My name is Nathan Schell, and I am a small business owner. I make novelty IDs based on pop cultures such as TV shows, movies and video games. I’ve been in business since 2010. Earlier this year, in March, we were presented with an opportunity to expand our business through wholesaling. Wholesaling is selling a product in high quantities to be retailed by others; think along the lines of what most big box stores do. This individual was with a customer that had previously bought a few items, so we felt it was safe and was all above board. We arranged payment, and after accepting a deposit of 9,000, we locked in the cost of shipping with a shipping company they had suggested. That was going to cost 6,000 of the deposit. This customer wanted to expand the scope of their order, but we asked them to wait till this initial order was complete before expanding.

Approximately one month later, we got a chargeback, which happens, but usually, it’s done by accident. However, this was for the 9,000 by the individual looking to wholesale from us. We immediately reached out to the customer and received nothing but silence. So we entered our portion of the dispute claim and waited. We immediately reached out to our card processor and our bank because we had to lock in the shipping and other expenses; we did not have the 9,000 for them to withdraw and hold until the dispute was resolved with the card issuer’s bank.

At this point, we realized we had gotten scammed. Unfortunately, it also put a financial drain on us. We had been hoping to purchase a dedicated vehicle for the business and some other upgrades. Our bank helped as best as possible, but of course, that resulted in new reoccurring bills.

And, of course, because when it rains, it pours, our dog started having issues with seizures. So on top of being devastated from getting scammed, we ended up being emotionally overwhelmed by our dog's sudden onset of seizures. We made Brooke, our dog, as comfortable as possible in the hopes they would only be temporary, but they seemed to happen more frequently and did cause her to have at least one stroke. We had to make the hardest decision any pet parent ever has to make.

The last five months have been some of the hardest, even considering how difficult the pandemic was for us. We didn’t qualify for any PPP loans, and with conventions being on hold, we managed to survive on what few orders had trickled in. What appeared to be a prospect of substantial opportunity to bounce back from the harshness of the pandemic turned into a nightmare. With us suddenly out 15,000 and was followed by the loose of our beloved dog.

With all that layer out, we are asking for help from the community to recoup these unfortunate incidents. Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated, even if all you can do is share this. We genuinely appreciate it.