As a service to the vendors who signed up for the Xtream Fantasy Sex Show, and because Natasha was using my website as her own for vendor and sponsor contacts, I am going to publish updates to the situation as it progresses. Here is a story on castanet – http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-54164–.htm#54164. I thought it was a very good article, well represented, thank you to Rachael Kimola for such a great story!
Please pass around to any other vendors you know who were to be participating and may not know of what’s happened. The last known contact with Natasha was the week of the 19th of April. If Natasha contacts anyone, please let her know the seriousness of her actions. If she says she has a new venue, please ask what it is – if it is in Kelowna I can go verify, or if in Vernon or elsewhere, one of us can, I am sure. The rcmp file # is 10-8275 and the officer is Christian, phone 250-545-7171.
Once I know of a new venue for the art show, I will also publish an update. I have decided if I do not have one by May 31, then I will close this portion of the Okanagan Erotic Art Show, refund everyone, whether they were successful in the jurying or not, and start over. If you know of a good fit, please contact me. The artwork is amazing and beautiful and thought provoking.
Another update – earlier this afternoon I saw that Castanet was in touch with Natasha – http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-54209-1-.htm#54209. At least Natasha has turned up. She has a chance to make this right. Let’s hope she does.
Julia Trops
Julia Trops is an international artist having sold over 1000 artworks worldwide since 2004. Retaining the discipline, work ethic and integrity from her 12 year career in the military, this decorated artist maintains a studio in the Rotary Centre for the Arts with three other local artists. Her work is vibrant, dramatic and expressive, and she does accept commissions. While other writers have selected her artwork numerous times for publishing, Julia is close to completing her third book. View her online gallery http://www.rubylane.com/shops/canadianartist or for works under $100 http://jtrops.etsy.com. Julia is one of the original organizers of the Okanagan Erotic Art Show and has carried on the event on her own since 2009.
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Thanks Julia for the consolidating input. Do you have a full name for the RCMP officer or is it just Officer Christian? I figure I might as well add myself to the list. (I know you’ve had ‘back channel’ chats with at least one other colleague of mine… and again, thank you for that… your empathy from a distance is appreciated)
Hi Greg, no worries, I just wish Natasha would say okay guys sorry I screwed up, here is your money back, sending it back same way I received it, you know?
The officer name I was given was Christian, sorry that is all I know – but when you call, please say add the information to the file number as everything is channeled through that.
Let’s hope for a good outcome.
thanks Julia. Yes, I too wish Natasha would confront this head on. She has likely spent some of the funds received… even getting back 80% right away with a promise would be nice. Unfortunately, silence changes everything. Those funds are paid for services promised and never rendered, possibly without the ability to ever deliver if you read enough between the lines. One or two incidences of such a thing is a business screw up. But this happening en mass with an operator who has disappeared can only be considered a fraud — that could very possibly move this from a civil / business issue to a criminal one. Tis tragic given that I (we all) recently believed Natasha to be quite sincere. Her lack of communication is galvanizing an expectation to the contrary.
Greg, Natasha has surfaced! http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-54209-1-.htm#54209 Did she contact you? She tried to intimidate one of the vendors by threatening lawyer action – but she said the same thing to me about the Kelowna Curling Club earlier in April – that she was going to get her lawyer involved, but hated to drag their name through the mud… seconds later I informed her I knew there was no contract, then … silence.
I read the Show Cancellation paragraph in the show contract. Seems she doesn’t have to give anyone money back unless the show is cancelled outright. Dates can be changed, venue can be changed etc. Para 24 I think it is. I have my own suspicions of what will happen now.
Hasn’t contacted me since last week on Tuesday. Yes, I know about that paragraph. What her lawyer would also have explained to her is that it won’t hold water if anyone wants out now. Since there is no timeline for cancellation written, standard tort law would insert the phrase ‘postponed with reasonable notice’, and 10 days is NOT reasonable notice with vendors that are moving goods, displays, equipment across the country to be there (we’re near Toronto). I was, last week, holding out hope that she WOULD find another venue and COULD pull this off. However, she PROMISED a call back on Thursday regardless of her status. Multiple calls have been unanswered, email unanswered, voice mail on both cell and office are full and not accepting messages. And I’ve not been one threatening, rather encouraging her to step into the light. Unless she surfaces fast and is willing to take some heat for this she might face ‘lynching mobs’ rather than relieved ones.
Actually… just picked up a message off the other line. Just her voice with updates can make a WORLD of difference. Without getting into details, I do have hope… However, I will be calling to follow up with her.
This is Kim from Wild Kingdom. I was very skeptical when I first heard about this show. I go to some of the biggest trade shows in the world and when I finally met Natasha I knew she had no clue what she was doing. If anyone checked out her company and her they would have found out she has never done a trade show like this EVER!!. She has no experience and now it troubles me that this has tarnished things a bit.I am sure she had good intentions however she got in way over her head. To everyone out there who has been effecrd please be careful before you get involved with anyone who clames to know what they are doing. Money is hard to come buy these days and everyones time is valuble so please do all your checking before you sign up. Also she was going head to head with Mothers day. Timing is everything when you are planning an event. My best to everyone…Kim
Kim, Looking back now, I agree with you. I feel like she used my art show, my legitimacy, my reputation in order to give credibility to her show. She was using my website and I offered to build her a website. She kept complaining about the people she was “hiring”, that they didn’t know what to do or how to do it. I think she wanted it for free though, and I would not do that, my time is very valuable these days.
I’m an idea person, I bought in to this concept hook line and sinker because I thought it would be a wonderful addition to the event community. I am feeling somewhat used but it is my own fault, I do tend to be naive, and I should have looked in to her, but consider that a huge lesson learned. Once burned etc.
Kim, if you know of anyone who would be interested to do an event like this, please pass on that there is a lot of interest in this area.
Regarding the second article in Castanet, the update, I feel that it was a cya effort on the part of Castanet. I found it very interesting. Edited to add: one of the vendors was told by Natasha ” that everyone who was in the story had been contacted and had “retracted their statements to something that was more true”. This is blatantly false. She never contacted me, I know she never contacted one of the other vendors who was in the story. I will swear on a stack of bibles, and could look myself in the mirror when I die.
Natasha I am sure you are reading this. Give everyone their money back in full including taxes by Monday, and this will all go away. That is all everyone wants.
Hi Julia and everyone reading. I truly feel very bad for you all but dont take the blame and dont beat yourself up. We as humans have it in our nature to want to trust and so when things like this happen we tend to blame ourself. Always ,always get peoples cridentials before handing over money and signing contracts. You all have to chalk it up to a life lesson and move on. Julia you were asking if I knew anyone who would put on a show. I am not sure if Kelowna is really big enough for an event like this but maybe. The cost is large. Very large. I would like to know how many businesses signed up for this? It would take a team of dedicated people who could work together to pull it off. Because I have been in the industry for 31 years now I do have somewhat of an idea what it would take. Just putting on my Fetish nights was a big undertaking.Maybe I could call one of my business associates to ask a few questions.I would love to host an event like this but allot of reasuech would have to be done. It has to be done right and not all willy nilly .Right now I have my plate full with both shops ,my wholesale business and I have been chosen to present on CBC Dragons Den. Lets meet Julia and we can maybe see if it would be feasable to have an event like this. So my thoughts are with everyone and dont let Natasha take you to the cleaners. Fight to get your hard earned cash back. Lets keep this web comuation up so people can post their thoughs and progress. Go out and make it a Great Day!
I have been waiting to see a would answer the huge pile of e-mails/texts/phone messages on her business line and blackberry but so far she is still silent and today was to be the first day of her show. I am Toronto based, what if my radar hadn’t gone up when I e-mailed her a few weeks ago twice, asking if I should bring a dolly. I could of gone across the country for a show that never really existed! As it was, I packed the van as if I was doing 2 shows just in case. (I heard from another vendor a couple of days ago that she had no idea that the show wasn’t on).
Let me back-track a bit. Last week was a trade show in Regina put on by a very reputable company, and Kelowna was to be the following weekend. I did the Regina show 2 years ago and lost money…They weren’t ready for a sex show and definitely not ready for a fetish booth at a sex show. I told myself I would never do that show again…BUT along comes Natasha’s show…and B.C. is a place I love. I would never of done the Regina show if it was the only show but I had to give thought to 2 in a row. I had arranged with another vendor that I would drive my things to Regina and from there would rent a U-haul and together we would drive in one vehicle and share the gas and hotel expenses. This was the only economical way for the two of us to do her show…because we would NEVER of agreed to do her show if on our own we were going to get there….she is an unknown with an unproven show. We would of also never agreed to do her show if Regina wasn’t the weekend before so we were already around 1/2 way there. I had looked at skidding my things from Toronto/Regina/Kelowna/Toronto and that became very expensive. Although the Toronto/Regina part of the skid was a lot cheaper then if I were to drive and pay hotels and gas. Please keep in mind that for me to drive to Regina on my own it took 3 days each way….so 6 days of my life were gone because Natasha wasn’t decent enough to be honest and tell people what was going on. She chose to be silent. I have a son that leaves for 3 months tomorrow for Glasgow and another who is about to leave for 3 weeks with the Army Reserves. It was a hard decision just deciding on doing these 2 shows when I wanted to spend whatever time I could with my sons. Had Natasha been honest and said something weeks ago, I would of put my things on the skid and shipped them to Regina and flown into the show. The 6 day driving on my own gave me lots of time to dwell on things like how I think the Canadian Gov’t should stop being so soft…I think the countries that chop off thieves hands should be commended for those actions. I have no problem with liars tongues being chopped off either…and don’t get me started on paedophiles, or people on welfare that are doing nothing to get themselves off of it…not even picking up garbage from the side of the road to earn their keep…but I am digressing.
As a vendor, and I do a lot of shows across North America, most of them are established shows and a few aren’t. As Vendors we have all paid our money only for a show to be bad…and often that boils down to lack of advertising on the promoters part but sometime shows are just bad and you chalk it up to the roll of the dice. Also as a vendor we try to put off paying the promoter for as long as possible. Because we just can’t afford it, one show pays for the next show and when they are good shows, you take some of the profit to pay yourself.
Often we are flying by the seat of our pants, especially in today’s economy when people just aren’t spending at these shows like they use to. There are also a lot of other costs associated for us beyond the booth cost. There are flights and shipping costs, hotels, meals, and products. Most of us have to pay for products up front. Like I said earlier, I would never of done the Regina show on it’s own but knowing I was doing 2 in a row, there are products I don’t manufacture, like the genital shaver that comes from the States. I placed an order (an order I would never made at that point in time because next month I have a show in the States and I would of had an order sent to my hotel..which would of saved me a fortune in shipping costs and brokerage fees that FedEx charges which are nuts…I would of just had it go through my broker for a fraction of the cost), there were other products I ordered as well…knowing that I had 2 shows to sell them in.
I now have a just over $6,000 visa bill for the month…not all of these expenses are because of Natasha but some of them are a result of her. I don’t have enough in my accounts to cover this and so off to the line of credit I go, I then get to pay interest on. Natasha is holding my booth money, which I have repeatedly asked for because she has told others (and I am hearing rumours she is threating other vendors legally) that she will have another show. The thing is, I have shows booked every month between now and the end of the year..so what happens if she comes up with another show..this time a real show and it conflicts with a show I have booked. I can’t do both and I know for sure I will be doing the other show…also her show in Kelowna was one I agreed to do because I was already 1/2 way there and I was sharing expenses with another vendor…a vendor who was smart and gave her a post dated cheque…which he cancelled so there isn’t a hope he is going to trust her again to do a show with her. To leave from Toronto to do her show when she has already proven herself to be what she is (leaving that sorting hanging…you fill in your own blank), isn’t the smartest of move.
I have read on this blog and in other e-mails that a lot of the other vendors have asked for their money back. Most of us are small companies and what she has done has really knocked us back financially. It would be nice is she did the moral right things but so far she hasn’t shown us that side of her and in my opinion, I don’t think she will start now. I also find it interesting that after crippling us like she has, she still is even talking about putting on another show where she has to face a group of vendors that have nothing good to say or think about her. But like I mentioned at the top of my ramble…I am getting most of my info from others because she hasn’t contacted me in weeks…and today should be the start of her show. It is a little late now to give me any official word that she isn’t holding it.
An update for today. I did hear from a vendor who wrote and asked if the show was on today, and directed them to call Natasha. Obviously this means to me that not everyone was called as she stated in the updated Castanet news article.
Earlier this week, I received a phone call from another vendor, who questioned me on the status of the show. They felt that the original Castanet article looked “bad”. I told them bluntly and honestly that there was no embellishment whatsoever and that was the situation as it stood at that time. I was actually quite amazed that they would think there was. Now I believe that they were likely told by the Xtream Fantasy Show host that her lawyer was getting involved and that we had all retracted our statements. I want to repeat that this is not true. There was no embellishments, and no one has retracted any statements. And I know of at LEAST two vendors who have not been called.
Last Thursday I sent a lengthy email to Natasha explaining my position. In short, I told her that I believed that what she is doing is criminal (up to the RCMP and Crown to decide of course). There are so many things wrong with the situation that I no longer even know where to start. Misleading vendors, keeping information from vendors, confusing vedors with her ‘I have the right to take your money and do whatever I want with it so long as I profess that I will have a venue coming up some day’ story. Sorry, I was referring to her right to change venue and date. I explained to Natasha that while every show promoter has that right, it does come with the burden of ‘reasonable notice’, which was not given to anyone. Go further with the question of whether or not she even had a venue under contract to begin with and the pendulum swings even further to the side of fraud. I demanded my money back.
Natasha called me about 15 minutes after my email. I’m not sure if she had read it or not, but she launched right into her cheeky sales pitch: ‘Just calling all the vendors to let them know that we are still on track… I’m expecting to have available dates back shortly so that we can set a new date. I have no reason to believe that the show won’t happen. And if for any reason we can’t get a date, then WE WILL BE REFUNDING ALL MONIES TO VENDORS WITHIN 15 DAYS’ (note that last part). I turned the conversation quickly by explaining that there was no show and there hadn’t been a show for at least 3 weeks if ever. Yes I understand she has the right to change venue / date but that she needed to give REASONABLE notice which she didn’t. I’ve suffered costs because of her but ‘my bad’ for trusting to that end. I explained that I am done with the Circus and I expected my money back IMMEDIATELY. She told me that she would be speaking to her lawyer that afternoon. (I expect that statement has frightened a few vendors.) I told her that was great because she REALLY needed some legal advice at this moment. She promised to contact me again that afternoon after meeting with her lawyer. She did not.
I have called Natasha no less than 10 times since last thursday and have been ignored. I have emailed and been ignored. She has not returned my funds. At this moment, this is what *I* believe:
- I believe that Natasha is in waaaaay over her head and is drowning so fast that she can’t see her way out… refund the vendors with the sincerest of apologies
- I believe that Natasha thrown integrity out the window
- I believe that Natasha is in a panic figuring that if she can just pull a venue together it will be alright and we will all forget that she is running a con. (not going to happen)
- I believe that what she has done is very, very bad business
- I believe that what she has done constitutes douzens of incidents of fraud and is a criminal act
- I believe that if any venue in Kelowna took her on, they would be taking part in her fraud, even if unwittingly. As such, any informed venue of any value to such a show is unlikely to touch the event. The show, in my opinion, is entirely dead without hope for resurrection.
- I believe that Natasha should step up quickly with a broadcast email and immediate refunds to all before she finds herself buried in a civil and criminal legal nightmare. Wake up NOW Natasha.
… but that’s just what *I* believe.
That was very well written Greg.
I am not sure which is worse…you speaking with her while she still lies to your face or how she has treated me and I have heard nothing for about 3 weeks now….no e-mails or phone calls. Imagine if I had shown up at the Kelowna show (and I have heard that after the Regina show there was 30 cm of snow on the mountains), and there was no show to be had.
I am hoping in the next few days the Kelowna RCMP will let me post the file number on this site. There are doing some ground work first and have asked me to hold off.
She has totally bit off more then she can chew and keeps digging herself in deeper. I am with you on she needs to wake up now because she is in a mess of trouble by more then the RCMP.
Beth
I would also like to add a Thanks to Julia for letting us use her blog as a way to connect with each other over this awful situation.
It would be nice to hear from the other vendors with your stories as well.
Beth
Hi Beth, no worries, the power of the internet can be a very positive thing, glad to help.
Greg, very interesting – so between post 5 and 6, it appears to me that N was watching the blog, saw your post, and called you, which is good! If I understood this correctly you received a promise of refund if no “date” available 15 days from April 28, so that means May 12. It would be nice if the refund happened before May 12. Okay, well, guess we’ll see.
What I found a little humourous is that there are so many people she has told that “I’m going to contact my lawyer” that I wonder if she has spent a ton of legal fees – maybe things should be written down so she doesn’t have to call him/her so often…? You are right, I believe she has used that on a lot of people to try to intimidate, a “veiled threat”. I do feel sad that it all went down this way – it could have been a terrific show.
Hi Everyone. I have just been reading everyones coments. My advice is whatever you do dont get involved with this even if she happens to come up with a venue. N has no experience she knows nothing about puting on a show like this and knothing about the industry. For all of you wanting your money back it will be a while before that happens. I think she took your money and ran. You cant get blood out of a stone but go through the courts to get it and dont stop till every last penny is returned to you. I wish you all the best.Kim
In response to Kim’s advice… yes and no (from experience). It is my hope that the RCMP and Crown find that this falls into the definition of fraud. In that case we are looking at criminal restitution, not a civil claim. Difference is that in a civil case you have to bring a claim (small claims court) and go through the process, and even then we are suing the corporation HOPING to breach the corporate veil and include Natasha personally. And even if you do, blood from a stone applies and bankruptcy escapes all if funds are depleted. However, if a criminal case, then monies back to vendors come as restitution, the crown pays for all the court stuff, and not even bankruptcy escapes Natasha from liability as every cent needs to be repaid. And, or course, Natasha deals with hell as her personal life, home, everything is stripped away from her in order to satisy the case.
Or… or course… Natasha could wake up, avoid all this crap, and refund our monies as she should morally, ethically, legally do. Personally, I’m hoping the sleeping pills wear off. Again… as I’m not a lawyer, just my opinion….
I am compiling a list of people who are interested in having their money refunded for the Xtreme Fantasy Sex Show show which failed to take place. Natasha’s actions have been irresponsible at best and the lack of communication is inexcusible. While everyone I’m sure became aware that the show would not happen, Natasha’s allowing the date to come and go without contacting the vendors involved, shows a total lack of business accumen.
Please contact me at alterations@shaw.ca or call me at 250.718.7890 if you wish to ad your name to the list. Action will begin immediately. working together will produce greater results than if we all try to pursue this individually.
I was to be a vendor at this show.
I am compiling a list of other vendors who wish to receive a refund of their money from Natasha.
Please contact me at alterations@shaw.ca or call me at 250.718.7890. Action will begin immediately.
The fact that Natasha allowed the dates of the show to come and go without making an announcement or contacting the vendors, shows a complete lack of business accumen. This lack of communication is inexcusable and this matter needs to be pursued immediately. If we act together much greater results will be produced than if we try to act alone.
Get in touch with me.
Even thought things have been quiet on this blog lately, lots of things are going on in regards to Natasha and what she has done to the vendors. Hopefully I can post more in the next few days.
Has anyone heard anything in regards to the RCMP investigation or collections?
It has been very quiet since May.
Hope everyone is enjoying the rays of sunshine we are getting today.
Barbara
Thought you might be interested in reading this – in the Red Deer Advocate:
http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/local/Multiple_charges_in_Pearson_fraud_case_97592639.html
Multiple charges in Pearson fraud case
By Advocate staff
Published: July 01, 2010 9:23 AM
A man facing multiple fraud charges in relation to trade shows in Red Deer and elsewhere remains in custody and will return to court on Aug. 6.
Paul Raymond Pearson, 52, of Kamloops, B.C., appeared in Red Deer provincial court on Wednesday afternoon.
He is charged with four counts of fraud over $5,000, more than 70 counts of fraud under $5,000 and laundering the proceeds of crime.
Pearson’s wife Gloria Pearson, 59, also of Kamloops, who is facing similar charges, will also return to Red Deer provincial court on Aug. 6.
Gloria Pearson was released on bail earlier in June.
Red Deer City RCMP officers have said they laid the charges following a 16-month police investigation into allegations surrounding trade shows. Red Deer RCMP have said that more than 80 people were defrauded of more than $210,000. In March 2009, a potential exhibitor at a trade show called police because of concerns.
(end.)
Don’t lose hope for getting your money back! I can not find it on the web just yet, but published in today’s (Aug 29) Okanagan on page A7 bottom left it says he was sentenced… here it is retyped:
Man Sentenced in trade show scams
Red Deer, Alta (CP) – A man from Kamloops has been sentenced to 20 months house arrest and paid $158,000 in restitution after scamming booth exhibitors out of thousands of dollars from phony trade shows he set up in Red Deer and Calgary.
Paul Raymond Pearson, 58, pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud over $5000, 26 charges of fraud under $5000 and one count of attempted fraud.
Another 67 fraud-related charges were withdrawn. The court also withdrew charges against Pearson’s 60 year old wife.
Crown Prosecutor Tony Bell said the offences occurred between July 30 2007 and Feb 15 2009 when Pearson began advertising trade shows on the Internet and then contacting businesses by email about their potential interest.
Pearson would end up collecting money from 18 victims who gave money toward booth space at one of the fake trade shows he had organized, Bell said.
He collected just over $14500 from the Rig Expo Trade Show in Red Deer that was held for one day in May 2008 and which drew only 22 attendees.
Pearson then received nearly $14000 from potential exhibitors of the Lift Haul Expo, which was organized for Red Deer in September of 2008 but was never held. The Big Buck Expo planned for Red Deer in June 2009, saw Pearson take in nearly $728.
Pearson also picked up almost $12700 from exhibitors who planned to go to a Go Green Expo in Calgary in April 2009 but the exhibition never happened.
“He utilized the proceeds for his purposes,” said Bell.
The Crown and defence asked for a 30 month conditional sentence to be served at his Kamloops home.
Pearson also presented the court with a cheque for $158000 which will be distributed among all victims of the trade shows, including those for which charges were withdrawn.
(end.)
When I can find a link to the story above, I will post it. Make sure you get your info in to RCMP if you have not done this already!!!