he was, I believe one of our forum members ZumBilly, got in touch with him way back then, and Crowbear confirmed he had moved, although he did not say if it was a long term move.

I`ve been in touch with the French Steel Forum, and it seems like CrowBear has been reported to the police several times for selling and receiving money for steel guitars that he then never delivers, - 8 guitars.
Number nine was for me, - CrowBear was paid around 4000 dollars to ship a D10 Zum to me, and he never did. This guitar was advertised with picture on the French Forum, and was still there this morning.
I had never read or heard anything negative about CrowBear Schmitt, so this came as a surprise to me.

Got to admit I am shocked to hear this, up till this point Crowbear had been well thought of over here in the UK, being a regular poster on British Forum, and had heard no reports about any problems with any deals he had done over here in UK/Forum.I do hope you are able to recover the cash.

Many scams, a lot of money since two years (more than 13000 euros), 6 police complaint, private detective hired.. etc etc. This must be stoped !
Act now and spread the word !!
Mat

Geez, Steinar, I hope there is some mistake here and that you and others mentioned get your money back.

It would be disheartening if it were true that CrowBear Schmitt was ripping off others, particularly Forum members.

Matthieu, said more than 13.000 Euros taken, police complaints and investigations etc. referring only to CrowBear?

Does anyone know if these rip-offs been mentioned by anyone on The Forum in the last two year?
stevet

Guys, the story on CrowBear is as new to me as it apparently is for you.
I had the impression of him as a free spirited, ole hippie type who enjoyed taking part in the steel guitar community. So when 3 weeks passed after my money transaction and he neither sent the steel nor responded to mails, I figured he either had jumped on his bike to enjoy spring around southern France or used the money for a trip to South America( Malcolm mentioned the Dominican republic).
Had he kept in touch and said that he had given in to a whim, I would have accepted that, - as long as he would return and send the guitar later.
But when I now hear that there is a pattern to his behavior, it`s a different matter.
It seems like the money is lost, and I have no idea where that black 1996 D10 Zum is.
The saddest thing is that CrowBear does not seem to be the trustworthy "Fo`Bro`"(an expression he often used) that was many`s impression of him.

Yes, only Mr Crowbear is concerned by those scam. BoB is in touch since the beginning. We have copy of police complaint documents for the 4 French players and you can find post about on facebook pedal steel and French forum.
as far as i remember
5 steel in France never delivered (1carter SD10, 2 Zum stage one new, 1 justice and another one i did not remember the model)
1 steel in Hungary (Zum D10).
1 steel in Norway (Zum D10).
1 steel in Germany (Zum D10).
Sorry we are closer to 16000 euros and not 13000

For Zum Mr Crowbear is using his own pics. The black has been sold many many years before in Italy (in 2006) At this period he ordered a new model, a Zum D10 tortoise finish and he's using pics of this guitar for his scams too. A strange post from Ted Nesbitt with same spec than Crowbear Zum D10 2006 were posted on British steelies society last month but quickly deleted..

A ha, it`s in Italy!
The picture of that Zum is still under "divers" on the French Steel Forum.

CrowBear mentioned that he owned an anniversary 2006 D10 that also wanted to sell, - 4300E for the 2006, 3700E for the 1996.
He did not want Paypal, but account to account transfer.

Is there any way to find out where he is through his bank account numbers?
When I paid him, he seemed to be in a small town close to the French/Spanish border.

"CrowBear Schmitt in France" is starting to sound like a book.
Mostly, part of me is like 'say it isn't so!'

He now lives in Dominican Republic.

I have had some great conversations with crowbear and was really depressed to find out he was the guy bootlegging Paul franklins courses on eBay. I reported it to the forum quite a while back and stopped my communication with him.

Being a nasty suspicious lawyer, you'd normally expect somebody like me to believe this story straight away. He told me recently that the steel I now own (bought from Maurice Mounier in France) was sourced by him direct from Williams. I don't know if that is true, but I feel like I had a close encounter with the sort of trouble Steinar now has. I feel very fortunate, and sorry to hear of Steinar's problem.

Another individual who attracted much criticism here (RS) is apparently running a genuine operation through a European Steel FaceBook page, and even manufacturing steels, selling them to "big name" players. It seems nothing is what it seems any more these days.

Well, I had heard about the bootleg copies thing but this just takes the cake.

Steinar, I hope you get your money back somehow. It is always so disheartening to hear of someone's hard earned money being taken by deception.

I guess it doesn't pay to trust anyone these days unless you completely check them out. The cost of doing business is really going up. The bad thing is it really hurts the honest guys more than anything else.

At this time no customer scamed by James has recover his money and received anything.

Players that contact us on French forum:
- kutasi Zsolt (Hungary)Zum D10
- José Beltran (France)Justice SD10 (brand new)
- Jean Luc Brunelles (France)Zumstage one (brand new)
- Robert Deman (France)Carter SD10
- Steinar Schrøder (Norway) Zum D10
And 2 others in France and Germany.

Message from J.L Brunelles
My name is Jean Luc Brunelles and i would like to warn you against Mr. JAMES SCHMITT alias CROWBEAR

In August 2013 i ordered a PEDAL STEEL GUITAR zumsteel Stage One and paid the guitar with a bank check anount of 1328 euros. This check was debited august 19th 2013 (document attached). After several registered letters,and many phone call the results was "no answers" Moreover, he fired me from his forum just after cashing the money ( http://steelguitarfrance.forumactif.com/ ).
A police complaint and a lawsuit for fraud was filed in March 2014 (also copy). For information, another victim has also started procedure police for a similar case.

Further information:
France : others nickname alias : " Froglegs " , James Schmitt , (sites slide, france-Blue Grass )
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/will.pickit?fref=nf
Probably live in " Fanlo Del Valle De Vío, Aragon, Spain "
Spain steel group : alias Will Pickit https://www.facebook.com/groups/112633415573970/

UK : alias "James Crowbear"
Allemagne : alias " Meyer Muller Schmitt.. "
USA : alias " CROWBEAR SCHMITT"

Yes, Will Pickit is his Facebook handle.

Man, this one stings... had no idea about the bootlegging or the guitar ripoffs.

"Caveat emptor," even on the Forum.

What a disappointment. If this is true, I hope justice is served.

I always thought Crowbear was a straight shooter but I should have been suspicious when he told me that he had sneaked off to Canada to avoid the draft some years ago.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/llivia17/m.html ... 7675.l2562

All this is his stuff. None of it is authorized.

Bad things, very bad things can happen to a man like this in the Caribbean...