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Re the "Good the Bad and the Ugly"

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 11:56 am
by vk2uw
After looking at all the deals that have gone wrong, we must all feel for the person or persons for loosing out.

Surely there must be a safer way of doing deals?

I am not by the way pointing my finger at Scott, the owner of the site as he does a very good job in allowing all of us to advertise articles and to purchase from this site.

What can be done to insure safety? in doing deals and both party's are happy.

It is sad to see amateur radio going like this.

Maybe a second opinion from another amateur in the sellers area might help? just a suggestion, and maybe others have input?

If the seller is not interested in doing this or going out of his way to do this then I would say "Buyer Beware".

Also for Scott, maybe if we all had to log in like something like when we place an add and only restrict it to amateurs.

Only a suggestion

Re the "Good the Bad and the Ugly"

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 12:14 pm
by vk2uw
If you look at all the bad deals, this must total up to many thousands of $$$'s.
and a lot of dis heartend people.

But, there is Good...

Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:23 pm
by K4ICL
People act the same everywhere. It doesn't matter if they are hams, or non-hams. There are always a small percent that will cheat, cut corners, lie, steal, and destroy. This, unfortunately, is an inescapable reality.

It is not "the way ham radio is going." Is is not a recent phenomenon. In fact, it has been this way for thousands of years.

The good news is that the percent of bad and ugly is quite small, and might even be decreasing as information about their activities become known more quickly, a result of better communications technology.

It only seems like there is more bad and ugly out there. This is because of the better communications systems we enjoy. Put another way, it is because we hear about it more often.

Ham radio isn't going to hell in a hand basket. It is growing and expanding at an ever increasing pace. It is up to us recongnize the change and to adjust to it.
If you look at all the bad deals, this must total up to many thousands of $$$'s and a lot of dis heartend people.
If you look at all of the good deals, it will total up to MILLIONS of dollars and a lot of happy satisfied people.

Cheers,

K4ICL

Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 3:29 pm
by KC2MRU
What K4ICL said is pretty much true ... I became an Amateur Operator almost 2 years ago and in that time spand I got nailed twice by 2 different amateur operators . The first one was more money but not so surprising since that was through an ebay auction ... but the 2nd one was for less cash and upset me more because he was a local and personal friend . Having it happen to me by this one showed me what alot of the Hams in my area were like so I quit the Amateur Operator hobby . These guys in my area seem to back him on this shafting that he did to me and treated the whole situation as if I were the one that shafted him , like I was the bad guy .... needless to say I lost all respect and interest that I had for the Amateur Operators in my area and left the hobby that I did like . I guess in my area as long as you've been a Ham longer and made more friends it doesn't matter how you treat the newer Operators cause the older ones all back one another .

Off the Beaten Track

Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:00 pm
by vk2uw
We are getting off the track.

We need some positive suggestions in helping to stop the "Rip Offs"

I know it is frustrating but more so for those that have been lied to and fraudulently done by intentionally.

Scott KA9FOX does a great job in blocking those ripping others off, but you always have that few that get through.

But WAIT, we have that!

Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:45 pm
by K4ICL
We need some positive suggestions in helping to stop the "Rip Offs"
I suggest you take a peek at the Safe Trading Tips forum on this site. Most of the suggestons given there are founded on five years worth of observing hundreds of "ugly" deals on QTH.com Classified.

Cheers,

K4ICL

Re: But WAIT, we have that!

Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 8:51 pm
by vk2uw
K4ICL wrote:
We need some positive suggestions in helping to stop the "Rip Offs"
I suggest you take a peek at the Safe Trading Tips forum on this site. Most of the suggestons given there are founded on five years worth of observing hundreds of "ugly" deals on QTH.com Classified.

Cheers,

K4ICL
These "Safe Trading" tips don't seem to work as we can see by the feed back forum.

Thanks
Chris

Yeah, but...

Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:09 pm
by K4ICL
I do not assume that everyone reads the suggestions and one can not assume that those who did understood the suggestions or attempted to put them into practice.

Most of the suggestions require some extra effort and not everyone is willing or able to extend themselves.

What is worse, there are many who choose to ignore the suggested practices for safe trading altogether. It is kind of like wearing seat belts. We will gladly put on the seat belt when we are in a airplane but will refuse to wear a seat belt in our auto. Never mind that the auto is one hundred time more dangerous.

And here we are wanting someone else to fix it when, in reality, we gotta do the fixing ourselves. After a crash or two, usually.

Cheers,

K4ICL

Off the Beaten Track

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 7:34 am
by vk2uw
Rather than get into "Seat Belts and Aeroplanes".

Wouldn't it be better to get a second opinion on the equipment for sale?
either from a reputable dealer or another Amateur, as this would be away of showing the seller is atleast half genuine.

It also might be away of tracking the seller down if problems arise.

Re: Off the Beaten Track

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 12:32 pm
by N5TJZ
vk2uw wrote:Rather than get into "Seat Belts and Aeroplanes".

Wouldn't it be better to get a second opinion on the equipment for sale?
either from a reputable dealer or another Amateur, as this would be away of showing the seller is atleast half genuine.

It also might be away of tracking the seller down if problems arise.

Just adds another step to the process, more time and cost. I have purchased a few items here and many on other auction sites. I have been lucky so far. Some items have not been what they should have others have been better, it evens out. I prefer to buy at a Hamfest as I can touch the item but they are far and few between. I even find it easier to buy over the Internet than to buy at Dayton.

The feed back system at QTH leaves a lot more flexibility to solve a problem than dose some other sites which have none or one line to make a comment. QTH is well run with excellent moderation, not an easy job.

If a better way can be figured out to protect a buyer and a seller that would be great, but as most things time and cost will go up. The current system sure beats reading a for sale add in the back of a magazine, you had no recourse in those days when the buyer or the sell were taken advantage of. Let the buyer and the seller beware.

Re Fraud

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 10:27 am
by vk2uw
I know that I would rather pay a bit extra to know that the product is worth what the seller is asking, rather than join the very long list of sad stories that we read every time we check out the comments, left from others.

This is still not helping the situation as all we are getting is what and is still going on.
This is why we will see the same rip off artists being listed.

Surely someone must have some thoughts? on this or are we / you going to sit on your hands and just let them get away with it?
Thanks
Chris

Agree with ICL

Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 8:56 pm
by W0LC
I too have been scammed by a couple here and there and I must not let me be tainted towards dealing with the good apples out there. After being burned by W8JN and his outright lying on this forum with his childish poll, I still do business with other amateurs out there and I have met some wonderful people.

Sometimes individuals may be on medications or something to make them do some of the things they do and other times, it is just a dark heart. I try, and it is hard, to see the good people out there.

As ICL stated, there are millions of $ exchanged on various swap boards, unforunately, when you get ripped off like I did, it seems the most important issue in the world at the moment until you step back and see the amounts others have lost. Then you realize, you aren't an idiot for dealing with a dyed in the wool scammer. It happens.

I know who I WON'T BE DEALING WITH...in the future.

Live and learn..the school of hard knocks...

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 2:02 am
by n9vao
Everytime you buy something from a person you don't know you take a chance. This is more true when you buy something from some one you only communicate with over the internet and at best you only see a picture of the item.
I would like to also point out that I have lost money from buying an item at a Ham Fest. You travel 100 or more miles and see some thing you want, for sale by some one you don't know, have no way of trying it out and get home plug it in hook it to an antenna and find it's dead or some part no working! The person that sold it to you looked honest and said it works fine.
We all have to remember, when we buy a used item we are taking a chance and can only hope that the seller is honest.

So true

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 12:16 pm
by W0LC
That is so true. It is no more then gambling that the Seller will actually stand behind his transaction, as many do, and as some don't from the obvious string of posts from those cheated by deceitful and dishonest Sellers. FOrtunately, at least for the moment, those numbers are still small. However, when you do encounter a loss, it is a loss nonetheless.

I like a good many others have integrity and stand behind our transactions with Buyers. I don't do a lot of selling but when I do, the Buyer has confidence that I will always do the right thing as compared to some of the scammers posted about that swear they are the victims. Hi.

There are lots of innocent folks in jail too. Hi.

It is a risk and as posted, you sometimes have to step out on faith the Seller will be honest. Sometimes, you lose, many times you win.

Gloom and doom.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:01 pm
by N8ERM
No gloom and doom here. If you follow the advice on "Safe Trading Tips" and do your homework things will go well in your deal. If you just send the $ without checking up on the folks you will be disappointed big time. If you go to Dayton keep track of the space when you make a purchase of used gear. Take a P/S a watt-meter and a dummy load with you. Buy on Friday and Saturday that leaves time to go to your hotel, check it out and have time to take it back if it is faulty. Take a digital pix of the guy you buy from. The answer is always do your homework, do your homework, do your homework!!!
Play nice, Terry N8ERM