I may Have Gotten Scammed….

[Foehammer]

Tracked down a used Rex45 Manix2 on the secondary market, private seller. Price was reasonable and the seller seemed legit. Paid in advance and was told it would be shipped shortly after. That was last afternoon. No response from the guy, no tracking code, nothing. I’ll probably have to contact my financial institution and see if I can get my money back. Tried to give the seller the benefit of the doubt, but at this point it seems I got ripped off.

Just a reminder that not everyone is honest and there do exist people willing to take advantage of trust and honesty. Even people in the Spyderco community.

[TkoK83Spy]

They could work 3rd shift, family emergency, have kids, etc. Don't lose hope after 1 day.

[akapennypincher]

Well I do some selling on E-Bay, I find as a seller the BEST THING I CAN DO IS COMMUNICATE, with buyer.

Acknowledge sale, send PM day I am shipping, and last send Pm I have shipped, and provide tracking number.

Most buyers seldom say package arrived, but them most buyer do not give feedback.

[Foehammer]

They could work 3rd shift, family emergency, have kids, etc. Don't lose hope after 1 day.

That’s quite true. Just a little nerve-wracking right now lol. The thing that gets me is the sudden lack of contact; but there could a lot of real-life reasons that happened. I’ll wait for now.

[akapennypincher]

Good communication prevent problems.

Bad communication is a RED FLAG.

[Bolster]

They could work 3rd shift, family emergency, have kids, etc. Don't lose hope after 1 day.

Agree with Tko. I would start worrying after maybe 3 days of no contact or tracking, but you can always plan ahead for the worst case scenario and contact your bank now, to see what options you have. Assume you paid Zelle or something? I've noticed on BF that the majority of sellers want Zelle or PP Friend & Family, which gives you no recourse (that I know of)...that's too risky for me.

Tracking codes from USPS can sometimes be laughably late, arriving before they appear in the system. They seem to be getting better with time however.

[Foehammer]

They could work 3rd shift, family emergency, have kids, etc. Don't lose hope after 1 day.

Agree with Tko. I would start worrying after maybe 3 days of no contact, but you can always plan ahead for the worst case scenario and contact your bank now, to see what options you have. Assume you paid Zelle or something? I've noticed on BF that the majority of sellers want Zelle or PP Friend & Family, which gives you no recourse (that I know of)...that's too dangerous for me.

It was Interac e-transfer. Seller seemed legit and we had a nice conversation about Spyderco knives and other things, seems to be a very nice person, I hope it all works out. Talking to the bank to see options is a good idea, thanks.

[Laphroaig9]

I had a guys daugher end up in the emergency room.

Heard nothing for a week after my $ cleared, but kept my cool.

Then he contacted me, and was very apologetic.

Give it some time. **** happens in people's lives!

[sidpost]

Hard to know what happened with no communication so soon after the money was sent. Could be a scam or, just a family issue. I know I have had a couple of times when something unexpected came up.

Can't help you much in Canada but, I know PayPal is pretty worthless with transactions like this. If the transaction isn't super solid, I generally use a USPS Money Order which may or may not yield good results.

Electronic payments might be convenient but, they lack basic security in most cases with transactions like this.

[Doc Dan]

Don't panic after a day. Some people don't even have a post office nearby. He may work over night, or might work a 24 or 48 hour shift, like a firefighter. Worry in a few days, not now.

[Ranger000]

---Tracked down a used Rex45 Manix2 on the secondary market, private seller.---

Caveat Emptor.

More cons and rip offs than legitimate sellers on the secondary market.

That is why you stick to the primary markets, it's safer.

[Superflex]

This reiterates my point that many people in today's society have the patience of a spoiled 8 year old.
The Deals thread, some people got all over Dack Outdoors for their slow drop shipping, missing the point of the black Friday like pricing on the Sharpmaker and diamond rods. No patience for getting a deal.
Some have become so used to Prime/Spotify/Zelle immediate service demanding instant gratification.
When I purchased my first and still current turntable in 1978, I mailed a check to New York City (Stereo Corporation of America) and waited over 2 weeks for my Thorens TD 160 to arrive.
Chill and have a glass of wine, watch the snow fall, pet your animal and love your family. Don't be annoyed that your music collection may require handling, cleaning and maintenance instead of some lousy, compressed streaming version (which you don't own).
Wanting an unneeded collectible knife in your possession immediately is so tertiary in the scheme of life.

[zhyla]

This is what PayPal is for.

[sidpost]

Not sure what happened to my previous post in this thread.

E-payments are convenient but, PayPal and others haven't really done much for me with disputes in the past. Basically, it seems like they mainly work to keep their commission and don't do much to settle disputes if both parties don't come to an agreement.

With private transactions, I normally use USPS Money Orders for this reason.

If the person in question seems honest and upstanding, I would generally not worry for a few days. Things in life happen beyond normal expectations that can throw a wrench in things. I live in a rural area and have lost my Internet and Cell service unexpectedly (a cell tower going down and a tractor cutting the phone lines for internet access). I have also unexpectedly had medical issues that took me out of action for a week or so. Add that I live in a rural area and can't get US Mail at my house due to mail theft, which means a USPS trip may be a few days out as well.

Best Wishes for a good resolution to this transaction!

[sidpost]

This is what PayPal is for.

PayPal for me has been a mixed experience in the past. Also worth noting, the OP is in Canada and used a Canadian payment service.

Normally, if someone has a good 'history' on the forum in question and any previous trading actions, you have a good indication of the 'trustworthiness' of the seller. That doesn't mean a scammer hasn't hijacked their account but, you can usually tell if that happens by the 'tone' of their most recent posts and the value vs. sales price of the item in question.

Of course, nothing is totally foolproof in today's e-commerce.

[The Mastiff]

Don't panic after a day.

I can't agree more. Don't stop payment or put in a claim yet. If you contact the guy and he doesn't answer in a reasonable time then do what is needed.

Most people are pretty honest in this world. The chance you ran into a scammer is lower than you might think. Let it work out for a few days.

Have faith in people. Sometimes it doesn't pay off but most of the time it does.

Joe

[Ramonade]

That's why I ask for Paypal G&S when I can. I've mostly dealed with official dealers but bought quite a number of used knives over the past two years. Sometimes it's someone that knows I'm in love with the Native 5, or seeking desesperatly a specific model. I was lucky, everytime it was just the kindest person ever trying to help a fellow Spyderco addict ! It did not stop me from trying to secure the purchase at a minimum though, we can never know.

[Mrj]

Ah the world of patience. Nowadays people expect everything to happen immediately. I’d wait a few days but on the other side. Communication lapse is always scary. I’d try getting a response before freaking out.

[GarageBoy]

Just relax for a second. It's only been a day. Had someone freak out on me because I mailed the item using an automated postal center kiosk (I'm not waiting half an hr in line at the post office when the kiosk is right there) and the post office didn't scan it in that evening - one day later, it was at the distribution center...

[Vladimir1970]

Just relax for a second. It's only been a day.

As I understand it has already been 3 days, since the topic started on 01/13/2023 !?