Truth Behind Dark Smiley Systems......

HIS REPLY:

 

Why would someone be BANNED for posting something like that?

We don't ban people for doing that. We only would ban if another reseller posted that information, as that isn't the kind of competition we allow between resellers @ NBR (reseller rules and they already know that).

Now to be fair, DSS had a decent reply over at GoG...might want to at least think about what he said.

 

Don't forget this:

Shane does seem like a decent kid, but I honestly think he should wait until he's a little older before he tries running a business like that.

 

Pretty sure he was banned because he posted a link back to his site...and what exactly is your point even if he is 16 years old, doesn't mean it has to be his own business could be a family business and considering the info he posted here he sure seemed like he new what he was doing. To be honest at age 16 and already running a business, he's got more experience than 90% of the people in the US. Bad mouth a company when they fail, not when they are starting, everyone deserves at least one chance.

 

I am not suggesting that that was the reason he got banned Greg.

He got banned by breaking the reseller rules by advertising.

I am just letting people know the background behind who they are purchasing from before spending a couple grand on a purchase.

 

Info like this should be under the sager/clevo reseller sticky, not as a new thread in the sager/clevo section, theres nothing good that can come of this, unless nbr plans to sticky another thread just to discredit a reseller again....

 

He told me that he was fifteen. Knowing my friends, and judging by his pictures and videos, I don't think that he would handle his machines too well when he's building them and I wouldn't doubt a few scratches and scuffs on anything you'd get from him. I could be wrong, but I think I could build computers better than that. This sounds like a pretty interesting business. Maybe I'll start one up in a year or two as a college job? I wouldn't want to sell Sagers and other notebooks full-time, but it could be interesting to try to improve their thermals and change their design around a little, etc. I think I could get an edge over other Sager resellers by offering machine-specific software. When I mentioned software to control and add effects to the backlit keyboard in the OCZ Whitebook thread everyone seemed pretty excited about it...

 

That is not what I wanted from this thread.

It was just like a buyers awareness thread.

I would have bought from him, but after seeing the recent info, it has allowed me to reasses his credibility.

I dont want this to be an attacking thread or speculation or what not. DSS was growing to be a popular reseller here in NBR (due to the OCZ WBook), and from his posts he is very kind and curteous, but people should know about who they are purchasing from right?

 

I like the kids attitude, always annoying to see people hating on someone who has the attitude to go and do something they want to do..Most everyone else just sits around wishing they where someone else..

 

And let's not forget, threads like these are needed. God forbid what would have happened if we didn't have one for PCMW. Because we all KNEW they wouldn't deliver.


P.S. I'm sure he could not have gotten banned for advertising or having a link back to his website in his signature, because then why isn't Paladin44 banned yet?

 

Hey no one really has to buy one from him if they don't want to, but we all have to start somewhere.
It's great that someone did a nice background check on his CO. but if your going to spend $3000 for a laptop you better do your homework on the place you are buying from.
BUYER BEWARE!

 

Whats funney though is that no one does any background checks on Justin or Donald "No offence you guys", but that just looks like favoritism and if they did post something, everyone would jump in and probably not believe a single word of it, why? Because they are resellers that have gotten involved on these forums and have been around for a while. Every time I see something thats PCMW this and killernotebooks that, I just don't think its fare to post this kind of information on a forum thats here to help people with laptops. Sorry, but I'm just seeing a pattern occurring where if your company name isn't xotic pc or powernotebooks you can't be a reliable company at all....

I don't think he has advertised with a link back to his site, but he did post some pictures a while back of the np8660.

 

nonetheless, I was going to order the whitebook from DSS, now I am pretty sure that I am gonna stick with K|N

 

I think the point is that a 15 year-old high school student shouldn't be building and selling laptops. Especially such an immature one (no offense DarkSmiley).

 

Are you kidding!?! (no pun intended)

Who is "they"?? His parents? His gym teacher?

Good lord....I can't show this cràp to my wife or she'll ban me from buying anything online...

 

Again, I already pre-ordered the Criterion from his business, so let's reserve proper judgment until I receive it, and review it.

 

well, assuming the result turns out to be good, I just not feeling confident to deal with a teenager for such expensive purchase, no matter if he still in HS or graduated from MIT at age 13. of course, it just me.

 

About 9 years ago a 15 year old boy in Phoenix Arizona decided to pass the Microsoft MCSE (all 11 MCP's plus the extended certifications) in one day.

He finished and passed every one. When interviewed, he was asked why---
He replied, because he can.

My point is here you have a gifted kid, brilliant no doubt but would an employer hire him to run their IT dept? Doubtful. Perhaps when he has some...oh what is that word I'm looking for...used to describe gained knowledge or skill....oh yea, e x p e r i e n c e, of which, he has none.
Presently.

Do I want him gaining that experience with my money?

Uhm, let me think about it for a sec...

 

I couldn't have said it better myself. This is like a baby try to run before he can even walk. quote from DSS:

To be honest, volunteering experiences doesn't mean anything to me, it's free labor, how many people actually care about the work qualities of a volunteer? Paid job, on the other hand, is different story.

 

What temps aren't good enough for you?

 

Ow right, I almost forgot: most of you are Americans, right? So it's ok to judge people without evidence and all that boring crap!
3 hoorays for all the folks who are judging DSS because either they've heard something from someone who heared from the mother of a friend of a nephew of his neihgbours gardener that DSS is bad, or because it's (co-)run by a 15 year old.

 

wow interesting.. surely someone has already ordered from him right?? maybe if he din't post that funny circles video you'd think he's some 16-year-old smarty behind a computer??

funny thing is.. why does people comment about this when they have no experience dealing with a particular person? then again, better know where you're putting your money into..

 

Running a business is all about THE business, personally I have nothing against the guy, but he needs to act like a adult if he is going to do business with mostly ADULTS.
The one thing he lacks is ( and it's really big for me anyway) EXPERIENCE.
Look most people who buy these very expensive laptops want to deal with someone with a certain level of maturity to take seriously.
He might be be the smartest 16 year old kid in America but he has to remember in business he has to take into consideration that the way a person/owner acts goes a very long way into how a person/owner is perceived and treated.He might very well be the future of laptops for all we know BUT he needs to act like a professional to be in business.

 

if its truly about THE business and not who's behind it, then why care who's behind it?

i mean,

if the business goes great, customers are satisfied, service is okay, product quality is okay, and everything's good, then why care if the person who took your order is some punk sitting behind a camera spinning on his chair making funny noises? (no offense intended)
as long as everything's fine with the dealing concerned, why can't he behave like any other 16 years old who does stuff which might not be suitable in an adult's opinion.. his personal life (and perhaps online life) hasn't got anything to do with his business right? unless it does directly affect his business by giving you crappy answers when you ask him questions related to the stuff he's selling, why be bothered?

 

I must say I "love" the kid, it sounds like he is brilliant. At 16 trying to make a legit business to earn money when most kids on this rely on university loans to buy a GAMING PC is does take a level of maturity above his age. Nevertheless DSS here is my problem above all when it comes to making a decision to buy from you or not.

You are 16 as such your future is full of possibilities. Soon you wil go to UNI etc etc (where you will excel), great jobs will be offered to you etc etc. What will happen then to your company and its customers? Having a good internetbusiness is not just about selling stuff and services online, is also about creating good relationships.

I can believe that you can indeed do the first two to some extent (laptops and warranties throught partnerships), but my experience says that you can't assure the second for long even if you are willing to do so now. Anyone that does not believe what I say, even if you are about his age, start reading some psychology books, you might learn something about yourself.

Having a business is far more demanding then having a wife

GL DSS!

Trance
PS: If anyone sees my reasoning as an indication of prejudice against the ability of the young to build a legit internet business what that means is that one as a person does not have the maturity yet to be in the business. His business is legit alright but that is not enough! By the way if I was his neighbor I would definitly buy from him

 

Why care! Only about 3 thousand reasons to care.
First of all you can't say business is great if he has only had 1 customer.You can't say people are satisfied if a person has yet to lay his hands on one.
I am not trying to say he will not follow through with any of those it's just the way it is.I'm all for people trying to make money but like I said part of being in business is the way you conduct yourself.
I really am not trying to slam DSS in any way and he probably knows more about computers than I ever will, it's just a little hard to take him seriously that's all.
I know this is a bad comparison but would you take your car into a garage if the mechanic was that young?And yes I know he is a re-seller and does not do any work on the laptops but I would want a crusty old veteran to do the work.He is not selling some cheap item but a very expensive one that people do a lot of research on, it's not like you can just blow it off as a bad experience and say OK you got me, I learned my lesson if things don't work out.

 

with all due respect, i understand where you're coming from..

you're talking about credibility here, and how this can be achieved..
when other resellers first started off, they din't have business, but they carried on and eventually built up trust from existing customers.. DSS, just like other resellers, start out on the same level.. so if the 'first' customer to now-credible-resellers was willing to try the once new company, i shouldn't see why not to DSS

2ndly, yes i'm aware the way he conducts himself isn't really convincing that a 3grand deal with him is going to go far.. i really couldn't imagine him picking up my phone call if i had a query one day, and hear him chanting his 'i love circles' chant.. but hey, how do you know other reseller's customer support ain't spinning around in their chairs too!

okay what i'm really trying to say is, thanks to OT for the heads-up on who's behind DSS (and the video was enriching too), as its good for consumers to know who they're corresponding with over the other side.
and
don't gun down DSS without any proof.. (as in, actually purchasing from this guy) give him a chance yeah?? all of us needs a chance in life to kick off.. we all need to start from somewhere yeah?

cheers!

 

That's the thing I don't want to know what other resellers are doing in there chairs.OK and yes I was pretty goofy when I was that young . I agree everyone has to start somewhere, I just don't want to be the first guinea pig :wink:

 

That's pretty impressive that he started up his own business. That said, I certainly wouldn't ever buy from him. Sure, everyone deserves a chance to get their business up and running but not with my money...I'm not willing to be a guinea pig for future customers. But hey, if people wanna gamble with thousands of dollars with DSS then by all means go ahead.

 

Yes I do agree that people have to start somewhere. But that is not the issue IMHO.

Anyone who does not agree with what I said in the prev post, even if you are about his age, start reading some psychology books, you might learn something about yourself

Think small plan big. He is in business as such he has a chance. Maybe he should start with his neighbours and friends, then school, local shops etc etc etc. Going online and ship nation wide or even world wide, simply he does not fit the profile ... reality check !!!!!!!!!! Maybe he shoud get a business partner that fits

Trance

 

I totally agree!:yes:

 

alright point taken

i'm a 16 year old kid too! but i don't spin in my chair =/

and i wouldn't want to be his 1st few customers too.. haha.. maybe when DSS's more established few years down the road then we'll order from him??

 

I agree with Zenica on both replies:
1. My girlfriend would cut my credit cards in 4 pieces if I was going to show her the funny video clip while planning on purchasing from him.
2. Apart from the technical background how could anybody who's 16 (and not yet in College) have any idea how to run a business or even put a standard business plan to paper? I'm not sure how it is in the US, but I guess in most West European Countries I'd be surprised if he was able to even get a reseller license ..you got to have a significant Amount of start up funds, be liable and a Adult.

I just hope that upon reading this whole threat...he won't feel intimidated. My motto often is: 'have a great idea and stick with it'.

 

Judging his business by how he acted in some youtube video is the wrong card to play here. To cite his small body of work is a legitimate reason for trepidation, but go by a candid moment is slightly unfair.

As if none of us ever act silly, despite being twice his age. "Durr, durr, act like an adult." What does that even mean to an adult? It certainly doesn't mean "all work and no play".

DS would do himself a great service, if he produced a video showcasing his building process. I'd rather assess the quality of his work, rather than the numerical digits of his age.

 

Being American has nothing to do with it....if I was from, oh say...Rwanda, I'd still not want to be the one
providing a child with his startup capital for this weeks venture. How many of us (Americans, Rwandans alike)
can either recall from personal experience or from peers that our "hobbies" at that age changed like the political winds.

If this is his true passion, in 10 years time, he'll become the new DELL but until then.....

 

I've been reading all the posts and I can say that is rather amusing. The problem is simple. Your money you choice. I can understant if someone says I am planning to buy a laptop, but I do not trust this guy because (various reasons).... What I do not understand is you passion to actively discredit discredit him, when most of you do not even plan to buy a laptop. Is someone paying you to do this? I do not know if I would buy from him a laptop, but I also do need to buy a laptop.
Are you really so good people that you are allowed to judge and condemn someone like that? How would you feel if someone else would start an active campaign on a forum and your company would go out of business?

PL

 

This is a public forum for all, while there is some censorship on the part of the Admins, it is not yet so rampant to interfere with healthy conversation.

If that is your goal, NBR has a Suggestions thread towards the bottom of the Discussion link.

 

totally agreed. but then again, most people are not willing to be 'the first customer' because we're talking about a couple of grand here. and if this 16 year old kid HAS the means to get a reseller's license, it should show a degree of his capability..

 

Well, I might be wrong, but it's some sort of mental state. I'm pretty convinced that someone from Rwanda wouldn't care about the age of someone who's selling things

Not that I don't understand you, and also I might hesitate a little, but then soly based on the fact that it's a new company, not because the "CEO" has a certain age.
Mind you, lots of (big) companies have CEOs that are pretty OLD. That doesn't stop people from going to that company, while one could argue that the continuity isn't certain either. (Same goes for your local car dealer: if your dealer is 60, he might retire in a few years, so following your logic, you wouldn't buy a car there because he could stop providing service at any moment.)

 

couldn' find any of this : microexprees.net,lynnbay.com,darksmileysystems.com on BBB Accredited Business & Charity Directory.
is that mean they not legit!

 

Stating their opinion and doing active campaign are two different things. It is obvious to me that RunningGunner has a personal issue with the seller and not coming from some bad services.

Live and let others to live!

PL

 

You missed my point. I will once more spell it out:
E x p e r i e n c e

A 15-16 year old child that is below the legally recognized age to:
a) Drive (in many states)
b) Vote
c) Enter into legal and binding contracts
d) Obtain credit
e) Obtain gainful employment
f) Buy property

That "60 year old" in your example can do all of the above and has that ever illusive "experience" so many employers will look for, home owners will expect in the general contractor they will hire, the Doctor who will perform the surgery, the mechanic who will repair the car, stylist cutting their hair....I could go on and on and on but what would the point be? Either you get i t
or you d o n' t.


BTW, this wasn't the only point you missed.

 

chill out guys.. its just an informative thread to tell some users about what another user feels about DSS.. on another forum, of course.. and yeah i agree with pasoleatis to some extent.. the OT in that forum seems to be gunning down DSS DIRECTLY, even without a purchase.. leads us to wonder why he might want to do such a thing like that..

 

I would have to agree, it's like not your buying a subscription of a magazine from this kid...

 

And it seems that you are missing the point of what others are trying to point out. It's not about experience. If it were, then by theory, you would be better off buying from Alienware, which started in 1996, who BTW started in similar fashion as what people like darksmiley is doing (except Nelson and Alex were a bit older and only dealt with desktops). It's also funny that I bring Alienware up because now, they have turned into an overpriced subsidiary of Dell whose notebook tech service has no clue as to what they're doing (see the guy who had his graphics card replaced 4 times).

Bottom line is that a substantial number of businesses do not start off with people experienced with the art of starting/managing a business. Hell, even the entities known as Microsoft and Dell started off by a college dropout and a guy who sold notebooks to people in his dorm room respectively.

Also, let me tell ya, if you were to do a thorough background check of every CEO or major player behind every single business and made judgments on their businesses based on their personal lives, our economy would turn into the National Enquirer.

 

I hope this doesn't mess up his start up. Hey darksmiley, service the community around you to build a rep and then put some testimonials on your site. At least you can eventually build up a base that can vouch for your competence. Treat your customers like they are gold and then you'll put these naysayers to shame.

 

Start here: ← #1 and read through EVERY comment before suggesting I missed something.

If your going to over look relative field experience then how about any LIFE EXPERIENCE? I don't think Heather from the 2pm English class rejecting unwanted advances will further his computer assembly experience. Contrary, should those advances be welcome, he may have less time to devote to his fledgling enterprise.

At 16, how much "life" has he experienced, taking pictures of himself shirtless in the bathroom...uhgh, thanks, I really wanted to revisit that memory....or maybe it's the experience one gets in Homeroom class.

Now for the point you may have missed; this thread fully supports everyone willing to finance his R&D experience. Heck, he may even add you to his partner program list! Sweet!

 

I'd buy from him.

Why?

Because he's 16 and he's already running a business instead of getting high and making babies.

All my respect to Smiley. He's done what 99% of others his age wouldn't even think of. Why destroy his reputation when you could be helping him be better instead?

 

I'm all for it.

Just not with my money.

This is the best advice yet. Start local, face to face communication and build on that. EARN references and with them, bragging rights. Then approach the online world.

It isn't unreasonable to expect that he have some on-hand field knowledge before asking people to consider buying from him, after all, he stands to benefit from that experience and knowledge. To suggest otherwise would indicate profit is the only objective.

 

I have a friend (who's now mid/late 20s) who ran an ISP business as co-owner since he was 12 or 13 (he did most of the work, father co-owned with him and handled bank responsibilities). He ran it until he sold it (and retired.... essentially) at age 26. It really depends on the person and their maturity level; nothing here indicates anything negative on DarkSmiley's part, tbh. I'd be much more leery of buying from some guy that formerly declared his company bankrupt so he could avoid paying out warranties.

edit: Then again, said friend above didn't have similar myspaces, videos, and questionable dumbassery associated with him His responses on the guru of gaming site seem well written and whatnot, however.