Complaints Against Real Beans - Beanie Authentication Service
Waldorf, MD 20602

customerservice@realbeans.com, webmaster@realbeans.com escrow@realbeans.com, tom@realbeans.com, jim@realbeans.com

If you have questions about the complaint,
please contact the person who it was filed by.

Real Beans is an internet based company that provides an authentication service exclusively for Beanie Babies. With so many fakes appearing on the secondary market, authentication is a way of determining whether a Beanie Baby is a genuine Ty product and described appropriately. The Real Beans' web site is http://www.realbeans.com/. Their mailing address is Real Beans, Doolittle Professional Center, 9B Suite 6, Waldorf, MD 20602 -- Phone (301) 638-4701. Up until several months ago, eBay promoted Real Beans' service and 10% discounts are offered to eBay registered users.
Specifics: On Aug. 21st I sent a $87 money order and six Beanie Babies to Real Beans for authentication.Rex, the dinosaur, Flash, the dolphin, Splash, the whale, Digger, the crab Coral, and Bubbles, the fish. (My U.S. Postal Service Delivery Confirmation no. is 0304 7990 0000 7591 2624). The package was delivered and signed for on Aug. 23, at 12:01pm. Real Beans "guarantees" 10 days turnaround. It's now three months later. I have not received my beanies back nor have I received any communication whatsoever. I've have tried calling but no answer. I have send numerous emails, to customerservice@realbeans.com and to several of their employees, Jim Robinson and Tom Martyak. Again, absolutely no response. They are still in business, posting pictures of authenticated beanies on their web site as recently as 11/16/99 (http://www.realbeans.com/beanie/101569.jpg). So this is why I am requesting you put them on the Bad Traders list. I can't believe I'm the only person being taken advantage of. I paid over $1,000 for the beanies I sent them. By putting them on your caution list, perhaps you could help prevent other Beanie collectors from loosing precious collectibles.I am also filing a Mail Fraud Report with the U.S. Postal Service. eBay no longer promotes Real Beans so there is noting I can do there.

I have not received my beanies back nor have I received any response whatsoever from Real Beans. They are still in business. On Dec. 7, they posted a picture of a Royal Blue Peanut the elephant that was authenticated. http://www.realbeans.com/beanie/101577.jpg here other email addresses I have used suscessfully in the past. webmaster@realbeans.com escrow@realbeans.com , tom@realbeans.com is for Tom Martyak, one of the authenticators  jim@realbeans.com is for Jim Robinson, another authenticators

I sold a RB Peanut on e-bay to sally crebs (rlcrebs@aol.com). She wanted to use Real Beans escrow service as recommended on e-bay. So, on 10/13, I shipped Peanut and the RealBeans form via UPS. A Mr. Richardson signed for it 10/18. The same day I shipped Peanut, I e-mailed RealBeans to be sure I was doing it right as there was no mention of including any $. Just had to indicate that the buyer would be paying the escrow and the price of the beanie ($2701.00). I got no response, so I called. I left a message with my work 800# and said I could overnight a check if he needed any money up front. I left 2-3 voicemails. I told Sally, and she did the same. Nothing. On Oct. 25, I sent a certified letter to Mr. Richardson asking to get the job done well before Christmas (Sally was buying this for a Christmas gift for her daughter) or send the beanie back. The Post Office was unable to find anyone at the Real Beans address to sign for the letter until Nov 12! Still nothing. I e-mailed again and said I was filing a complaint with the BBB in Maryland (which I did on 12/2) and would also go to the Atty Genl. Nothing. I have contacted e-bay who says they no longer carry a reference to RealBeans on their site even though RealBeans carries one to the e-bay site and gives e-bay members a discount. I have since filed a complaint with the Internet Fraud site and am sending my letter to the atty genl tomorrow. Phew! That's it in a nutshell! I have used Peggy Gallagher's services and will continue to do so -- she isn't an escrow service, but she does a fast turn around on authentication.Let me know if you hear anything else about them, encouraging or otherwise! Thanks for your help and attention! Lauren

My name is Carol Maroney. I sent a Indonesian Brittiana to a company on the internet called REAL BEANS. I received delivery conformation of 2/14/2000. There e-mail no longer works and there phone only has a repeat message. I sent a postal money order with my beanie. Are they fake? They indicate they do business with EBAY.

I have my own problems with them also. I contacted Det. Sweeny at the local Sheriffs Dept. and was told that he had had several complaints already, but he thought most people eventually got there product back. Det. Sweeny needs to know of any other complaints of problems others have had. He can be contacted at (301) 638-4701 CID Dept. Please let me know any updates you have. Ron Marvin

This is email that I have received from SafeHarbor@eBay.com

Hello Carol, We are sorry to hear that you are having this problem with Real Beans.  Although we are not affiliated with Real Beans in any way, we are aware of the promotional discount Real Beans offers to eBay members for using their authentication services. Several months back, as a courtesy to our members, we had a link on our site to the Real Beans web page. However, we began to hear from our members that they were having trouble contacting this company and it seemed to be taking an inordinately long amount of time to receive their items back once sent to be authenticated. Accordingly, we promptly started an investigation in the matter and  found that we too had a difficult time contacting the company or getting a response to our email messages. Consequently, we immediately ended our relationship with this company and removed all mention of them from our site. After doing this, we rarely heard from our members concerning this company.However, we recently have begun to hear from our members again concerning these same types of problems with Real Beans and we have began another investigation. Although we are not yet sure of the status of Real Beans, be assured we are working on this situation and will do what we can to help you resolve it.So that we can document each case, we would ask that you keep us informed of any action or development concerning your situation. As I am personally tracking the situation with Real Beans, you may address your messages directly to me, Tony G. Likewise, we will keep you informed of any developments we can affect or hear about regarding this issue.It may help to know that within the last week or so, we have heard from a few members that had previously wrote us with your same problem stating that they finally have received their items back. We hope this will be a continuing trend. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.Regards,
Tony G.|
eBay Customer Support

Realbeans is an authentication service, address is Realbeans, Doolittle Professional Center 9B suite 6 waldorf MD 20602 301-638-4701. Back in January about the 7th. Besttimz@aol.com and I entered into a transaction agreeing to use "REALBEANS "as an authentication service. We have attempted repeatedly to make contact via email and the phone. I left messages on a machine and as of march 10,00 have heard nothing. I used a Postal money order to pay the escrow and fees. nothing seen or heard of since. Would you or some one you know be able to look into this? I am going to ask my lawyer on monday if i have any recourse?

I contacted the FBI Office in Baltimore. They said case to small. Told me to call The Charles County Staes Attyoffice 301-932-3350. If we make enough noise maybe we collectively can get these guys. joakl30774@aol.com

realbeans has closed shop at doolittle industrial center. they still have a phone and do not return calls. the maryland state atty gen's office of consumer protection is powerless to do much other than send a letter. If realbeans scammed you let me know so we can go the next step. power in numbers! the more of us who want these idiots the better chance we have if we pool our resources!!!!!! joakleaf@hessel.com