Warning - be careful of con artists and scamsters

[Silver]

Hi @shabbar

I am so sorry to hear about this. I sincerely hope that you can get it sorted and either get your goods or your money back. While the far majority of us are generally trustworthy and upstanding, there always seem to be those that take chances and spoil it for the rest.

Let me re-iterate what was posted in the OP of this thread, which is still the position today:

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When you purchase anything, make sure you are dealing with a reputable party and someone that you trust.

When in doubt, we suggest you only deal with well-known retailers or in the case of the Classifieds, a member with a longer history on the forum.

The Admin & Mod team have been made aware of a few instances where members have been taken for a ride. I.e. Have paid their money and the person vanished without sending the goods.

There is not much we can do after the fact in these situations. You buy and sell from each other at your own risk. What you can do is take precaution and do your checking beforehand.

Discussing potential purchases with other experienced forum members before you buy is a wise move - especially if you are dealing with an individual that is not well known or if something makes you feel a bit uncomfortable.

Take care and vape on
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All I can say is to stress that dealing with members on this forum is at your own risk.

You need to do your homework and feel comfortable with a member before sending money across. If the member is relatively new or has a low post count, then you need to exercise extreme caution. This is unfortunate for upstanding new members, but so be it. Ask around and check with other members if they have dealt with the person before.

Perhaps you can open a new thread in the Classifieds review subforum here:
https://www.ecigssa.co.za/forums/classified-sale-reviews/

Hopefully this member will read this when he/she logs in next and this can be resolved.

 

[boxerulez]

uH OH... @R_str

A one post wonder, straight into a for sale post.

I hope you get your product dudes. Also keep in mind couriers in the EASTERN CAPE are up to shit. Could be an honest delay... but really selling something of that value, very low for a scammer.... I think might be more to this.

 

[Marzuq]

dude im not used to this type of thing happening , people on this forum are so giving & not con artists. look at the dealings weve had based on trust yet we are 1500 km apart and have never met.
can this persons ip address perhaps be blocked from the forums ?

the member is @R_str , from Middleburg , Eastern Cape

totally agree. takes one bad deal to make your impressions change...

 

[shabbar]

Hi @shabbar

I am so sorry to hear about this. I sincerely hope that you can get it sorted and either get your goods or your money back. While the far majority of us are generally trustworthy and upstanding, there always seem to be those that take chances and spoil it for the rest.

Let me re-iterate what was posted in the OP of this thread, which is still the position today:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
When you purchase anything, make sure you are dealing with a reputable party and someone that you trust.

When in doubt, we suggest you only deal with well-known retailers or in the case of the Classifieds, a member with a longer history on the forum.

The Admin & Mod team have been made aware of a few instances where members have been taken for a ride. I.e. Have paid their money and the person vanished without sending the goods.

There is not much we can do after the fact in these situations. You buy and sell from each other at your own risk. What you can do is take precaution and do your checking beforehand.

Discussing potential purchases with other experienced forum members before you buy is a wise move - especially if you are dealing with an individual that is not well known or if something makes you feel a bit uncomfortable.

Take care and vape on
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

All I can say is to stress that dealing with members on this forum is at your own risk.

You need to do your homework and feel comfortable with a member before sending money across. If the member is relatively new or has a low post count, then you need to exercise extreme caution. This is unfortunate for upstanding new members, but so be it. Ask around and check with other members if they have dealt with the person before.

Perhaps you can open a new thread in the Classifieds review subforum here:
https://www.ecigssa.co.za/forums/classified-sale-reviews/

Hopefully this member will read this when he/she logs in next and this can be resolved.

Hi @Silver

Can we not intergrate the minimum post count so that new members do not have access to the classifieds until they have reached the required post count.

While I do agree that we use the classifieds at our own risk , there has to be other security measures put in place on the forum to protect other users

 

[Silver]

Hi @Silver

Can we not intergrate the minimum post count so that new members do not have access to the classifieds until they have reached the required post count.

While I do agree that we use the classifieds at our own risk , there has to be other security measures put in place on the forum to protect other users

Thanks @shabbar - I hear you
This is something we have been considering and monitoring for some time.

In the meantime, members need to practice caution and be careful with using the Classifieds.

 

[Marzuq]

Hi @Silver

Can we not intergrate the minimum post count so that new members do not have access to the classifieds until they have reached the required post count.

While I do agree that we use the classifieds at our own risk , there has to be other security measures put in place on the forum to protect other users

unfortunately a minimum post count wont sway these types of deals from happening.
Maybe we could rather look at implementing a measure where in order to sell on the classifieds users must submit additional information in order to go ahead with the sale. information could include, ID number, name, surname and contact information including residential address. The forum will hold the information and users will be notified that the information will be used where classifieds deals go sour.

I realise this will put some kind of ownership on the forum but i would suggest that is gets used in a way so as to divert scammers from out happy home.

 

[shabbar]

uH OH... @R_str

A one post wonder, straight into a for sale post.

I hope you get your product dudes. Also keep in mind couriers in the EASTERN CAPE are up to shit. Could be an honest delay... but really selling something of that value, very low for a scammer.... I think might be more to this.

I am honestly hoping thats the case , but why avoids calls , msgs and go missing in action.

 

[Anneries]

information could include, ID number, name, surname and contact information including residential address. The forum will hold the information and users will be notified that the information will be used where classifieds deals go sour.

I realise this will put some kind of ownership on the forum but i would suggest that is gets used in a way so as to divert scammers from out happy home.

I would advise against something like this based on the POPI act. Having/holding information like that, and the having to prove that it is kept within the guidelines set out in said act is a mission. Companies are trying to avoid it as far as possible, I could not see how the administrators on this forum will willingly take on such responsibility.

I for one, would not mail order any items from members that have low post counts. I might miss out on a wonderful deal, but I will rather meet up in person and exchange cash for goods.

It is sad that on this wonderful forum we have to discuss safeguards like this, but unfortunately it is what it is. Hope you guys get sorted out quickly.

 

[Feliks Karp]

If the

I am honestly hoping thats the case , but why avoids calls , msgs and go missing in action.

Agreed he was last online on Friday, could have easily sent you a PM.

ID number, name, surname and contact information including residential address. The forum will hold the information and users will be notified that the information will be used where classifieds deals go sour.

I'm not a legal expert but I'm sure the forum would open itself up to legal action with that.

 

[shabbar]

I would advise against something like this based on the POPI act. Having/holding information like that, and the having to prove that it is kept within the guidelines set out in said act is a mission. Companies are trying to avoid it as far as possible, I could not see how the administrators on this forum will willingly take on such responsibility.

I for one, would not mail order any items from members that have low post counts. I might miss out on a wonderful deal, but I will rather meet up in person and exchange cash for goods.

It is sad that on this wonderful forum we have to discuss safeguards like this, but unfortunately it is what it is. Hope you guys get sorted out quickly.

Funny thing is I didn't take note of the post count I was busy with work and only after I done the deal and paid for it I saw it, still it didn't bother me as I trust my fellow vapers and now this.


The thing is he could have sold it to a few interested buyers and just kept the mod.

 

[Marzuq]

@Anneries @Feliks Karp i hear what both of you are saying. the POPI act and legalities to such measures may play a role.
my idea would be to have this as some kind of waiver but long term this may still prove to be an issue.
Its a pity that people like this exists which force us to have to consider measures in order to keep them from playing in our pond.

 

[Lurkzilla]

Very sad indeed. This is my first time in maybe 7 years of buying on forums that someone seems to be screwing me. Might be early days yet, but the seller has been MIA and refusing to respond to messages for a week now

 

[shabbar]

Very sad indeed. This is my first time in maybe 7 years of buying on forums that someone seems to be screwing me. Might be early days yet, but the seller has been MIA and refusing to respond to messages for a week now

I am so disappointed dude, I wanted a noisy cricket 2 for a while now and when this came about I jumped at it.

 

[Lurkzilla]

I don't blame the forum for this at all. Sadly it is the inherent risk of purchasing stuff off the forum. We roll the dice and take our chances. A minimum post count or some kind of other restriction won't keep rifraf out or keep people honest. It is just the way of the world.

I suspect (or rather hope) the seller might resurface with an excuse for the delay, but right now his actions are a bit on the unacceptable side of conduct.

Don't worry bud. Karma is an unpleasant lady..

 

[shabbar]

I don't blame the forum for this at all. Sadly it is the inherent risk of purchasing stuff off the forum. We roll the dice and take our chances. A minimum post count or some kind of other restriction won't keep rifraf out or keep people honest. It is just the way of the world.

I suspect (or rather hope) the seller might resurface with an excuse for the delay, but right now his actions are a bit on the unacceptable side of conduct.

Don't worry bud. Karma is an unpleasant lady..

100% , i am not in any way blaming the forum , i am merely suggesting that more stringent measures be put into place.
one cannot just say that use the classifieds at your own risk and that's that , the same way the admin & mod team sift through the classified posts and nuke ads with no pic , just keep the newcomers out until they reach maybe 50 posts as some people just create profiles to sell things and don't ever bother returning to the forums. I don't think im asking for too much or being unreasonable here ?

 

[Static]

Best to meet the person and do cash transaction. This happened to my Friend sold a cellphone over gumtree she received a scanned copy of ID -proof of payment of EFT from Nedbank via email (Email was recalled the next day) and sms with that long number.Courier the Cellphone and never got the money. Turns out the person is died and Nedbank doesn't know who is using that account. .

 

[shabbar]

Thanks @shabbar - I hear you
This is something we have been considering and monitoring for some time.

In the meantime, members need to practice caution and be careful with using the Classifieds.

@Silver with all due respect , this thread has been created in 2014 , surely it doesn't take so long to consider something ?

its like saying enter a mall at your own risk & the mall has potential criminals inside , will you enter ? no you wont.

they say enter at your own risk but there are security guards , cameras , boom gates etc to atleast put your mind at ease and you know they have done whatever they could to prevent any incidents.

 

[Silver]

@Silver with all due respect , this thread has been created in 2014 , surely it doesn't take so long to consider something ?

its like saying enter a mall at your own risk & the mall has potential criminals inside , will you enter ? no you wont.

they say enter at your own risk but there are security guards , cameras , boom gates etc to atleast put your mind at ease and you know they have done whatever they could to prevent any incidents.

Hi @shabbar

We have been considering this for quite some time and have decided on numerous occasions not to implement it. Mainly because this has not been a major problem. We are only aware of a few incidents to date.

Am sorry for the situation you are in and I can imagine the frustration. Hope that it all gets sorted. Perhaps in the meantime, you can assist by starting a Classifieds Review thread in the post sale reviews subforum which will assist other Classifieds users.

 

[Anneries]

@Silver with regards to the Post sale review section of the classifieds, what does one have to do to qualify to post there? I have insufficient rights to post a review.

It has been a while since I bought something of the classifieds, but in light of recent events. I want to post there so any possible future purchasers know that the guy is a solid member of the community.

 

[Silver]

@Silver with regards to the Post sale review section of the classifieds, what does one have to do to qualify to post there? I have insufficient rights to post a review.

It has been a while since I bought something of the classifieds, but in light of recent events. I want to post there so any possible future purchasers know that the guy is a solid member of the community.

Hi @Anneries, thanks for the headsup!

To my knowledge there was nothing that was required to "qualify" to post there. I have gone to check and reset some of the settings.

I have a feeling that review subforum may have been impacted by some work the team did on the Archive subforum which was next to it.

Should be working fine now, can you check for us?

 

[Anneries]

Should be working fine now, can you check for us?

Able to post. Will quickly do a write up and post it. Thank you for the quick turn around.

 

[Silver]

Just a headsup guys

Please use that Classifieds review subforum with care. This kind of thing is also open to abuse.

Try make your posts in there constructive and clear.

 

[shabbar]

Just a headsup guys

Please use that Classifieds review subforum with care. This kind of thing is also open to abuse.

Try make your posts in there constructive and clear.

I think there should be a template of some sorts

 

[Rafique]

Hi @Silver

Can we not intergrate the minimum post count so that new members do not have access to the classifieds until they have reached the required post count.

While I do agree that we use the classifieds at our own risk , there has to be other security measures put in place on the forum to protect other users

Can I ask what was purchased?

I look at the classifieds daily so I can understand your frustration in getting ripped off especially if it's something u really want or a bargain.

Post count will be a good option to prevent fly by night sellers. The way the forum is designed is good in terms of notifications, maybe new comers should also be forced to introduce themselves before posting anything else.

 

[zadiac]

I think there should be a template of some sorts

Hi @shabbar

I'm sorry what happened to you, but there is really nothing we here on the forum can do except shut this guy out and warn people of his actions. As for my "taking care" of things that I mentioned, I was merely joking and I'm not into those kinds of things. (although I also feel like doing things like that sometimes to scammers).
I suggest you open a fraud case against this person and once the case is open, the ip address can be revealed to the police and they can take action.
What I can do is help you with your statement to the police to make sure we cover everything. I can do the statement for you in the correct format and make sure all the relevant information is in the statement. It's all I can do mate, as the crime did not happen in my area, you know, jurisdiction issues.