Have I Been Ripped Off? You Make the Call

[TylerCharger69]

   I recently made a deal with a member of this forum that goes by the I.D.  mopar-muscle988.   The deal we made, through communication through this forum, and not on Ebay, was for a set of 5 Vector rims.   We emailed back and fourth to seal the deal regularly.  I believe there is a post in the "Swap Meet" section of this forum for these rims.   I was offered a price of $300.00, including shipping, and I couldn't pass on this deal as I've been looking for a set for quite some time.   I got a loan from the bank for the 300 because I didn't have it handy at the time, so now I must pay this back, with interest.   I sent mopar-muscle988  a United States postal money order on August 14, and I sent it Priority mail which cost an additional 4.95.   
   Well...I have not heard hide-nor-hair from this individual since.  I was a bit nervous....but now I'm beginning to get pissed.  I've sent an email letting him (or her) know  that I plan on pressing charges if I don't get a response.  I've been through this before, so that isn't that difficult to do.  If there was some sort of communication,  I wouldn't worry.  But no response to my barrage of emails.
   I understand that we all sometimes run into trials and tribulations in life.  If this individual is having a crisis of some nature.....well...I'm the first one to understand these things.  I just want a reply.   I went into chat last night to get some opinions on what I should do.  The majority told me to wait a few more days, but the more I think about it, the more my blood boils, and I thought I would go ahead and post this up.   If anyone has done business with this person successfully....please tell me, and I won't worry so much.  So...what do you think???   Am I preparing for the traditional assbleed or not??    mopar-muscle988........I'm calling you out!!!!   I want my f**king rims, or my money!!!

[ramit]

I see he only has 1 post to his name.  I think you got freakin' ripped off.

[Troy]

I see he only has 1 post to his name.  I think you got freakin' ripped off.

That's not exactly a good indicator as I turned off post counting for all the Classifieds. If you look at the profile and then click on "Show the last posts of this person." you'll see that there are several. That doesn't make the situation any better but post count is rarely a good indicator for much of anything.

Troy

[89MOPAR]

Maybe he is on vacation ?   
Next time send it certified mail, so he has to sign for it, and get a "return receipt"  so you see that he signed for it.
It would have been a better way of spending the extra $5.......

[whitehatspecial]

First print out all of the emails between you and the person you're dealing with.
Send a demand letter, Certified mail, to the person you made the check out to for the wheels. Demand a refund or the goods by a date within 5 business days for receipt of your letter. Inform the seller you intend to press charges with his local police dept. for fraud and other appropraite charges.
Document everything.

[Back N Black]

Maybe he hasn't received the check yet?
I think you can go to the post office and they can find out if the money has been cashed.

[Duey]

Doesn't Priority Mail also have a tracking number?

[Silver R/T]

UPS automatically has tracking number on any item you send through them...USPS charges extra. I would've paid with paypal, verified that he got rims (at least some pics of them) You cant always trust people, even when you know where they live, some are just down low beings that live off of others.

[twilt]

You sent the M/O 10 days ago. While you obviously  have reason to be concerned, I`d say that you are premature in calling the person out.   

[Silver R/T]

well it takes probably couple days just to get than M/O in mail if you sent it priority.  Then guy goes and cashes it and decides he'll send wheels in 2-3 days when he gets some time from work. Then he sends them ups ground...another 8 days.

[TylerCharger69]

yes....but a reply to my emails would be nice y'know.....it's all I ask

[41husk]

I bought a 73 Charger off a guy on this site, he said it was a rust free "solid" driver with matching #s tranny and 440, there is bondo popping off the thing, the radio that was in it for the pictures he sent has been removed and the 440 is from that era but not matching #s, If not for the nice air grabber hood with it I would have taken a real bath on the thing.  As it is I need to find a good 73 parts Charger to get this thing up to snuff.  I feel people who deal like this will get theres.  When they are in a terrible accident or loved ones get very sick and they ask god why me, I like to think some how they will know there dishonest dealing might just have something to do with it

[TylerCharger69]

 

[4402tuff4u]

Give it some time and just start doing your homework for plan B which is trying to recover you loss by legal means. Check your options with local authorities and the postal inspector general.

[1fine69]

yeah i would probably give it a couple of more days and then if nothing look into like the white pages you have his address and stuff get his # and get some answers. goes to show though it doesn't matter what website or message board you are on you still have to have the "what if" in the back of your head. hope everything works out good for ya!

[4402tuff4u]

I did buy stuff from members here that are well known and never had a problem, actually they were trust worthy sending me the parts before I even had a chance to get home and write them the check. Next time you might want to gather some personal information on the member, information that is verifiable such as their home address, phone numbers and possibly ask around from the other members here. Hope things work out for ya!

[41husk]

What are the chances of winning, out of state battle on a fraudulent deal, I have paid to have this shipped from PA, The cost of recovery would probably out weigh the value!

[chargerhunter]

Sending a postal money order, if I read it right is the only way to fly. You are f-ing with uncle Sam then. What I have been told anyway. I have had times when it took me longer than expected to ship out a part to someone, but I stay in contact with them. Kind of like ebay, 0 or neg. feedback, I won't deal with them. 1 post kind of falls along the same lines but he could just be a newbie. Did he send you pics of the wheels? Please don't tell me he had a yahoo address! 

[RT DAVE]

Where did you send the MO?  Maybe one of us can persuade him...      Hahaha!   Good luck to you.   

[Telvis]

I sure hope you didn't send the money to PA......I really hope the sellers name wasn't Joe. 

[41husk]

What part of PA is Joe from?

[chrisII]

I have also heard that a postal mo makes it mail fraud and the usps will be helpful in persuadeing him to make it right.

[DFXXX]

I sure hope you didn't send the money to PA......I really hope the sellers name wasn't Joe. 

Yep, if it went to Joe in PA, your money is GONE!  RIP $$ 

[41husk]

Be carefull, If it is the same guy from York PA.  His wife or girl friend is the front, her name is Ann Billett.  Do not buy parts or cars from these people, no matter how good the deal sounds!

[TylerCharger69]

no...this was from silver creek new york.....It was a lady who i made the money order out to so...if you live near silver creek.....yeah!!!  please do persuade!!!...lol    I really appreciate your feedback guys!!!

[41husk]

I think my luck is turning up.  I found the lasr registered owner of the 73 and he said he sold it about a year ago,  so the people who sold me the car altered the date and never registered it according to the title they bought from this guy.  I think I will contact IL and PA states attourney.  I may not be able to recoup anything but it will certainly make there life a little rough!!!

[DarkAngel0816]

I bought a 73 Charger off a guy on this site, he said it was a rust free "solid" driver with matching #s tranny and 440, there is bondo popping off the thing, the radio that was in it for the pictures he sent has been removed and the 440 is from that era but not matching #s, If not for the nice air grabber hood with it I would have taken a real bath on the thing.  As it is I need to find a good 73 parts Charger to get this thing up to snuff.  I feel people who deal like this will get theres.  When they are in a terrible accident or loved ones get very sick and they ask god why me, I like to think some how they will know there dishonest dealing might just have something to do with it

Amen. I had the same thing happen with me but from moparts instead.  I was unware of the nasty frame issues..amongst other things...first day I took it out on the road...realized the Ujoints were broke and no brakes.  (I did look at car, but was told did not like to drive it on gravel road uh huh).  So I had it towed to the shop and a guy there inspected it...found the frame was covered with fiberglass to hide how horrible it is...the oil pan was bent to hell where they could not do an oil change until a new one was found...my gauges and nothing worked...in fact the wiring is a nightmare.  I drove it some last summer...saw wisps of smoke at times...bad wires under the dash.  Lucky the car did not catch on fire. 

NOW...the only difference is when I called the guy I bought it from...he sent me a grand back to help with the cost of the frame.  Which surprised me...and the reason why I never "called" him out on moparts or anything.  He did do something that most people would have not done...whether they knew about the stuff or not you know?  And lucky I think my neighbor works on body and frames and is going to help me out.  I just need to buy the parts needed and I plan to make sure he is reimbursed for his time.  And smasherofall here has helped me out big time with other random things with the car.

My family and friends were upset...they were like "This guy KNEW you are battling cancer and yet...he felt right about having you overpay for a car you thought was a driver and isnt?"  But crap happens I guess right?  I learned my lesson. NOW I will drive the car even if the owner has to put it on a nongravel road!  Things might have been different than.  But I still have the car and damn it I am going to save this car one way or another.  lol  H

How did you find the last registered owner of you car?  Not talking about the guy I bought it from...but the guy he bought it from.  I actually had the name but cannot remember it.

[whitehatspecial]

In cases like this, it helps to believe that there is carma in this world. It will drive you crazy if you don't believe that everything in life comes full circle.
I wish you luck with the situation and it sounds like you will prevail legally if you decide to go that route. If you don't be assured there is a higher power at work 24/7.

[Brock Samson]

Well I sure don't blame you for not waiting till the weekend as we in chat suggested, sometimes your gut just tells you to not sit idley by,.. but get to off your ass and do something cause your getting screwed and ya aint gonna take it... 
Momma didn't raise no fools...
i  hope for a good resolution but damn that kinda crap pisses me off. 

[Supercharged Riot]

Hey I've been ripped off for $400 before. Needless to say. I learned how to trade online safely after that.

www.escrow.com

...is the only thing I can say as far as non-ebay transactions go. Never had problems going through this site. I traded $1,000 value items using this site.

[TylerCharger69]

Yes...I've done some business with a few members here....I've sent a few, they've sent me some stuff...all in good faith and very reputable people with good communication skills.  I just guess I got too comfortable with the forum and didn't think I needed to question further.   It's a shame  that one bad apple (or is it asshole) can spoil the bunch. 

[Telvis]

Husk,
He's in Pulaski, PA. I am sure by now he's probably using a different name and has a PO box in a nearby town or has moved. He's gained quite the reputation on a lot of boards. 

[Silver R/T]

are you going to contact local authorities?

[TylerCharger69]

Silver R/T....You bet I am!!!   I STILL have not got any reply from this individual.  I'm going to first send him a certified letter letting him know that I'm starting the process of mail fraud, and any other charges that can possibly be pressed

[6pkrunner]

I'd toss my hat into the "you've been had" ring. Bloody shame. I have conducted several thousand deals over the internet and only two out of all of those have gone bad. And one was from a Chrysler dealer in Maryland. It is shameful that there are people out there that are too lazy or greedy to spend effort to rip people off. And in some cases the effort to rip you off is more than it would take to make an honest living.
And I am a firm believer in what goes around comes around. And if there is any sort of sentient being looking down, he had better have added interest when the chit comes back on the originators of the crap!

[TylerCharger69]

Where did you send the MO?  Maybe one of us can persuade him...      Hahaha!   Good luck to you.   

lol....Well.....if someone does that for me.....it isn't much,  but I'll give 100 bucks to whoever gets my rims or money back!!!

[Drache]

So far you're doing right. By sending him a letter stating what you WILL do if you don't get the rims or money and making that person SIGN for said letter will let you know whether he's on vacation or at home. Even if he's at home and refuses the letter, you should get the letter back saying it was refused.

Then if he refuses that letter or accepts it and still you dont get aything THEN you're on to step two cause you know he's trying to scam you. And I can't remember who said it but by paying with a money order that consititutes mail fraud and really helps in getting items or money back.

[TylerCharger69]

well...i hope I am doing right....I don't like to "jump the gun" so to speak, but  my main concern is that it seems to me that this person is refusing to communicate with me.  It's funny......we had constant communication with each other right up until I emailed him and told him that the M.O. was sent out.   Haven't heard a word since.    I'd like to come home from work on Monday  and "surprise"...my rims are here....but I doubt that'll happen, but if it was to happen....I would gladly apologize publicly to this forum and eat crow.  I just think good communication is a main key in doing good business.  I have all I need right here...money order stub and reciept, all emails back and forth to each other closing the deal, and all of the emails I've sent to him after the M.O. was sent out.   And, once again....yes...it was a USPS money order because I understand that helps out a lot!!!   To everybody that I have already done some business here with prior to this.....I appreciate your honesty and good faith.   There are a lot of big-hearted people in here, not to mention most bend over backwards to help out with problems  being mechanical, or just to give good advice from their experiences.   I wish everybody was like you guys!!!

[41husk]

good luck Tyler, I wish you the best.

[TylerCharger69]

Thank you much....I suppose I'm going to need all of the luck I can get....lol

[TylerCharger69]

Okay, folks....I've just sent this individual an email letting him know that I am sending him a certified letter stating I want my rims or my money within 5 business days of him receiving the letter, or criminal charges such as mail fraud, and other charges will be pressed.  I hope this gives him a kick to the yam bags to do the right thing.  But...if not.....his goose is cooked!!!  I also let him know that I blew the whistle on him in this forum.  I don't want him to rip any of you off either!!!

[Drache]

personally I think you're doing the right thing!

[rt green]

he has made contact with this board. sounds like the problem was beond his control.

[Wakko]

Five Vectors for $300 shipped?  Sounds like a little TOO good of a deal. 

It's always a risk sending funds like that.  When I sent payment for my last Fury (2125) I used a cashier's check and sent it Priority with signature confirmation.  Fortunately he was honest and within a few days he Priority mailed me the title and now the car is on the way.  I was preparing myself for a battle if it had to, but did research on the guy first.  I have had other instances where I Couldn't verify any information about a newbie to a board and decided not to send any money.  It's a crap shoot.

Keep us informed.

[TylerCharger69]

Well...thankfully, and GLADLY  I must apologize  to mopar-muscle988.  Apparently, like I said was a possibility in the first post on this topic, there was a family crisis he had to deal with, and that turned out to be true.  I hope everybody understands my reasoning and concerns for making the post that I did.   I've been taken before...hell... I've even been sent bricks!!!   We all have stuff happen, and I understand this.   Had I of known,  I wouldn't have thought twice about it.   "Take care of your crisis  and emergencies  and send my stuff when you can" is what I would've said.   I heard nothing  and I got worried.  I hope everything worked out for the best, mopar-muscle988.   A thousand times I apologize.   What more can I say?    I'm eating crow  just like I said I would.....and with the relief I'm feeling right now over this.....well.....crow  kinda tastes good right now!!!   

[Goldfinger71]