Art Fawcett
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- Messages
- 3,717
- Location
- Central Point, Or.
I hate to start a thread like this but feel it's important that nobody else gets taken by this dealer of Cuenca panamas.
Here's the story
Last year when Panama Bob went out of business I lost my best supplier of raw body panamas that I had come to count on in a pinch. He had developed a network of suppliers in Ecuador but had what I considered a flawed business plan in that he took deposits on hats for clients, then had to search for the hats through his network. Over the years I had also block many of his higher end hats and all went well for a long time. Unfortunately, dealing with the people of Ecuador proved difficult as he would order hats of specific crown and brim dimensions but what he got didn't match his orders , not a problem in the US but a big problem in Ecuador. So, he kept having to try to sell hats that were not ordered trying to get the hats that WERE ordered.
This lead to his downfall in the business and you know the rest of the story.
Now, last September I started looking for a new source and found one that seemed to be legitimate on Facebook under the name "Yamilets Export" owned by Mario Cardenas Cordero and placed an small order to be sure of his grading system to know what I would be getting for my money. In the initial contacts that I was a hatter, blocked many hats for Panama Bob, and did not want finished hats, just bodies. The first order for a few hats went well. I was nervous because the procedure is to send money bank to bank in advance but it was fine, I got finished hats but I overlooked that thinking there may be something in translation that I didn't accomplish.
Once the first went well, in Jan this year I wired another $1780 for a second order and went on vacation. By the end of Feb I sent an email inquiring about the order and was told " it takes time to weave" which I thought was strange since he was a supplier, not a weaver, but gave him the benefit of the doubt so I gave more time. By April I was starting to get concerned and that's when the ball dropped.
I was told that he had sent my hats...to Panama Bob. I came unglued and asked why he would send them to Robert when I had paid for them and he accused me of BEING Panama Bob and would not send my hats until Panama Bob had paid what he owed Cordero.
I reached out through friends to Panama Bob and he texted that he HAD had dealings with Cordero, that Cordero was the main culprit in his demise as a business and that this is a common practice in Ecuador. Making good on the first order but stealing the second. Bob tried reaching out through his brother-in-law in Ecuador but to no avail.
Here it is Aug 20th, I've missed the entire season and have no hope of ever getting my hats unless Cordero wants his reputation restored. From where I sit he is a thief plain and simple. Doing business in Ecuador seems to be risky at best so I wanted to share my experience with all of you hatters out there. Please be careful who you deal with.
Here's the story
Last year when Panama Bob went out of business I lost my best supplier of raw body panamas that I had come to count on in a pinch. He had developed a network of suppliers in Ecuador but had what I considered a flawed business plan in that he took deposits on hats for clients, then had to search for the hats through his network. Over the years I had also block many of his higher end hats and all went well for a long time. Unfortunately, dealing with the people of Ecuador proved difficult as he would order hats of specific crown and brim dimensions but what he got didn't match his orders , not a problem in the US but a big problem in Ecuador. So, he kept having to try to sell hats that were not ordered trying to get the hats that WERE ordered.
This lead to his downfall in the business and you know the rest of the story.
Now, last September I started looking for a new source and found one that seemed to be legitimate on Facebook under the name "Yamilets Export" owned by Mario Cardenas Cordero and placed an small order to be sure of his grading system to know what I would be getting for my money. In the initial contacts that I was a hatter, blocked many hats for Panama Bob, and did not want finished hats, just bodies. The first order for a few hats went well. I was nervous because the procedure is to send money bank to bank in advance but it was fine, I got finished hats but I overlooked that thinking there may be something in translation that I didn't accomplish.
Once the first went well, in Jan this year I wired another $1780 for a second order and went on vacation. By the end of Feb I sent an email inquiring about the order and was told " it takes time to weave" which I thought was strange since he was a supplier, not a weaver, but gave him the benefit of the doubt so I gave more time. By April I was starting to get concerned and that's when the ball dropped.
I was told that he had sent my hats...to Panama Bob. I came unglued and asked why he would send them to Robert when I had paid for them and he accused me of BEING Panama Bob and would not send my hats until Panama Bob had paid what he owed Cordero.
I reached out through friends to Panama Bob and he texted that he HAD had dealings with Cordero, that Cordero was the main culprit in his demise as a business and that this is a common practice in Ecuador. Making good on the first order but stealing the second. Bob tried reaching out through his brother-in-law in Ecuador but to no avail.
Here it is Aug 20th, I've missed the entire season and have no hope of ever getting my hats unless Cordero wants his reputation restored. From where I sit he is a thief plain and simple. Doing business in Ecuador seems to be risky at best so I wanted to share my experience with all of you hatters out there. Please be careful who you deal with.
