Community Stories

Am I being scammed?

marturx
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I just lost USD 2200 that eBay/ PayPal refunded my buyer, without even asking what I had to say about it... All it took was 4 weeks in transit from Sweden to SF/ USA, and the buyer saying he wanted his money back.

I will never again use eBay/ PayPal for any sale exceeding 1 kUSD. Lesson learned the hard way....

Worst thing was that eBay/ PayPal didn't bother to give the fees back to me. They kept the 14% fees in total I paid them on the sale....
 
Nobel Prize
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Ouch! Did you get your watch back at least?

That's the thing, always a risk to the buyer or the seller. Hard to be 100% safe
 
Frunkinator
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marturx marturx
I just lost USD 2200 that eBay/ PayPal refunded my buyer, without even asking what I had to say about it... All it took was 4 weeks in transit from Sweden to SF/ USA, and the buyer saying he wanted his money back.

I will never again use eBay/ PayPal for any sale exceeding 1 kUSD. Lesson learned the hard way....
Wait, this guy got the watch??
You having shipping info and tracking and proof he got both the money and the watch he can be arrested, it's larceny. Have you heard from him?
 
marturx
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The watch is still missing in transit. But can still be delivered to the buyer of course. I wonder if eBay will help me then to recover my money, but I doubt it
 
Frunkinator
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marturx marturx
The watch is still missing in transit. But can still be delivered to the buyer of course. I wonder if eBay will help me then to recover my money, but I doubt it
Oh ok... I thought he currently had both the cash and the goods. Ebay and PayPal should be able to work something out. What about shipping insurance?
 
Nobel Prize
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There is seller protection as well. Never had to use it so not sure what the parameters are
 
repoman
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This sucks... hate to see threads like this.... One common theme amongst deals gone bad is that communication is great, right up to when payment is made, then all of a sudden, everything changes.
 
lenny
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He's apparently been using stolen photos to sell a Nomos (per WUS moderator). They've banned him there. Start googling his name to see what info is out there...
 
gatorcpa
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U ulackfocus
Never EVER use a wire transfer with an unknown seller.
I'd take this one step further than our furry friend. Never do a deal that does not involve PayPal, even if you have to pay the fees yourself.

If the deal is good enough for you and the final price is fair enough for the seller, then you can always pay by PayPal payment funded by your credit card. This way, even if the seller follows every PayPal protocol and the only issue is being lost by the post office, you will still have recourse.

For 4%, it's not cheap, but it's the best insurance you can buy to protect your own interests.

If a seller balks at that logic, then you know something is wrong. Don't just walk...run away.
gatorcpa
 
j.allen
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It just seems weird that someone who was scamming you would continue with communications and explanations of 4 tries to get the watch to you. However at this point there is no other conclusion that can be drawn. These things are easy to sort out. And lets face it, getting a package to somebody is not difficult.

Paypal and Ebay definitely gear there rules in favor of the buyer. I think they kind of have to, or people may be less inclined to use the services for purchases.
 
dennisthemenace
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Bear in mind that if you pay by paypal outside of e-bay, the minute you sign for the package your protection goes out the window.
If you end up with a fake piece of crap or a rock in a box then as far as paypal is concerned it's tough titties.
 
cicindela
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j.allen j.allen
It just seems weird that someone who was scamming you would continue with communications and explanations of 4 tries to get the watch to you.

Not at all. Scammers do this all the time. You have to remember, they are running multiple scams at any given time. They need to stall off some while others are in process, least the alarm is raised. Time is on the scammers side. The more time goes by, the harder it is for the victim to get his funds back or track the scammer.
 
Nobel Prize
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Exactly right. They make as many deals as they can before being red flagged.
 
C
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Sorry, to explain better, I didn't send my passport but we did sign a contract (on my request) with full name, DOB address and the like. I have seen his ID document but didn't send him mine. However, I did send him my bank transmission receipt which shows my bank details - thought I was being a good buyer! Argh, sigh

I will contact my police and bank just to check on my id being hijacked. Will then contact the local police and court in the locality of the seller address - hopefully they can help me locate the person using the bank details I have.

To name and shame (and in the hope anyone can find more info) the seller's details I was given are:

Michael Holt
Diebrocker Strasse 91
32051 Herford
Account no. 121260401
BLZ. 43 04 0036

At the time the seller had a few good comments and posts on WUS, so having done all my DD I "bought into the seller". I'm a cautious person, but he didn't once push things, was very friendly (talking about where he is from in Germany and where my relatives are from) didn't even try hard to convince me on the sale or the transaction. He had all and every info I asked for on the watch...like I said, I've done transactions before and thought I knew what questions to ask...clearly not, I feel like a right tit now
 
Nobel Prize
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Don't, many, including me, would have fallen for it. I've made transactions on far less. Just got lucky I guess .
 
C
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Nobel Prize Nobel Prize
Scary... As for why string you along it may be that he is actually still getting money out of the current alias ( if that's what it is) so he doesn't want to be outed too soon. After all a few weeks of back and forth may be yielding him a couple of victims more. [[He is smart enough to know 500 is just about the edge of what many people will let go off under the circumstances, because it may be too much hassle or too expensive to pursue him for that amount so many will write it off. That was the biggest red flag though, a 5000 watch for 500.]]****

**** edited to bracket the $500 figure, I attributed figure to OP wrongly. Sorry**

Anyway, what a shameful bastard.!!
No guys I paid what I considered a fair price of €3300, £2550...I thought it was a good deal, but not something too outrageous to make be suspicious...maybe I was too keen on the deal?
 
C
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Frunkinator Frunkinator
I would post this exact same thread with the guys username on WUS? See how many other people come forward about being scammed by him in the past... If he makes good, you end the thread with his honorable behavior, if not... then he it outed as a thief!
I have posted this thread on WUS, OMEGA AND ROLEX FORUMS in the hope to warn as many people as possible and see if any info comes out of it
 
C
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lenny lenny
He's apparently been using stolen photos to sell a Nomos (per WUS moderator). They've banned him there. Start googling his name to see what info is out there...
Can't seem to find anything googling his name, telephone number or email address [emoji22]
 
noelekal
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Hate to hear it happen to a fellow Forum member and hope it all works out.

I suffered a scam years ago from a long-time coin dealer in New York on the purchase of a 1893 S Morgan dollar. Had an attorney friend to go by the place while he was on a trip there. The shop was closed down. It was tough to get burned on the purchase of one of rarest coins of the Morgan dollar series and have to cough up funds to purchase elsewhere. This was in about 1995 and I'm still "waiting" on my Morgan dollar.
 
lenny
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C Chris_X
Can't seem to find anything googling his name, telephone number or email address [emoji22]

Me neither. But I'll keep trying. Please add his forum username and maybe email in the hope that other potential buyers can find this warning.
 
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