@johnnyBALLZ,
@weighted chinup,
@brutus79,
@CensoredBoardsSuck (you all seem to have voiced similar opinions). Can you fill me in on what exactly it was that Shamrock did before he was driven off? He was described as shady and dangerous, and this could mean a lot of things. Asking this in all seriousness. I don't have a point I am trying to prove to anyone or an axe to grind with any of you, just wondering if it was a bunk gear issue, selective scamming, or something worse.
The reason he was driven off is important to me because unfortunately, for some of us finding a "lesser evil" is the only option when in a jam. I think it is great you guys have high expectations for quality and service from these guys and try to enforce it. I guess my expectations are just lower, & I assume I am eventually going to get ripped off or receive bunk gear. I try to minimize the likelihood by thoroughly testing, ordering products that are hard to fake a positive result with labmax, and making the info available to others.
Really I see it no differently than purchasing any other illegal substance. Back in my younger days sometimes you ended up shitting your brains out from a healthy dose of baby laxatives. You didn't get your money's worth, but if it was the only source available to you at the time there really wasn't much you could do if you were looking to party. So you would just write it off as an occasional bad experience. Next time it would probably be better, or maybe a new source would become available. Baby laxatives is one thing and you might put up with it. If you got pistol whipped, robbed, and left for dead you probably wouldn't want to roll the dice with that more than once. So I guess I am just asking if it was a baby laxatives offense or a full blown pistol whilping that ended Shamrocks time here.
Hopefully at some point I will find a source that is reliable 100% of the time. Maybe I am just jaded, but I feel like if this is hard to find in a face to face transaction, it is probably very rare in an anonymous online relationship.
Brutus and weightedchinup already gave you the answer you were looking for so I'm not going to address that. What I will address is the apparent lack of experience and understanding of the online AAS market that led you to question everyone's opinion on Shamrocbear's credibility in the first place, because it's going to get you scammed.
The online AAS racket is a cesspool. A cesspool with no bottom. Buying gear online isn't the same as buying in person for one main reason: Anonymity. Online, you are dealing with an anonymous seller, many of whom - especially start-ups like GL - use impostor accounts, shills and plants in order to convince unsuspecting noobs and suspicious senior members that they are legit, as well as creating enough doubt about the source's negativity that people will take the risk. But history has proven that the risk is too great. The statistics do not lie. The chances that a start-up source like GL will still be around this time next year is practically nil. Of the dozens and dozens of sources that have come to Meso, only Astro made it past the first year and even he looks to be finished.
Anonymity creates a serious problem when trying to identify these impostor accounts, shills and plants. In most cases, you're not going to find concrete proof that they are such. You must understand HOW the online AAS racket works first. Only then, with learning, time, and experience under your belt, will you'll learn to differentiate what looks suspicious from what's truly suspicious. There is a bit of an art to it but most people are able to develop their ability to recognize scammers fairly quickly, especially once they've seen a few scams play out.
So what is a noob to do in the meantime? It's no guarantee but there is often safety in numbers. Look for a consensus among the senior members. If you notice most of the senior members are suspicious, but only 2 or 3 are dissenting, that's a pretty good indication that YOU should be suspicious too. It's also a good indication that you should question the motives of the 2 or 3 that are dissenting. If the majority of the senior members are posting warnings about a source, there's usually a good reason for it.
I hadn't kept up with this thread until recently, but as soon as I started reading, alarm bells went off. Others were suspicious too, and because of some great detective work by a few diligent members, we were able to acquire enough evidence to be reasonably certain of what we are dealing with. Some of the evidence is conclusive, like the known counterfeit batch number Galenikas, but other evidence isn't strong enough to prove anything with 100% certainty by itself. However, when that evidence keeps piling up, and there's no evidence coming forward that refutes it, it's enough to draw a reasonable conclusion about the source. And online, that's usually as good as it gets.
The best you can do is be cautious, keep your eyes open, and learn. Don't settle for a nobody-source like Gearline because it's the "lesser evil" and "the only option when in a jam." That's what these fly-by-nighters are hoping for. And it's what gets people scammed. There are no shortcuts. Put your time in, get to know people, and you'll soon learn to recognize decent sources. Only then will you be able to minimize your chances of becoming the victim of a scam.
Regards
CBS