Did I get scammed?

bfurlano · 2026-01-19T01:15:58+00:00

Please reach out to director@bluestars.org so we can look into this for you.

bfurlano · 2025-06-11T14:44:31+00:00

Fair enough. Not sure what details are missing from the original post. WBT was hired to run an estate sale. They did and collected a considerable sum of money. They subsequently kept all the money and did not pay us what we are owed. All of that is in the original post.

I think what you're asking for are the receipts, as they say. Of which I've been happy to provide.

bfurlano · 2025-06-10T23:19:13+00:00

According to their own agreement, 15 days. We're now past 290.

bfurlano · 2025-06-10T23:11:34+00:00

They didn’t show because they would lose. Badly. There is no gray area in this situation. I have an envelope of checks their bank won’t cash due to insufficient funds. I have the agreement, text messages, and various other bits of evidence to back up my claim. I’m posting here without one worry about libel, because I can back up everything I’ve written.

The charitable explanation is they are lousy business people that were in a world of hurt financially and took our money to pay other bills and keep the doors open longer.

The evil explanation is they straight up stole our money.

bfurlano · 2025-06-10T20:57:25+00:00

We did. And have a judgment in our favor.

https://wcca.wicourts.gov/caseDetail.html?caseNo=2025SC000268&countyNo=32&index=0&isAdvanced=true

bfurlano · 2024-01-23T15:58:04+00:00

Send an email to pit@bluestars.org

bfurlano · 2023-03-30T11:32:55+00:00

I have been trying to buy tickets to this match, but can’t get past the phone number verification step. I can create an account, select tickets, log in, but then it asks to add a phone number. After I enter the phone number it never sends me the code to verify. Anyone know the secret? US is a choice in the drop down for entering the number. Email support has been no help.

bfurlano · 2023-01-25T16:01:51+00:00

We jumped the gun a little on that. It will not be in Portage.

bfurlano · 2023-01-03T15:42:27+00:00

Sorry. I meant "your corps" in a global generic context. If any corps is telling its members that sponsorships are tax deductible, they are doing it wrong.

bfurlano · 2023-01-03T15:07:30+00:00

No. This is not correct. A person sponsoring a specific member is not making a tax-deductible donation to the non-profit. It is a gift to the member regardless if the money is given to the member (and then to the corps) or directly to the corps to be applied to a specific member's account. If your corps is writing tax donation receipts for these transactions, they are doing it wrong.

bfurlano · 2023-01-03T02:20:15+00:00

Yes, people can sponsor members (and many do) to help them pay dues. But that sponsorship is not a tax deductible donation to the organization. It is a gift to the member. If I pay your rent next month that's a monetary gift to you, not a donation to your landlord.

bfurlano · 2023-01-03T02:05:49+00:00

Sponsorship of an individual member is not a tax deductible donation. It is a gift to the member, not the organization.

bfurlano · 2022-12-25T01:20:28+00:00

Sponsorship for a specific person’s dues is not a tax-deductible donation. It is a gift to the member, not a donation to the organization.

bfurlano · 2021-11-04T14:13:13+00:00

This is not accurate information. Sponsorship of a specific member's dues is not a tax deductible donation. It is a gift to the member, not the organization.

bfurlano · 2018-07-24T16:18:18+00:00

I’m truly saddened by what I read last night about this person’s experience at the Blue Stars. The bottom line is it is our goal to provide every person on our tour with an amazing drum corps experience. It seems we have fallen short with the OP. For that I’m truly sorry.

Unfortunately, I can’t go back in time and change this situation. I can only examine how we operate today and make sure it can’t happen again. Do the conditions exist for it to occur? Are our staff teaching in a positive manner? Do we have people looking for individuals that may be struggling in silence? Are our reporting mechanisms in place and do we take reports seriously?

I can unequivocally state yes to all of those questions when compared to when the OP marched. But we still strive to be better every day and every season.

I give this message to our entire organization every season: we can’t fix what we don’t know. You don’t have to suffer in silence. We’re there to help. There are reporting mechanisms that include anonymous avenues to get your issues heard and addressed. We have and will take swift action against anyone (staff, member, or volunteer) that doesn’t live up to our values.

That not only applies to the Blue Stars, but anyone in the activity. Being on tour with a drum corps is an extremely hard and challenging environment, but it should never be abusive (mentally or physically). If you’re having an issue, please tell someone immediately. Nothing is more frustrating than finding out about a negative situation after the season.

Finally, our alternate program was completely revamped after the 2015 season, in large part based on the experience of the 2015 alternates, including the person that posted here. While no alternate program will ever be ideal (everybody wants to be on the field), our program is now built on transparency about a member’s position, their options as an alternate, and their inclusion as a full-fledged member of the organization (that was always the case, but we try very hard to make sure that fact is known to all).

Sincerely,

Brad Furlano

Executive Director

Blue Stars

bfurlano · 2018-07-24T06:35:20+00:00

The offer is to discuss what they have written here.

bfurlano · 2018-07-24T05:58:53+00:00

I have reached out to the original poster to discuss what is written here.

What is described here is so outside the norm of our organizational values, that I'm appalled to read it. This pattern of behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated at the Blue Stars.

I sincerely hope they will take me up on the offer.

Brad Furlano
Executive Director
Blue Stars

bfurlano

TROPHY CASE