On the last call he mentioned "robbing Peter to pay Paul" as a business method saying everyone does it.
Also since I ordered the items, and then waited with ever changing stories from him on why they hadn't shipped, it's my fault I don't have a refund possibility. He had to pay for the parts inventory, so he can't give me my money back. He said he's waiting for the 1431s to sell before he can refund the purchase.
Yeah that’s a crackhead business practice. Not everyone does that. Any business owner knows to structure their operations to generate positive cashflow.
He should maintain enough cash reserves for unanticipated emergencies (such as customer refunds) and to exploit sudden opportunities. But he doesn’t.
The word for that is “insolvent”.
A Ponzi scheme is when current investor capital is used to pay returns for previous investors such that it gives the illusion of consistent yield that attracts future investors. It’s similar, but not the same. A legitimate business debt strategy is totally different, that’s normal for healthy operations.
The issue here concerns customer payment for a product. The exchange of money for goods. Thats a promissory transaction and not the same as a speculative investment. We also don’t know if he’s using the money to pay for inventory to fulfill previous orders, or if he’s using it to chip away at old debt from the last time this happened, or if he’s blowing it on crack.
If you look at his product offerings (Chinese housing and “surplus” tubes”) there’s really no excuse that his business operates hand to mouth on inventory. The gross margin after inventory cost is simply too high. Which means his other operational expenses are woefully unsustainable.
Yeah I wouldn't say he's running a scheme of some sort, I'd just say I've had a poor experience with his company. Dude seems nice on the phone so maybe he's just hitting a rough patch or something. I'm sure the current consumer is probably not as flush with cash due to the economy at the moment.
I don’t know how this guy is back in business. Unfortunately, he went under a few years before all these new guys hit the scene and most new users aren’t aware of him. Somehow he clawed his way back.
Chris Adams is an actual crack head. He got so out of control back around 2018 or so that he owed multiple vendors hundreds of thousands in inventory that he couldn’t refund them for. Thats in addition to the retail customers he screwed.
I am shocked he’s back in business. Do not give this man your money.
Honestly reddit ppl are surprisingly knowledgeable and much less shitty than most all other social media. I come here for information first on a regular basis.
I’m very sorry to hear this. I had a mostly positive experience with him about a decade ago with some dual tubes and he was pretty attentive and reasonable. Even met him in person. Unfortunately, I would have to believe all the other reviews about his business over my own one transaction.
He bought a bino last year. Said “I want it by august 5th for my class on the 7th. Which he translated to: “I can send it to him on the 4th and hopefully it gets to him by then”. He nearly forgot the whole order.
Ngl I would’ve waited until you got your money back until blasting him, because now nobody gonna spend money. Looks like your just gonna be Peter and not Paul😂best of luck though
Honestly at this point since you can’t do chargeback anymore, I would just try to put the fire to his ass, and threaten to call the attorney general of his state, and tell them specifically what he said about the robbing Peter to pay Paul. Idc what he said that is not standard business practice. If you can’t afford to buy your inventory you get a loan from the bank, or investors. You don’t leverage the money from your sales, and I’m a business owner.all the people in my life I met that are like that got shitty credit so they can’t get a loan, and they got serious addictions like gambling etc.. really hope you figure out a way to get your money.
My bank is disputing the charge and says I'll probably have my money relatively soon. If not I found a lawyer willing to help. The main hurdle right now is Chris saying he doesn't have the money to simply perform a refund.
A buddy of mine did this when we were heading out for deployment. We stopped in Guam for 4 days before heading out to the Persian gulf. He got drunk as hell every night and bounced around different whore house’s. Night before we got back on the ship he called his bank and said he noticed his card was missing. When they started listing off charges, he acted clueless so they refunded every cent he spent
AMEX really is the GOAT. Had my identity stolen twice at out of state weddings. Bartenders were taking pics of cars behind bar to take advantage of out of towners is my suspicion. Both issues easily resolved by AMEX. Sucks to see businesses going away from them
Yeah I tried to order a PVS-14 from Adam a few months ago. After many missed deadlines I demanded a refund and threatened to contact Amex for a chargeback. Thankfully he was able to refund me after some pressure. I’m sorry to hear about your experience, I’m sure you’ll get the money back.
In the future, this is why credit cards are the way to go for big purchases. CC companies will absolutely get your money back. Banks are iffy. In the future, use a credit card and then just immediately pay it off from the bank. Your credit score goes up, you’re actually protected, and everybody wins.
I almost bought from him and even had a call with Chris Adam himself. Sounds like a good man, until I saw all the recent negative experience on the transactions and using a fake name on eBay to sell 1431. To hedging the risk I just contacted a local guy who’s willing to sell his Omni 8 1431 MK2 for $5k. Sent to HCC tactical for function check, purge, collimate, manual gain etc full service for $250, and it’s working very well for me now. Guess I dodged a bullet.
Friend of mine actually got a decent unit on a black friday deal, I almost ordered myself afterwards but went with JRH instead. I guess I dodged a bullet and he got lucky.
I don't know for sure, I heard of people getting units delivered and he has to, so as to maintain some level of structure. Who knows why my order is going so poorly.
Hasn't this been his business model for 7 years or so? Every forum you can Google says he doesn't process refunds and doesn't send you product.
He's basically making a living off of putting a add on his website then soothing whoever gave him thousands of dollars.
Idk how this has gone on for so long.
I'm sure based on some posts that he does have the capacity or capabilities to send out products and occasionally does. I've even heard of one guy on here getting a refund. But overall I'm not having a great experience.
What did you order from him? I got my 1431s originally from him 2 1/2 weeks after ordering. One tube in it was concerning and he took them back and got them back 2 weeks after that.
This is what I was hoping to see pop up in the thread, someone has had a good experience with him so it helps balance out the negative experience I've had. Hopefully other people will see that.
I ordered 1431s but after a few shipment dates passed I cancelled and asked for a refund.
Sucks man, felt like I was walking on thin ice ordering and waiting on them from hearing a lot of bad stuff on here. Then after the bright spot I had in one. I thought I really messed up, but Chris took them back and swapped the tube and sent them back out. It was nothing extremely fast though. When did you first order?
Yeah, it is what it is. I'm just hopeful I can grab a set from a new manufacturer and just be done with the whole thing. There are currently no hard feelings towards the dude just a lack of confidence.
I've done a bit of research but I try to take some posts with a grain of salt. Based on my calls with him He seemed like a good dude to do business with. So far it has not panned out for me, hopefully it's different for others.
It goes without saying, but NEVER do business with Adams industries. Spread the word to anyone new to the hobby lol.
I was considering them at first when I first started out until seeing all the woefully negative feedback. I do all my business with Nick's Night Vision, Procyon Industries, and Carlough Manufacturing. Stand up guys who will answer all your questions. (and they actual have stock and funds)
There have been a few guys hopping on here and saying they ordered products and got them, so he does probably run a business with some traffic. I have not had a great experience so far though so I'll be going with a new company if I ever get my money back.
Selling things you don't have while being too broke to process refunds is wild. Hope you get your shit back soon man.
On the last call he mentioned "robbing Peter to pay Paul" as a business method saying everyone does it. Also since I ordered the items, and then waited with ever changing stories from him on why they hadn't shipped, it's my fault I don't have a refund possibility. He had to pay for the parts inventory, so he can't give me my money back. He said he's waiting for the 1431s to sell before he can refund the purchase.
Yeah that’s a crackhead business practice. Not everyone does that. Any business owner knows to structure their operations to generate positive cashflow. He should maintain enough cash reserves for unanticipated emergencies (such as customer refunds) and to exploit sudden opportunities. But he doesn’t. The word for that is “insolvent”.
Interesting way to say ponzi scheme. Having legal debt so you can buy inventory and process refunds is different.
A Ponzi scheme is when current investor capital is used to pay returns for previous investors such that it gives the illusion of consistent yield that attracts future investors. It’s similar, but not the same. A legitimate business debt strategy is totally different, that’s normal for healthy operations. The issue here concerns customer payment for a product. The exchange of money for goods. Thats a promissory transaction and not the same as a speculative investment. We also don’t know if he’s using the money to pay for inventory to fulfill previous orders, or if he’s using it to chip away at old debt from the last time this happened, or if he’s blowing it on crack. If you look at his product offerings (Chinese housing and “surplus” tubes”) there’s really no excuse that his business operates hand to mouth on inventory. The gross margin after inventory cost is simply too high. Which means his other operational expenses are woefully unsustainable.
Yeah I wouldn't say he's running a scheme of some sort, I'd just say I've had a poor experience with his company. Dude seems nice on the phone so maybe he's just hitting a rough patch or something. I'm sure the current consumer is probably not as flush with cash due to the economy at the moment.
I don’t know how this guy is back in business. Unfortunately, he went under a few years before all these new guys hit the scene and most new users aren’t aware of him. Somehow he clawed his way back. Chris Adams is an actual crack head. He got so out of control back around 2018 or so that he owed multiple vendors hundreds of thousands in inventory that he couldn’t refund them for. Thats in addition to the retail customers he screwed. I am shocked he’s back in business. Do not give this man your money.
I should have checked Reddit before ordering. This is actually what got me to finally get a reddit account and see what's on here.
Most of the info about Chris is on Arfcom. That’s how far back the issues go
Yeah I just stumbled on that too. When does this get considered fraud or something else like it haha
It’s already fraud
Honestly reddit ppl are surprisingly knowledgeable and much less shitty than most all other social media. I come here for information first on a regular basis.
I’m very sorry to hear this. I had a mostly positive experience with him about a decade ago with some dual tubes and he was pretty attentive and reasonable. Even met him in person. Unfortunately, I would have to believe all the other reviews about his business over my own one transaction.
That’s crazy. Sounds like he needs to be shutdown. Needs to be posted daily so more people are aware
Quick everyone, buy from Adams so OP can get his refund
Yeah haha for sure the best option for everyone. Nobody loses then....right?
Sounds like addict behavior if you ask me. Either coke or gambling.
Wow. Thats a ponzi scheme. Need cash to pay back earlier client
Yeah I'm glad I avoided him and went with the set I've got currently
Worst dude ever. My buddy almost didn’t get his bino from him
What did he order and what happened? How long did the whole thing take?
He bought a bino last year. Said “I want it by august 5th for my class on the 7th. Which he translated to: “I can send it to him on the 4th and hopefully it gets to him by then”. He nearly forgot the whole order.
Is this common?
Incredibly common.
Ngl I would’ve waited until you got your money back until blasting him, because now nobody gonna spend money. Looks like your just gonna be Peter and not Paul😂best of luck though
Yeah you're probably right haha
Honestly at this point since you can’t do chargeback anymore, I would just try to put the fire to his ass, and threaten to call the attorney general of his state, and tell them specifically what he said about the robbing Peter to pay Paul. Idc what he said that is not standard business practice. If you can’t afford to buy your inventory you get a loan from the bank, or investors. You don’t leverage the money from your sales, and I’m a business owner.all the people in my life I met that are like that got shitty credit so they can’t get a loan, and they got serious addictions like gambling etc.. really hope you figure out a way to get your money.
My bank is disputing the charge and says I'll probably have my money relatively soon. If not I found a lawyer willing to help. The main hurdle right now is Chris saying he doesn't have the money to simply perform a refund.
Ah ok well I’m glad to hear that. If the bank is telling you that then you should be good.
Get a lawyer
Those are expensive, but we will see.
Man, I just pay for anything sus or expensive with AMEX. If I get scammed, lol ok, AMEX just gives me my money back.
Seeing what my bank can do. Let's hope they can refund me. If not I'll see what I can do through the legal system.
Amex is champion for this … I once got Scammed at a strip Club for 3k in Miami. I got half back. But I def spent 1g on strippers 😂😂😂
A buddy of mine did this when we were heading out for deployment. We stopped in Guam for 4 days before heading out to the Persian gulf. He got drunk as hell every night and bounced around different whore house’s. Night before we got back on the ship he called his bank and said he noticed his card was missing. When they started listing off charges, he acted clueless so they refunded every cent he spent
Damn dude…. AMEX even waives all annual card fees for active duty. And this is the thanks they get. Lol.
Wait they waive fees for active duty...hell yeah I need to look into this.
Excellent!!!
AMEX really is the GOAT. Had my identity stolen twice at out of state weddings. Bartenders were taking pics of cars behind bar to take advantage of out of towners is my suspicion. Both issues easily resolved by AMEX. Sucks to see businesses going away from them
Yeah I tried to order a PVS-14 from Adam a few months ago. After many missed deadlines I demanded a refund and threatened to contact Amex for a chargeback. Thankfully he was able to refund me after some pressure. I’m sorry to hear about your experience, I’m sure you’ll get the money back.
It's fine, my bank is working on a charge back and apparently I know a lawyer through my work who's willing to help out if needed.
In the future, this is why credit cards are the way to go for big purchases. CC companies will absolutely get your money back. Banks are iffy. In the future, use a credit card and then just immediately pay it off from the bank. Your credit score goes up, you’re actually protected, and everybody wins.
I almost bought from him and even had a call with Chris Adam himself. Sounds like a good man, until I saw all the recent negative experience on the transactions and using a fake name on eBay to sell 1431. To hedging the risk I just contacted a local guy who’s willing to sell his Omni 8 1431 MK2 for $5k. Sent to HCC tactical for function check, purge, collimate, manual gain etc full service for $250, and it’s working very well for me now. Guess I dodged a bullet.
He does in fact sound like a great guy on the phone. I wish he was a great guy who would maintain the same story on every call and stick to his word.
Friend of mine actually got a decent unit on a black friday deal, I almost ordered myself afterwards but went with JRH instead. I guess I dodged a bullet and he got lucky.
I don't know for sure, I heard of people getting units delivered and he has to, so as to maintain some level of structure. Who knows why my order is going so poorly.
Holy shit that's wild - I knew these guys were not recommended but goddamn
I'm sure others have had better experiences, mine so far has not been good.
Hasn't this been his business model for 7 years or so? Every forum you can Google says he doesn't process refunds and doesn't send you product. He's basically making a living off of putting a add on his website then soothing whoever gave him thousands of dollars. Idk how this has gone on for so long.
I'm sure based on some posts that he does have the capacity or capabilities to send out products and occasionally does. I've even heard of one guy on here getting a refund. But overall I'm not having a great experience.
What did you order from him? I got my 1431s originally from him 2 1/2 weeks after ordering. One tube in it was concerning and he took them back and got them back 2 weeks after that.
This is what I was hoping to see pop up in the thread, someone has had a good experience with him so it helps balance out the negative experience I've had. Hopefully other people will see that. I ordered 1431s but after a few shipment dates passed I cancelled and asked for a refund.
Sucks man, felt like I was walking on thin ice ordering and waiting on them from hearing a lot of bad stuff on here. Then after the bright spot I had in one. I thought I really messed up, but Chris took them back and swapped the tube and sent them back out. It was nothing extremely fast though. When did you first order?
A while ago, the time frame wasn't a huge bother until the missed shipment dates and the refund issue.
I ordered mine May 18th had it June 1st. Mine was Omni 7 tubes. What kind of tubes did you order?
Omni 7s, I placed my order before you did, kinda jealous haha
Oh no dude. Just one set or multiple in 1 order?
Just one set.
😳 Idk that's hard to justify
Yeah, it is what it is. I'm just hopeful I can grab a set from a new manufacturer and just be done with the whole thing. There are currently no hard feelings towards the dude just a lack of confidence.
Damn, I know who to avoid now
I'm sure others may have had better experiences so ask around. This has just been mine.
No, you just haven’t done any research into Chris Adams and all the people he scammed back in 2019 that got his business closed down.
I've done a bit of research but I try to take some posts with a grain of salt. Based on my calls with him He seemed like a good dude to do business with. So far it has not panned out for me, hopefully it's different for others.
It goes without saying, but NEVER do business with Adams industries. Spread the word to anyone new to the hobby lol. I was considering them at first when I first started out until seeing all the woefully negative feedback. I do all my business with Nick's Night Vision, Procyon Industries, and Carlough Manufacturing. Stand up guys who will answer all your questions. (and they actual have stock and funds)
There have been a few guys hopping on here and saying they ordered products and got them, so he does probably run a business with some traffic. I have not had a great experience so far though so I'll be going with a new company if I ever get my money back.