arcade-blazer / Romeo Cervi: SCAMMER

EDIT: Apparently several people who ordered over a month after myself (who in all likelyhood are just fake accounts) are recieving items of the same type, I'll just add this in here:

Romeo Cervi (arcade-blazer on Ebay) of UK, Edinburgh, (ex)student of the School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences (MACS) is a SCAMMER. Given by the 12% plummet in feedback rating since I made my purchase (about 75 days ago) and total lack of communication despite the fact that he IS continuing to trade, there's no reason to believe otherwise. Since this thread is the very first google result on his name, I thought I'd put this in here for anyone interested. Nothing has happened to him, he continues to trade, yet he doesn't have any interested in even REPLYING to people with unresolved deals. Total lack of integrity.

He's the guy who sells the vogatek superguns. feedback recently took a huge dive (was about 98% when I handed over my money) to 91% so its kind of obvious now but whatever.

I knew this guy was slack with shipping because that's pretty much his entire negative feedback at the time, plus the whole 'please allow 30 days for delivery' on his auctions. Negative or neutral feedback mentioned that he was atleast quick to refund. I purchased thinking that I would be waiting a month or so to get it, but I was fine with that. 2 months later after a bunch of bullshit shipping emails (they were clearly dishonest) and after ignoring all my emails, along with the other guys who have the same complaint, I'm pretty sure I've been scammed.

Anyone else know what's up? Either something happened to him or he just stopped giving a shit and somehow forgot to return peoples money! (seems to be common trait with long time arcade modders?).

anyway, patience got the better of me and I realised I missed the deadline for a claim. I won't be seeing my money again, atleast it wasn't that expensive for a supergun. oh well.

I had the same delays, but I eventually got my Vogatek and it works great. He was helpful with technical questions too.

I think the reason for the 30 day lead time is that he takes purchases via ebay, then buys the PCBs & parts as needed. If he can't get the parts or PCBs in time the orders are 'lost' or 'undeliverable' and refunded. Probably not the best way to do business, but he sells so cheap that it's clearly just a side hobby project and not really a business. He probably doesn't want to front the money to build dozens of PCBs that might just sit on a shelf for months.

When I had a couple consecutive refunded orders for a Mk. 4, he hadn't received enough orders to cover the cost of another PCB run... maybe he's gathering orders for a couple months now to get extra PCBs made? Again, probably not the best way to do business, especially with no communication, but I don't think he's become a scammer.

After I found out the reason for the delays, I switched my order to a Mk. 3 via e-mail and it arrived pretty quickly. Now I'm glad that I got the Mk. 3 instead. The built-in NeoGeo controller ports sound great if you're only planning to run MVS, but with the few JAMMA PCBs that I've accumulated so far I've already hit a couple with non-standard controller layouts. Being able to re-arrange buttons on the controller wiring block is a LOT easier than having to deal with re-wiring controllers. And, I've got a few dangling wires for kick harnesses.

Anyway, since the price is so cheap for what you're getting, I'd suggest letting your order ride and being patient. Delays are part of the process with him, 30 days or more, but I think he'll come through eventually.

I had the same delays, but I eventually got my Vogatek and it works great.

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yeah it's a nice looking product, I just didn't imagine I'd have these sorts of delays.

maybe he's gathering orders for a couple months now to get extra PCBs made? Again, probably not the best way to do business, especially with no communication, but I don't think he's become a scammer.

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If he takes his time, I don't necessarily have an issue with that. It's the complete lack of communication that gets to me. I'll ride it out and see what happens then.

Anyway, since the price is so cheap for what you're getting, I'd suggest letting your order ride and being patient. Delays are part of the process with him, 30 days or more, but I think he'll come through eventually.

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I hope so. It's a nice price for the product I agree. I'd be alot more careful with throwing around the 's' word if he wasn't lieing about shipping and he was not ignoring emails though.

i did the order and payed IMMEDIATELY 40 days ago......

I writed a lot of email by ebay message and his mail....but NEVER an answer.....and NEVER received the supergun

He just wrote this mail.....to all the customer i think.....

(i ordered the supergun at the begin of november)

These are his mail:

12th of november

Dear Customer,
I'm very sorry for the continuing delay in mailing the motherboard.
I am still booking deliveries for you and other customers.
I have a backlog of about 50 motherboards to send.

I should be able to mail the motherboard to you within the next 4 days.

Romeo cervi.


14th of november:

Dear Customer,
I'm very sorry for the continuing delay in mailing the motherboard.
I have some motherboards built. I'm waiting for some paypal money to clear
into my bank account so i can pay for the delivery. I hope to mail a motherboard
to you between next monday and wednesday.

Romeo cervi.



16th of november:

Dear Customer,
I checked my bank account this morning. The £80 paypal money
still hasnt cleared. I'm very sorry i cant send any motherboards until the
money has cleared. I hope that it will clear tomorrow. I'll keep you updated.

Romeo cervi.

and from the 16th of november.......no more mails.......I've tried to write him /by eay message and by his mail.......but if i wrote with a ghost maybe i had more answer.....

I could understand if he has some problem, with the hardware, personal problem...i could understand everything......BUT TELL ME SOMETHING......his email are not serious......80 paypal money not cleared?????? what £80??????
I payed him immediately by paypal......he also left a positive feedback to me!
I really don't know what i've to think......

i've buyed a lot of item, a mvs board, the cable, the power supply and a lot of other things......and now all is stopped by this BAD & NOT SERIOUS seller because he doesn't shipped NOTHING and NEVER answered to any mail

Sorry for my poor english.....

I also bought a vogatek MKV on the 14th of November and did not received any news since the 16th of November.

Delays are long, fine, I kind of knew when I ordered. It bothers me when he say that he 'll keep us updated but he does not. But what I don't understand is how he is managing the delevery order. How come, in the other thread, a costumer who ordered a MKV one week after me is receiving his items before I do.

Moreover being refund still is a loss since I also bought all the extra stuff too.

My post is pretty useless, but I needed to share my impatience.

I ordered one of his regular (non-neo) a few years ago, he was fast. (But that was back then)

I plan on getting an MKIV when I get some $, but I plan on asking if he has any already made.

His communication is fine, but like me when I sell on ebay, I have a life and dont always answer as quick as I should.

everybody has a life.....but i think that 50 days for write ONE mail is too much.....
and more.....if you (the seller) didn't shipped nothing.....I think you MUST write one mail after 50 days

again, sorry for my bad english

ever heard about paypal claims, chargebacks?

yes i did it, but it don't chang my opinion about the seller

Yeh THIS person Is Scam,Fraud you should never order these superguns from him Either Make one your self
the real JIG is that this person is still operating at ebay.com from UK

tomwaits said:

I think the reason for the 30 day lead time is that he takes purchases via ebay, then buys the PCBs & parts as needed. If he can't get the parts or PCBs in time the orders are 'lost' or 'undeliverable' and refunded. Probably not the best way to do business, but he sells so cheap that it's clearly just a side hobby project and not really a business. He probably doesn't want to front the money to build dozens of PCBs that might just sit on a shelf for months.

When I had a couple consecutive refunded orders for a Mk. 4, he hadn't received enough orders to cover the cost of another PCB run... maybe he's gathering orders for a couple months now to get extra PCBs made? Again, probably not the best way to do business, especially with no communication, but I don't think he's become a scammer.

After I found out the reason for the delays, I switched my order to a Mk. 3 via e-mail and it arrived pretty quickly. Now I'm glad that I got the Mk. 3 instead. The built-in NeoGeo controller ports sound great if you're only planning to run MVS, but with the few JAMMA PCBs that I've accumulated so far I've already hit a couple with non-standard controller layouts. Being able to re-arrange buttons on the controller wiring block is a LOT easier than having to deal with re-wiring controllers. And, I've got a few dangling wires for kick harnesses.

Anyway, since the price is so cheap for what you're getting, I'd suggest letting your order ride and being patient. Delays are part of the process with him, 30 days or more, but I think he'll come through eventually.

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This is what happens.

Ive boughten a few boards from him, he comes through sooner or later. For how much money and time it saves I think its worth it. I dont think Ive had to wait over a month and a half before though. I mean some of these come with built in (decent) video encoders for just a few bucks more than the price of just the converter itself.

Have you people having problems flat out asked him for a refund?

Have you people having problems flat out asked him for a refund?

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plenty of times, he simply does not read emails. It started out by me asking for an update, just wanting to know what the delay is for. A few more emails of that sort later, I started asking for a refund. A few more emails later, I made this thread upon seeing the 10% ebay feedback drop.

He actually sent me this recently:

Dear Customer,
I'm very sorry for the continuing delay in sending you the
motherboard. I hope to send you one within the next few days.

Romeo cervi.

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No response to the mountains of mail he recieved from me earlier.

His behaviour all points to a scam. He still has my money and continues to send 'updates' on a product that likely doesn't exist after numerous lies beforehand. 80 days or so since the transaction so what other conclusion is there to come to? The fact that other people are recieving MK V's, apparently, only makes this worse.

I think the 'scammer' label is perfectly fine, that is until I recieve the board if it ever comes. Then atleast he isn't a scammer but rather one of the worst sellers I will ever deal with.

I also received the same last mail from Romeo.

I was supposed to be refund by paypal but it failed because apparently there is no money on Romeo's bank account.

PROTIP: Don't buy things from people named Romeo.

Anybody still not gotten thier stuff?
According to his Ebay feedback hes gotten some stuff out since the beginning of the year.

I don't know about anyone else, I have not recieved any more info about the MK V I ordered. I saw in his profile a negative given for the same model and some positive for different types. I probably ordered a bad type of board if I wanted it in less than a few months, but given his total silence regarding all but the first email I won't bother trying to switch or anything. I will just leave the scammer warning up since it's been nearly a hundred days + no response to update request + no response to refund request etc.

slugger_dan said:

I don't know about anyone else, I have not recieved any more info about the MK V I ordered. I saw in his profile a negative given for the same model and some positive for different types. I probably ordered a bad type of board if I wanted it in less than a few months, but given his total silence regarding all but the first email I won't bother trying to switch or anything. I will just leave the scammer warning up since it's been nearly a hundred days + no response to update request + no response to refund request etc.

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I wrote him a day or two ago and havent heard back from him yet . Awhile ago he was looking for someone to buy mass amounts of his boards at once to help the group purchases go smoother. I had a few suggestions that I thought could make things go better, like selling a more finished product for alot more money (some people have more money then time and nice guns can go for $300+)and having the product assembled for him before he gets it. i may have offended him.

Anyways Ive boughten a few boards from him and have been very happy . I know his auctions say it could take up to a couple months, but 90 days and no communication is pretty bad.

I ordered back in November from this guy, like everyone else recieved the email about money clearing etc. Many emails later never got my Item, Paypal refund failed. Several emails never any answers.

Attempted to make my own Supergun but it has issues the main issue being it doesnt work properly!

He's back again but selling under a different name: filomena*10.

Buyer beware.

yeah that is him for certain, his original account went down to 80% so it figures. Could a mod add filomena*10 to the thread title? I'd do it but the edit time expired already.

This stinks, he never wrote me back about the bulk purchase. He initiated contact about it in the first place about a year ago. Glad I havent boughten anything from him recently.

Yeah mods please update his new ebay name untill he makes right.

if he has multiple accounts (which it looks like) you guys can actually contact ebay through their contact us section and file a complaint. They log ips amongst other things..it might not get your money back but you can put a nice thorn in his side

He's back selling superguns on eBay, but anyone buying from someone with 81% positive feedback really should know better.

I actually ordered a Supergun from him a few weeks back before seeing this thread. I was worried after reading this that I was being scammed. Luckily it arrived about a week and a half after ordering from his website. Anyway, last night I booted it up for the first time on my new MV-1F. No problems other than adjusting colors and sync.

With that said, is there anything I should worry about concerning this supergun? it's pretty basic and I'm thinking of just dropping it in a plastic enclosure.

I dont think there's any problems with the superguns, just the time taken to ship and complete lack of communication when things take ages