The up surge in Watch scams and blatent theft >>

[Martog]

Of money and watches on some of the major watch forums is very disturbing, it makes you wonder why, is it the downturn of economys around the world or do shady characters just see some easy money and watches they can on sell quickly.
 
It is refreshing that this rarely happens here on the SCWF/SCTF quite possibly because its such a relativley small community. Alarm bells went of for me a fortnight ago when I was contacted by somebody wanting to buy my Seiko Diver I just had posted the talk of buying it for my grandson and posting through a third person and using wire transfer had me running. What do you all think about this and will it slow up when I started doing this 10 years ago it just never happened.
 
Cheers
Mark.

[TheTigerUK]

Only last week someone emailed me and asked if I would like to buy a couple of 6309s from him ( poor English) and when I asked him for price and pictures I never heard from him again ? I dident recognise his name or email, as per the old saying if in doubt............

[otr002]

The problems like these are getting more common and will just get worse, unless forums start to filter members. This forum has over 8000 members with only a hand full that post on a regular bases, what are the rest here for?


I am a member of several forums, like most of us, and on four of these forums we have been targeted by data miners looking for email address, PH numbers and other saleable/scam-able information. This has led to some fairly radical action, including deleting the accounts of people that don't post.
This open style forum has lent itself to scammers and thefts, i have been targeted and have also had scammers try to re-sale watches  this forum is not immune to this sort of illicit action.

[snowback]

As a wise man once said: "Buy the seller ...".
It's tough for a new comer to break in & it's easy to get lulled into a false sense of security.  Like anything else in life, if there's a quick buck to be made, some one will try & cut corners to get there.  There is one up side to being known however.  I have found that valued forum members will go far out of their way to help someone who gets scammed.  I would encourage everyone to be careful & post scammers whenever & where ever they are found.

[taxking1]

s a wise man once said: "Buy the seller ...".

And use Paypal funded by a CC 

[dutchsiberia]

I recently got two reactions of just registered members with one (1) post asking me if I wanted to sell a watch. No reaction on my questions about the reason for these first posts and why I was hesitating to sell a watch to a just registered member. (okay one seemed to be legit about wanting to buy my SQ 4004, but still.....)

[mmounce]

I've gotten the same email 3 times now about selling a watch to be a present for the guys grandson.
Always a different name, twice with the same email addy and once with a different email.
Then he'll ask for the total price to ship using FEDEX to Africa where his son is in school.
 
Imagine that.

[TheTigerUK]

ship using FEDEX to Africa where his son is in school.
 
Imagine that.

Thats a new one Mike !! 

[dmontbans]

As a recently joined member, perhaps I can shed some light on your question. I'm here to learn. I belong to a number of forums and lurking is a bona fide way to absorb information. It also allows me to correspond with members should I have a question. Isn't that the purpose of a forum? I'm not sure how forums filter members but putting up electronic walls to keep out the crooks strikes me as unproductive. Crooks don't follow the rules anyway and they will just morph to fit the new rules. I'm not particularly interested in buying anything but if I were, why would that pose a problem? I use paypal. I have a confirmed address and I'm here in he states. Since I'm not a buyer, I haven't acquainted myself with the forum rules but most forums have a minimum number of posts before you're allowed to buy and sell. Deleting members who don't post is counterproductive. Deleting members who haven't even visited the board in a set period of time is just good housekeeping. Overreacting can be worse than doing nothing at all. I'm here to learn. This is a highly knowledgeable group of posters and I'm aware that my knowledge is sorely inadequate. Don't expect a lot of posts from me until I feel that I have something concrete to add.

The problems like these are getting more common and will just get worse, unless forums start to filter members. This forum has over 8000 members with only a hand full that post on a regular bases, what are the rest here for?


I am a member of several forums, like most of us, and on four of these forums we have been targeted by data miners looking for email address, PH numbers and other saleable/scam-able information. This has led to some fairly radical action, including deleting the accounts of people that don't post.
This open style forum has lent itself to scammers and thefts, i have been targeted and have also had scammers try to re-sale watches  this forum is not immune to this sort of illicit action.

[mark]

I haven't been around for a long time...


Glad my account here still exists-




I don't buy from forum members, and I don't try to sell stuff either.


I did have a guy contact me a couple years ago, about buying a hard to find watch that was available here in Manila. But since I don't have a reputation for selling on the forums, and don't use paypal, he decided not to go through with it.


I'm an honest guy, and would have sent him the watch for my cost, but I can't really blame him for being skeptical, even though he was the one who pm'ed ME about the deal.

[Littlejohno43]

I'm fairly new and im on a couple of forums for cars and watches I recently sold a play station through loot ie classifieds in the local paper I had several requests similar to the above asking for it to be sent abroad which of course I declined its a shame but as above you buy the seller is a good way of looking at it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Spencer PK]

the only thing I ran into was an email out of the blue asking to buy my PVD Stargate - the "buyer" was in Greece, gave references on a Greek-language watch forum, refused shipping with tracking, and also refused gift payment.   He stated he wasn't concerned about how long the mail took, or worried about risk, but refused to do a gift payment as required in my TF post. 


Too many question marks - I passed on the deal.

[Time]

to both buyers and sellers, we heavily recommend not using paypal gift unless you know the person very well.
better pay extra and include the fee than be sorry. it protects everyone.
in the trading post we are doing as much as we can, but of course there is a limit to what we can do, and I am glad that both sellers and buyers are being more cautious.

[normdiaz]

and also refused gift payment.   He stated he wasn't concerned about how long the mail took, or worried about risk, but refused to do a gift payment as required in my TF post. 

I'm sure other factors/feelings warned you off.  But refusing a "gift" payment seems to make sense.  The buyer has absolutely no protection on a gift payment.  JMHO, but if the seller doesn't want to pay a PP fee, he can just specify an added amount/percentage in his asking price; if acceptable, I will just add that in to the payment (which will be P/P, credit card financed).

[TheTigerUK]

What i have noticed is that guys are still displaying there emails in the trade forum which is imo asking for trouble but as the old saying goes "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink"

[thanapa]

.. to ship using FEDEX to Africa where his son is in school.

Isn't JakeB in South Africa?!

BTW, how many African members do we have?

I once had a forum member who pmed me for a watch. He was from Italy and a great gentleman. I had never shipped to Italy before, and he didn't have a single post on the threads, but was willing to open a Paypal account just to purchase, and forked out $40 for EMS service.

Best deal in years!

[Spencer PK]

I'm sure other factors/feelings warned you off.  But refusing a "gift" payment seems to make sense.  The buyer has absolutely no protection on a gift payment.  JMHO, but if the seller doesn't want to pay a PP fee, he can just specify an added amount/percentage in his asking price; if acceptable, I will just add that in to the payment (which will be P/P, credit card financed).

My point is that the "buyer" wanted me to take all the risk, including refusing to use FedEx shipping which has bulletproof tracking.  Yes, it's more expensive, but if he was only going to accept a risky form of untrackable international shipping, then my requirement be that he takes that risk - he can't say "oh it'll be fine but YOU are taking the risk if it goes wrong" - I'd have sent it to him by carrier pigeon if he'd wanted, as long as he made a gift payment.  I'd never heard of the guy, he lived in a country I'd never shipped to, and he wanted me to just throw a watch to the wind and take all the risk.  No thanks.

[Time]

FEDEX has a lousy reputation for slamming extra taxes and payments. USPS with tracking is the best IMHO.

[uspopo]

I've gotten the same email 3 times now about selling a watch to be a present for the guys grandson.
Always a different name, twice with the same email addy and once with a different email.
Then he'll ask for the total price to ship using FEDEX to Africa where his son is in school.
 
Imagine that.

+1, got the same email stating that they couldn't purchase and receive my watch and wanted me to ship FedEx to West Africa and I said what part of 'CONUS only' did you not understand?

[Spencer PK]

FEDEX has a lousy reputation for slamming extra taxes and payments. USPS with tracking is the best IMHO.

USPS international tracking does not exist.  In this particular case, I talked to my mother-in-law - both of my wife's parents are postmasters.  Not only would tracking not function to where this guy was but insurance was not possible.  The final option, Registered Mail, would have covered me up to $64 on a $200 watch.  That's it.


FedEx may have a "lousy reputation" and yes they do hit people with full customs, but they get it there and fast, with bombproof tracking.

[Isthmus]

GUys, when you get these communications from shady characters, please report them to the moderators so we can track these accounts and root them out.

[Aurelius]

FedEx may have a "lousy reputation" and yes they do hit people with full customs, but they get it there and fast, with bombproof tracking.

I agree but I have a problem with how they charge for this. I say charge the money up front, above board and honestly honestly. Don't hit the buyer with surprise undisputable back-end "brokerage" fees. IMO their current way of charging smells of ransom.

[iButrusCor]

The problems like these are getting more common and will just get worse, unless forums start to filter members. This forum has over 8000 members with only a hand full that post on a regular bases, what are the rest here for?


I am a member of several forums, like most of us, and on four of these forums we have been targeted by data miners looking for email address, PH numbers and other saleable/scam-able information. This has led to some fairly radical action, including deleting the accounts of people that don't post.
This open style forum has lent itself to scammers and thefts, i have been targeted and have also had scammers try to re-sale watches  this forum is not immune to this sort of illicit action.

Unfortunately filtering won't likely stop much of this.
We have a couple of instances here with members with large posting numbers who pulled off half a dozen scams on NOS watches before they were finally shown the door. Sadly, they continue their scams and thefts on other forums that have been taken in by them.

There is no fool proof method of preventing the scammers from trying to rip us off and many people will never take the time to do the research or take the safeguards that prevent being taken advantage of.
As long as their is money to be had from less than honourable methods; there will always be scum who will go after it 

[TheTigerUK]

As long as their is money to be had from less than honourable methods; there will always be scum who will go after it 

 


and thats in all walks of life 

[normdiaz]

My point is that the "buyer" wanted me to take all the risk, including refusing to use FedEx shipping which has bulletproof tracking.  Yes, it's more expensive, but if he was only going to accept a risky form of untrackable international shipping, then my requirement be that he takes that risk - he can't say "oh it'll be fine but YOU are taking the risk if it goes wrong" - I'd have sent it to him by carrier pigeon if he'd wanted, as long as he made a gift payment.  I'd never heard of the guy, he lived in a country I'd never shipped to, and he wanted me to just throw a watch to the wind and take all the risk.  No thanks.

Even if you only had "bad vibes" over the transaction, backing off at that point is always advisable, IMHO.