Orders for toy leave buyers gnashing their teeth

They thought a Michael Vick chew toy for dogs would be fun. But orders weren't filled.

By DEMORRIS A. LEE, Times Staff Writer
Published December 30, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Joseph Garnett, Jr. | Times] Darren Usher's chew toy is on the left, and Jaime Salcedo's version is on the right.

It seems anything connected with fallen NFL football quarterback Michael Vick attracts scandal these days - including an attempt to market a dog chew toy in his likeness.

A fallout between two Jacksonville entrepreneurs who launched a plan to distribute the toy in July has resulted in accusations, complaints and a lot of unhappy customers.

A Web site lambasted the toys' originators as scam artists. Dozens of complaints were lodged with the Florida Attorney General's Office by people who ordered the $10.99 toy and said they never received it.

"I think it's a fraud," said Greg Spicker, of Atlanta, Ga., who ordered four of the rubber dolls. "I don't think he ever intended on shipping anything. It was a great idea. My gut feeling is that it was a complete fraud."

At the center of the controversy are Darren Usher and Jamie Salcedo, who began to promote their chew toy shortly after Vick was indicted on federal dog fighting charges.

Thousands of orders poured in as the toy's novelty gained national attention.

Both Usher and Salcedo agree on this much: their venture was hampered this fall when a scare erupted over lead paint on toys made in China, forcing them to find another manufacturer.

The rest, however, is less clear.

Usher said the chew toy was his idea and he brought Salcedo in as an associate. Salcedo claims it was the other way around and he was the driving force behind the product.

Usher said they decided to use Salcedo's Web site and PayPal account until new ones for their company could be established. All the money and business transactions would then be transferred to the new business, Aim to Begin, LLC.

But Usher said when the time came to transfer the money into the company's new bank account, Salcedo refused.

"We really don't know how much money he's taken in," Usher said. "But we are still trying to figure out what happened."

Salcedo said there was never a plan to transfer the money.

"I was never an officer in Aim to Begin," Salcedo said. "I was never on contract with them. I never signed a contractual agreement. ... I never agreed to be a partner."

However, an Oct. 17 purchase order to a Huntsville, Ala., company to obtain chew toys has Salcedo's name on it as representing Aim to Begin.

The men also disagree about the number of toys sold. In September, Usher told the St. Petersburg Times there had been nearly 150,000 orders in less than a week. It's a figure he said he got from Salcedo. But Salcedo said there were only 20,000 orders and Usher gave the wrong number.

Lawyers hired

Now both Usher and Salcedo have hired lawyers. Neither is a stranger to the courtroom: Public records show Salcedo, 43, has an extensive Florida criminal record dating back to 1995. He's been arrested multiple times and charged with counts ranging from grand theft to fraudulent use of a credit card to organized scheme to defraud, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Salcedo denied those charges and declined to discuss the matter further.

Usher, 39, was charged with theft in 1995 after he said he removed a sign that made derogatory comments about female business owners. He has also been charged with driving under the influence.

When months passed and customers still hadn't received their toys, many grew impatient.

Kevin Ondyak, 18, a Chicago high school senior, ordered 25 of the toys intending to resell them. Frustrated, he launched a Web site, www.vickdogchewtoyscam.com, which became a portal for complaints.

"They made the mistake of selling a product that wasn't manufactured yet," said Ondyak, who recently received a $194.85 refund from Salcedo. "And they didn't have a big enough customer service employee staff to take care of people who asked for refunds."

Separate ways

Now Salcedo and Usher have gone their separate ways and are both peddling a Vick dog chew toy.

Salcedo's version is solid rubber with a black jersey and Vick's No. 7 on the back and front. The 61/2 inch tall toy has a football in its hand as if to make a pass. Usher's toy has a hollow cavity and the football is tucked to the chest. The No. 7 is painted on the back. The doll stands 8 inches tall.

Salcedo, who still has the original list of customers, says he is willing to give refunds or ship toys to disgruntled customers. He declined to discuss the number of chew toys that have been shipped or the number of refunds that have been given.

Usher said he has shipped 120 orders since Dec. 11. He said he wants to reach out to those who first entrusted them.

Now the question is whether customers will want to take another chance on either guy.

Ondyak's advice: Caveat emptor - let the buyer beware.

"People are still upset about this," Ondyak said. "They sold a lot of toys, and we wouldn't be having this problem if he would have had a product to ship."

Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report. Demorris A. Lee can be reached at dalee@sptimes or 727 445-4174.

Fast facts

On the Web

-Darren Usher's chew toy can be found at www.officialvickdogchewtoy.com.

-Jamie Salcedo's chew toy can be found at www.vickdogchewtoy.com.

[Last modified December 29, 2007, 22:23:39]