tidus10
Active Member
MOST IMPORTANTLY:
USE COMMON SENSE. This forum is use at your own risk, be smart!
1) Always get Name (first and last), Address (house number, street, city, zip code), at least 1 working phone number(always get the phone number first and call it before sending anything) All screen names you've talked to them on(r2r, AOL, MSN, ICQ, ec.)
2) If the person is under the age of 18 TALK TO THEIR PARENTS and make sure they understand what is going on... This will save you so they can't come back and say they didn't know what was going on... If dealing with parents get a cell phone number or number from them where you can reach them outside of the home.
3) After you get Name, Address and Phone #, use a source like 411.com to do address lookups to verify that they indeed live there...
4) If you are trading for merchandise over borders like from US to Canada or vis versa make sure you INSURE THE PACKAGE FOR WHAT IT WOULD COST TO BUY EVERYTHING NEW.
5) If you have no feedback and are selling don't expect people to send first or at the same time.
6) If someone has what you think is sketchy feedback, check with a few random people on the list.
7)Always do checks with as many forums as you can. Just do some simple searches in bad feedback or theft forums to make sure this person isn't trying to scam you.
8) When shipping something you value, I would suggest fully insuring it... Also request a sig. confirmation(this way they can't deny they received it)
9) If you've been scammed, don't hesitate to let the rest of the us know.
10) Whenever possible, Pay with PayPal, MO, or Check. This will insure you that you can see who cashed the money.
---There is a new technique for scamming that all traders should be aware of when making a payment through PayPal for an item bought online. A relatively new feature on PayPal’s website is the ability to send a fee-free “gift” or "personal" payment. Such a payment is solely for the purpose of sending a cash gift -– not for the payment of goods bought/sold on the internet.
You may be saying, “that’s great! – the seller will be happy that he/she isn’t going to be docked a fee for our transaction!” But, what is not readily explained is: this “gift” payment option comes with ZERO buyer protection – meaning, you cannot dispute a transaction if you receive a faulty item or do not receive your item at all. Many online scammers are requesting payment in this way so that the buyer cannot file a PayPal claim – if a seller requests that you pay via this method for a substantial item, please be very cautious as the item could be defective or not exist!
**************************************
>>> How to avoid selecting the "gift" payment option:
This feature is somewhat disguised when making a payment on PayPal’s website. After selecting the “send money” tab in your PayPal account, type in the amount you want to send. To maintain your buyer protection and charge the seller a fee, keep the "payment reason" tab on "purchase" and select an option such as "goods." To send money as a "gift payment" or (personal payment), select the tab "personal" and select an option such as "other" or "payment powed" -- toggling back to the "purchase" tab will return to the "normal" (fee included) payment method.
11) Get they're license number..This will save you no matter what happens. If they take your product (Steal/Fraud). Police will locate them.
12) IF you're shipping to Canada from the states. Make sure you have your money or goods first or that you use a third party. By law in Canada, if a person receives goods with out paying for them first they're considered a gift and the Canadian police can do nothing even if you have a 100 foot stack of evidence.
If someone tells you that they will send you a $2000 MO and you're to keep the agreed amount and then use Western Union to send rest to them and there Shipping agent will pick up the package. IT'S A SCAM!!!! This is called the Nigerian Scam. The MO is fake and won't show until 3-7 days later. Which leaves you screwed because you would have to pay back the bank.
If the person you are dealing with does not answer all of your questions in a reasonable amount of time and in a polite manner, move on and don’t deal with them. If they are treating you poorly now, imagine what it will be like to deal with them if something goes wrong.
Buying stolen merchandise is a crime. At the very minimum you will have to forfeit what you purchased and the chance of receiving a refund is slim. If the person selling is acting shady, do not deal with them. Selling stolen merchandise is a much more serious crime (even if you did not steal the item).
Always write down the full name, address, phone number (verify the number is valid) and all screen names you've talked to them on (AIM, MSN, ICQ, etc.) as soon as you’ve agreed to a deal. If they don’t want to share this info, don’t deal with them.
After you get Name, Address and Phone #, use a source like http://411.com to do an address look-up to verify that they do indeed live there.
If the person is under the age of 18, talk to their parents and make sure they understand what is going on. When dealing with kids under 18, make sure you get a phone number where you can reach the parents direct.
Since a user is capable of editing the thread after they have sold the item, we suggest quoting the original for sale post with the item you are buying and rehosting the images so that even if they change the initial post, you always have a copy in their thread of what was for sale. This helps settle any argument later about what was and was not part of the deal.
Use the serial number to verify with the manufacturer that any item you want to buy is not stolen. If it is stolen, turn over the seller’s information to the manufacturer and notify Admins
If you have little or no feedback and are selling or trading, don't expect people to send payment or merchandise first or even at the same time. If you feel like you can't trust someone, then don’t.
Only trust feedback from the actual seller in their for sale thread. Verify the name is exactly the same and feel free to PM the user from their feedback thread to make sure it is the same person you are dealing with.
If someone has what you think is sketchy feedback, check with a few random people on the list.
Always check with as many forums as you can to verify the seller and item being sold are legitimate. Just do some simple searches in bad feedback or theft forums to make sure this person has not been accused of scamming other users and the item being sold is not stolen.
When shipping something you value, fully insure it. Also request a signature upon delivery.
Do not accept funds over what is owed, especially if they want you to send the extra money with the equipment they are buying. This is a classic scam where the initial funds will prove to be fraudulent and you will owe for the full amount.
Just because you have received a payment through paypal doesn’t mean they can’t claim the funds back. Make sure to save proof you sent the package and they signed for it for at least three months.
Always pay with PayPal, Money Order, or Check. This will ensure you that you can see who cashed the money. Never send cash through the mail.
If you've been scammed and have proof, feel free to post it here in their feedback section but more importantly, contact the Police and try to get your stuff back.
Photoshop is a wonderful tool, and often a devious one. Here's some prevention info for avoiding getting scammed, i'd pay close attention to these.
•• Prevention Tips:
• First off, be smart. Most of the time, if the deal seems to awesome for you, it just may be. Common sense prevails.
• When trading, deal with someone over the age of 18 and get their phone number. If they are under 18, talk to their parents and make sure it is ok with them and they know he is trading his equipment.
• Don't rush into things. A lot of times scammers will want you to rush into a deal or ship next-day air. Take time to get all their info and finalize a deal you are both happy with.
• Ask for lots of pics. This may seem obvious, but many times people see one pic and that is enough for them. Not only does this help prevent someone from taking the picture from another source, but it also helps to make sure everything is in a condition described.
• The person with the least amount of feedback should ship first. Check feedback and make sure it's legit. If all their feedback comes from people with one post and they all registered the same month, it's probably fake. Also, having friends leave them feedback is fraud also. If they are all from the same town, it could possibly be fake.
• If your equipment has a serial number, write it down. Take pictures of it. Also make note of every distinguishing mark you gun has. This only aids in the return of you gun if it is stolen.
• When shipping, always use Delivery Confirmation from USPS or Tracking from UPS, FedEx, or DHL. Pack everything nicely to prevent damage, and make sure you tape the openings to prevent tampering.
• Keep all your contact logs with the person. PMs, AIM logs, and emails will help with any deals being disputed. Be careful though, as they can easily be faked.
• Do NOT send cash. EVER. Most of the time, it will never make it to it's destination if you send cash in an envelope.
This is a compilation of "How to not get scammed" post. Thanks to all that helped make this, Please PM me with any thoughts or additions
This post was adapted from my friends at Pbnation.com and a little from RCGroups.com
USE COMMON SENSE. This forum is use at your own risk, be smart!
1) Always get Name (first and last), Address (house number, street, city, zip code), at least 1 working phone number(always get the phone number first and call it before sending anything) All screen names you've talked to them on(r2r, AOL, MSN, ICQ, ec.)
2) If the person is under the age of 18 TALK TO THEIR PARENTS and make sure they understand what is going on... This will save you so they can't come back and say they didn't know what was going on... If dealing with parents get a cell phone number or number from them where you can reach them outside of the home.
3) After you get Name, Address and Phone #, use a source like 411.com to do address lookups to verify that they indeed live there...
4) If you are trading for merchandise over borders like from US to Canada or vis versa make sure you INSURE THE PACKAGE FOR WHAT IT WOULD COST TO BUY EVERYTHING NEW.
5) If you have no feedback and are selling don't expect people to send first or at the same time.
6) If someone has what you think is sketchy feedback, check with a few random people on the list.
7)Always do checks with as many forums as you can. Just do some simple searches in bad feedback or theft forums to make sure this person isn't trying to scam you.
8) When shipping something you value, I would suggest fully insuring it... Also request a sig. confirmation(this way they can't deny they received it)
9) If you've been scammed, don't hesitate to let the rest of the us know.
10) Whenever possible, Pay with PayPal, MO, or Check. This will insure you that you can see who cashed the money.
---There is a new technique for scamming that all traders should be aware of when making a payment through PayPal for an item bought online. A relatively new feature on PayPal’s website is the ability to send a fee-free “gift” or "personal" payment. Such a payment is solely for the purpose of sending a cash gift -– not for the payment of goods bought/sold on the internet.
You may be saying, “that’s great! – the seller will be happy that he/she isn’t going to be docked a fee for our transaction!” But, what is not readily explained is: this “gift” payment option comes with ZERO buyer protection – meaning, you cannot dispute a transaction if you receive a faulty item or do not receive your item at all. Many online scammers are requesting payment in this way so that the buyer cannot file a PayPal claim – if a seller requests that you pay via this method for a substantial item, please be very cautious as the item could be defective or not exist!
**************************************
>>> How to avoid selecting the "gift" payment option:
This feature is somewhat disguised when making a payment on PayPal’s website. After selecting the “send money” tab in your PayPal account, type in the amount you want to send. To maintain your buyer protection and charge the seller a fee, keep the "payment reason" tab on "purchase" and select an option such as "goods." To send money as a "gift payment" or (personal payment), select the tab "personal" and select an option such as "other" or "payment powed" -- toggling back to the "purchase" tab will return to the "normal" (fee included) payment method.
11) Get they're license number..This will save you no matter what happens. If they take your product (Steal/Fraud). Police will locate them.
12) IF you're shipping to Canada from the states. Make sure you have your money or goods first or that you use a third party. By law in Canada, if a person receives goods with out paying for them first they're considered a gift and the Canadian police can do nothing even if you have a 100 foot stack of evidence.
If someone tells you that they will send you a $2000 MO and you're to keep the agreed amount and then use Western Union to send rest to them and there Shipping agent will pick up the package. IT'S A SCAM!!!! This is called the Nigerian Scam. The MO is fake and won't show until 3-7 days later. Which leaves you screwed because you would have to pay back the bank.
If the person you are dealing with does not answer all of your questions in a reasonable amount of time and in a polite manner, move on and don’t deal with them. If they are treating you poorly now, imagine what it will be like to deal with them if something goes wrong.
Buying stolen merchandise is a crime. At the very minimum you will have to forfeit what you purchased and the chance of receiving a refund is slim. If the person selling is acting shady, do not deal with them. Selling stolen merchandise is a much more serious crime (even if you did not steal the item).
Always write down the full name, address, phone number (verify the number is valid) and all screen names you've talked to them on (AIM, MSN, ICQ, etc.) as soon as you’ve agreed to a deal. If they don’t want to share this info, don’t deal with them.
After you get Name, Address and Phone #, use a source like http://411.com to do an address look-up to verify that they do indeed live there.
If the person is under the age of 18, talk to their parents and make sure they understand what is going on. When dealing with kids under 18, make sure you get a phone number where you can reach the parents direct.
Since a user is capable of editing the thread after they have sold the item, we suggest quoting the original for sale post with the item you are buying and rehosting the images so that even if they change the initial post, you always have a copy in their thread of what was for sale. This helps settle any argument later about what was and was not part of the deal.
Use the serial number to verify with the manufacturer that any item you want to buy is not stolen. If it is stolen, turn over the seller’s information to the manufacturer and notify Admins
If you have little or no feedback and are selling or trading, don't expect people to send payment or merchandise first or even at the same time. If you feel like you can't trust someone, then don’t.
Only trust feedback from the actual seller in their for sale thread. Verify the name is exactly the same and feel free to PM the user from their feedback thread to make sure it is the same person you are dealing with.
If someone has what you think is sketchy feedback, check with a few random people on the list.
Always check with as many forums as you can to verify the seller and item being sold are legitimate. Just do some simple searches in bad feedback or theft forums to make sure this person has not been accused of scamming other users and the item being sold is not stolen.
When shipping something you value, fully insure it. Also request a signature upon delivery.
Do not accept funds over what is owed, especially if they want you to send the extra money with the equipment they are buying. This is a classic scam where the initial funds will prove to be fraudulent and you will owe for the full amount.
Just because you have received a payment through paypal doesn’t mean they can’t claim the funds back. Make sure to save proof you sent the package and they signed for it for at least three months.
Always pay with PayPal, Money Order, or Check. This will ensure you that you can see who cashed the money. Never send cash through the mail.
If you've been scammed and have proof, feel free to post it here in their feedback section but more importantly, contact the Police and try to get your stuff back.
Photoshop is a wonderful tool, and often a devious one. Here's some prevention info for avoiding getting scammed, i'd pay close attention to these.
•• Prevention Tips:
• First off, be smart. Most of the time, if the deal seems to awesome for you, it just may be. Common sense prevails.
• When trading, deal with someone over the age of 18 and get their phone number. If they are under 18, talk to their parents and make sure it is ok with them and they know he is trading his equipment.
• Don't rush into things. A lot of times scammers will want you to rush into a deal or ship next-day air. Take time to get all their info and finalize a deal you are both happy with.
• Ask for lots of pics. This may seem obvious, but many times people see one pic and that is enough for them. Not only does this help prevent someone from taking the picture from another source, but it also helps to make sure everything is in a condition described.
• The person with the least amount of feedback should ship first. Check feedback and make sure it's legit. If all their feedback comes from people with one post and they all registered the same month, it's probably fake. Also, having friends leave them feedback is fraud also. If they are all from the same town, it could possibly be fake.
• If your equipment has a serial number, write it down. Take pictures of it. Also make note of every distinguishing mark you gun has. This only aids in the return of you gun if it is stolen.
• When shipping, always use Delivery Confirmation from USPS or Tracking from UPS, FedEx, or DHL. Pack everything nicely to prevent damage, and make sure you tape the openings to prevent tampering.
• Keep all your contact logs with the person. PMs, AIM logs, and emails will help with any deals being disputed. Be careful though, as they can easily be faked.
• Do NOT send cash. EVER. Most of the time, it will never make it to it's destination if you send cash in an envelope.
This is a compilation of "How to not get scammed" post. Thanks to all that helped make this, Please PM me with any thoughts or additions
This post was adapted from my friends at Pbnation.com and a little from RCGroups.com
Last edited by a moderator:
enjoy the info guys 
