How to avoid getting ripped off on the internet

[Jugghaid]

Mods, feel free to move this wherever you want, but I thought the classifieds was the most appropriate place to post this.


I get about 2 or 3 requests a month from people asking me to help them track down someone who has ripped them off on a transaction on eBay, HC, Bassgear, etc. I'm more than happy to help out, but the one thing I have noticed is that a lot of people don't protect themselves as much as they could. Here's a little checklist to go through that I posted over on the Dudepit that can help you guys avoid a lot of grief when doing a deal with someone you don't know.

In the future, I hope everyone here checks out people before they do business with them. A lot of you guys here buy and sell a lot of gear, and if you know the person...great. But if not make sure you get a home phone# a work phone # a cell phone# home address etc. check out the info too. Call the person. If you think they gave you a cell# as a home or work # - check it out here:
www.fonefinder.net/

It will tell you if it's a land line or a cell and what city it goes to.

Reverse the phone#s and addresses they gave you to see where they go. Argali is really good for this. You can also reverse the address.

Just go to www.argali.com and download their program.

If you think the address is a mail drop you can check that out as well at Invalid Link Removed

If you want to find out who owns the address they give you to send payment to you can also go to
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Select the state and county of the address. A lot of them have online databases, but you can call the tax assessor as well and find out who owns that property.

These are just a few of the free online resouces you can use to protect yourself and verify the information the seller gives you is accurate.

Ask for references from other people they have done business with. If I'm shelling out $100 for an effect pedal or $3000 for a bass, I want to know if the person is honest or not,

Make sure the info they give you checks out before you give up any of your hard earned cash. An honest seller won't be offended in the least when you ask them for this info.

 

[Halftooth]

Very good post!

 

[WesW]

Great info!

Maybe we could talk the mods into making this a sticky - it's great info!

 

[Brad Johnson]

Great info. I'd like to add one of my basics:

If it smells funny, walk away. You started the day without it, it probably won't kill you to end it the same way.

 

[Marlat]

Great info. I'd like to add one of my basics:

If it smells funny, walk away. You started the day without it, it probably won't kill you to end it the same way.

If I always followed that rule, I would never eat any Mexican food!

BTW Great post - this should be stickied at the top of the forum!

 

[The Antipop]

I would request this become a sticky... it is a really good post

 

[rockstarbassist]

Definitely. Been a fan of Juggs for a while now. He knows his stuff, big time.

 

[4Mal]

ditto on the sticky!

 

[inazone]

ditto on the sticky!

 

[rickbass]

Jugghaid, you sure ain't no "jugghaid".......... excellent info.

Also, if the other party checks out - even a homemade receipt with "Received and Paid in Full" written on it by the buyer/seller holds up in court.

No more, "Dude! I never got your check/money order!"

 

[embellisher]

Great post, Jugghaid! I am going to sticky this one for now. Might also be a good idea to eventually put this in the site FAQ.

 

[Jugghaid]

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen. I get real tired of seeing my bass playing brethren getting ripped off.

 

[Ty McNeely]

Jugghaid, you sure ain't no "jugghaid".......... excellent info.

Also, if the other party checks out - even a homemade receipt with "Received and Paid in Full" written on it by the buyer/seller holds up in court.

No more, "Dude! I never got your check/money order!"

I ALWAYS retain the receipt of the money order I purchase until well AFTER I get the item that I bought just in case anybody tries to play any funny business. I haven't been ripped off yet, and I hope I never am!

 

[Planet Boulder]

Just to add to this (and I know that this scam has been mentioned on other threads, but it's probably best to put it on a sticky thread):

The scam in which the "interested buyer" states that he will be issuing a cashier's check from a bank and that a third party will be involved in the shipment continues to rear its ugly head.

I just placed an ad on a new music classifieds site and received three 3-mails in one day from three different addresses attempting the same scam.

The English is typically broken and the spelling/grammar are usually pretty poor - this is at least one component of these e-mail "offers".

BEWARE of these offers! They are scams and you will NEVER see dime one.

Here is an example of the e-mails that you may receive:

Dear Seller,
I am interested in your advert.i will need to know the last price you will be selling as i am ready to make an offer.I will be paying with a cashire's check drawn from a US bank therefore i hope this payment method is okay with you.If the payment method is okay do get back to me asap with your full name,contact address and phone number so that the cheque can be issued asap. Concerning the shippment,i will need you to get back to me so that we can discuss on this .i am already making an arrangement with a shipper of mine who will be coming for the pick up. I hope to read back from you soonest.

 

[Trevorus]

That kind of scam is like the P-P-P-Powerbook. Escrow services are not a good way to go. It takes as muh faith to just send money and hope it gets there as it does to use an escrow service. Good post, Mr. Boulder!

 

[MJ5150]

I just completed another deal on TB. Never been ripped off yet.

The bass way to be safe is to just deal with the TB "family". No one gets ripped off here. If they do, there are enough of us around the country to track down the offender, and hang them from their toe nails.

-Mike

 

[HeavyDuty]

A helpful hint from todd 4ta, for when things really turn to s... poo.

... I've also opened a case with the FBI's new Internet Fraud unit and they have said they will definitely be able to track him down. The website is here Link Removed in case anyone else needs it. They have a lot of good info on there.

 

[Stephen Soto]

i havn't looked on this thread in a good while. this is a really good thread btw.
i think that if anyone has any doubt at all about the product's quality and everything, that they probably should stay away from it, unless they can play it or whatever in person.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ANYONE ON TB. i don't that anyone has gotten ripped off in the TB "family", as previously said.

 

[De Teng]

Perhaps let me add something to Planet Boulder's story.

I got an email of somebody who was interested in my Streamer Bass (which I still have for sale over here on TB too anyway) and was very fast in replying. Constantly talking about husband, kids etc... this woman keeps talking about her man which arranges shipment and payment.

Now be aware... (I still don't hope they are one of these people anyway)... there are some people who use the construction of letting someone else on their behalf pay the price of whatever you are having for sale. In our language: A nice bass, cab... amplifier. But then they send a larger sum of money to you, while paying with a false cheque. The bank takes back this amount of your bank account, while you already sent the bass to the buyer and remit the amount which is left after taking your costs into account.

So in the end you loose the bass, a certain amount of money AND the price of the bass in the end, because your bank takes it back from your bank account. A friend of me noticed this repetitive construction in this case and it can be used by a lot of people.


That's why I took a Paypal membership! Hopefully they just pay the bass, but I'm a bit frightened they won't.....

 

[ElMon]

Mods, feel free to move this wherever you want, but I thought the classifieds was the most appropriate place to post this.


I get about 2 or 3 requests a month from people asking me to help them track down someone who has ripped them off on a transaction on eBay, HC, Bassgear, etc. I'm more than happy to help out, but the one thing I have noticed is that a lot of people don't protect themselves as much as they could. Here's a little checklist to go through that I posted over on the Dudepit that can help you guys avoid a lot of grief when doing a deal with someone you don't know.

In the future, I hope everyone here checks out people before they do business with them. A lot of you guys here buy and sell a lot of gear, and if you know the person...great. But if not make sure you get a home phone# a work phone # a cell phone# home address etc. check out the info too. Call the person. If you think they gave you a cell# as a home or work # - check it out here:
www.fonefinder.net/

It will tell you if it's a land line or a cell and what city it goes to.

Reverse the phone#s and addresses they gave you to see where they go. Argali is really good for this. You can also reverse the address.

Just go to www.argali.com and download their program.

If you think the address is a mail drop you can check that out as well at Invalid Link Removed

If you want to find out who owns the address they give you to send payment to you can also go to
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Select the state and county of the address. A lot of them have online databases, but you can call the tax assessor as well and find out who owns that property.

These are just a few of the free online resouces you can use to protect yourself and verify the information the seller gives you is accurate.

Ask for references from other people they have done business with. If I'm shelling out $100 for an effect pedal or $3000 for a bass, I want to know if the person is honest or not,

Make sure the info they give you checks out before you give up any of your hard earned cash. An honest seller won't be offended in the least when you ask them for this info.

Excellent info my man. Much appreciated. However, I might add that in the past, I have exchanged a scanned copy of each person's drivers liscense in addition to a home address. This seems to be fool proof IMO, and makes both parties comfortable.