I put a WTB ad for a TC 17 recently and I got multiple PMs. I reviewed all profiles and confused this guy for someone else. I sent him $320 through Paypal gift and probably the money is gone. He said he shipped the item but refuses to give me a tracking number or his phone after several requests.
Paypal shows his name as Matthew Evans ([email protected]). Just wanted to warn everyone here so that you can learn from my mistakes.
I have read about the scams here and still fell for one
Mobius2005, sorry to hear what happened to you. I had someone here offering his Canon 50D and a Tamron 17-50 2.8 as a trade with me recently. Something with his emails didnt sound right. He stated the 50D was in excellent condition and sent me a small photo to view. After asking for a larger photo and what looked like damage to the top lcd he stopped communicating and started offering the same camera to others as a trade.
anthonysemone wrote:
we're all vulnerable, not matter how much care we take. how did he list himself here on FM?
I was wondering the same thing. Since we are not allowed to register with gmail/yahoo etc., can I get his email address that he signed up with from FM? Has anybody done that before?
I am even embarrassed to ask FM staff since I violated the first rule in the Buy & Sell rulebook.
wbunnell wrote:
Mobius2005, sorry to hear what happened to you. I had someone here offering his Canon 50D and a Tamron 17-50 2.8 as a trade with me recently. Something with his emails didnt sound right. He stated the 50D was in excellent condition and sent me a small photo to view. After asking for a larger photo and what looked like damage to the top lcd he stopped communicating and started offering the same camera to others as a trade.
Definitely need to beware of these scammers.
Hear Hear! I feel so silly making this very careless mistake. I knew better not to buy from a "no feedback" seller (or at least ask for feedback on other sites), and yet confused him with someone else.
I've been lucky to deal with good people so far, but i'm always hesitant to get PMs from members with zero feedback. Also, when buying if it's a seller i'm not familiar with, I always pay regular paypal.
Thanks for informing us so others can be sure to avoid dealing with this person...
I've been lucky to deal with good people so far, but i'm always hesitant to get PMs from members with zero feedback. Also, when buying if it's a seller i'm not familiar with, I always pay regular paypal.
Thanks for informing us so others can be sure to avoid dealing with this person...
Hi JR,
Thanks for your comments. BTW, I still have the awesome Kiron macro I bought from you. Here is the video I shot with it last weekend:
Missing it yet
What do people do that have no feedback on this site do? I do not have any at the moment myself but I have over 300 on my ebay id. Dont know if people check other id's as proof first.
BTW, my scammer must be reading this thread. He just sent me an email claiming to to have replied to two emails I sent him. Funny thing email, it always fails when the real important messages have to get through. Yea, that and the check is in the mail.
mobius2005. You're a life saver! I posted an ad WTB 35mm F2d. He PMed me with details, gave me photos and emailed me. Set a price at $260 shipped to my door, which is a fair price.
I was pleased, and therefore purchased it. However, unlike you, I used regular Paypal. I'm now about to file a dispute.
The guy's name in my case under the FM account "mbsphto" is Terrence Davids
Email: [email protected]
Just a quick summary of what happened: He does not respond to his emails promptly. He claimed that he was too busy at work yesterday (Monday) so he wasn't able to ship the item. Today (Tuesday), he claimed that he shipped the item but has not provided me with a tracking number despite asking for one.
I've actually never filed a dispute before on Paypal. Is there anything I need to note that will quicken the process?
In regards to your question regarding the use of standard free emails like gmail, yahoo, hotmail - I'm currently using a Gmail account for FM, however I registered with a unique email. You're allowed to change your email after you've been able to register.
His email address is: [email protected]
His username is: mbsphto
I just banned his IP, email domain and username.
I'm sorry this happened to you Rohit.
As I wrote on the Rules and Guidelines, WTB "pm" transactions should be handled with caution:
"My advice is to take the time to always check references first. Members should NEVER use "money order", "money owed payment", "Paypal Gift" or any other uninsured payment methods. Only use insured credit card and insured Paypal when dealing with new members with low number of posts and feedback. Be aware of transactions coming from a WTB (Want to buy) threads whenever the interested party conducts all communications through pm or email."
Fred Miranda wrote:
His email address is: [email protected]
His username is: mbsphto
I just banned his IP, email domain and username.
I'm sorry this happened to you Rohit.
As I wrote on the Rules and Guidelines, WTB "pm" transactions should be handled with caution:
"My advice is to take the time to always check references first. Members should NEVER use "money order", "money owed payment", "Paypal Gift" or any other uninsured payment methods. Only use insured credit card and insured Paypal when dealing with new members with low number of posts and feedback. Be aware of transactions coming from a WTB (Want to buy) threads whenever the interested party conducts all communications through pm or email." ...Show more →
Thanks Fred! I was hoping he would have registered with a traceable email address. Oh well. Thanks for promptly banning his IP. I am sure he will appear as someone else, but hopefully people will see this post and be more careful.
Thanks again, everyone for your kind words. That's what make this such a fantastic community.
Yea, that and the check is in the mail. 