Dealings with Long Creek Apiaries

[beemaster01]

I plan to pay everyone back. I have decided to go one more year and take all profits and apply to those I owe and then go from there. Otherwise somewhere between 15-20% of the owed will be paid. Everyone wins.

[Lauren]

It seems that Long Creek is doing well after all. I typed in a search for Russian Package Bees and found that he is taking orders for 2012. I hope that means it all got sorted out with refunds and bee deliveries.......

[krad1964]

How does one know if they will be getting a full refund or the packages that they ordered?

[StevenG]

You don't know. and the odds are, based on past history, you should just kiss your money good bye. And if anyone orders bees from them, well, I have a bridge here in Butler County, MO, I'd like to sell you.
Regards,
Steven

[beemaster01]

Sounds like the tone here is that I should quit, liquidate, and distribute whatever money there is. In that case you can expect 15-20% of what is owed to you. Otherwise, stay viable one year and and everyone gets paid everything assuming this thread doesn't prevent enough business to pay 100%. Hey lets have a survey! Option 1 as stated above which is quit, etc. or Option 2 stay viable etc.

[dragonfly]

I would say that there is plenty of discussion in this thread for potential buyers to beware. If you want to take the chance with your money, then do so. If you do take your chance, and wind up a loser in the deal, then there's not much room for complaining.
Please keep the thread focused on actual experience, and not on speculation and foretelling the future. This adds nothing constructive to the discussion.

[thomas]

I have gotten bees from them before and the bees came when they said i also have talked to Mr. Winters and he seems to be a real nice guy. I also sent a pm and was told if i have any doubt then do not order so i made up my mind and i am going to get some queens from him. I never had a problem with them before and he always answer my questions somtimes thing's happen out of our control and from reading the posts he said he was going to give back the refunds at least he is not like rory of Busy bee you never get a answer i say give this man a chance what does it hurt.

Thomas Yancey

[Daniel Y]

I se this as an issue of lifestyle and self control. If you could not make taking money = sending product in the past. What is supposed to have happened that you will be able to do it now? You have not been able to keep your end for what? two years now. and now you will be able to produce three years worth of bees in one season??? Did you get new management or something? expand to more than three times the size you where? What colossal change in your life happened that makes you think this will happen? Otherwise this is just the next chapter in a story that keeps convincing people to send you their money. I can't believe you are allowed to post on this group. You can't make a personal attack on someone but rip them off, that is fine.

[wolfpenfarm]

Simple solution for longcreek, post a list of all the refunds of users on here. that would go a lonnnnng way to show he is doing what he says he is doing.

Anyone can get in trouble using funds as they come in. To do so takes some self control and disclipine. I build complete hives and require people to pay up front for foundation and frames so i can order them. I build the hive whle the supplies come to me and then ask for balance when i complete hive. Then i use the profit to fund the other hives i am working on. But i never use money that is not from a completed hive.

You can't use the money in bees and queens until your harvest is complete. You can't possibly know how many your going to get to fill your orders. So the only safe way is to escrow the deposits. That way your never caught with your titty in the wringer.

To longcreek, cudos to you if you are working towards returning the money. If you succeed at that, then build a track record with it. It really needs to be done even if you call it quits, and im not talking 15 -25%. This is completely different than investors investing in your company and taking a loss.

[matt1954]

I would like to know why everyone has allowed him to get away with this for so long? Does he only do business with people out of state so they wont come to his home state to prosecute him? Why are you not getting in touch with his local police to file criminal charges? If enough of you do it, someone at the local police will take notice and investigate. It wont take that long. If he did it here in Virginia, he woud be in prison. This appears to be nothing more than a Ponzi scheme where he is taking from one to give to another. (allegedly) You all are way too kind.

[riverbee1]

I would like to know why everyone has allowed him to get away with this for so long? Does he only do business with people out of state so they wont come to his home state to prosecute him? Why are you not getting in touch with his local police to file criminal charges? If enough of you do it, someone at the local police will take notice and investigate. It wont take that long. If he did it here in Virginia, he woud be in prison. This appears to be nothing more than a Ponzi scheme where he is taking from one to give to another. (allegedly) You all are way too kind.

all very good points, if any of you who just recently jumped into this thread, may i suggest reading the prior 350 some odd posts that describe what some of us who have been stiffed have done, to no avail......so we are not repeating.....repeating.....repeating ourselves, and the replys and excuses repeated, repeated, repeated by mr. winters. the state of tennessee, from my experience and in my opinion doesn't give one wit, (the state of utah does). the diplomatic alternative is spend more money to file a civil suit, which i might point out, will cost you more money and you will collect nothing according to mr. winters financial state.

i am still waiting for a refund of some $700 from 3 years ago.....and i will never see it. the message and lesson to be learned here is BUYER BEWARE, and choose carefully who you purchase your bees or your queens from. i might add, that the money that i am still owed.....mr. winters has never emailed or written me, or my attorney to explain how and when, i might be paid back, other than to blame and insult me for asking for my refund. if there are those of you that have had a good experience, great, but there is a large majority that has not. you make the decision for yourselves. this is only my experience and my opinion.

[matt1954]

Perhaps the state of TN doesnt give a hoot, but the Federal Authorities will. I am retired federal and given the volume of posts, his misconduct must be above $50,000.00 which is the threshold. He is using the internet, mail, taking checks and credit cards, that is mail and wire fraud all federal crimes. What we need is one person to put this collectively together and take it to a United States Attorney. I know who to take this to so here is what I am willing to do. If you have paid and not received your money or your products, send me your name, dollar amount, email and phone number, and I will put a spreadsheet together. If we can get over the 50k, I will forward it to the appropriate federal authorities. Here is my email address: jmattiaccio@richmondgroupintl.com Put Long Creek in the subject line. If 350 people post with a majority of them having negative views, coupled with an F rating at the BBB, then this is not someone down on his luck, this is done with malice and he should be stopped because his predatory ways on new and unsuspecting beekeepers will cause the rest of us trying hard to do it right to pay a hefty price. Lord knows this work is tough enough without wondering whether you are going to receive what you paid for.

Jerry Mattiaccio

[beemaster01]

Long Creek Apiaries, INC is closed for business. Go ahead, pat yourselves on the back, you deserve it. Maybe you will delete this post also.

[wolfpenfarm]

Long Creek Apiaries, INC is closed for business. Go ahead, pat yourselves on the back, you deserve it. Maybe you will delete this post also.

Thats a no brainer since you are actively selling from http://caucasianbreeder.com/ Aka Winters apiaries.

[beemaster01]

Thats a no brainer since you are actively selling from http://caucasianbreeder.com/ Aka Winters apiaries.

That website just hasn't been updated yet. I just updated the Long Creek site and that one is next. Anyone can call or email if they want but it won't do any good. You got what you wanted so go ahead and gloat.

[Rodeo]

I'm not gloating. Just discusted with your deceptive business practices and the lack of support from local and state government consumer protection agincies and the fact that you were able to stay in business for so long and bilk so many people out of their hard earned cash.

[Rodeo]

My hat is off to you beemaster01. You have proven to me that true justice is only afforded to the truley wealthy (the ones who can pay for justice). My dealings with you and the legal machine has proven that crime does pay. You get to walk away with all the money and nobody can do a thing about it, unless they can afford an aturney at $100.00 + dollars an hour. If I didn't want to sleep at night, I'd advertise on the internet, collect peoples money and provide nothing in return.

[Oldtimer]

What's happening to all the people who have placed orders over the last few months and not been filled yet?

[Rodeo]

I hate to say it but you probably get to stand in line with the rest of us suckers

[beemaster01]

What's happening to all the people who have placed orders over the last few months and not been filled yet?

You mean all the fake orders? Calls and emails then never hear from again?