Sorry to hear that. Stories like yours are why I only buy and sell locally , cash .
Brian Hoyer / In-Tone / kasa
This review is being posted here to serve notice to the community about my experience with Brian Hoyer. His original screen name here was Linn_Kasa, but is now just kasa. He was a long time Audiogon dealer. He was listed as a Linn dealer under the Linn_Kasa name, but is now listed on the Linn website as In-Tone of Leawood, Kansas. In late April I purchased a used/trade in DCS Rossini Apex player listed on here for a significant sum. Billed through his LLC In-Tone. After he didn’t produce I opened a dispute here in June and at the end of July he finally agreed to refund. After 2 weeks of stalling he stated he actually had the player since May. He has failed to send that as of today 9/15/23, and his account on here has been suspended. There is also a second dispute against him that he has not addressed. I will only urge you think hard before doing any business with him.
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@ hiendmmoe..... and I feel your pain as well. I would encourage you to post your experience soon. When you're comfortable, we should talk. My last email from Brian on 8/18 stated because of my actions, my player would be delivered to a lawyer to go through a proper legal process and then to me. Yeah...right. The last time Brian took a phone call from me, or returned a call from me was around May 5th or 6th.
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Wow! I hate dishonest people. I live in KC so I googled this guy and looked on FB. He definitely sounds kind of shady for several reasons. Anyway he has a FB account and is a member area of our local audio group (Kansas City Home audio enthusiast) and has posted his link a few times. He also claims to partner Deva Audio (which I highly doubt) from time to time. You could post the audiogon thread on his FB page. For the amount of $ lost I would think you should get some type of law enforcement evolved.
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@ facten... Yes, both of us contacted the Linn ceo. In my case, the US Linn distributor was told of this as well. As of now, Brian Hoyer / In-tone,Linn Kasa, is no longer listed as a Linn dealer. Small claims limit in Kansas is $4K. Both of us have also filed fraud complaints with the FTC. They don't resolve claims, but forward the info to local, state and federal law enforcement. I'm cautiously optimistic. |
@ maxdukecapone... thanks for that info. I don't have a FB page, but might consider doing so I might join your group. The more people that know of this guy's b.s. scam, the better. Actually Brian's wife Laura has done some videos with Brian at Deva. It was late spring or early summer they did some music rating videos for a few weeks. Sadly, she must know what Brian is doing, as she is the sole agent for his In-tone LLC. She is/was involved with the business. I sent the link for this thread to Brian at Deva just so he's aware. Whether he looked or not, I can't say. |
Brian Hoyer appears to be a crook. The discussion started by @hiendmmoe has been removed by mods. Sounds like this guy is financially broke. I recommend a legal action and enforce a lien judgement on any real property he owns. This is probably the only way to recoup all or some of the money from the proceeds of the sale. |
OMG! People, only finding this thread now. Number me among the victims and I’d love to connect with you all. I too had a transaction for a significant sum, paid in June, and Brian has now gone dark. Specifically, I paid him $12.5K via EFT for an integrated amp on 5/25/23 after viewing his positive reviews, talking with him on the phone, and verifying he was connected to Linn. Since then he never shipped and has become increasingly elusive/non-resp I'm a very patient and compassionate person and with a modicum of transparency and clear communication I could have waited. Over the past 4+ months we have had loose communication where he'll commit to sending it and then have some excuse about something coming up and doesn't. Around 9/15 I finally came to the conclusion I'm being scammed. That said, I’ve been doing this stuff for 20 years and this transaction has been unlike anything I've ever had on this or any platform - particularly for a sum of this size. I’m not terribly well off and this is an enormous financial hit but has also shaken my faith in my judgement and trust in others. I contacted Linn, FTC, and BBB. And like you said, it seems Linn and Hoyer have parted ways and they’re not taking responsibility for any of his actions. I’d love to chat with any other victims and discuss the experience, actions taken, and possible recourse (although options seem limited). Devastating seems a little hyperbolic but it’s close. Feeling super angry and I guess kind of violated. Like I said, would love to connect with other victims. |
Audiogon Community, This situation is deeply disconcerting and I am just learning about this today. Historically, my store manager, Bri West, and I have extended invitations to Brian Hoyer and his wife, Laura, to visit our devAAudio showroom, fostering a spirit of camaraderie within the audio community. We firmly uphold the belief that dealers should engage in cooperation, raise awareness, and cultivate enthusiasm for HiFi. To further this objective, we have collaborated on multiple events in the past. I am profoundly shocked to learn of the current circumstances. Brian Hoyer is an experienced audiophile, with a long-standing history in the industry. For clarity, it is imperative to state that devAAudio does NOT maintain any business relationship with the Hoyers or Linn Kasa. In response to this distressing news, I have instructed my team to promptly remove any social media posts associated with Linn Kasa from our platforms, as we have a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior. I earnestly hope that all parties involved can identify appropriate legal remedies for this regrettable situation. Sincerely, Deva Chandramohan, Owner devAAudio 11812 Roe Ave. Leawood, KS 66211 |
I've had a mixed experience. I bought a Majik DSM amp and speakers and even got a discount. Laura and he came and set it up and we've been friends since. I gave him my old Lp12 to be serviced, he held it for 7 months and did nothing but remove the baseboard. I got it back after complaining to Linn partially dismantled and missing the drive belt. I also think he damaged the tone arm board, but can't prove that. Anyhoo, I decided to upgrade to the Majik LP12, paid for it and then nothing. Contacted Linn, who have been very good as they were taken by surprise I think, who said that they hadn't received payment. Brian did respond to me saying it took 14 days for a credit union check to clear, which I know isn't true but finally said he'd sent the money. Linn say they still have received nothing. As soon as the Linn Kasa page went down I contacted the police who now have his contact/bank information as well as a paper trail of our correspondence (having worked for law enforcement in the past has its perks it seems). I believe he's now looking at multiple felony theft/fraud cases and I would assume he will be arrested soon, and probably Laura too, as they're easily trackable. It's a shame because I genuinely considered them friends. I'm waiting to hear back from an attorney about a lien and a private case as I don't know what the max in small claims court in MO is. He does have a nice new white Mercedes SUV that I'm sure he can part with. I do wonder what's happened to the Linn systems that were in his apartment. |
So, it appears our man Brian has been at this longer than we knew. If you go the the Johnson County, KS Court dockets and search Hoyer he's been there as well. I'll paste the link but sometimes it's filtered - hopefully the moderator let's it through. |
I just got a call from Chris Kobach, the KC DA’s Office. Unfortunately I paid Brian from my business bank account so they’re viewing it as a business to business issue so might not be able to pursue my claim. Super bummed about this. That said, I told them there were plenty of other victims and the guy said each of you should file. They were actually the most responsive of any of my filings. Please file your complaint with them! |
