Beware of WX4XW, Jason J. McCord

[wb7rbn]

Let me first say I had mixed emotions as to whether or not to post the following on the QTH.com Feedback Forum. I came to the conclusion that it was incumbent on me to inform others within the amateur radio community so as to help prevent it from happening to others. The following synopsis is supported by emails, photographs, communications between me and PayPal plus other documentation both written and verbal.

On February 20, 2022, I saw an ad on QTH.com by WX4XW, Jason J. McCord, wanting a Yaesu FTM-3100 VHF Radio saying” Pictures will be required after initial contact. Also, please let me know what you must have for the radio including shipping via UPS to 37663. Make sure you are good on QRZ. I’ll be checking!” I responded that I had a FTM-3100 along with the RS Systems Programming Cable and Software that I would ship via USPS rather than UPS for $135 and included pictures of the radio and accessories”. He agreed and asked for my PayPal account information which I provided. The funds were put in my PayPal account. The radio was shipped on February 22, 2022 and arrived at this residence on February 26, 2022. The next day I got an email from Mr. McCord saying” Well I got the radio, hooked it in the antenna, power cord into the power supply and the radio turned on. It worked until I key it up. I have to use full power to hit a repeater that is three miles away and can't hit anything else. I plug my other radio up and I can hit repeaters over a 100 miles away. Was there some TX issues that you didn't relay in your messages? I even tried a magnet mount antenna that I have here in the Radio Room. Still the same results. I also tried resetting the radio to factory settings. What do you suggest we should do?” I responded “There is nothing wrong with the radio. It is no issues with the radio and it worked as designed when it left here. I suggest you get a better antenna. If you were transmitting into an antenna with a high SWR the radio is designed to reduce power in order to protect the final amplifier. I was using it with a home brewed vertical dipole at 5 watts and keying up a repeater on White Tanks Mountain 30 miles away and one on South Mountain over 50 miles away. I also connected it to a dummy load with a SWR/wattmeter and verified full power output at all power levels 5, 30 and 65 watts. I don't know what you might have done but cannot be responsible for the radio once it leaves here.” He responded “Well shipping must have damaged it in some way. The radio doesn't transmit at full potential. “Note: In his prior email the radio is working. I said he could return the radio and accessories. Once I have received the equipment and verified that was in the same condition both physically and functionally as when I shipped it I would refund his money. That was not acceptable as he wanted half the money refunded now and the other half refunded when I received the equipment plus he wanted me to pay for shipping it back. I refused.

He filed a complaint with PayPal saying the “that equipment was not as described” and wanted to return it based on his requirements. To which I responded through the PayPal Resolution Center with the same requirements for return as before. Not being satisfied he said the radio was “damaged” and elevated claim to PayPal for arbitration. After considerable back and forth communications with PayPal over a month long period, all of which is documented, he commented to returning the radio prior being refunded his money. I confirmed my shipping address with PayPal and he was provided it by PayPal on March 12, 2022. I received a UPS tracking number from PayPal that the equipment had been shipped on March 15, 2022. On March 21, 2022 I received an email from UPS that the package had been delivered at 8:25 pm. However no package had been delivered by UPS at my residence. I immediately contacted PayPal requesting they not refund the funds from my account to Mr. McCord as I had not received the package. PayPal contacted UPS and obtained the address where it had been delivered and signed for. The address did not match my shipping address which PayPal had provided to Mr. McCord. PayPal requested UPS pick up the package from the address where it had been delivered. PayPal had me retrieve the package from the local UPS distribution center. I confirmed that the address on the shipping label was not mine. I unpacked the radio and connected it to same power supply, wattmeter and dummy load I had used to test it prior to shipment. Guess what! No RF output. Apparently, the finals had been destroyed and he was attempting to conceal it. I contacted PayPal and provided them with the test results.

As a result of the documentation, I provided PayPal, they closed the case in my favor and put the funds ($135) that were on hold back in my account. It was concluded that Mr. McCord deliberately shipped the equipment to an address other than the one provided him by me to PayPal in an attempt to hide from the shipper (me) the fact he had damaged the radio. By requesting a delivery signature confirmation, he attempted to prove it had been returned so he could have PayPal refund his money. The Received By name on the UPS website Proof of Delivery documentation dated March 22, 2022 was not mine. Why he picked the address he shipped the package to is unknown. Apparently it was picked at random as long as the address was in the same city as mine. What action PayPal decides to take against Mr. McCord is unknown as I am not privy to any communications between Mr. McCord and PayPal.

It is unfortunate that there are unethical people within the amateur radio community. The lessons I learned from this experience are: 1) functionally test and document the condition of any equipment sold with photographs prior shipment. 2) Functionally test the returned equipment and verify it is in the same operating condition as before it was shipped. 3) Do not refund the purchase price if fails returned the functional test.

Dr. James M. Seay PhD

[wb7rbn]

I received an email on 4/2/2022 from Jason J. McCord saying: "I sure wish this hadn’t happened! Anyway… Please accept my apology and forgive me.." I accepted his apology.

Dr. James M. Seay PhD