Addressing the hate based on false claims: scammer, AI, dropshipping...

Lately, I’ve been hit with a wave of hate, cyberbullying, and harassment targeting my work, my small business and myself. I initially ignored it because the accusations were lacking any proof, so I didn’t think it was worth my attention.

But now, the lies and rumors have spread, and since I’m doing nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, I’m going to address everything, reveal everything, and show you why you should be cautious about people calling me "shady", "scammy" or worse... They are clearly not competent investigators and should focus on growing their own community, instead of trying to tear down others with false claims.

They didn’t even try to contact me to give me a right of reply, which would have been fair and is common practice for detectives or journalists… so I’ll do it here.

Please note, this will be my only response to these accusations. I don’t want to fuel drama, and I honestly hate that I have to write this. This article will give everyone all the facts in one place so you can form your own opinion with real, verifiable proof.

I won’t be answering any more questions about this and will simply refer people to this article. I’m not interested in arguing with strangers online. I’d much rather spend my time engaging with my community by creating awesome content, experiences and products for them.

I’m a grown adult, and to be honest, I'm way past that and all this hate doesn’t really affect me. It’s just a small group from a relatively small community (the Frutiger Aero aesthetic) and most of them are still kids.
As long as I’m healthy and my family is healthy, that’s what truly matters (and not a small aesthetic online store like this one).

However, on a larger scale, we’re seeing a huge issue with fake news, harassment, and cyberbullying growing over the past few years. I know there are a lot of young people in the Frutiger Aero community, so I hope this can help, in my own way, to fight against this trend.

First: cyberbullying is not ok

To start, here are some of the messages I’ve seen or receive almost every day:

I always thought of the Frutiger Aero community as supportive, friendly, and positive. That’s what I try to promote on my social media and Discord server, and these types of messages would be deleted immediately and users banned.

Unfortunately, the loudest voices often belong to this small minority. On the flip side, I also receive multiple messages like this every day from my community, where people enjoy my content and find it helpful:

It truly warms my heart, and thank you all for that. 🩵

Addressing the false claims

Now, let’s dive into the specific claims, one by one. For each claim, I selected some messages from social media, but I could find dozens of similar screenshots, which clearly illustrates the extent of the harassment.

But before that, here’s a last disclaimer: Frutiger Aero is an aesthetic, meaning it’s what people make of it. There’s no "right" or "wrong" about it, and being a moderator of some Discord server doesn’t give you the power to decide what it is. That applies to me, and it applies to anyone else also.

If people like Skeuoss' content and feel happy and welcomed in the community, that’s their choice. If you look at my social media or Discord server, you’ll see a lot of people actually do. 🫶

There are aspects of the aesthetic I don’t personally like, but I understand others might enjoy them, so I keep it to myself and don’t go around attacking others in their own communities. We’re all different within the Frutiger Aero community, but we can all relate to the nostalgia, we can all feel connected on some points, and we must all learn from each other. 🤗

I’ll be blurring out any names or usernames in this article because I don’t want anyone to go and try to "defend" me by attacking them (please don't). Most of them are probably still really young and might not fully understand what they’re saying.

False claim 1: "The company is fake..."

False claim 2: "Skeuoss is a scammer..."

False claim 3: "Skeuoss is dropshipping..."

False claim 4: "The aqua mouse is a cheap $2 mouse..."

False claim 5: "Skeuoss uses AI..."

False claim 6: "Skeuoss isn’t a real Frutiger Aero fan..."

False claim 7: "Skeuoss is promoting his stuff everywhere..."

False claim 8: "Skeuoss uses ChatGPT..."

False claim 9: "Skeuoss website isn’t encrypted..."

False claim 10: "There are kids putting their info on the website..."

False claim 11: "Skeuoss customers are stupid..."

 

1. False claim 1: "the company is fake, doesn’t exist, doesn’t pay taxes..."

This one is actually super easy to debunk because it’s public information.

It also shows how these "Frutiger Aero investigators" spreading these false claims clearly don’t do any real research and aren’t qualified to be trusted since you can find the truth with just one Google search, or directly on my website.

The company, Mesyon Limited, is a real company, incorporated under the CRO number 747698. You can verify it here.

Mesyon Limited owns the trademark "SKEUOSS" registered with the EUIPO under the number 019042416 and with the USPTO under the number 98625607. You can verify those as well here and here.

Of course, I pay all my taxes (corporation tax, VAT, ...); otherwise, the company would’ve been shut down by authorities, and I just simply wouldn’t be able to work with any partners like suppliers, payment processors, Amazon, ....

2. False claim 2: "Skeuoss is a scammer, they don’t ship their orders..."

These claims usually come from people who’ve never even placed an order, so I’m not sure how they would know this.

I literally have tracking numbers for all the orders, and I can guarantee that 100% of them have been delivered.

You can also check my 'customers' highlight story on my Instagram profile to see photos from real customers who received their products (and like them).

If a package was lost, damaged, or delayed during shipping, I always refunded the customer or sent a new package. Ask any of my customers, and they’ll tell you the same. If you're a customer and you got an issue with your order, please contact me here and I'll make it right. 🙂

Even for the Aqua Mouse that was on pre-sale when I was writing this, I received some refund requests following the false accusations, and I refunded immediately without justifying myself.

Also, from a business perspective, it doesn’t make any sense to scam customers because it would mean I’d have angry customers who would complain and never buy from me again... Whereas if I ship the orders, I have happy customers who come back and help me grow my small business.

3. False claim 3: "Skeuoss is dropshipping and isn’t being honest about it..."

This is literally explained on the FAQ page of my website, which is accessible right from the homepage. Once gain, this shows how poor the investigation skills of these 'haters' really are, and why they cannot be trusted.

Here’s the deal: some of the products are dropshipped and are shipped directly from our suppliers (check out "What Is Dropshipping and How Does It Work?" on the Shopify blog if you need more info). However, this only applies to a very small portion of the products, and most of the Skeuoss-branded items (like the aqua mouse) are obviously not dropshipped.

Dropshipping is just a fulfillment method, and it’s necessary because I can’t physically handle all the inventory myself. I’ve partnered with high-quality suppliers from all over the world, many of whom I’ve worked with for years with other products, to ensure the products meet my standards.

If you find similar products at cheaper prices elsewhere, they might be just similar but often without the quality assurance and customer service that I provide. Larger or foreign retailers might have stricter return, refund, and exchange policies. As a small business, I prioritize excellent customer service, including free returns and exchanges.

4. False claim 4: "Skeuoss aqua mouse is a cheap $2 mouse..."

This one is funny because when I saw it with a link to the manufacturer’s store displaying the mouse, I was surprised too and thought, “Hey, that’s my mouse!”

Actually, it turned out that my manufacturer (plus some others shad ones who copied it) thought it was a good idea to put the mouse we designed together on their catalog (without the Skeuoss logo). Since then, I’ve asked them to remove it to avoid any confusion.

Now, for those who want more details: yes, of course, I worked with a manufacturer because I obviously can’t make computer mice at home, and I don't own a factory.

As some of you may know, I work alone on skeuoss.net, and I spent months collaborating with the supplier to:

• improve the design
• use ‘Frutiger Aero’ colors
• add more features (Bluetooth, USB-C charging, no batteries that are bad for the environment..)
• add a better built-in battery
• add 2 floaters
• design a great packaging for a great unboxing experience
• write a user manual in 5 languages
• include a free charging cable
• include free stickers
• ensure the product meets all safety standards worldwide

The whole process is documented and available on my Discord server where I built it with early members, so there is no way I could lie about this.

I put so much effort that I'm 100% this is the best aqua mouse you’ll find on the market, and it’s cheaper than competitors. So get it here with 10% off with the code STOPTHEHATE10 (sorry for the promo, but I might as well make the 4 hours spent researching and writing this article worth it! 😉).

Also, about the price: the cost you see on the manufacturer website is never the real cost because suppliers list it lower to attract customers.

Anyone who works in e-commerce or retail knows that. Once you start talking to them, the price always goes up, especially if you’re adding custom features and designs, and you’d need to order at the very least 2,000 units to get a decent price.

Then, it's not done at all and you need to consider other costs:

• Quality inspection
• Freight
• Import taxes
• Customs
• Warehouse fees
• Freelancers or employees (for customer service, for ex.)
• Shipping to the customer
• Payment processor fees
• Returns or refunds
• Company taxes
• Personal taxes

So when you look at the full picture, you might think twice before assuming I’m making a ton of money off this...

5. False claim 5: "Skeuoss uses AI and isn’t transparent about it..."

This one is half-true, but it’s not a secret - I’ve always been transparent about this, and I won't do it anymore. Some of the designs (not all!) are AI-generated, but they’re created by a special custom AI that I trained and worked on specifically for the ‘Frutiger Aero’ style. Once again, it's not hidden or shady because it’s literally written on my FAQ page + also easily searchable on Google...

BUT, all AI-generated content is carefully reviewed, selected, reworked, and edited to remove any imperfections and adjust colors, luminosity, contrast...

That’s why it’s better than 99% of the Frutiger Aero AI images you can find elsewhere: actual hard work goes into building the custom AI, ensuring it doesn’t use copyrighted material (as far as possible), and editing the images.

Honestly, in my opinion, if Frutiger Aero had emerged in 2024, it would probably involve heavy AI use due to its techno-forward spirit. 🤷‍♂️ But I understand that not everyone agrees with me, and I’m genuinely sorry if that has hurt people in the creative field, I mean it and I won't do it again.

However, that doesn’t mean I will delete previous content and products. Many people enjoy them (as you can see from my Pinterest account), and they are an integral part of Skeuoss’s identity and story.

I believe everything in life should be balanced, not 100% black or white. As a true Frutiger Aero fan, I’m truly fascinated by technology and progress, and in our modern society, nobody can deny that AI is a part of that. However, I’m also aware of its limitations and potential intellectual property rights issues: that’s why I also enjoy creating my own designs using my brain, my laptop, and Photoshop (and I think I make pretty good ones! 😉).

Since growing my community, I’ve met amazing designers (some of whom are now moderators that became friends), and I now feel better supporting them with paid gigs and encouraging the Frutiger Aero community than simply generating images with AI...

I already do that with FA music producers, FA designers, developers, ... and even my Discord moderators by giving them gifts to thank them for their hard work.

That's my contribution to the Frutiger Aero economy and I hope it will inspire more people to create cool FA art or businesses, and getting paid for it. 

Since then, I’ve decided to significantly reduce the use of AI for skeuoss.net and limit it to certain cases like prototyping, brainstorming, simple backgrounds, some concepts, etc... If you absolutely hate AI, you might find other communities more aligned with your views, but if you understand that AI can be helpful in some situations and that it can (if used right) actually make the world a better place, then you’re welcome here... but don't spam low quality boring AI images. 🤗

Some Frutiger Aero phone wallpapers I designed today
byu/skeuoss inNeoFrutigerAero

That’s a joke, of course, and I know there are people way more talented than me. But I just want to show that, contrary to what some people say, I’m not doing 100% AI stuff and I actually can create some good designs.

6. False claim 6: "Skeuoss isn’t a real Frutiger Aero fan..."

I can’t believe someone actually said this, but if you search for Skeuoss online, you’ll just simply see that a fake fan wouldn't have dedicated so much time and made so much content for the FA community...

I literally designed an entire website dedicated to the aesthetic at frutiger-aero.org and have created Frutiger Aero playlists that get hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube! Talk about being a fake fan...

7. False claim 7: "Skeuoss is promoting his stuff everywhere..."

Some people in my community enjoy my work or products and share them in other places (Discord, Reddit, TikTok, etc.). 😅

I can’t do much about that, and I can guarantee it’s not me doing it simply because I don’t need to. I already have a relatively big audience to promote my stuff to if I wanted, and I respect the rules by not promoting where I’m not allowed.

I may have shared some images or links to my content in the past, but only because I thought people would enjoy them (which they did). It was never intended to directly promote my business (I never made any sales from it), and I haven’t done so in a long time.

Also, this claim comes from someone who literally hijacked my Discord server to tell everyone that I am a scammer, without any proof, so yeah...

8. False claim 8: "Skeuoss uses ChatGPT..."

This is true, but just for corrections.

I’m not a native English speaker, and even though I’m almost fluent, I use ChatGPT to help with grammar because I’m afraid of making mistakes.

Sometimes it leaves AI watermarks, but I try my best (like with this article). Sorry about that!

I speak 4 languages (not all fluently), so hopefully, that excuses it a bit. I really don’t see anything wrong with using a tool to help me communicate more clearly and professionally.

9. False claim 9: "Skeuoss website isn’t encrypted..."

I don’t know where this came from, but it should be pretty obvious to most people that in 2024, setting up an encrypted e-commerce website is a no-brainer. Of course, my site is fully encrypted.

I’m not sitting here typing card numbers into an Excel spreadsheet 1 by 1, when I can simply plug a payment processor like Stripe to my store in just a few clicks. 🤣

10. False claim 10: "There are kids putting their info on the website..."

It’s clearly stated in the Terms of Service that minors are not allowed to make purchases without approval from their parents or legal representatives. People do what they want with that info, but it's here and enforced the best I can.

11. False claim 11: "Skeuoss customers are stupid..."

For my customers reading this, I’m sorry, but this is just another unfortunate example of the negativity within certain small parts of the FA community... You won’t see that kind of stuff in the Skeuoss community, though.

Conclusion: spreading positivity and gratefulness

This isn’t a rant, and I’m not calling for "revenge" or anything like that. I just want to share my side of the story in a situation where, so far, only one side has been heard.

Note: the only thing I won’t tolerate is doxxing, because I know there are some weird people online, and I need to protect my family. I value my privacy and choose to keep my personal details private, as many others do in the Frutiger Aero space. Any attempts at violating this will lead to legal action.

I’m really grateful to have discovered the Frutiger Aero community and to have met so many great people. I work really hard every day to provide the best content and products possible, and to help making the world a bit brighter by actually spreading the Frutiger Aero aesthetic (for example, I recently did an interview with a big German radio to talk about Frutiger Aero music here or got featured on dexerto.com for the Frutiger Aero mouse launch).

But remember, as serious as this might all sound, we’re still just talking about a small silly aesthetic with cute fishes and bubbles… 🐠🫧

What truly matters is that you, your family, and your friends are healthy and enjoying life outside of the online space - a space that can bring a lot of happiness but can also be toxic if used too much.

With all that’s happening in the world (war, diseases, hunger, ...) I consider myself really lucky that my only ‘issue’ is arguing with some haters online. It really puts into perspective how minor our daily problems are compared to what many people around the world are enduring.

As I mentioned in the introduction, this is my first and last post on this topic, and I won’t be responding to anything further on it (support or apologies are welcome, of course). I totally get that not everyone will agree with me, and that’s fine, really. Some people will probably read this and think "this is bullshit" but I gave all the proofs and you can’t accuse me of being dishonest.

I’m not saying I’m right or wrong, but I do things from the heart. I’m being real, and these are Skeuoss values, whether you like it (great, stay with us!) or not (that’s okay, there are plenty of other online communities that might suit your values better!).

And last thing: please don’t bring negativity into my community. We’re all here to have fun and we won't tolerate any hate in our little Frutiger Aero corner of the internet.