Saintnovakai
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2018
- Messages
- 444
- Reaction score
- 335
Good day team. I am on one hand understanding but also saddened and for some reason deeply offended by a situation I faced here on our forum today and although it is no fault of the member who has been most respectful, I am left feeling hurt and discriminated against.
We live in a world that has become unsafe for everyone; their person and their property. We go through many steps to protect ourselves against scamming and those who would hurt us intellectually and financially. This has left us quite a bit colder and due to the fault of others, we, the non American members of this great forum have been marginalized on many an occassion.
This might be a short rant but bear with me.
I am Saintnova, a teacher of foreign languages, a linguist, and one of only 12 known reefers on the island of Jamaica. Most are affluent members of the society and as such have the wherewithal to do this hobby in style as well having social benefits most here don't have. Me, I just take my time, watch lots of BRStv and other reeftubers and R2R a lot. I reef on a teacher's salary. Nuff said.
I came across a situation today that reminded me of the feeling I felt when I experienced racism for the first time. It was a nasty, derogatory feeling that made me feel like a criminal, regardless of the intention to not have me seem so.
So I've been looking for a specific item and when one popped up today I jumped at it. I had put down some money towards the item and so I messaged the seller. The seller answered and I made full disclosure of my situation throughout our messages. I am in the Caribbean, Jamaica has one of if not the highest customs taxes in the world. Once an item goes to $50 or over, I pay 200% of the cost. That's the supposed law. A corrupt and misinterpreted one but the law it is and if it's your unlucky day and they don't know what the item is (a reefer's nightmare and the usual case), they look up the price online and charge you 200% of that, even though the item may be used. This has led most companies that sell to us to split the invoice cost. One under $50 and the other the balance. In Jamaica and maybe in other places in the world, it's easier to advance by going the gray way than to adhere to the law. It's actually supported and encouraged here. The same ones who say you have to pay X amount will pull you aside and offer you a deal. I hate the way things are but I want and need to reef. It keeps me sane while I try to give these kids some hope and a better view for their futures.
Anyway, I get to the point where I ask the seller to help me as my situation is what it is, by sending me two payment requests with one being $49 and the other the balance. He only has to send the item to Florida, not to Jamaica, as my brother lives there and he would bring it here when he comes on vacation. For all the other times I use my Florida forwarding address and the shipping company gets it to me in a week.
I await the payment email like a kid at Christmas, running back and forth to refresh the page in between classes during my school day today....but....nothing. Later this afternoon I get a message saying that I won't be sold to because my actions and requests are those of a scammer. I nearly pooped myself. Now the seller is within his right but you can't imagine how disappointed and embarrassed I felt. I felt like a criminal. I have let my guard down on this forum because I've met wonderful people. Persons who have sold to me, guided me and have become my friends like @Luke Pham. Today though, I was made to remember that, as an international member, I am not one of you. I'm not American and that I am, for all intents and purposes, by merely being an external participant, I am a potential scammer. I know that many Americans are scammers too but being a non American member simply seems to predispose us to that category. I know there are many of us Non-Americans on our beloved R2R but we accept that some benefits are beyond us.
Could I have kept my identity hidden and my mouth shut? Maybe but I hate not being forthright. As a Jamaican I get enough hardship, especially since I grew up a Christian and the few who have made us look bad have painted our beautiful country in a bad light.
I even mentioned that I would have even payed additional money as insurance so that the Seller could feel comfortable and refund it when satisfied but alas I was told good luck which was just as good as saying "F-off" at that point. Reefing is already difficult for us here as we don't even have an LFS and we have to wait on the rich guys with their government contacts to bring a 1/2 inch frag or a fish to sell for $150+. A finger nail size of the run of the mill green monticap cost me US$150 last year just to give you an idea. I spend a lot of my free time underwater
Reefers are a different breed, no matter where we are from and hopefully that counts for something here on R2R.
This is who we are. We are not just a username. We are your brother's and sisters in arms. Welcome to my home and welcome to the person behind the username.
We live in a world that has become unsafe for everyone; their person and their property. We go through many steps to protect ourselves against scamming and those who would hurt us intellectually and financially. This has left us quite a bit colder and due to the fault of others, we, the non American members of this great forum have been marginalized on many an occassion.
This might be a short rant but bear with me.
I am Saintnova, a teacher of foreign languages, a linguist, and one of only 12 known reefers on the island of Jamaica. Most are affluent members of the society and as such have the wherewithal to do this hobby in style as well having social benefits most here don't have. Me, I just take my time, watch lots of BRStv and other reeftubers and R2R a lot. I reef on a teacher's salary. Nuff said.
I came across a situation today that reminded me of the feeling I felt when I experienced racism for the first time. It was a nasty, derogatory feeling that made me feel like a criminal, regardless of the intention to not have me seem so.
So I've been looking for a specific item and when one popped up today I jumped at it. I had put down some money towards the item and so I messaged the seller. The seller answered and I made full disclosure of my situation throughout our messages. I am in the Caribbean, Jamaica has one of if not the highest customs taxes in the world. Once an item goes to $50 or over, I pay 200% of the cost. That's the supposed law. A corrupt and misinterpreted one but the law it is and if it's your unlucky day and they don't know what the item is (a reefer's nightmare and the usual case), they look up the price online and charge you 200% of that, even though the item may be used. This has led most companies that sell to us to split the invoice cost. One under $50 and the other the balance. In Jamaica and maybe in other places in the world, it's easier to advance by going the gray way than to adhere to the law. It's actually supported and encouraged here. The same ones who say you have to pay X amount will pull you aside and offer you a deal. I hate the way things are but I want and need to reef. It keeps me sane while I try to give these kids some hope and a better view for their futures.
Anyway, I get to the point where I ask the seller to help me as my situation is what it is, by sending me two payment requests with one being $49 and the other the balance. He only has to send the item to Florida, not to Jamaica, as my brother lives there and he would bring it here when he comes on vacation. For all the other times I use my Florida forwarding address and the shipping company gets it to me in a week.
I await the payment email like a kid at Christmas, running back and forth to refresh the page in between classes during my school day today....but....nothing. Later this afternoon I get a message saying that I won't be sold to because my actions and requests are those of a scammer. I nearly pooped myself. Now the seller is within his right but you can't imagine how disappointed and embarrassed I felt. I felt like a criminal. I have let my guard down on this forum because I've met wonderful people. Persons who have sold to me, guided me and have become my friends like @Luke Pham. Today though, I was made to remember that, as an international member, I am not one of you. I'm not American and that I am, for all intents and purposes, by merely being an external participant, I am a potential scammer. I know that many Americans are scammers too but being a non American member simply seems to predispose us to that category. I know there are many of us Non-Americans on our beloved R2R but we accept that some benefits are beyond us.
Could I have kept my identity hidden and my mouth shut? Maybe but I hate not being forthright. As a Jamaican I get enough hardship, especially since I grew up a Christian and the few who have made us look bad have painted our beautiful country in a bad light.
I even mentioned that I would have even payed additional money as insurance so that the Seller could feel comfortable and refund it when satisfied but alas I was told good luck which was just as good as saying "F-off" at that point. Reefing is already difficult for us here as we don't even have an LFS and we have to wait on the rich guys with their government contacts to bring a 1/2 inch frag or a fish to sell for $150+. A finger nail size of the run of the mill green monticap cost me US$150 last year just to give you an idea. I spend a lot of my free time underwater
Reefers are a different breed, no matter where we are from and hopefully that counts for something here on R2R.
This is who we are. We are not just a username. We are your brother's and sisters in arms. Welcome to my home and welcome to the person behind the username.
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