unscrupulous seller of theremin merchandise

I have not met Thierry, but numerous conversations make me absolutely 100% certain that he is not a fraudster.. Yeah - at times Thierry and I do clash, but these clashes have highlighted (in my view) some aspects of Thierry's personality which I think may be relevant:

1.) Thierry's reputation in the Theremin community is of absolute paramount importance to him.. I beleive he would sooner go bancrupt than even be remotely linked to any theft from this community.

2.) When Thierry started producing these kits, he wanted to put them out with the customer deciding the price they would give him for them.. It was only advice from business minded Levnetters which persuaded him to set a price, I think..

3.) The hours Thierry spent developing the kit, at normal wages, will never be fully recovered by Thierry in sales of the modules - These modules are being sold, I believe, effectively at a loss.

4.) There is no gain to either party in any kind of 'fraud' - It is not worth the effort for any customer to sell the module to another E-Pro owner.. And the component cost is not worth enough to pretend to send a module and keep it back... Even if one was inclined to such devious behaviour.. The cost of these modules are low if one takes into account the tiny market, their specialist application, the R+D time that went into creating it, The time it takes to construct and package each module individually, and how good (apparently) they are.. But if taken purely in terms of component cost, well, they are worth virtually nothing.

The most important thing (for both parties) I believe, is to look at possible motives for the other parties actions.

And there are no motives that make any kind of sense.. No motive for Thierry not to send the module, and no motive for the customer to say he had not recieved the module if he had recieved it.

I do feel it is a bit unfair on Thierry to have come to his "home" and made these accusations, and I do hope that, when Thierry's modules turn up, a full public apology will be made to him here.

Likewise, adding my voice to the chorus. I’ve yet to meet Thierry personally, but I had no troubles when I bought my EPVM1345 module, no troubles installing it, and yes, it really does dramatically improve the volume response.

The label “unscrupulous” is completely off the mark; if anything, he might be just a bit [i]too[/i] scrupulous. Richard, I can understand your impatience, but you’ve jumped to the wrong conclusion.

I understand Thierry when he says shipping here in France is awful. I'm sending a lot of items to the US, and it cost way more than the other way. Also, there is often problems with our Postal system. It's really a pain to send anything.
Now, I know Thierry personnaly, and I know he's the most passionnated guy for everything Theremin, helping a lot, usually for free or almost nothing anyone with a problem. His module is the result of a lot of frustration with the Epro, and he has a lot of satisfied customers who wouldn't be as happy as they are now with this module. He takes a lot of his private time for the theremin community.
He was a big help also at the Theremin festival of Lausanne, France, so really, I know he didn't want to create any problem, and the lack of communication is certainly not intentional, but more the result of a busy schedule.
Anyway, I hope you'll receive the module soon, and will have lots of fun with it.

Dear thereminists,

I wanted to add a follow-up to my original post (I started this thread). It is now 5-1/2 months since I sent my $95 payment to Thierry and still no module nor any correspondence from him in the past 2-1/2 months on how long he might need to send me the module.

Rest assured, if it shows up I will add a new post to this thread stating that fact.

But as of now, no module to show for my payment to him of $95.

I regularly deal with shipments from Europe, including France. I've never had this much delay in receiving merchandise from that country.

Until this happened, I, too, had the utmost respect for Thierry. He is to be congratulated for his wonderful contribution to the theremin world. But a person still has to be honest in this world. Thierry, if you would prefer to not send me the module, then please refund my money.

For those who might acquire an Etherwave Pro in the future, beware of dealing with this seller. Make sure that your purchase has been backed up a payment guarantee from the company making the payment so that you may try to receive a refund. I, unfortunately, let the 45-day period that Ebay offers, expire (my fault). This is the first time in 9 years that I've ever had a problem receiving merchandise from Ebay.

Ok, This is an unhappy situation which serves nobody in this community / industry.

I suspect (but might be completely wrong) that Thierry is so p*ss*d off with the way his reputation was held to ransom, and the scandelous way both TW and Levnet have been used to do this, that he is not exactly 'bending over backwards' to make you happy.

Thierry - Regardless of your (in my opinion justified) outrage, what is happening here is bad for business.. Your business, and the business of every other honest small player in the Theremin market.. It is only because you are small that someone will make this kind of posting using unjust derogatory words - One may see complaints about the length of time Moog sometimes take to supply gear (sometimes a lot longer than 6 months) but no-one calls them "unscrupulous".

I find it hard to believe that you are not able to source the components - a few diodes and resistors.. but if there is anything specific causing this delay, please email me - I have large stocks of almost every diode and resistor known to man.. and will happily post you anything you need FOC just to end this debucle.

I am sure there was no deliberate dishonest action by Thierry - But I suspect Thierry thinks he has been subjected to dishonest treatment, and that this is all an attempt to get a free module.. Thierry, If you think this, well - you MAY be right - but the odds are highly biased towards the fact that you are wrong.. Whatever - send another module, get a reciept for posting, or negotiate with Bassoon for him to arrange postage in some secure way.. If he does regular shipments to/from France, he may have someone in France to whom you could post the module.

But dont let this matter go on without quick resolution - every time this thread pops to the top of the list, those derogatory and outrageous words "Unscrupulous seller" appear linked to your name - If I was you I would sort this matter out quickly and see if the TW staff would be willing to delete this entire thread.

Thierry : You said >> " I promised him a replacement and he will receive it soon. In my eyes it is absolutely impolite to hassle someone for a gratuitous service. " <<

I understand your position and your feelings - but the fact is that you are selling the modules as a business.. The fact that you are not really making any money from these transactions is irrelevant from a purchasers point of view - they are parting with $95.. Bassoon does not see your shipment of a replacement module as a "gratuitous service" - he believes (I am 99.9999% sure he is wrong) that you have never sent a module to him.. and this is the big problem with all postal transactions - Even proof of posting does not solve the problem if the recipient declares that there was nothing inside the box!

The fact that so many people have recieved your modules, and that, when there have been problems in the past you have sorted these out at your expense and refused payment offered to you for this service, makes it obvious that you are no crook - And to be branded a crook in the way that Bassoon has done - well, I fully understand if your reaction is to make him wait until you are ready.. But this is not a wise reaction!

[i]ps.. I think the word [/i]gracious (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gracious)[i] is what you want to say, not gratuitous - it is certainly the word that applies better to your actions! ;-) .. IMHO the word[/i] gratuitous (http://www.wordnik.com/words/gratuitous)[i] better fits Bassoon's actions![/i]

Bassoon - Just checked when you started this thread.. 22 Aug! it is now 16th Sept.. Less than 1 month, and you are again making statements and giving "warnings" >> "For those who might acquire an Etherwave Pro in the future, beware of dealing with this seller." << which are completely unjustified... I really hope I never do business with you - there are some customers that even small businesses are bette

Bassoon, you're very lucky if you haven't had any trouble in 9 years of Ebay. It happened to me a lot, especially with overseas products that take forever to arrive, or never arrive. Seriously.
And it's rare that seller gives your money back or send a new one for free.

Cousin Freddie! So THIS is where you're hiding!

Bassoon-o-rama's first post, warning everyone about unscrupulous theremin dealers, seemed well-intentioned enough but this constant harping on his personal woes in public forums (all in the name of keeping TW & Levnet subscribers abreast of the dangers lurking in the heterodyne world) seems more and more like old King Lear, naked on heath, raging against the storm.

"Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!
You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout
Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks!"

The other day I was speaking to an 18-year-old young man who told me that "Shakespeare is stupid."

Fred, what could I say? I felt sorry that our educational system had let him down so badly. I was surprised to learn that cursive script is no longer taught in many Canadian public schools so the students only know how to print. Not only are they unable to write longhand, they are also unable to read it!

[i]"So THIS is where you're hiding!" - Peter[/i]

LOL! No, not hiding - just getting a low-grade 'fix' here every now and then! ;-) .. Also, TW is (IMHO) where most Theremin stuff happens - And it is 'cleaner' - Levnet (IMHO) can be a sewer by comparison.

Exchanges can get heated here on TW - But they rarely become addictively heated.

My reasons for getting involved in this thread are probably complex.. But the main reason is, I think, annoyance - Just like on Levnet, when issues related to You-Tube ratings (which should have been dealt with at / by YouTube and not turned into a filthy hate campaign) got taken to Levnet and expanded at such a rate that an entire universe of animosity came into existance.. I feel that Ebay matters (unless there is absolutely gross malpractice and indesputable fraud that the Theremin community needs to know about) should be dealt with at Ebay.

The fact is that, had the Theremin community not been well aware of who and what Thierry is, and therefore immediately aware that there was something wrong about what Bassoon was saying, the postings by Bassoon could have done serious damage to Thierry's reputation.. It is frightening that any on-line buffoon has this kind of power.

As everyone here will know, Thierry and I have had a lot of unfriendly 'spats' and we probably have no 'loyalty' towards each other by merit of being 'friends'.. To be honest, Thierry annoys the hell out of me at times! ;-).. But, even if I regarded Thierry as an 'enemy' (Which I dont) I would still have made the postings here that I did - Because Bassoons accusations and inferrences are grossly unjust and unfounded.

Having said the above, I do sympathize / empathize with Bassoon's situation - It is the sort of situation I think most sufferers of OCD or similar disorders can relate to - A trivial issue becomes a major obssession, and one becomes trapped in a destructive cycle which consumes ones thoughts and time, and can damage other people who get cought up in ones obsession.


As to education.. I agree with you up to a point.. but I also do not think that imposing Shakespeare (or any other culture) on a young person who is not mature enough to engage with it, serves much purpose.. Give them 'tasters' and facilitate deeper exploration for those who 'get it' - but impose it, and you could drive kids who are not yet ready, away permanently.

I left school at 14 with nothing (due to health and emotional / psychological problems) and (mostly) self-educated thereafter.. I only had interest in the sciences, electronics, and religeon, and I only studied / indulged these, and because I was free to indulge what I was interested in, I ended up with my electronics diploma (and a diploma from a bible college - LOL -) at the same time that my ex-classmates were leaving school. - It was only many years later that I started to catch up on other matters - and the older I get, the easier I find learning.. For me, the idea that we learn best when we are young certainly was wrong.

>> [i]Fred, what could I say? I felt sorry that our educational system had let him down so badly. I was surprised to learn that cursive script is no longer taught in many Canadian public schools so the students only know how to print. Not only are they unable to write longhand, they are also unable to read it![/i] <<

It is facinating that, of all the educational matters you could pick, you chose this one!

I struggled my whole life with cursive - I cannot write it* (oh, Its not an understanding thing - it seems to be some sort of motor thing) and, unless extremely well written, I have severe difficulty reading it..
*I can - but I am so slow that effectively I cant..

No one ever has a problem reading my notes - I can write nearly as fast as any cursive writer, and faster if the cursive is being written for best legibility.

So, for me, well - I think the Canadian education sy

Fred wrote: "Exchanges can get heated here on TW - But they rarely become addictively heated."


I find exchanges to be rather uninteresting UNLESS they are heated, and in order to raise the temperature there has to be a significant element of emotion in the exchange. Obsessive/compulsive personalities (like thee and me), unless they are very strong, can easily be overwhelmed by this and they cannot stop thinking about whatever the particular subject of debate happens to be. This preoccupation, if it persists, can interfere with work, sleep patterns, and other aspects of life. You are not the first person who has left the Levnet because remaining there would be too upsetting.

This is hardly unique to the Levnet. It is something that can be observed in many internet special interest groups where people are deeply involved with a particular activity or belief.

Have you taken the Internet Addiction Test (http://www.netaddiction.com/index.php?option=com_bfquiz&view=onepage&catid=46&Itemid=106)?

I flunked!

There is a war going on inside you and it has been going on for years. I suspect it is a conflict between the rational and the irrational (science vs religion). I find it interesting that you actually studied religion at one point, and yet you consistently misspell the word and write "religeon". I have noticed this in many of your posts over the last few years. If you had done it once or twice, it could be dismissed as a simple typo, but the misspelling is a regular feature of your writing whenever the subject comes up.

That bit about cursive script was no coincidence.

As I was going to Saint Ives
I met a man with seven wives....

Dr. Sigmund Fraud

As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives
Of course, the seven wives weren't his
But here in France, that's how it is - MAD Magazine.

Sorry for going right off topic - but I am not particularly bothered if this thread is filled up with 'irrelevance' and drops into the dustbin of TW history!

>>[i]" I find it interesting that you actually studied religion at one point, and yet you consistently misspell the word and write "religeon". "[/i]

I have this with several words - It is habit.. Spell a word wrongly enough times, and it sticks.. Not sure there is any deeper meaning - but I do hate religion (as opposed to peoples individual spirituality or 'relationship' to their 'god' which I respect) - so there may be some deeper 'meaning'.

I should also say that my 'formal' 'religious' education was obtained at a baptist bible college - it was almost exclusively devoted to one interperetation of one 'holy book' - the reason for my 'LOL' .. The teaching was essentially that a) Our interpretation is correct b) Anyone who does not accept the tennets of our belief is damned to an eternity of hell fire c) You need to be versed in the scriptures so that you can deflect any attack on our beliefs, and show that such attacks are orchestrated by satan - dont forget that satan is quite clever.. he is the 2nd most intellegent entity in the universe - so be ready for some cunning tricks!

>> [i]". I suspect it is a conflict between the rational and the irrational (science vs religion)." [/i]

I believe I have resolved this conflict many years ago - but who knows.. remnants may remain - Yes, this conflict was for many years (particularly while studying science and religion simultaneously) a major inner battle.. Strangely, Science was not what got me out of christianity - it was the churches tollerance and effective support for aparthied which pushed me away - and I switched churches and joined the S.A. Communist Party.. the SACP solved the problem - it gave me a social home, a worthy cause, risk and adventure, and I was not forced to accept what I knew could not be true - the idea that humans had only been on earth for 6000 years for example.

My real education on religion came much later - I felt that I may have "thrown the baby out with the bath water" and set about exploring other religions and belief systems, devising hypotheses, and even started discussing becoming aa ordained multi-faith minister (this latter idea was, I realise, inspired by my father's pride in his 'status' as an ordained minister, and his absolute horror at the idea that I could obtain equivelent 'status' in something he saw as 'of the devil')

>>[i]"There is a war going on inside you and it has been going on for years. "[/i]

Agreed.. But is this not true, to some extent, to everyone? Is it not perhaps true that the human condition forces inner conflict continually - particularly for those who use their brains for thinking?

This is where religion does, in my view, sometimes perhaps serve a useful purpose - at a 'shallow' level it provides a way to escape the big questions and dillemas these questions carry with them.. Alas, the more 'fundamentalist' and 'exclusive' the religion becomes, the more destructive it becomes both to its followers and to 'outsiders'.

My "inner war" may be more extreme because of my history.. I really dont like what rational evaluation provides it terms of "meaning" and "purpose" - I would really like to believe in something "higher"..

[i](in fact, I would like to be able to believe in almost anything - but almost all "belief" seems to me to be irrational - The only thing I can be SURE of is that "I AM" - What I am, Where I am, how I am and all derivitives and extensions thereof are unknown unknowns - Apart from Descartes insight, there is IMHO no verifiable truth.. One can only verify untruth)[/i]

I KNOW that there CANNOT be ANY "god" o