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I am sorry that my first post here ever should be a negative one but I wanted to warn hunters about a crooked booking agent, Northwoods Adventures. To introduce myself I am an experienced African hunter and have hunted several times in Africa so I am not a newbie. I responded to the advert below, which is placed in the SCI magazine in more or less every issue. As it seemed like a terrific deal for plains game I decided to book a hunt in Namibia for 2015. On contacting Mr. Gary D. Strasser he told me that I had to send in a deposit of $1,000 before I was sent a hunt contract. His point being that there were many tire kickers out there and he didn't want to waste time going through the motions! I found this to be a bit odd, but since it was not that big an amount I trusted him and sent him a check. I waited and waited for the Hunt Contract and chased him up numerous times but there was always some excuse. Finally I got fed up and asked him to return my deposit both on the phone as well as via registered letter. He is now refusing to send me back my deposit as he states that as per his website if a deposit is paid it is not refundable! I have never looked at his website and frankly have never heard such utter nonsense, given that a Hunt Contract is typically the binding agreement of what services are provided. If the man cannot even send me a Hunt Contract, what assurance do I have that someone will be there to meet me when I get off the plane in Africa! Of course after this saga I have no intention of going on a hunt arranged by him. I have approached SCI and they have said that they cannot stop Northwoods Adventures from advertising, but would be happy to start an enquiry in to the matter, for which I have to pay $500! I have started legal proceedings against Mr. Gary D. Strasser from Northwoods Adventures but also wish to warn the hunting community about this scam artist.  | ||
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WOW - No wonder many folks dislike SCI. One would think they would be anxious to stop unethical operators/booking agents from advertising in their publications. Tom Z NRA Life Member | |||
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Thanks for the heads up. I hate thieves, cheats, and liars. Good luck with your proceedings. | |||
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SCI is protecting their advertisers. They do not care about their members! | |||
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That is completely and utterly reprehensible . . . to want to charge a member (since those are the only persons getting the magazine and the newsletter) $500 to look into a fraud perpetrated by one of their advertisers. Hard to even imagine the gall of the person or organization that would have the temerity to tell a member that. Just shameful. Disgusting. Mike | |||
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Very curious. Why is the picture above from the newsletter linked to Arjun Reddy's Photobucket album? So we have someone making a first post, with a photo linked to Arjun Reddy's Photobucket album, complaining about another outfitter . . . sounds like a little explanation would be in order. Maybe there is a perfectly logical explanation but in the meantime perhaps I need to reserve judgment on SCI for the time being . . . Mike | |||
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Yes, some explaining may be in order. I wonder who JC500 is. ...I say that hunters go into Paradise when they die, and live in this world more joyfully than any other men. -Edward, duke of York ". . . when a man has shot an elephant his life is full." ~John Alfred Jordan "The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." Cicero - 55 BC "The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." - Ayn Rand Cogito ergo venor- KPete “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages.” ― Adam Smith - “Wealth of Nations” | |||
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He might have scanned the whole page. There is an advert for that company there. | |||
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All, People have problems with outfitters and booking agents all the time. Some frivolous and some serious. It wouldn't hardly make sense for SCI to pull advertising every time someone has a problem. It would seem a little due diligence on their part would be wise before pulling an advertisement. That said I am not sure why they said he needed to pay $500 for them to look into the matter. I'm looking into that now. Brett DRSS Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member WSF Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick. And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too. May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep. May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip. -Seth Peterson | |||
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I imagine the fee is to stop them from being bombarded with frivolous and/or minor claims. | |||
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What difference does it make if he scanned it from a photo-bucket page from a third party? More importantly is the fact it shows an advertisement related to his grievance, appearing on the current edition of Safari Times. Despicable (if true) is the alleged request/demand for $500 by the competent SCI department to initiate an investigation on behalf of the injured party. | |||
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Despicable (if true) is the alleged request/demand for $500 by the competent SCI department to initiate an investigation on behalf of the injured party.[/QUOTE] Agree Totally! | |||
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I don't understand how someone could send $1000 to someone without the least bit of research, and on such flimsy rationale. That said, good luck getting your money back. As Mr. Strasser cannot prove the existence of a contract, his no refund policy should not be enforceable. Ask Arjun for a reference for an attorney who can sue in Wisconsin small claims court. BTW, do not try to access the booking agent's web site; AVAST reports malware is installed on it. George  | |||
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Maybe you could do this the old fashioned way. Two "skilled" guys, one baseball bat, a three foot section of rubber hose and 15 quality minutes in a nice secluded quite basement with a floor drain installed. I am so tired of scumbags and thieves in today's world. | |||
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I looked at Strasser's website. He is in close with SCI with 300 entries in their record books. He states he does not offer refunds on any deposit BUT you can buy cancellation insurance through him. Of course, he gets a cut of the policy fee. Seems to be a one sided booking agent with his own interests a priority. I would guess if he asked for the deposit and you didn't see the contract nor his stipulation of no refunds, you have the law on your aide. That said, it will be a chore to do it but you should prevail. I would suggest contacting the BBB in his area. They can't enforce anything but will give him bad publicity if he does not reply to them. In conjunction, file a complaint with the attorney general in his state for fraudulent business practices. The Unfair Trade Practices Act should be on your side in this and the AG can make enforcements. SCI exists for its own interests. You can pay the fee but the money will be lost on a worthless window dressing investigation. I'm going through a similar situation in Alaska flight service that charged me for a flight not taken. I'll win, but it will take time. The service, 70 North Air Taxi, won't reply to the BBB and refused to reply to the AG. The BBB is powerless but the AG has just sent a second letter with a reply due in 10 days. Do the same and you will prevail and Strasser will get so much bad publicity here it will damage his business. If you need to, ask AR members to come to your assistance and email Strasser. AR helped a gent who was screwed by a gunsmith in Maine and the 'smith came around as publicity was so bad to him. Good luck, Cal _______________________________ Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska www.CalPappas.com www.CalPappas.blogspot.com 1994 Zimbabwe 1997 Zimbabwe 1998 Zimbabwe 1999 Zimbabwe 1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation 2000 Australia 2002 South Africa 2003 South Africa 2003 Zimbabwe 2005 South Africa 2005 Zimbabwe 2006 Tanzania 2006 Zimbabwe--vacation 2007 Zimbabwe--vacation 2008 Zimbabwe 2012 Australia 2013 South Africa 2013 Zimbabwe 2013 Australia 2016 Zimbabwe 2017 Zimbabwe 2018 South Africa 2018 Zimbabwe--vacation 2019 South Africa 2019 Botswana 2019 Zimbabwe vacation 2021 South Africa 2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later) ______________________________ | |||
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Hey Mike, Since JC500 is not very computer savy I helped him out by scanning the image, uploading it to my photo bucket a/c and provided him the link to the image. I have no dog in the fight. I know JC personally, he is an old school guy and believes in a gentlemen's word. $1000 to him is not the issue, but he wanted to just let people know about this agent's dealings. Arjun
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You know,......fellas,..... The OP introduces himself as an experienced african hunter,.......made a $1000 deposit on a Namibia plainsgame hunt,......... First post ever,...... anonymous,....... I'm certainly not questioning the veracity of the info, but rubber hoses and basements with floor drains seem a bit hysterical. | |||
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I agree. Committing a felony over $1,000 makes no sense at all. | |||
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Thanks for the explanation Arjun. I'm sorry but I just cannot fathom why SCI would insist on charging a member $500 to look into the matter. Seems like at a minimum that they would make an inquiry to the outfitter on the member's behalf and request that the outfitter respond . . . without charging the member. I try to give SCI the benefit of the doubt, I try to rally around them as the one truly national organization hunters have, but damn they do their best to make supporting them next to impossible . . . seems like everything with them comes down to money and how SCI can get their hands on more of it. Pity. Mike | |||
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I got scammed by taxidermist named Walter from Waterport SA He said he never received my elephant feet, PH said he delivered them, then Walter said I didn't pay for them and when I sent him copy of my payment that included payment for elephant feet he went silent, PH didn't help... I called SCI what could I do and they said they couldn't help me Yep I agree, I'm tired of thiefs, cheats and overall dishonest people $ 500 or million, damn right they need to maybe be taught a tough lesson Jesus H. Christ, things like that really get me going Good to know about another one. Dumb ass doesn't realize that you steal from one and in this age of instant info he will loose hell of a lot more business So much for trying to act like " I'm smarter then you " Shows us how stupid some people really are " Until the day breaks and the nights shadows flee away " Big ivory for my pillow and 2.5% of Neanderthal DNA flowing thru my veins. When I'm ready to go, pack a bag of gunpowder up my ass and strike a fire to my pecker, until I squeal like a boar. Yours truly , Milan The Boarkiller - World according to Milan PS I have big boar on my floor...but it ain't dead, just scared to move... Man should be happy and in good humor until the day he dies... Only fools hope to live forever “ Hávamál” | |||
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Back when I had my television show, I had an encounter with Gary Strassburg. After meeting with the man, I just didn't feel good about having him as a sponsor of my show and I stopped all negotiations. Good luck getting your deposit back... | |||
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For all the people who bitch about AR - its the best damn resources for hunters. There are serious guys who spend serious money and have seen nearly all of it in the hunting business. Not a lot of scammy service providers last long on AR. And even service providers who sometimes bitch about civility, AR members being loudmouths, being internet desk jockeys somehow end up on this website selling services. I am glad Saeed spends his own dime to fund this site and hopefully we can confine the lack of civility to the Political Forum. Northwood is probably in same category for me as Blair. I am still trying to figure out how blair got my office number and calls me there once in a while with a scam offer. Mike | |||
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Simple really. What I would do is tell him I was going to pay the $500 to start an SCI investigation if he didn't give my money back. Then, I would do that and what you are doing. You are costing him far more than $1,000. Good for you. | |||
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At the risk of being labeled an SCI backer no matter what(which I am not), I can see why they charge the $500 fee. If they didn't can you imagine some of the complaints? How about things like: 1- We had flat tires. 2- The buff wasn't 40 it was only 39 7/8's. 3- They didn't have the bottled water I like. 4- The sheep hunt was too hard. And on and on and on | |||
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Larry, have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. Stealing someone's money is not like complaining about a flat tire or bottled water. To me it is also different than a magazine or newspaper that has ads and then someone that purchases the magazine or paper gets screwed by an advertiser. This is a member that was screwed in an organization-published magazine by someone the organization sold advertising space to. Their response is even worse than simply saying "there is nothing we can really do, sorry", rather it is "we will be happy to help you for $500". I could accept the former more readily than the latter. Crass. Mike | |||
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If he has 300 in the SCI record book, it is a reason to avoid him!! I have done some research, and found that those who have so many "SCI Record Book" entries have some very shady operations! The shady and illegality of it applies to both the operator and the so called "hunter". | |||
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Not sure I would have sent anyone a check for 1000 with out looking at there website and did some research.To see someones ad send them a 1000 because they said they would send the contact after getting the check.To me a few things were done wrong. Yes the guys is a scumbag for keeping the money but it seems someone did not do there homework and now wants someone to clean up there mess.ScI is not a booking agent.That guy has run that ad for years and I would guess if he had alot of problems they would have done something. | |||
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If this outfitter has that many trophies in the SCI record book, he would have been dealing with "hunters" who could not careless about $1,000. Those are the guys who pay $100,000 for a canned animal to put in the record book with their name. As I said, I have done a lot of research on this, and what I found was not very pleasant advert for us normal hunters at all. | |||
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Not sure all the facts are out on this. Why drag Arjun into this and why make that kind of first post? Does not add up to me. | |||
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I thought that rubber hose and basement comment would be pretty obvious that it was tongue in cheek but for all of you lawyers out there. I should have included with that comment a....  | |||
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Mr. Saeed, You have a PM Gracias, Hoot | |||
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$500 to SCI is the standard fee to a Member wishing to place a complaint before the "Ethics Committee"...for full review, before that "Board" and attempt to resolve the applicant's complaint....hunts, and all!!... Cheers, 470EDDY | |||
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Did your lawyer tell you to post that? ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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Can someone then tell me what the $500 dollars are used for (breakdown)? Does the total amount go to the investigation? I understand you don't want all the small complaints coming across the desk but, isn't $500 a little excessive? If they do start a investigation do they give you a time frame or status update on the complaint. This is all new to me and I'm unsure on how it's conducted. MSG, USA (Ret.) Armor NRA Life Memeber | |||
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I for one appreciate the information regardless. There are many good agents and outfitters that advertise in SCI and elsewhere but play this game long enough and you will turn over a stone and find a snake. I have been burned a couple of times myself. Thanks for the heads up on this guy. My MO is a contract should be negotiated and signed before any deposit is due. Most good agents would insist on this as well to protect themselves. If someone is wanting a grand to kick the tires, I would see red lights flashing! On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch... Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! - Rudyard Kipling Life grows grim without senseless indulgence. | |||
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Right you are. | |||
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It is the outfitters way of going about things that is most bothersome. | |||
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The answer to start is---All members drop SCI for a year and see what happens-- | |||
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I spoke with him on the phone about 15 years ago. All I could think was run, you bastard run. This guy is up to no good. | |||
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A few hundred e-mails to the outfitter asking him to return the funds would probably net positive results. An outfitter is only as good as his reputation. A Google search will turn up all sorts of interesting things.  ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
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