Terrible luck with scammers
thedpro
Posts: 170
I must have the worst luck when it comes to trying to purchase high end cards. About two years ago I was caught up in a Mantle Rookie scam. Thankfully, that theif is now in prison.
However, I am in the midst of another situation and I am not sure how to proceed. I won a Michael Jordan 86 Fleer PSA 9 for a fantastic price on ebay. Buyer does not take paypal, so I send a personal check (I figure its easiest to track as I can see where it was cashed). Money clears and over a week later no card. He claims that he sent it. He did not provide a tracking number b/c I did not buy insurance. Ok, what idiot sends almost $1000 worth of cardboard without some type of tracking (even if insurance was not purchased). Now his grandmother died (convenient?) and he will be away for 10 days. Do I have any legal recourse? I filed a no receipt with Ebay and they MAY refund up to $175 of my money (small % of what I spent).
After this incident, I am seriously thinking of selling my collection and moving on. If there are this many lowlifes in the hobby, then I do not want to be a part of it. It truly makes me sick that someone can blantenly steal and I cannot do s**t about it.
However, I am in the midst of another situation and I am not sure how to proceed. I won a Michael Jordan 86 Fleer PSA 9 for a fantastic price on ebay. Buyer does not take paypal, so I send a personal check (I figure its easiest to track as I can see where it was cashed). Money clears and over a week later no card. He claims that he sent it. He did not provide a tracking number b/c I did not buy insurance. Ok, what idiot sends almost $1000 worth of cardboard without some type of tracking (even if insurance was not purchased). Now his grandmother died (convenient?) and he will be away for 10 days. Do I have any legal recourse? I filed a no receipt with Ebay and they MAY refund up to $175 of my money (small % of what I spent).
After this incident, I am seriously thinking of selling my collection and moving on. If there are this many lowlifes in the hobby, then I do not want to be a part of it. It truly makes me sick that someone can blantenly steal and I cannot do s**t about it.
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Comments
mike
<< <i>After this incident, I am seriously thinking of selling my collection and moving on >>
Hang in there pro.
It's all part of the hobby...
I have been screwed in the past and plan to be screwed in the future...
I know this is trite: but why throw away the baby with....
Just when one thinks they are being careful...ya get blindsided!
I hope this works out.
mike
So hang in there and good will come.
Sadly, absent PayPal, the buyer is "at a disadvantage" in this
kind of circumstance.
eBay might be able to hike the $175.00 as high as $225.00, if
they decide the seller is a "serial scamster." Start watching
his FB for similar "horrors;" if you can get a BUNCH of "victims"
together, eBay can be a little more generous. (Last xmas was
probably their biggest payout ever; about 500 "victims" of a
"good 'power'seller gone bad.")
Some people on this board will give you a hard time for not
making sure the item was insured/registered. I will not do
that. But please, do not ever again send a stranger a bunch of money,
not get some insurance and tracking services from the USPS,
and expect a different outcome.
No responsible seller would have allowed that kind of package
to go out without insurance. As you know, if it had been a PayPal
transaction, you would already be shopping for a new MJ/PSA9.
Also, the missing card may show up in the mail eventually.
The dead grandmother makes me "worry," though.
storm
Did I mention that the seller is NARU?
possible scammer
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8816976978&rd=1 - if the link doesnt work.
edited to add: naru probably means you're S.O.L.. sorry buddy! chalk it up as a learning experience and write it off at tax time...
Other auction.
My registry sets
ok, jump off a bridge
Get together and file a report in the guy's hometown police department.
It's a try.
Plus, I don't want to seem insensitive but the guy is selling a "highend" basketball card and doesn't deal in cards from what I can see?
On that basis alone - along with no paypal - doesn't look like a good idea?
mike
"a far away place." (true!)
The other sold items were said to be in "Michigan."
The Hawaiian names could mean nothing, or they could
mean that the children have gone home to roost; and, to
bury grammy with the $2K they bagged for the two cards
that are in a "place far away."
Also, the slab looks cracked. And, he went on to say, "This
card is not copied in any way. I took the picture." When sellers
talk that way, THEY ARE TRYING TO SCAM YOU!!!!!!!!
Also, the cert # is scre*ed up and not easily readable.
storm
Sorry to hear you fell victim to a scammer. That is the worst feeling. But have to admit you failed to recognize all the warning signals that are talked about here on this forum over and over again. As you stated, a "fantastic price", no Paypal, shady past - you need to run fast from a auction like that.
Unless you have money to blow, you better do some pre-work before spening $1000.00 on a peice of cardboard.
You wouldn't buy $1000.00 stereo system made by a company you never heard of, would you ? You would do some research and buy from a reputable dealer. I would consider this a lesson learned. Like the sayng goes, "Fool you once, shame on them. Fool you twice, shame on you"
They call me "Pack the Ripper"
Seller claims that he had two of the same card (I picked up on the double sale too). I contacted the other buyer. He sent out the money and has not received the card either. This isn't looking good.
STOP PAYMENT ON THE CHECK
It's about $25.00
Wick
Enjoy collecting vintage baseball cards, memorabilia and autos
the other buyer's underbidders. The seller could have easily
sent second-chance offers to one or more of the under-bidders.
A common scamster-practice on eBay's "venue."
I checked your underbidders and did not see any "real"
signs of a shill.
Did you send the check to Michigan or to some other place?
storm
yeah this doesnt look good for you.. i hope you get your money back..
the slab doesnt look just right either..
<< <i>Instead of stating what you should have done.... here's something you can do now or in a few days.
STOP PAYMENT ON THE CHECK
It's about $25.00
Wick >>
I got an insurance check at my office - I deposited it and later I got notice the check had stop payment and I'm not even sure why.
I would check with your bank - I agree - it may not be too late - unless the guy cashed it and has no true bank affiliation?
mike
What city/state does this DVD seller live in?
Hopefully for your sake a Small one.
I would not waste a bit of time. Print off copies of the auction and all of your correspondence and save them. Keep notes of what has transpired and anything else that happens. Print off copies of the second auction.
I don't know if you still can do so since he is now NARU'd......but try getting his contact info from Ebay and call him immediately.
Do that HERE under contact info.
See what he has to say when you call his house....if you can get in touch with him.
If you can look at your cashed/cleared check online like I can, see where it was cashed. Print all of that off as well.
Call this guy's local law enforcement agency and tell them you'd like to make a Fraud report out. Ask them if they could possibly go to this guy's house and have a word with him.
Depending on what happens there and with your attempt at calling him, I'd be filing a complaint with the USPS tomorrow as well.
Get in touch with the other person that is seemingly hosed and have them so the same!
He is dragging you along for a reason.......don't fall for it. Better safe than sorry.
Good luck
Wow. What a drag-- I've been scammed on Ebay before, but never for $900. At some point I have to think Ebay's going to do a little more to make sure the people selling on their site aren't illiterate 17 year olds with a a nasty meth habit, but to date nothing's really changed.
their customer base does not demand it.
With 200,000,000 potential victims already signed up
worldwide, it could take decades to scam enough folks
to spark any change at eBay.
I worked with a lot of the 2005 Xmas victims - the ones
that bought the invisible i-Pods and cameras. Man oh
man, did they ever want eBay to be reformed. But then,
eBay gave them some of their money back and the
"victims" went back to their lives, and left eBay alone
to continue with business as usual. More than 500
people, bought off for a few bucks each.
Such is life.
storm
Poor seller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep us updated and let us know how it turns out.
storm
"......Money clears..........X days later, no card."
Those sellers are back on Waikiki Beach by now.
storm
I contacted him again and he told me he had to transfer some funds to the account. 30 minutes later the check was good and cashed. I no longer get involved in any auctionsthat do not take paypal.
As a seller....I'll rarely allow paypal as payment on expensive items. I rather sell my item for a little less money than risk the chance of the buyer claiming that I didn't send the item he won but instead sent "a bunch of commons".
Rich
pat
<< <i>i think worth a shot would be to go to your local police dept and file a mail fraud charge. i think it is on him to get the item to you. insurance really shouldnt come into play. you paid for something and didnt receive it. i am sure he has no proof he sent it. i further believe that he would have to answer the charges in the town they are filed. this may at least scare him enough to get him to refund you. alot of these scammers will get nervous getting a call from the 50. at least its worth a shot. hope this helps
pat >>
Pat, I think he would be better off getting with the other guy who got scammed and talking to the postmaster and police dept where the guy lives.
If he files a report at his local police/USPS then they have to do all the out of town contacts and it's less likely they pursue it.
If they both file at the guy's home office, then the people there see the pattern, and they might already have other complaints to add to it to make it more "serious". If one guy didn't get a $1000 card it's "possible" that it got lost in the mail, but 2 guys both missing $1000 cards shipped to different towns is pretty unlikely.
Also it's easier for the local cop/sheriff in his town to have a report in front of him and go act on it than it is for him to work with a different office in another state.
Most important is to get with the other buyer and combine the thing.
To find contact information at the post office go here , type in the zip code, then click on the blue link that says MORE INFO and it'll give you the post office's real phone # instead of that 1-800-ask-usps that's basically worthless.
call the office and ask for the postmaster or a supervisor, get their name, tell them what happened. Ask for the number for the local postal inspector. Call and explain what happened, and ask what you can do.
Call your bank and get a copy of the cancelled check. You'll need it and it takes a few days to get.
Don't just take a loss and let him get away with it.
Whole thread might go poof.
If he refuses to give a partial refund, your only option
is to try to get eBay to cough up a pittance from their
"venue victims" fund.
Make sure you tell eBay about the "second sale of the
card." That is really all you have to prove scammery.
With no docs to confirm either the buyer's or the seller's
position in the matter, you are probably shafted for the dif
between the vic-fund and the sale price.
storm
It's a real shame and I hope you get your money back.
I usually don't dig this deep, especially with a 100% feedback but then again I usually don't spend $900 on a card.
Did you happen to notice that since his account was opened in January he has changed IDs four times?
If it was me and I had the cash or some frequent flier miles, I would hop a plane and buy a Louisville Slugger on the other end. Then again a cop would do the trick if he accompanied you.
Don't let it ruin your hobby.
Just ask for advice first.
did you even read my post?
other guy: listen to goose about this, he's a cop.
900.00 I want to sign for it.
The same idiot who doesn't buy the insurance.
He won this from a seller... email this seller and get as much info on this guy as you can.
had emergency, I waited. They were home over a week before they sent the item.
Buyer teleren ( 613) Mar-17-06 14:17 5867041373
Reply by ipokeiki:
Couldnt even be compassionate about a death in the family, negative feedback? Mar-18-06 13:45
Follow-up by teleren:
WAITED 3 WEEKS FOR THE FAMILY EMERGENCY. THEY WAITED AN ADDIONAL WEEK TO SHIP Mar-18-06 15:11
Rating Mutually Withdrawn:
Buyer and seller mutually agreed to withdraw feedback for this item.
storm
Do you think he was shilling and ebay kicked him off?
Everytime I try to check on his history I get this error message.
Feature Unavailable
This feature is temporarily unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to have it available again soon.
You have nothing to worry about... read his Me Page
*Ipo Keiki!* Me Page
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All products are shipped 24-36 hours after recieving PAYMENT. I will provide tracking numbers to anyone in the US. Buyers please pay within 48 hours of auction end.
(Unless other arrangements made through myself.)
Don't forget to add me to your favorite sellers list! Thanks for viewing and Good Luck!
CEO & President: Kealoha C. Rossiter
and found no evidence of a locale connection
to the seller, no evidence of change in product
selections.
Conclusion: shilling not likely, in the instant auction.
I did not search in the "second card" auction.
storm
Storm,
Why do you think ebay kicked him off?
The NARU could be "not related" to the subject auction.
He was sacked before there was this controversy.
Maybe his credit card expired. Could be anything,
but we will likely find out soon.
storm