Scammed!

csh0021 · #1 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 07:12 PM

ss2k2 (Marcus Song) stole $225 USD from me. He was selling a new Intl. H340, and he had verification, but fooled me. He had auction feedback on this site and also sent me this picture:

Of course, with feedback and picture verification, I thought he checked out well. His detailed descriptions of his plans to ship also caused me to buy into the scam. He used the following emails: sing.song.44 at gmail.com -and- mjsong2k2 at gmail.com . So all and all I lost $225 USD

. I was going to sell my H320 and upgrade to the 340 for little money, but now I just lost that money. So, beware of Marcus Song and ss2k2.

These are the emails he sent that fooled me:

Hi,

This is ss2k2 from MisticRiver. I could do your offer of 225USD, but do you mind 10-day shipping instead of 2-day shipping? This brings it out to roughly the same as it was when I offered 275USD with 2-day shipping. If 10-day shipping is fine with you-- it's still tracked and insured, with signature on delivery-- then I'm fine with 225USD.

Thanks again.
Marcus
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's brand new. Yes, it comes with all accessories-- it is NOT the 'Lite' model-- it's the 40Gb h340 with all the included accessories. And yes, when you change the language it's like normal-- actually, this model also has USB OTG over the US model. It's too late to mail it out today, so I'll do it tomorrow-- my PayPal address is ss2k2 at hotmail.com. I'll ship it out tomorrow morning and send you the tracking number on my break.

Ah-- one last thing; do you have a preference for a courier? FedEx/UPS/Purolator? Otherwise I'll just Purolate it.

Thanks again!
Marcus
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

and then, when I asked for the tracking number...
Hi--

Sorry to keep you waiting! I'm on a business trip at the moment, but I'll be back in the morning so I'll be sure to grab you the tracking number right away.

Thanks,
Marcus
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then, after a few days, I received the following PM:

I am sorry to say, but I will have to refund you of all funds that you paid. Please forward the PayPal payment reciept to mjsong2k2 at gmail.com and I will issue a refund within 6-8 days.

So now it's been ten days, no contact, no money.

Astec · #2 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 07:32 PM

Did you fail to get his home address and verify it? Speak to paypal, tell them the story, then if they do nothing get the financial onbudsman or whatever you have in yourcountry as they will make paypal do some work for once.

**pachinkoman** · #3 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 07:32 PM

That sucks dude, I guess it looked legit, although his site that had feedback looked a little suspect. How many posts did he have on MR?

csh0021 · #4 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pachinkoman

That sucks dude, I guess it looked legit, although his site that had feedback looked a little suspect. How many posts did he have on MR?

The post selling was his first. I guess I'm stupid.

Membrillo · #5 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 07:35 PM

That piece of paper on the box looks very photoshopped.

csh0021 · #6 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astec123

Did you fail to get his home address and verify it? Speak to paypal, tell them the story, then if they do nothing get the financial onbudsman or whatever you have in yourcountry as they will make paypal do some work for once.

No, I ignorantly did not get his home address, and I am currently contacting paypal...what's a "financial onbudsman"?

Membrillo · #7 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 07:38 PM

Lawyer, Barrister, Solicitor etc i think

Legal Dude.

Metallica3491 · #8 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 07:41 PM

I hope everything works out. Y dont you just buy a 40gig hdd and put it into ur player? It cant be more than 75 bucks for that toshiba 40gig single platter.

Membrillo · #9 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 07:50 PM

Try 150 - 200 AUD? Its usually more than half the cost of the player

csh0021 · #10 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 07:50 PM

Well, it was only going to cost me like $25 to upgrade

But I just sent a claim to Paypal and now it will play out. Hopefully I'll get the money back! I'll keep ya'll posted with how it all goes. (Yes, I'm southern...hence the "ya'll")

SJ_2can · #11 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 08:42 PM

Isn't it easy to track down the person if they are using paypal? They'd have their credit card on file or something wouldn't they? Or something that is trackable?

Metallica3491 · #12 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Membrillo

Try 150 - 200 AUD? Its usually more than half the cost of the player

Your right. When i looked it up i was looking at a difrent HDD.

**Febs** · #13 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 09:24 PM

Legal action was threatened against ss2k on head-fi.org and he promised to refund the money of everyone he scammed on any forum (he scammed multiple people on head-fi, and you're the second person who reported a scam here). Check out head-fi, there are several threads on the issue.

xvvvz · #14 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 10:14 PM

If you can, always pay with a credit card if you have the slightest doubt about a seller, even through PayPal. As long as you have associated a credit card with the account, you have a choice when you pay with it even if you have cash in your account or the account is linked to a bank account. PayPal will instantly initiate a chargeback against the seller. Even if the seller is "in the right," they still lose access to the funds for 30 days (and PayPal makes interest on it!). PayPal pretty much puts all the burden of proof on the seller (even if the buyer is in the wrong).

You can always ask the seller to send you a PayPal invoice/request for payment and within that email is a procedure to make a one-time credit card payment without opening a PayPal account (Paypal tries to bury this in an attempt to get you to open an account but it is there).

saints · #15 (**permalink**) January 19th, 2006, 11:16 PM

This makes me so mad, people taking advantage of others in this way, I know csh0021 you were looking so forward to getting yr dap.
I hope Paypal will look after you, i was dupped out of us$130 by a lasvegas dvd seller who claimed my dvds were posted to Australia, gave me a shonky usps tracking number, then went daily back to his ebay feedback and the negatives were growing 20 daily, then he was finally deregistered, then i knew i was done, but papal came thru in the end except for about $20 so there is hope yet.

Keep your chin up and keep us informed

Astec · #16 (**permalink**) January 20th, 2006, 02:41 AM

Quote:

what's a "financial onbudsman"?

Regulating body relating to money institutes here in the UK.

Quote:

If you can, always pay with a credit card if you have the slightest doubt about a seller, even through PayPal. As long as you have associated a credit card with the account, you have a choice when you pay with it even if you have cash in your account or the account is linked to a bank account. PayPal will instantly initiate a chargeback against the seller. Even if the seller is "in the right," they still lose access to the funds for 30 days (and PayPal makes interest on it!). PayPal pretty much puts all the burden of proof on the seller (even if the buyer is in the wrong).

However paypal wont do any work and would rather give the person the money back even when you send them the proof of sending, show them the auction and proof the item was accepted and all email correspondance. They are the scammers here really.

Quote:

I hope Paypal will look after you,

I almost guarantee it wont. Especially outside of ebay. I did my transaction in ebay and all above board and to their rules and still lost out. Only by getting the regulator did I manage to get my payment.

**Febs** · #17 (**permalink**) January 20th, 2006, 06:44 AM

Here are the relevant head-fi.org threads:

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...ighlight=ss2k2
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showt...ighlight=ss2k2

csh0021 · #18 (**permalink**) January 20th, 2006, 01:08 PM

Thank guys. I checked out the head-fi.org threads, and it looks like I'm going to get my money back. I also filed a claim, as previously mentioned against Marcus Song, aka ss2k2, through Paypal. So, if he is really issuing the refunds he promised on Head-fi.org, then I should get my money back relatively soon. Once again, I'll keep you all clued in to how this goes. Thanks for all the help!

csh0021 · #19 (**permalink**) January 30th, 2006, 06:15 PM

Well, as you know, I filed a complaint to eBay...so after a while of waiting:

TA-DA!

"We have decided in your favor, and as a result, have attempted to recover
funds from the seller.
The maximum amount we were able to recover was $225.00 USD. This amount
has been credited to your PayPal account. Please allow up to five business
days for this adjustment to be reflected in your PayPal account."

Full money recovery! Thanks to everyone who helped me out, and yessss!

Astec · #20 (**permalink**) January 30th, 2006, 06:18 PM

That is very good news. Congratulations and I do hope that next time you try to deal on site, as there are always people like me looking and using back accounts to make sellers make mistakes and see if they are for real.

A

saints · #21 (**permalink**) January 30th, 2006, 06:20 PM

Mate youre so lucky, a lesson learnt at NO COST!!!

Well done, go and celebrate

csh0021 · #22 (**permalink**) January 30th, 2006, 08:36 PM

Yeh I'm ecstatic...now I need to figure out what to do with all this money I've come into haha

I feel much more compelled to over research everyone i buy from from now on...so everyone be warned...people do steal and it does suck!