$2.4mil theft of ski gear from Aspen

[LKLA]

Pretty sure most companies accept that selling off demos at the end of their useful life is par for the course. That's what was going on here. The eBay shop didn't look like a random individual, but rather as if it was a large shop selling off high end demos along the lines of Powder7.

Agree, but accepting and wanting are too very different things, and having a "random" individual sell the products versus a authorized dealer or third party and doing so on such a public forum surely does not make it an ideal situation. Hard to see how it is a positive for the brand.

 

[TrueNorth]

Wow, I used to follow that seller on ebay. Seemed like a model seller, with conditions of the skis carefully documented with photographs, and something like 10K positive feedback (and he only sold skis, which means he must have sold at least that many pairs). The skis were described in the listings as ex-rentals, and many of them were well used and/or damaged, so it seemed like a legitimate operation (like the many other places that sell off ex-rental/ex-demo skis on ebay). Listings were almost all auctions, so they sold at "market value".

Surprising how he could get away with it for so long, and so openly.

 

[fatbob]

Not that surprised he got away with it for so long. He was the boss so could brush off junior staff if challenged e.g. the internal stock checker hired. And presumably could always say "just taking these to deliver to a VIP client" if ever challenged directly. Ski business isn't like most regular business there is a world of bro hookups, side hustles, favours and blind eyes and it seems even ASC were not immune. Also what he was alledged stealing probably falls into the small roundings compared to what he was turning over in retail and rental sales.

To burn through that much cash is a hell of a coke or gambling habit. Can imagine it is not an outrageous amount to keep up with the neighbours socially in Aspen though.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

That makes a lot more sense, high end demos < $300 would sell fairly quickly.
Well the question then is what else were they selling on their ebay account which had listed sales of $2.15 million between 2010-18?

To be clear, the $140K was for 2018 before he was caught or something, small sub-period. The 10K total pair extrapolation to get to $2.4 million is the more comparable figure I think.

It seems likely to me he sold other stuff to get to $2.4 mill so I don’t think the article contains enough info to get to a total pair count.

 

[KingGrump]

Pretty sure most companies accept that selling off demos at the end of their useful life is par for the course. That's what was going on here. The eBay shop didn't look like a random individual, but rather as if it was a large shop selling off high end demos along the lines of Powder7.

Not all the skis sold under that ebay vendor were used demos. I know few friends bought new skis from that specific vendor.

 

[Wendy]

So who else bought skis from this theif?

I think I did, about 3 years ago. A pair of Kastle LX82’s that I sold the next summer because they were just blah to ski. I remember, after receiving the skis, having this weird feeling and wondering if the vendor was legit, even though the site looked like a bonafide ski shop. Holy cow.

 

[eok]

Sadly, I've experienced something like this before...

In the 70s, my 1st real job was in a sports store. I was 18 or 19 when I started. Hired by the general manager; middle-aged and who I knew from his involvement (coaching, supervision) with sports I was into at the time. I worked at the shop for 6 or 7 years, progressing from rental shop rat to sales/tech in the summer & winter sports venues.

The store always had a chronic problem with inventory loss when I was there. It was a big irritation for the owner. All kinds of stuff - including big ticket items like ski gear and even firearms would vanish. The owner tried everything to control the losses - even hired a private security/detective firm to covertly watch in the store. Losses would subside for a few months, only to become a problem again. But the owner made a serious mistake: he assumed shoplifting was the primary cause of the losses. During my years with the store, I did occasionally find merchandise hidden in one of our dumpsters & I'd always drag the general manager outside to show him what I found. He'd recover the stuff and report it to the store owner. Then the owner would go nuts trying to figure out which employee was trying to steal from him. Yes, some employees were fired based on the "suspicions" held by the general manger on who the culprit was.

I quit the shop shortly after getting my degree at school. About a year later I read in the local paper that the store's general manager was arrested for inventory theft and embezzlement... to the tune of "over a million dollars" over several years. I was curious, so I called the owner (we remained friends after I left) to get the story. It turned out the general manager kept most the inventory he stole - selling little of it (it was, after all, before anything like EBay or Craigslist existed). Where he made most his $$$ was keeping customer receipts at point of sale and then later running those receipts as returns & keeping the cash. THAT was why inventory losses seemed too high.

Anyway, I felt somewhat betrayed by the whole thing. I'd known the general manager for years. He seemed a great guy. Boy, was I wrong.

 

[pete]

Wonder if with other stolen goods sold, buyers will be asked to return the items. I suppose they can be written off as a loss but ....

Be a bummer to get a call or email stating to return the goods. Course, if you've used em well, may not matter greatly.

 

[Tricia]

So who else bought skis from this theif?

Wow, I used to follow that seller on ebay. Seemed like a model seller,

I think I did, about 3 years ago.

A lot of innocent, unsuspecting people ....
That's my guess.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

Wonder if with other stolen goods sold, buyers will be asked to return the items. I suppose they can be written off as a loss but ....

Be a bummer to get a call or email stating to return the goods. Course, if you've used em well, may not matter greatly.

This is not legal advice but I suspect that the effort of recovery exceeds the value of the items. I very much doubt Aspen SkiCo has an interest in tracking down used demos over a year after they went missing because it would not be profitable.

This is 10,000 small transactions with different buyers. Unwind is hard.

 

[KingGrump]

Wonder if with other stolen goods sold, buyers will be asked to return the items. I suppose they can be written off as a loss but ....

Be a bummer to get a call or email stating to return the goods. Course, if you've used em well, may not matter greatly.

They could ask. But doubt the buyers will comply with a one sided request.
They will have to find a way to reimburse the buyers if there is a chance i hell for it to work.

Anyway, what is a used demo ski worth after 5 years out in the wild?

 

[James]

Well, could PayPal have legal exposure if these goods were stolen and the transaction went through them?

 

[Nancy Hummel]

Very sad. The couple has 3 children. What a mess.

 

[Dwight]

The $2.4 million is not what he profited, it is the value of what he stole in gear, shipping boxes, etc. And still in debt of $500k.

Userid History

 

[skix]

Userid History

Hmm. I bought a pair of skis earlier this year from a brick-and-mortar store near Columbus, Ohio named Aspen Ski and Board. That store IS real. Price was good but not crazy good.

URL for the shop --> https://www.aspenskiandboard.com/
​

Also selling on Ebay as:

https://www.ebay.com/str/Aspen-Ski-and-Board​

Their page shows they were a 2015 SIA Retailer of the Year which is confirmed by a photo with the owner, Gil Harris, on the snowsports.org page showing award recipients.

https://www.snowsports.org/2015-snowsports-retailer-of-the-year-winners-announced-at-sia-snow-show/​

Current street view on Google maps shows the store right where it it should be. Looks like this store has the misfortune of having a name used by the Aspen thief Derek Johnson.

(Note: edited to make clear this store not associated with Derek Johnson)

 

[Dwight]

That is a different user.

 

[Tricia]

Aspen Ski and Board in Ohio has been around for a long time.

 

[James]

There's an Aspen East ski/snowboard shop on the way to Killington. Been there for decades, good shop. They used to have a vintage Neva boot/binding on ski in the entrance.
They mounted an actual VW Bug on the wall mural. Pretty neat. (There's a lot of steel behind the wall)

 

[AngryAnalyst]

Well, could PayPal have legal exposure if these goods were stolen and the transaction went through them?

I am sure this is not the first time eBay has been used to fence stolen goods. I don’t know the success of efforts to recover value of merchandise from them. It would not surprise me if eBay, as a general policy, offered to reimuburse buyers of stolen goods in the event the goods are recalled to original owners so I think the buyers here are doubly unlikely to have exposure.

That said, I think your intuition is correct that ebay is the most realistic avenue of recovery for SkiCo because you litigate one big claim not thousands of tiny ones, but I’m not a lawyer and am really just speculating based on some familiarity with the legal system. If anyone reading this knows how property theft usually works would be really interesting to me.

 

[jmeb]

Given that lots of these skis have been likely used hard since purchasing over many years ago, I really doubt any sort of recall. Plus I doubt SkiCo really wants old model demo skis by the hundreds to handle.