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| "The Ballad of Beau James"
 Updated Saturday night, July 3, 2016. * * * * * Be wary of doing business with Beau James. Here's what transpired during a transaction I had with him recently.
March 3, 2016 I heard nothing for more than a month, so I sent him a Facebook message on April 6.
April 6, 2016 11 days later -- nothing. No response. So, I sent another Facebook message.
April 17, 2016 The next day ...
April 18, 2016 "Friday" was April 22. Two weeks and three days later (May 9), I had heard nothing and had received nothing. * * * * * On Monday, May 9, I sent the following to Beau James via e-mail and a personal Facebook message:
May 9, 2016 * * * * * As of Friday, May 13, I had not heard from Beau via response to my e-mail or FB message, and he had not returned my money. * * * * *
Saturday, May 16, 2016
Hey Scott, MJ * * * * * Well, it's funny how she conveniently ignored the part where I said I no longer wanted the book, but wanted a refund. I'm not finished, but perhaps we could take a little break and hear from some of the other people who have had dealings with Beau James. After sending out the e-mail and posting the message about Beau James, I've received the following e-mails. Reviews from people who have done business with Beau James – Sadly, you aren't alone, Scott. He ripped me off too. Last July, I paid him 98 bucks thru PayPal for 2 years of Memphis TV, and have yet to get the sets, or the money back. Or even a pat on the bottom. Tried to contact him several times about it, got a few responses at first, but the last few times I tried to get him to contact me, which I gave up a few months ago, nothing. Years ago, he sent some stuff quickly, but I also had issues with him sending me some stuff extremely slowly, and having to "stay on him" about it, so I was gonna give up ordering from him then, but gave it one more chance with the Memphis sets, and got burned. I'll never order from him again, which is sad, cause I don't dislike the guy, and I want to support guys like him, but it's very angering and frustrating to be ripped off, as you now well know, Scott. Just sucks. We don't deserve it. I think you can vouch for me as a good customer, Scott, and dealing with you has always been a pleasure. Wish they were all like you out there. My guess with Beau is, he's having money, and/or other issues, but that's no excuse, especially when he just goes into "ignore you" mode. I have not gone public with my being ripped off by him, but since I'm not the only one, I might. Feel free to send this e-mail to him if you want, Scott. – I don't do business with him, Scott. He spends most of his time trying to put himself over as a wrestling legend, but most of us know that is a "work." – Sad that our business has crap like this going on. You know over the years we talk about the old promoter cheating the boys, but I truly believe I have been screwed more by young people in the past 20 years then all the old-line promoters combined. – I feel your pain. He promised me a copy of the book since I supplied many of the photos he used in it. Naturally, that was long on promise and short on book. – Hate you are having problems with Beau. I had the same issue with him back in 2012, took him 7 weeks to get my stuff to me. Told me he had mailed stuff out before he left for the reunion and then told me he mailed later. After I ripped him on a message board, he finally sent my stuff and told me he was a busy man and that was why my stuff was so late. Why LIE? Don't understand why XXXX and others think so highly of him. – Holy smokes, Scott. Had the same issue with a book of his a few years back. He finally sent it, but it stinks that he's doing that to you. – He picked up some XXXX at our table and asked me if it would be okay if he sent the money after he got home. I never got it. – I have been burned, too. I ordered his new Memphis book and he never sent it. I'm done with Beau. He calls himself a Christian. – I've heard this a lot over the last few years. Likable guy. I just don't get why he does this. – What a piece of work ... and his profile pic has him standing in a pulpit preaching ... smh ... on the legend gimmick, the only office I know he worked for was the dying days of Mempho, and since then, he's refused to work me. Has told promoters I was too stiff. He didn't tell me, though. Guys like him really piss me off. Thanks for smartening everybody up. Take care. – From things I've heard from the boys, he's not what he appears to be. He works hard trying NOT to make a living. I don't understand how Misty got caught up in that. She's the bread winner there. Baffles me. – Beau James sucks. I despise that man. He has never been anything more than a piece of [crap] and will always be just that. He has screwed so many of my friends over the years. The man can not be trusted. Sorry he took advantage of you. He will never ever receive a dime from me, thanks for the heads up, but I already knew about this. XXXX (former wrestling manager) warned me, so I knew not to trust him. – Some time ago, I asked him if he would happen to have a copy of a specific match. He said he did. The rest of the story is the same as yours. I sent him the money, several messages ... no reply. Each time I sent a message to see when it would be sent out, he would say he would mail it in X number of days. It never came. When I asked if anyone else had it, he said he had just mailed it, but it may have come back (what?), so he'd check his mail to see. When I e-mailed him again, he said he would mail it and I would have it on (so-and-so date), so I waited patiently. One day, it was in my mailbox. It took months to get something and lie after lie about it being sent, being returned, etc. I'm sorry he did this to you, but it seems to be a regular thing with Beau. – (From a message board) I agree with you Terry, same thing happened to two friends of mine. Ordered a book, still getting the runaround. – I have had similar issues. I bought some event posters from him, but was wary based on what I had heard. The only time I ordered anything thru the mail, it took a long time to get the items. – To everyone that has been ripped off, disrespected or dealt poorly with, I truly am sorry. This is the very reason that wrestlers and those associated get a bad name. I can vouch for Scott Teal as a business person, and I have never had a bad report told to me about him. Neither has he ever failed to produce a product that I purchased. – Wow!!! When I ordered the DVDs, he took my money from credit card right then, but took 2-1\2 months to get my DVDs of XXX. Never heard about him ripping off so many folks. Thank you for this information. – I had the same experience. I hope you get what you ordered because I never did. I ordered a complete set of Continental DVDs and waited for months. After getting no response to several e-mails, I finally gave up and just wrote it off. – He got my money electronically two months ago and I still don't have what I ordered. He should be arrested for fraud. – (wrestling legend) has told me on more than one occasion about his thoughts on Beau. I was wanting to buy his XXXX, but didn't want to take the chance on not getting it. – XXXX said he was horrible to do business with and that's why I've avoided him like the plague. That and he copies DVDs from tape traders and passed them off as his creations. And they just keep coming in! Reviews will be added as they come in at the end of this page. * * * * * FINALLY! On May 23, I received an e-mail from the "King of Kingsport" himself!
May 23, 2016 Sorry on delays I'm in one of those walk in my shoes for a mile deal. (See my note about this at the end of Beau's e-mail.) Except mine is a city block. Family illness, my own medical issues since March have me weeks behind. (English language update #3: the definition of "weeks" is now "months") If I was trying to rip people off it would be for a lot more than $25. (Oh, then that explains the e-mails above. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that. I'm glad you're shooting for a lot more than $25.) Always respected you and liked you as you see in the book I give you many thanks. (Well, I would be able to see it in the book, but I don't have one, and don't seem to be able to get one, and don't really think I ever will get one.) Once again sorry for the delays. (Love means never having to say you're sorry.) As a believer like me say a prayer for my family. (I'm praying you will become an honest businessman.) re: I'm in one of those walk in my shoes for a mile deal. I understand people having personal and private issues, but that doesn't answer the question of why Beau James would take peoples' money for orders when he 1) doesn't have the product ready to ship, 2) doesn't let people know "when they order" that there will be a period of time (note: it is now three months) before they will get their order, or 3) won't correspond with them to let them know when their order will be filled (and to tell the truth when he puts it in the mail). Beau has lied to me and many others about having shipped packages when he didn't. He has a terrible reputation. I've received e-mails and messages from many people who say they either had to wait an unrealistic amount of time for their goods, with no communication from Beau to explain why, or in many cases, they never got the goods and just wrote it off because they got tired of hassling him to send it. That's both dishonest and theft. I don't accept the "walk in my shoes for a mile" explanation because we all have obligations. I've been publishing for 20 years (25 books, 100+ periodicals, DVDs, photos, etc.) and would pretty much bet I've shipped out hundreds more orders than him, and have NEVER been more than a day or two late in getting out something someone ordered. As a rule, I go to the post office every two days, but never more than four days. And when I do, I always e-mail the customer to let them know it went out a bit later than I had planned. Four days is the exception, though. And mind you. I had a full-time job working 45-55 hours a week, activities to attend with six grandchildren, home responsibilities, not to mention writing/editing/laying-out/publishing 25 books, during those 20 years. I always found time to send out orders. And in reference to Beau's "we're just a two-man operation" note on his website, I'm a one-man operation. Me, myself and I. I do everything myself. I really would like to know, if Beau ordered something from Amazon, would he just wait until whenever if they took three (or more) months to send out whatever it was he ordered? I don't think so, and he shouldn't expect his customers to do that. (That, of course, doesn't address the problem of the orders he never filled or the customers who gave up trying to get it or their money back.) Beau owes his customers what they paid for in a reasonable amount of time, or he should tell them he can't take payment until he has the goods ready to send out. That's what honest businessmen do.
May 31, 2016 A final note: I couldn't care less about the $25. I won't miss it and I won't go hungry. The money has absolutely nothing to do with this. The issue is Beau's deceptive business practices and obsessive cheating and lying, not to mention the disrespect he shows his customers. I only hope this helps others avoid being ripped off by this charlatan. * * * * * Oh, yes. On another topic (still regarding Beau), he accepted an award for Sandra Welch Wright at the Gulf Coast Wrestlers' Reunion on March 5. She wasn't able to attend and receive the award personally because she is going through some real-life struggles. Beau lives about 30 miles from her and, three months later, she still doesn't have her award, and she's going through some things in which she could really use a pick-me-up. Beau James is a sad excuse for a human being. * * * * * And still more "fan mail" for Beau and Misty! June 3, 2016 – I ordered a book several years back and after 2-3 months, I received the book, bent, an autographed photo of Beau & Misty both ripped? After contacting him, he promised to replace the items and that's been 5-6 years ago? Piece of crap!!! I've done business with you Scott and you're top-notch!!! Thanks for posting this!!! – Thanks for the warning. I read about Beau on Trent's board. I met him one time at a show in La Vergne that you also attended. I always found his "wrestling legend" status laughable! – Luckily, I don't know the guy and have never dealt with him. He sounds like a real con man. Not to be mean, but looking at "Misty" and looking at him, he must have conned her into that relationship.
– Scott, he got me, too. I wish you would have smartened me up sooner! Once a mark, always a mark! – I glad I read that. I was looking at some XXXX stuff on there, but they had a blurb that caught my eye and I said, "Oh, no." I saw him putting himself over and I thought, "I've never heard of him doing anything in the business." Not that I know everyone in the business, but I knew Dale's crew well.
– I've read this Ballad of Beau James a few times. I think Beau has spent so much time selling people that he is legendary that he has convinced himself. It's sad, but harmless. What's not harmless is when a person rips people off. No excuse for willingly taking people's money and not delivering. Also find it interesting that he buries himself by saying he never has had a job, but Misty works herself to death. Good writing. People like Beau will end up alone. – I love the history of wrestling and was looking forward to the book & DVD. Now, six months later, I just want my money back. They still have it for sale on his website. I ordered from his website in January. Nothing yet. Filed a complaint with PayPal. They have yet to respond.
June 5, 2016
June 6, 2016
June 9, 2016 June 9, 2016
Overview of: 211 pages
Title page/Dedication/Thanks - 4 pages Lots and lots of blank, white space on pages. Several pages have a single picture and one or two short paragraphs. * * * * * It shows no signs of ending ... July 3, 2016 – I saw your message regarding your trouble with Beau James. I wish you luck ever getting anything from him. I worked for him for years and was misled by our alleged friendship, and then found out later how full of it he was. I got scammed on tape trades, but never actually sent him cash. Good luck again, but as far as I'm concerned, he is trash. – I had to file a complaint with PayPal to get back the money I sent them for DVDs. PayPal came through. – I bought a DVD from Beau James several years ago. I received it, but I had to keep sending him friendly reminder e-mails. And each e-mail got a little less friendly. I swore I would never deal with him again, but a few years ago, I sent him money for some (DVDs). The same thing happened again. Several months passed before he finally sent them. I would never do business with Beau James again. * * * * * And still more we've received in the past six months ... December 18, 2016 – Beau is one person that has burned me and a few others that I've bought ring worn stuff and they didn't deliver. Its very sad and hurtful that they do things like that, especially to their fans like me and their friends like you, but I am grateful that I'm blessed enough to be able to recover from those financial losses. I guess they're way more in need than me if they have to con and steal to make their living. December 19, 2016 – Sorry to hear about your dealings with Beau James. I never bought or tried to buy anything from him, but have always heard bad things just like you encountered.
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