Beware of this person Aline Sinquin if you buy anything from them.

[juliamanushi]

Hello!
A month ago, something sad happened to Filmlight Facebook Group. A well-known colorist who had previously worked in well-known companies such as MILL or MPC, with almost 20 years of experience as a colorist named Aline Sinquine, who decided to have an active company called Five One Color in New York. She promises that she would sell me her Baselight One system. Then I talked to her on Skype with the camera and verified that she was the person in question by looking at the system from Skype if it was working properly. After a week I made the payment to buy it, and I was waiting for she to send the system. She never sent me the system and then deleted me from all contacts, Facebook, LinkedIn and G-MAIL by disappearing. I never thought that such a well-known person, even more so a lady, would do something like this, what is sad is the fact that all the addresses of the locations she has on the web or on Facebook are not correct because They sent my close people in the USA to the location, and they found it. Please if anyone has any info to help me. I hope that this case will be an example for those who do such thing in these communities

This is her company:
https://www.fiveonecolor.com/work

 

[Marc Wielage]

That is absolutely horrible. Julia, please keep us posted and let us know if you're able to get your money back (or even your Baselight system).

I've warned people before: for really big-ticket purchases (especially over $10,000), fly to the city and do the transaction entirely in person. You don't have to take the cash with you -- you could just inspect the items in person and then direct somebody back home to wire the money to the other person after you've got the gear in your hands.

We had a case where we bought a $30,000 Resolve Advanced Panels system about five years ago, and the seller was luckily local and actually drove it over, let us look at it, and (since we had an office and weren't moving anywhere), agreed to leave it with us for a few days to check it out. The sale went through fine and both sides got a pretty good deal.

 

[AndreeMarkefors]

Hmm.... something tingles my Spider-sense here.

I don't know you Julia, but I see you've been a registered user for a long time. I also don't know Aline and have no relation, but at least I know OF her because of a very similar post to Julia's over on LiftGammaGain pretty recently.

Did you see/catch that thread Marc?

The thing was that a member there, too, had a very similar story (which should strengthen the case). But that member was a man and I can't seem to find the thread now. I know it got locked but now it seems that it has been removed.

What's unfortunate is that the structure of the post—how everything went down—was very similar to this and it also included the same link to her company at the end. What sends up a flare for me is that this sentence:

"I never thought that such a well-known person, even more so a lady, would do something like this" is pretty much vertabim across two forum posts in a similar story, made by two completely different people.

Needless to say, I have zero tolerance for fraud online. But it goes both ways: dragging someone's name through the dirt is also unacceptable. I'll happily take Julia's side here, but something seems a bit off here and I think more clarity would be good. If the accusation isn't correct, it's just as serious as the accusation itself.

TL;DR:

Two similar stories pointing in the same direction = very strong case
Two exactly the same stories from wildly different people pointing in the same direction = no case and warning bells

 

[AndreeMarkefors]

After doing some checking, I can in fact confirm that Julia here is posting what can be described as a word-for-word accusation made by another person, on another forum, also targeting Aline. That demands some explanation.

Aline, in turn, has gone out and said she is a victim of Facebook bullying (I'm not a part of that world so I can't comment on that).

 

[juliamanushi]

Hello Andree.
Your inquiry is correct, I am Julia's husband and at the same time a partner in our business. We both opened this profile but in Julia's name many years ago. In other forums I am registered under my name Bledar Cili. Here you can find an accurate profile of me as a colorist, since I am a member of the Austrian Association of Cinematography.

AAC Austrian Association of Cinematographers | Bledar Cili

Bledar Cili is on AAC Austrian Association of Cinematographers. Join AAC Austrian Association of Cinematographers to view Bledar Cili\'s profile

www.aacamera.org

Even the payment for the Baselight system was made in the name of my wife Julia. My name is Bledar Cili and I have been working as a colorist for seven years, we decided to make this post after we have not had any contact with Aline for a month since she did not reply to us, we think that by posting it we help other members not to become victims of these frauds. I am proceeding with this case and after. I will also inform you about this. Thank you for taking an interest in this delicate topic.

This is my website:

Home | idproductionalbania

www.idproductionalbania.com

 

[AndreeMarkefors]

OK, Bledar, thanks for the explanation.

And yes, I can confirm that it was your name that I couldn't quite remember after your post on LGG had been removed.

It's extremely depressing that the world isn't a better place where "things just work". As I said: I don't know you or your wife, and I don't know Aline (other than that I've understood that she is also established in the industry).

I don't have a stake in this case (apart from I don't want anyone to be a victim of fraud), but your explanation is good enough for me.

 

[juliamanushi]

My post was removed in LGG with a request from Aline herself who claims that I am fake, while I have all the information about myself and my company, phone number or correct local address. She is the person who does not have a correct address either, phone number, I sent my people in the USA to the addresses she has on the web and on her website and no one can be found. No one answers her two phone numbers. And she has blocked me from every contact, Facebook, LinkedIn and recently also in Gmail. This was a very shameful gesture of hers, a righteous man does not hide. Even more so from a person with a 20-year experience as a colorist, but apparently he is at the end of his career, and he thinks of ending it in this negative way. I am really sorry that such events happen in our community, when we should be open to new ideas and quality and not turn back with fraud and negativity. I'm sorry for the time, but this was really disturbing for me and that was the reason I made it public.
Thank you for your time Andree. I hope that such things do not happen again.

 

[Cameron K]

Okay then, I'm putting my money on the couple who aren't crazy.

 

[Cameron K]

Okay then, I'm putting my money on the couple who aren't crazy.

Crazy post removed? Why? It confirmed Julia and Bledar's credibility.