2aHawaii
General Topics => General Discussion => Topic started by: bighoks on May 24, 2013, 03:38:49 PM
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I'm at a stand still I arranged to buy a rifle from someone on kauai went to the post office to get a usps money order for the amount for purchase paid extra to get the confirmation mail delivery and sent it.
I told the seller the money order was on its way and he removed the ad from armslist
The money order was undelivered the next day because seller was not home so.
He received the money order the next day at 835 am by picking it up at the post office and i waited till 730 pm to let me know he received payment only after I was trying to contact him all day being that I got a confirmation from usps at 835am. The seller said he would ship rifle soon and let me know the tracking number.
The seller has not gotten back to me and now it's been 2 frustrating days and I don't know what to do the lady at the post office said is out of there hands.
CAN ANYONE HELP ME OUT HERE
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You can file a report with hpd.
Make sure you got copies of the money order and stuff.
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I have all the records and receipts for the transaction and have the sellers name, address, and email address, and phone number to.
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You can file a report with hpd.
Make sure you got copies of the money order and stuff.
HPD can't do shit. Contact the US Postal Inspectors office, Honolulu Domicile. Being that you used a postal money order it now becomes mail fraud.
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HPD can't do shit. Contact the US Postal Inspectors office, Honolulu Domicile. Being that you used a postal money order it now becomes mail fraud.
I have the number to the postal inspector and am going to be calling them tomorrow morning the thing I don't understand is this guy gave me his info and had to show his ID to sign for the mail and then use it to cash the money order so it's not like he is using a fake ID or fake info why would someone try to do this?
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Maybe the guy is just busy. Sucks as an option and he should communicate to you, but its a possibility.
At least you did it the right way and used a verifiable form of payment.
Hopefully it's not a scam and they using their grandmas name or something.
You can ship person to person without an FFL?
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Maybe the guy is just busy. Sucks as an option and he should communicate to you, but its a possibility.
At least you did it the right way and used a verifiable form of payment.
Hopefully it's not a scam and they using their grandmas name or something.
You can ship person to person without an FFL?
My FFL dealer told me that we are in the same state and that we could do the transaction but it is kinda humbug. ... paper work has to be done on kauai and on oahu. ... so I just followed what the seller said he was going to do which was ship from his ffl dealer to my ffl dealer here on oahu. If this guy is busy he could at least let me know what's going on and not just ignore me all together. Before I sent the payment the seller was constantly in contact with me asking me about purchasing the gun and would respond to any questions I had asap. Now that he received payment he does not reply at all. And no he didn't use a grandma name he used a name of ROBERT LONG
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And to top it off he was saying he was running a small business of gun selling and wanted to show me he was trust worthy and all this other stuff, and wanted to build a good report of business. He even posted more ads on armslist yesterday and today for other guns for sale. So I'm clueless now
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Shady deals man.
File with usps and they should take care of it. I think it could be mail fraud.
If you fly to kauai can you bring me back some kulolo. I pay you back!!!. :shaka:
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Shady deals man.
File with usps and they should take care of it. I think it could be mail fraud.
If you fly to kauai can you bring me back some kulolo. I pay you back!!!. :shaka:
I wish I could laugh at a comment like that but as it is I'm out $950 of my hard earned cash
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Who is his FFL dealer?
They must know who this person is ???
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Who is his FFL dealer?
They must know who this person is ???
He never gave me the ffl dealer on his end
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And to top it off he was saying he was running a small business of gun selling and wanted to show me he was trust worthy and all this other stuff, and wanted to build a good report of business. He even posted more ads on armslist yesterday and today for other guns for sale. So I'm clueless now
doesn't the 4473 state that buying/selling of firearms for livelihood/profit without an FFL is a no-no??
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doesn't the 4473 state that buying/selling of firearms for livelihood/profit without an FFL is a no-no??
Idk all I know is I want a rifle or my money back
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... not sure if I believe this whole situation...
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... not sure if I believe this whole situation...
You want me to send you all my texts and emails from this situation and then I can send you pics of the money order and the confirmation letter I sent him
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Nah... I'm just saying that it sounds pretty hard to believe, and that some pretty basic steps were omitted during your fact-finding process.
If you really did get scammed, my heart goes out to you and sorry to hear about your situation.
And always remember... caveat emptor.
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YOU GOT RIPPED OFF. Copy and paste his ads and search them in google. You will see that they are all from gun broker He used all the starting auction prices in his ads that's why it seems so cheap. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.
Contact the proper authorities
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Nah... I'm just saying that it sounds pretty hard to believe, and that some pretty basic steps were omitted during your fact-finding process.
If you really did get scammed, my heart goes out to you and sorry to hear about your situation.
And always remember... caveat emptor.
Do you think I would take time out of my day to post something like this. And as far as steps go I followed every one I know
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I just goggled it and found the gun broker ad FML.
DPMS 308 Oracle RFLR-OC New In Box 7.62x51 NR
And then I found the armslist ad to
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He never gave me the ffl dealer on his end
NOOOOO!!! is mykdebauch back? :shake:
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:rofl:
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NOOOOO!!! is mykdebauch back? :shake:
Who is that
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NOOOOO!!! is mykdebauch back? :shake:
Who is that
Oh crap! hahaha LOL
We were talking about him at the Pau Hana the other day!
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http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=342420361 (http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=342420361)
http://www.armslist.com/posts/1646041/kauai-rifles-for-sale--dpms-308-oracle-rflr-oc-new-in-box-7-62x51-nr (http://www.armslist.com/posts/1646041/kauai-rifles-for-sale--dpms-308-oracle-rflr-oc-new-in-box-7-62x51-nr)
Why can't HPD do anything? this is fraud. I did it to a ebay seller before and had some jackass do it to me when I was selling on ebay.
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What was the story about the Filipino Midget in the Dark Alley doing a gun transfer?
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http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=342419232 (http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=342419232)
http://www.armslist.com/posts/1646018/kauai-rifles-for-sale--sig-sauer-516-od-green-5-56-223---400-rounds-ammo (http://www.armslist.com/posts/1646018/kauai-rifles-for-sale--sig-sauer-516-od-green-5-56-223---400-rounds-ammo)
Wow I love the way this guy is in Maryland and Kauai!
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What was the story about the Filipino Midget in the Dark Alley doing a gun transfer?
It was a tranny with tattoos.
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Avoid arms list. At least GB can charge a bad sellers credit card if something doesn't ship and they have your payment.
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Avoid arms list. At least GB can charge a bad sellers credit card if something doesn't ship and they have your payment.
Well thank god someone mentioned this after I sent him my money
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Wow. Hope this works out for you. GL
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Well thank god someone mentioned this after I sent him my money
Dude, always face to face with armslist. I have seen sketchy ads on armslist. No way I am sending money to anyone on that site. Guys posting ads for cheap stuff and if you click on "listings by this user" you see they have ads all over the US as well as Hawaii. Gunbroker way more secure for buyer and seller.
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Never got one on armslist but glad I'm aware now.
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Hey guys I am a newbie on Kauai and I have contacted 3 sellers supposedly on Kauai and asked them to meet face to face and no one answered yet.
I guess Armslist is a joke and glad I found my way to 2aHawaii about a month ago.
To the OP sorry about your loss if it happens to be a scam can you post his info?
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Hey guys I am a newbie on Kauai and I have contacted 3 sellers supposedly on Kauai and asked them to meet face to face and no one answered yet.
I guess Armslist is a joke and glad I found my way to 2aHawaii about a month ago.
To the OP sorry about your loss if it happens to be a scam can you post his info?
It is a scam dont buy anything via armslist from anyone saying send them usps money order
IT IS A SCAM
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Damnnnn sorry bout this bs
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It is a scam dont buy anything via armslist from anyone saying send them usps money order
IT IS A SCAM
Same with rental scams on craigslist and the like. Pretty much the same scam anywhere it applies, send me some money and get more money back or get an item at a great deal sometimes well below msrp. Sending money is always a gamble, research pays off and sites like Gunbroker can offer some reassurance.
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Why can't HPD do anything? this is fraud. I did it to a ebay seller before and had some jackass do it to me when I was selling on ebay.
Someone pls enlighten me if I'm wrong but I think it has something to do with jurisdiction. Unless the criminal is in Honolulu, HPD cannot pursue it. Since the crime is committed across state lines, It would then fall in the jurisdiction of the FBI. However as I understand it, FBI has so many cases that they cannot look at anything smaller than a certain dollar amount ($5k? $10k?)
I'm not really sure what the OP can do to pursue it further except as what was advised by dblnaknak.
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Use credit card next time! If somebody rip you off, dispute the charge vs sending a money order! F dat if I going send somebody one money order if I don't have the actual product in hand! If anything......the farthest I go is thru PayPal....but I still using CC! No debit....Why? Because money is directly being taken out of account! If its a scam....money has already been exchanged! CC.....no monies has been exchanged because you using the banks money and now the bank trying to get the payment from you! If you dispute, they will do an investigation on the charges you dispute all while your monies is still safe with you.
Most credit card companies has some type of fraud insurance applied to your account! I know mines does where Im not liable for ANY fraudulent purchase and that is why my CC! I know a lot of people's credit limit might not be that big, but you can buy disposable credit cards! Its almost like a gift card but is handled like a credit card!
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Contact kauai pd.
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Contact kauai pd.
I did they can't do anything
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File with usps and they should take care of it. I think it could be mail fraud.
this would probably be your best bet.
postal inspectors will not do anything to help you recover your $, but they will punish the individual because they used the mail as their "method".
I believe it is a felony - so at least you will know if/when convicted - they will do time.
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How come the lady at the post office said it's out of their hands? This is a case of mail fraud and she should at least know something of this and how to help you file a claim. Another example of ignorance. And they say sending USPS money order is safe for this very reason. good luck brah
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do you know anyone on Kauai? everybody knows everybody there. call up da hui and have them "ask nicely" for your money back
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Yup call da Possi, you have a name & address. GL
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If you already tried everything forum members suggested you try, and if you already called the governmental agencies forum members suggested you call, and if the governmental agencies all said they can't help you, then I'm sad to say it, but I think you're pretty much screwed.
Hard pill to swallow, but maybe you taught yourself (and others) a valuable lesson with regard to online purchases...
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Yeah this is such a small (relatively) place (Kauai) post his info so we can call him out. I'm sure somebody on this board knows him. Sorry if it's against forum rules but I hate freakin scammers.
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I guess I gotta do some side jobs now that I'm out almost a thousand dollars anyone got any ideas for making some money back? Fml
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Go to the fish auction block.... And sell fish on the side of the road.
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A big +1 on avoiding ARMSLIST...answered an add last mo. about a rifle for sale in Hawaii. Guy contacted me via email and said the rifle was in Texas. Big red flags flew up on that one.
Bighoks.....If the seller does not send the rifle and you are unable to contact him, you can file a theft report with HPD. HPD will then forward the case to KPD for them to investigate. This is assuming that the money order was sent and received to a Kauai address. If you sent it to a mainland address then its harder to track. If you sent it out of country then forget it and no sense in making a report. Either way this does not guarantee your money back.
When dealing with online buying from forums, no matter how good the deal is, I avoid mail transactions, Money Orders etc...always do deals in person, in a safe public area, and in cash.
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Another note.....wait more than just a few days to file a report.....this will show the sellers intent to defraud and commit theft.
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This guy still has so many ads on armslist. He needs to be caught before more people become victim. Make like youre gonna buy something and Catch him when he goes to the PO to pick up another money order. If somebody ripped me off like that he ... Lets just say he would not do it again
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Sorry, i can't offer you a solution that hasn't already been stated.
For future transactions, consider using an escrow. You send the money to escrow and escrow notifies seller to ship the product. Seller then sends you the product. You then have 3 days to inspect. If you decide to keep or fail to reject the product after 3 days, escrow sends the money to the seller. I used escrow for an $800 eBay transaction when I purchased a pair of "rebuilt" turbochargers. Seller turned out to be a ripoff and I got my money back minus a small escrow fee.
It doesn't matter if you use eBay, Craiglist, Armslist, Legslist, etc., Bottom line is to assume that all online purchases through auction or listing sites are ripoffs waiting to happen and that you need to use a method of payment that will insure against falling victim to a scam.
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Sorry, i can't offer you a solution that hasn't already been stated.
For future transactions, consider using an escrow. You send the money to escrow and escrow notifies seller to ship the product. Seller then sends you the product. You then have 3 days to inspect. If you decide to keep or fail to reject the product after 3 days, escrow sends the money to the seller. I used escrow for an $800 eBay transaction when I purchased a pair of "rebuilt" turbochargers. Seller turned out to be a ripoff and I got my money back minus a small escrow fee.
It doesn't matter if you use eBay, Craiglist, Armslist, Legslist, etc., Bottom line is to assume that all online purchases through auction or listing sites are ripoffs waiting to happen and that you need to use a method of payment that will insure against falling victim to a scam.
Paypal has a very seller unfriendly system. Buyers shouldn't fear much when purchasing through pay-pal. Sellers have much more to worry about!
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Paypal will not cover a firearms transaction, that's why sellers require you to declare the money as a "gift". I don't how protected you'd be trying to get "gift" money back
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Paypal has a very seller unfriendly system. Buyers shouldn't fear much when purchasing through pay-pal. Sellers have much more to worry about!
i've had issues buying w/ paypal. paypal gave me the run around when a seller told me to check w/ the post office. local usps told me the box was never shipped. after a week or two of this, i ended up calling up amex and having them reverse the charges. and that's after i waited a month or so for the package to come.
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doesn't the 4473 state that buying/selling of firearms for livelihood/profit without an FFL is a no-no??
I don't know if it's the 4473 that says it, but yes, selling guns as a business enterprise is massively illegal.
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Sorry, i can't offer you a solution that hasn't already been stated.
For future transactions, consider using an escrow. You send the money to escrow and escrow notifies seller to ship the product. Seller then sends you the product. You then have 3 days to inspect. If you decide to keep or fail to reject the product after 3 days, escrow sends the money to the seller. I used escrow for an $800 eBay transaction when I purchased a pair of "rebuilt" turbochargers. Seller turned out to be a ripoff and I got my money back minus a small escrow fee.
It doesn't matter if you use eBay, Craiglist, Armslist, Legslist, etc., Bottom line is to assume that all online purchases through auction or listing sites are ripoffs waiting to happen and that you need to use a method of payment that will insure against falling victim to a scam.
Would you just use Title Guaranty or Old Republic?? Always curious about this.
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Paypal will not cover a firearms transaction, that's why sellers require you to declare the money as a "gift". I don't how protected you'd be trying to get "gift" money back
+1
you lose most of the paypal guarantees when you sent paypal gift.
otherwise paypal is awesome. and as funtimes mentioned, its very buyer friendly.
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Would you just use Title Guaranty or Old Republic?? Always curious about this.
You need to look for a reputable escrow that is set up specifically to handle online transactions. I am unaware of whether the two escrows mentioned offer online services but a simple call would satisfy your inquiry. I have never used escrow.com and can't vouch for its services but it is but one online escrow service provider out there. I don't recall the name of the escrow I used for my ebay transaction because it was many years ago but it was offered through ebay so you may wish to peruse through the buyers's services links.
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I don't know if it's the 4473 that says it, but yes, selling guns as a business enterprise is massively illegal.
Frist off, I feel bad that you got ripped off.
Second, as Cougar said, selling without FFL for profit is illegal. Could you get ATF invovled at all? Might not be able to since it was not interstate commerce and such, but they did use a federal agency (USPS), so maybe?
Hoping everything works out!
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Frist off, I feel bad that you got ripped off.
Second, as Cougar said, selling without FFL for profit is illegal. Could you get ATF invovled at all? Might not be able to since it was not interstate commerce and such, but they did use a federal agency (USPS), so maybe?
Hoping everything works out!
I would think it would be more about cyber crimes and fraud, rather than FFLs and ATF, since he doesn't even have these guns to begin with
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any update OP?
have you filed a mail fraud complaint yet?
http://ehome.uspis.gov/fcsexternal/default.aspx (http://ehome.uspis.gov/fcsexternal/default.aspx)
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/MailFraud.aspx (https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/MailFraud.aspx)
Mail Fraud
U.S. Postal Inspectors investigate any crime in which the U.S. Mail is used to further a scheme--whether it originated in the mail, by telephone, or on the Internet. The use of the U.S. Mail is what makes it mail fraud.
If evidence of a postal violation exists, Postal Inspectors may seek prosecutive or administrative action against the violator. However, if money is lost through a fraudulent scheme conducted via the mail, Postal Inspectors lack the authority to ensure you receive a refund and can't require that products, services, or advertisements--on the Internet or elsewhere--be altered.
Postal Inspectors base investigations of mail fraud on the number, pattern, and substance of complaints received from the public. The Postal Inspection Service will carefully review the information you provide. We may share the information with other agencies when there is a possible violation within their jurisdiction.
If you feel you've been victimized in a fraud scheme that involves the U.S. Mail, submit a Mail Fraud Complaint Form to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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So, is this the same guy on Kauai advertising a lot of AR's at ridiculously low prices, like the Colts for $900?
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Yes thats the guy and he copies the listing from gb.
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Just talked to my friend who is a area superviser with usps.
He said file a fraud complaint with usps.
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Don't get scammed like me
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Hey guys just to keep you guys updated I have been busy today being that the usps offices were closed till today, this guy is being charged by the state and federally also with both counts being felonies. I have a good friend helping me. In due time this guy will be paying me a visit being that I am a correctional officer. AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GIVE HIM A WELCOMING TO THE JAIL ATMOSPHERE. I WILL GET THE LAST LAUGH WITH HIM
Save the drama.
Seriously, do you really need to drag this out?
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No not really so you can delete your last post. i just figured id respond to the l last comment
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Drama queen :wtf:
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Drama queen :wtf:
+1; agree bruddah KK.
Again, I'm just not getting the sense that there is much truth behind this story....
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how did he edit his post without the "last edit" thing showing up?
Save the drama.
Seriously, do you really need to drag this out?
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Moral of this story: don't buy anything from Armslist.
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how did he edit his post without the "last edit" thing showing up?
You have a few seconds(?) from the time you hit "Post" to go back and Modify your original post.
If done within the right amount of time, your edited post displays as your "original" post, unless, of course, some swift bruddah swoops in and quotes your original post before you are done revising your original post...
... and then your shit gets blown up.
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yeah, but kk posted 2 minutes, twelve seconds after him
so it must be more than a few seconds
You have a few seconds(?) from the time you hit "Post" to go back and Modify your original post.
If done within the right amount of time, your edited post displays as your "original" post, unless, of course, some swift bruddah swoops in and quotes your original post before you are done revising your original post...
... and then your shit gets blown up.
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yeah, but kk posted 2 minutes, twelve seconds after him
so it must be more than a few seconds
Agreed.
Maybe if you post, then go back to modify, but take a long time retyping the actual message?
Not sure about the nuances involved, but it can be done.
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I believe you probably used squaretrade.com for online escrow.
I used to same service years ago but now they only sell insurance/warranty products. Good service. Got $ for 2
New iPhones on 2 occasions when i dropped one and cracked the screen and another when I and my stuff got pushed into the pool.
You need to look for a reputable escrow that is set up specifically to handle online transactions. I am unaware of whether the two escrows mentioned offer online services but a simple call would satisfy your inquiry. I have never used escrow.com and can't vouch for its services but it is but one online escrow service provider out there. I don't recall the name of the escrow I used for my ebay transaction because it was many years ago but it was offered through ebay so you may wish to peruse through the buyers's services links.
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I've thought about buying used from private owners but I was always cynical and was concerned about being ripped off like the OP. I buy only from reputable vendors. I do buy used accessories, knives, etc. from private owners and try to use PayPal whenever possible. Small dollar amounts I will pay by money order or personal check if the seller doesn't mind. I always look for the seller's feedback and if they are old hand at buying and selling on the site they are advertising on. If the OP didn't do his homework prior to sending his money he learned a lesson. Cut the losses and move on.
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Topic has run it's course.
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I want to add that I've heard of these things happening before, so don't be so quick to judge the OP.
Quite a few people are victims of this kind of scam. I mean, if people never fell for it, this type of scam wouldn't even exist. The moral of the story is don't send money orders to people you meet on the internet, ever. Face to face is much, much, MUCH safer. Oh, and don't shop on Armslist.