avoid ripoffs/ opinion by W8JN

Discussion of ways to help ensure a safe trade, so you don't get ripped-off. Do not discuss individuals here. Use the Feedback Forum instead.
Locked
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

avoid ripoffs/ opinion by W8JN

Post by w8jn »

If someone is "out to cheat you" its probably going to happen, however a few simple steps will prevent 99% of scams.

new #1. postal money orders, cashiers checks, bank checks, are all pieces of paper with ink on them. if they are counterfeit, they will take up to three weeks to clear your bank and you to be notified that they are bogus. deposit all paper(postal money orders, cashier checks, money orders etc and sit on them for 3 weeks before you ship!) never never never under any circumstances accept a piece of paper that is for more than your asking price. never never send an "excess amount back to the buyer via western union. when the cashiers check or postal money order you deposited comes back counterfeit two weeks later, you are out of luck. your money sent to your buyer via western union is long long gone and not recoverable!!!

1. ask for 2 ham references their emails and home LANDLINES !! NOT CELL
2.ask the seller for their business and home landline . NOT CELL
3. to embarrassed to ask? then you are probably going to be scammed !!
4. non ham seller? they ship first you pay after it arrives. they wont do it? bye bye
5. overseas seller? they ship first you pay after it arrives !
NOTHING is going to save you from the senile old moron who put his ft-101e in the garage 30 years ago , and sells you a corroded old pile of junk because it was mint when he put it in his wet garage 30 years ago.... good luck
6. unfortunately, the bulk of swap problems come from "techs" sad but true.
7. added note... ****** unfortunately , nothing will protect you from the arrogant old extra, who sells you his pile of junk that was his "prized piece" 30 years ago, hasnt been used in 30 years, arrives barely working, but "who are you to question his expertise?"
Last edited by w8jn on Tue Dec 25, 2007 2:07 pm, edited 4 times in total.
k4wri
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2003 4:05 am
Location: Christmas,Florida

In Response to avoiding rip offs

Post by k4wri »

I agree that you had very good advice to how you should avoid the rip offs going on until I read number 6.You say the bulk of problems comes from techs.Funny how alot of problems I have seen and I also have had personally came from everyone from general to extra.Are you saying that because they have a tech class license that they are not worthy enough to deal with?

Robert K4WRI
Member of the Florida Weak Signal Society.
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

tech ripoffs

Post by w8jn »

hi Robert K4WRI, i challenge you to peruse all of the ham classified sites... read the "complaints" and i submit that 80% or more of the "poorly described "equip (its mint arriving as junk) straight out thefts... etc are technicians... are all techs thiefs?? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! do most "deals gone bad involve techs?? yes yes yes... lets not argue... read the "deals gone bad" and run the calls thru qrz.... best regards paul w8jn
k4wri
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2003 4:05 am
Location: Christmas,Florida

Avoiding Ripoffs

Post by k4wri »

Hello Paul,
Yes I will do that.I for one must confess that I am very gunshy with dealing with anyone over net tradeing sites anymore.I hate that feeling of knowing you sent something out that works perfectly and you hope you get something back in just as good shape.I guess thats the chance we take.Thanks for your reply and take care.

Robert K4WRI
Member of the Florida Weak Signal Society.
wr0t
Posts: 110
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2003 4:47 am

Avoid getting ripped

Post by wr0t »

Some of the things that scare the heck out of me and I NEVER buy on Ebay again because they are gutless when it comes to complaints of fraud.

Listing for a friend without a computer.

Looks real good but no way to test.

From an estate and I was told that it was perfect.

Just had it on the air last night.

No ham license so I cannot test transmit, I bet it is OK on CB though.

Cannot find the mike or manual but I know I have them and I will find and ship to you. Yea right...........

True mint, not even a finger print on it... This tells me that it has probably been cleaned up real good and polished with Armor All. NOTE. Some of the Collins people clean the rigs with Simple Green and water. What a joke.....

Never, never been mobile, but then what are the scratches on the sides ????

AES offered me 500.00 for it on trade but I would rather a fellow ham get it instead of them making big $$$$ on it..

If you make a purchase get it in writing that you may return for full refund if not as advertized.

Best bet yet. Get someone local to look over the equipment or else have it shipped to a ham shop for testing and then forwarded to you. I have a dealer that does this for me for 10% of the price which is very good insurance.
k5yy
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2003 10:18 pm

Use your brain

Post by k5yy »

Use your nose and if things smell fishy, STOP. Don't get caught up in "gotta have it" or you may get MORE than you wanted and waste a lot of time .... San
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

laugh of the day !

Post by w8jn »

a ham i dont know 3000 miles from me asked me to send her $1800 for a rig. when i asked her for references, she responded with....

>references????? I'm not applying for a job.... take care, not interested...
>-----Original Message-----


now aint this a hoot ??? w8jn
kc6vlg
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2003 5:09 pm

Why bother?

Post by kc6vlg »

Paul,

Why bother replying to these old FA*TS defending the "Tech". These old guys are dinosaurs and you know what happened to the dinos. That's right, they extinct along with the codes :cry: Let the data speaks for itself. Listen to 40M lately? many of the nets on 40 are worts than the "chicken band" crowd. :oops:

As for the real issue: All of these scams required a common ingredient to work. It is called "GREED". If you can control YOUR OWN "GREED", you will never get burn. I never had any problem with my dealings over the net. Never been "ripped off". Many tried but failed because I don't deal with "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE" deals. I never accepted any so called "free lunch". I am sure that I have passed up some genuinely good deals, but I never got burnt either.

Remember, it is you who controls the decision on whether To Deal or NOT TO DEAL.:wink: .

Words of wisdom from a "No code TECH". Flame all you want cuz I love the attention. :wink:

73's de KC6VLG
AD6KA
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2004 10:55 pm

Post by AD6KA »

Hmmmm, how eloquent!

"That's right, they extinct along with the codes"
I think "dey" would have sounded better in that sentence, mon.
Every sentence should end with this thing called a period.
It's called punctuation.

"Let the data speaks for itself."
At least you remembered the period that time, but
you gotta learn to conjugate your verbs, dude!

"many of the nets on 40 are worts than the "chicken band" crowd."
OK, the first word in every sentence should be capitalized, got it?
"Worts" is not a word in the English language.

I think you should upgarde your English before you
upgrade your license!
KA9FOX
Site Admin
Posts: 391
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2003 5:29 am
Location: La Crosse, WI
Contact:

Post by KA9FOX »

AD6KA wrote:I think you should upgarde your English before you
upgrade your license!
Hmmm.. I can't find upgarde in my dictionary. LOL

- Scott
Free Ham Radio Classified Ads: https://swap.QTH.com
K4ICL
Posts: 663
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2003 1:07 pm
Location: Greenville, SC
Contact:

Hmmmm.

Post by K4ICL »

It may not be English but it could be American. I notice that the word "upgarde" appears in 5,930 Google hits. That's a lot of upgarde'n.

Wheee. Are we having fun, yet?
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

scam

Post by w8jn »

research your seller!
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

certified check scams

Post by w8jn »

is he sending you a certified check? from nigeira? remember WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND IS NOTHING MORE THAN A PIECE OF PAPER THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PRINTED ON A HOME COMPUTER. it takes the same amount of time for a cert check to clear as it does a regular chec. by that time the "extra money" you gave back as change through western union is long gone. happy trading. paul w8jn
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

thanks

Post by w8jn »

Thanks to all for the overwhelming positive emails you have sent in regard to this post. best 73 and safe trading in 2006! paul w8jn
K6TLA
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:22 am
Location: Santa Clarita, CA

Post by K6TLA »

There was an amplifier for sale on this site that was accompanied by the phrase "no way to test". I looked the ham up on QRZ, lo and behold there he was in a picture of his shack. A group of HF rigs and a different amplifier (his) were prominent in the picture. No way to test? I don't think so...actually it was pretty funny.
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

no way to test con job

Post by w8jn »

"no way to test" really means.... "this pile of garbage is toast... when you buy it and it arrives as a worthless pile of junk, I can say... see I told you I didn't know and you bought it as is, now that I cheated you, you are stuck with it"
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

Cell Phone?

Post by w8jn »

Update, I now have cell service only. I do not have a landline. Use your best instinct when asking for contact numbers.
K4ICL
Posts: 663
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2003 1:07 pm
Location: Greenville, SC
Contact:

Yep, Sign of the times.

Post by K4ICL »

Update, I now have cell service only. I do not have a landline.
It is the sign of the times. Landlines are going the way of CW...

K4ICL
N9LCD
Posts: 330
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 8:32 pm

Post by N9LCD »

You can't even trust U. S. currency.

EVEN THAT MAY BE COUNTERFEIT!
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

new scams

Post by w8jn »

Anyone see any new scams out there?
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

Nigerian Overpayment

Post by w8jn »

Danger.... never never accept a cashiers check in excess of your asking price. The check is counterfeit and after you western union the balance to the sender he will vanish into the Nigerian night and when the "counterfeit cashiers" check bounces, your bank will come after you!!!
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

scam increases

Post by w8jn »

I don't know if its the holiday season however the number of crooks and scam artists seems to be on the increase. Be alert! Be cautious be cynical of terrific deals
!
w8jn
Posts: 619
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:21 pm

scam increase answer

Post by w8jn »

dropping the cw requirement for licensing has opened the flood gates to all of the riff raff that used to stay in the cb bands. with the increase in new hams also comes an increase in the ills of society. gotta take the good with the bad. just be more careful. caveat emptor!!!
Locked