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#1 ·
Just wondering if anyone out there has dealt with Long Creek Apiaries in Parrotsville, TN. I'm having a really bad experience with them. He cashed my check and never sent the package bees. Besides the BBB of Eastern TN, what would be my best avenue to get my money back?
 
#204 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

Like grizbee, I have been in relentless pursuit to recover my money. I may never see it, and I have spent countless hours pursuing every avenue available, including hiring an attorney or two. I have been receiving emails and phone calls, for over a year from hundreds of beekeepers all across the United States. Based on the content of these emails, David Winters of Long Creek Apiaries owes hundreds of beekeepers a very substantial amount of money. In addition, David Winters continues to take orders and money from unsuspecting beekeepers. My opinion, but they won’t see their money and they won’t see their bees based on his history.

Swearing out a federal complaint requires that the complaint be sworn out and filed in the state of Tennessee, and that you also make yourself available to the court if charges are filed. This costs money and a lot of time. I live in the Midwest, and this is not a practical alternative for me or most other beekeepers.

The Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs has been receiving complaints about David Winters for over a year. The most important thing we can do for ourselves, and others is to file a complaint with this office, and follow up with the agent assigned to your case. I have been doing it for a year, and I have been asking for prosecution not mediation. This is how it works, if enough complaints are received, the Tennessee Div of Consumer Affairs has the power to refer our complaints to the Tennessee Attorney General, for investigation, and prosecution. If David Winters is investigated, and if David Winters is prosecuted, the court may order restitution. See here: Protecting Consumers

Btw, filing bankruptcy does not discharge anyone from criminal activity.

David Winters of Long Creek Apiaries owes me $740.00, for an order I placed on February 23, 2010. I have been demanding a refund since June 29, 2010. 10 months and 15 days, no refund. Many of you are in line way ahead of me on this.

David Winters said his goal here is to pay us all back. I don’t believe this either, and I don’t believe some of his incredible excuses I have heard from him during the past year. I suggest David Winters go to the bank and borrow the money like a lot of us did to pay him. Money I paid him, and money I am paying interest on.
 
#205 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

I hope that I don't turn out to be another one who got ripped off. Before reading about Long Creek on this website, I ordered five packages of Russian bees. According to his website, the only delay is for the week of May 9th by one week. The rest are to be shipped on time. Well, mine were to be shipped the week of May 16th and I still have not heard from the local post office. I have been keeping in touch with the local post office and they know to call me as soon as the bees arrive, but they said no bee packages have arrived. I emailed Long Creek and left a phone message asking to inform me of any delays so that I may know when to expect delivery, but have not received any response. I wish that if weather was delaying any more deliveries, they could make it easy for customers and post it on their website. Otherwise, we can't help but wonder if our experience with them will be like some of the unhappy customers who have posted here. I am getting worried. I did see some happy Long Creek customers post messages, so that gives me some hope.
 
#206 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

Yes you may have reason to worry, sounds like the same story but a different chapter...May I ask where did you see happy customers post? I sit here waiting for a refund of $936.90 sent on 3/3/09 and hear about other people getting their orders filled from this season. My wife told me the other day that I was turning blue, I told her I was still holding my breath after walking down to the mailbox to see if my refund check was there for David Winters....
 
#207 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

I don't spend much time on this forum, so I can't say which thread, or if it is still there. But when I did a search on Long Creek, I remember some positive responses. One said that his Russian packages from Long Creek out performed other races of bees in his same beeyard. If I remember correctly, he even had a picture showing how many supers he stacked on it. It is possible that I am thinking of something I saw on another website altogether, but I do remember the name Long Creek Apiaries with that post. I think there is a beekeeping forum on gardenweb. Maybe that is where I saw it?
 
#208 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

If the guy has sold any bees at all, it's possible someone, somewhere, has had a good experience.

This does not negate the emotional turmoil he is inflicting on others.
 
#210 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

It is amazing to me that this guy can continue to steal and get away with it.
Someday he will take money from the wrong person.
God be with him when that day comes.
 
#211 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

I am a brand new beek and live fairly close to Long Creek. I am scheduled to go and pickup my first package and queen from David this Sunday at 3:30 (Russians). I'll let you know how it goes. I'm more than a little concerned based on all of the negative threads.
 
#212 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

My guess is if you are physically going there and actually seeing the guy, he will cough up the goods.

He will probably also launch a charm offensive on you and tell you how bad the world has been treating him.
 
#217 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

Alright David now you have hit a nerve.You know who I am, I wanted your bees,I felt that from discussions with you that this stock would be a good addition to my breeding stock.I gave you 2 seasons, waiting patiently for my bees,and being in N. Michigan there is a point where a package has no time to build up for a michigan winter, so asked for a refund after seeing no bees.I was told in 6/09, that I would get a check in 30 days.Then last season I saw that you shipped packages to people who ordered in the 2010 season, ignoring my order from 2009! so do you think I could trust you to come thru with bees this season? you specifically asked me if I wanted bees or a refund this year and my reply was send my refund. I have posted that I would give you a positive post when I see my check,and have again been more than patient.When you fire off a post like your last one it makes me feel that I am on your blacklist of people that will never see anything, bees or refund. I tryed to negotiate in private e-mails and never could get a response, so only then while saying I don't like to air dirty laundry in public, did I post on this forum.
 
#221 · (Edited)
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

Just shows, it's as was said. Show up in person and he'll hand over the goods, cos you are in his face, not just a faceless cheque to be banked and forgotten.

I'm not a customer and I don't have to be to see that the so called "beemaster", is not putting his clients out of the misery he has caused them. Of course, "beemaster" would like to limit who can talk on this thread and have the thread as small and low profile as possible. Unfortunately, he is not a moderator.

My right to comment on this issue, is that I am a beekeeper, and don't like to see this conscienceless parasite among us.

What surprises me though folks, is that this pathalogical liar is allowed to continue to ply his trade, of fraud, and even quite openly discussing it on the net. In my country he would have been dealt with by the law, upon even one complaint. Plus if it somehow had got this bad, he would have to be hoping the law would get to him, before some of his customers did. And they would.
 
#222 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

So I guess you aren't buying the Divorce reason for not repaying what is owed as fast as those owed wouild like?

How did that work out beemaster? Still got anything? Did she get her part of the Debts too?
 
#223 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

So I guess you aren't buying the Divorce reason for not repaying what is owed as fast as those owed wouild like?
Who me?

No.

If he got divorced, any average lawyer would have ensured business debts were factored into the equation.

You see, the problem with this guy is regardless of whenever his divorce was, he continues to take peoples money and not deliver.
 
#224 ·
Re: Dealings with Long Creek Apiary

The paperwork I completed with the post office listed Mr. Dunn as the payee. They were his bees the second they were shipped (FOB ship point). That is why they were insured. Standard practice of almost all queen breeders. This was clearly posted so they could be no question about it.
 
#227 · (Edited)
I checked my records to make sure before I responded. I know for a fact that I didn't receive the money as all losses (there were very few of them) were paid to the customers. If you didn't get the money, that is between you and the post office.

I think that you can file the claim again. I don't know if the post office will let you do that but it is worth a try.
 
#228 ·
Beemaster,

Just how many outstanding orders do you still have to fulfill; 10's, 100'a or more? We know you have three years to fulfill you divorce settlement with your ex-wife. What is your business plan on how & when you will fulfill or satisfy these outstanding bee-order obligations? We have not heard one comment from you on addressing these matters. If you are a good businessman I would thingk that would be a good place to start. Following this thread for the last couple of years, I for one would like to see this thread closed once & for all in a positive manner. All of the negativity like this (& a few other threads) hurts all of the bee industry. I wish you good luck with becoming a member in good standing again in the bee industry some day. Look at how much business you have lost from this thread (me for one).
 
#229 ·
You misunderstood what I said. I don't have three years, I have got to pay for at least three years. There isn't anything that I can say to change minds here. Just go back and read all the posts. Anything that I post will be met with a flurry of negative remarks from busybodies with nothing better to do.
 
#230 ·
My 2 pkgs came from Long Creek and were delivered on May 24,2011. So far, they have done well and are very gentle. I had good email correspondence from the time I ordered the bees in Nov 2010 until they were delivered. Would I order from Long Creek again? Yes, i have no reason not to.
 
#231 ·
My packages ordered from Long Creek in late 2009 arrived today. They look healthy and full, although I just picked them up and haven't checked the queens yet. Mr. Winters called me and notified me he was shipping them. I was almost speechless...just said "Thanks". Am I happy with how Mr. Winters has operated his business? No. Would I order from him again? No. I am however, content to finally have my bees.
 
#232 ·
OK Beemaster well you have risen in my opinion, by actually putting right some of the wrongs you have done in the past, rather than just talking about it.

This will go some ways to repairing your reputation, keep up the good work!
 
#233 ·
I have followed this thread with interest. I discovered it after my package order was late from Long Creek.

My package is now 3 weeks+ overdue. I have called/left messages a couple of times and not received a response. I have emailed on several occaisions. The only time I got a response by email was when I put "cancel order" in the subject line of my email. That was a Friday and and I was told my bees would ship the next Monday. That was 2 Mondays ago.

The website currently says 2 to 3 week delay, but it is obviously longer. Other recent recipients told me they were late about 2 weeks.

I am still hopeful I will get my package, but as the season wears on and summer fast approaches I am becoming much less optimistic. At some point my guess is the heat will be such that the post office won't accept the orders for shipment anyway.

As a new beekeeper I didn't want to let yet another season slip by, so I purchased a local hive of mutts a week after my package was supposed to arrive. That said, I hope to get this package and I would like another hive anyway. But if they aren't going to come, I want my money back. I mentioned that in my emails to Long Creek, but no bees, no money.

The people who have received packages this year seem to be satisfied. I would like to be able to say the same but it is looking less likely all the time.

Bottom line, I just want what I paid for. If that can't be delivered, I would like my money back. Not excuses. Sadly, at this point in the process I would have say I fall in the group of dissatisfied customers. Not the pissed customers, not yet. That depends on getting my bees or my money.

I will of course post if anything changes, one way or the other.
 
#234 ·
Francus,

I am still waiting as well. The only time he responded was when I posted on this thread. Maybe he will contact you now? He told me in May that I have the option of bees or a refund. He said he would be shipping after the Holidays. I said to keep me on the shipping list at the time. Still, no bees. Soon it will be too late to start packages and get them built up for a Nebraska winter, especially if we run into a dearth. Earlier in this thread, someone suggested that customers be given an order number and that he post on his website which one he was on, that way we have some clue as to how close our order is. I like that idea. But now we just wait not knowing. I can only wish my five packages were only two weeks delayed like what some recipients told you. Mine were scheduled for shipping the week of May 16.

lfzebra, how did you manage to have good email correspondence with Long Creek? We want to know your secrets.

Todd
 
#235 ·
I checked my email and David said that robbing from a lack of nectar flow is causing the delays. He said they just got some rain, so the nectar flow might start again. He will call me when they ship.

We have only had less than 1/4 inch in my part of Nebraska so far in June, so if we don't get some rain soon, we will be experiencing a dearth as well.

Todd
 
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