>> WARNING anyone know where 'davespoke' lives?

troglodyte – Member
I remember my first day on the internets….

wren was it?*

* one for the twitchers 😉

Forum posting is indicative of, but by no means a guarantee that, there’s a chance that someone knows them in real life, and they have cultivated a personality and relationships that they value and wouldnt treat it as an expendable cost of scamming.

I wouldn’t dream of paying you via PP gift, Stoner, despite your extensive presence on the forums.

Though that may be because it would be far easier to pop round and pay cash 😉 At some point I will decide what I’m doing with my 29er uni, though I’ve not been on anything with wheels for the last week, just skiing (went to Eastnor yesterday).

Penzance

doubt he lives there. If he is a scammer.

Remember IWH in Portsmouth though? Did anyone actually go down there to see him? Theres another forum where the people are VERY good at finding people. Abit scary what they can turn up (if the trail does go cold OP).

if I dont think someone has a fairly substantial history in the main forum then I just wont trade with them.

I’ve spent almost 3 years creating and nurturing an online persona so that I can decimate the classifieds with the largest scam in its history (think the final scene in Reservoir Dogs, that moment of realisation will be the same on STW). Paypal’s servers will explode, unable to cope with the sheer number of Gift transactions and Parcelforce will hold an impromptu meeting for shareholders to deliver the good news that requests for Saturday Delivery seem to have increased by 1,000% in just a week.

I even scoured the internet for photos of a girl and weird looking boy to use as vessels for my made up life. Even with a blank canvas and an vivid imagination, I still couldn’t think up anything more exciting than a spot of camping though 🙁

STW will rue the day it trusted people with a chat room posting history…..

Oh, 😐

Peterfile, I think your test transactions have been conducted with my fake online persona, with which I’m planning to relieve everyone of their goods while clawing back via paypal “proper” payments made to look like gifts.
One or both of us needs a rethink.

Peterfile is actually living in an inactive Volcano and has ‘minions’, start digging that bombshelter now!

Weirdly I’m on Pinkbike. I’ve NEVER posted on there but everything that I’ve sold has been through Pinkbike rather than STW.

The buyer of my SX trail frame emailed me to say he was amazed that the frame was actually as I’d described it. I thought ‘do Pinkbiker’s normally lie’?!

I’ve spent almost 3 years creating and nurturing an online persona so that I can decimate the classifieds with the largest scam in its history

Surely not even the most optimistic scammer would pretend to be a lawyer and trustworthy?
You’re taking credibility to a whole new level expecting to pull that off

😉

I’ve spent almost 3 years creating and nurturing an online persona so that I can decimate the classifieds with the largest scam in its history (think the final scene in Reservoir Dogs, that moment of realisation will be the same on STW). Paypal’s servers will explode, unable to cope with the sheer number of Gift transactions and Parcelforce will hold an impromptu meeting for shareholders to deliver the good news that requests for Saturday Delivery seem to have increased by 1,000% in just a week.

Key rings?

On PP gift. If any sellers ask for it they should be reported/banned.

Or, and here’s a thought, as it’s an entirely discretionary transaction between two fully grown adults, the prospective buyer could choose not to do business with them, or if the buyer insists on ‘goods and services’ PayPal the seller could negotiate a higher price to cover the fees, or the buyer could choose to pay the Paypal fees themselves, or, indeed, they could just quite happily accept the use of PayPal Gift if that’s what they want to do.

Honest to god, the Israeli Palestinian conflict pales into insignificance against the hand-wringing hysteria that goes on around STW classifieds.

IHN – fine but STW have pointed out no gift so in the future if no banning for asking for gift then said-buyer(s) can not complain if they are then ripped off?

between two fully grown adults

how do you know that?

Well, if someone makes the choice to pay PayPal gift and get ripped off then that’s the chance you take. So, yeah, they shouldn’t go whining like a girl.

how do you know that?

Because anyone under the age of 16 has better things to do than hang around on here with a bunch of middle-aged MTB losers. They have lives 🙂

..so the OP?

Hes been stung. I still say NO paypal gift and no ‘ok you take the fees’. The price (if Paypal is offered) SHOULD include the Paypal fees not ‘that’ll be extra’.

Petersfile, I know your not made up…no one would pick to be a lawyer as a front…and you be less weird looking 😀

Good choice on your moll though she is lovely.

There’s many reason’s why the OP should be kicking himself (assuming he has actually been ripped off, it’s till early days), I can understand his anger/frustration, but his actions were his own.

The price (if Paypal is offered) SHOULD include the Paypal fees not ‘that’ll be extra’.

Meh. The price in the ad is just the beginning point of the negotiation as far as I’m concerned. The final agreed price will take into account who bears what share of any ‘transaction costs’ (PayPal, postage, etc)

On PP gift. If any sellers ask for it they should be reported/banned.

I don’t really get the PP Gift bashing…bank transfer, cheque etc offer no better protection than PP Gift and PP, gift or not, is very quick and easy way of making a payment. Common sense and doing a bit of history checking is what buyers need to do…I’ll still use PP Gift in the future.

I still say NO paypal gift and no ‘ok you take the fees’. The price (if Paypal is offered) SHOULD include the Paypal fees not ‘that’ll be extra’

then you’d get people asking for a discount if not using PP, presumably Hora. Besides, PP benefits the buyer in a private transaction, not the seller so why should the seller pay the fee ?

If its a largish purchase I always ask for the sellers work email address to discuss on. If the seller is in a rush- jesus sometimes people within minutes offer to buy and pay (thats going to get someone stung) – then all power to them but I’m careful, will need to discuss first so at least I know to a degree that I’m not being mugged. If its rush-rush-rush I’m more than happy to let the item go. After all, if I bought something from someone in London and it turned out to be bad. I’d have to drive to London to go and see them.

Bit disappointing all this. I made an offer on a frame earlier in the week and said I’d be happy to pay by pay pal but only as a goods payment, haven’t heard a word since. Shame really as it was just what I wanted.

Bit disappointing all this. I made an offer on a frame earlier in the week and said I’d be happy to pay by pay pal but only as a goods payment, haven’t heard a word since. Shame really as it was just what I wanted.

If you’d rushed in- paid quickly without sanity questions asked. Would you now be sat there thinking ‘is it coming’?

If its a largish purchase I always ask for the sellers work email address to discuss on

trouble is that his email address sounds like a work one?

FWIW I did a domain lookup on the email address someone posted last night

Registrant type:
UK Individual

Registrant’s address:
The registrant is a non-trading individual who has opted to have their
address omitted from the WHOIS service.

never seen that before.

I bought something recently that was low cost. I got the ‘I don’t have PayPal’ routine. I asked for name, address, real email address (work) and telephone number before bank transferring the princely sum of £20. I also checked the sellers history (not on STW BTW). I also always ask for real pics of the sellers item (I.e. not catalogue shots of one a bit like it. Ahem, Realman).

I know this approach is not infallible but short of picking the thing up in person, I was as sure as I could be before transferring the cash. However, I only buy stuff sight unseen for values I can afford to write off. High value items, in person only. You wouldn’t buy a £2k car/motorbike without checking it would you?

trouble is that his email address sounds like a work one?

Unsure? Google it, google his email address, linkedin? Call his reception? If you were buying a full sus frame- would you be willing to send £800 to someone with a hotmail?

With Nominet domains, you can opt to have your personal details hidden – like above.

Stops you getting spam postal mail from foreign domain registrars, trying to convince you they have control of your domain, and will charge the earth to get it back…

I know there’s a few negative points raisied but I’m still hopeful it will go through: it’s still early days, the seller did request collection albeit Penzance (As renton said, why would you bother if you were a scammer?), he did give out a postcode (Someone put it on his sale thread but it’s gone now…hell, it even had the ST favourite of a VW T5 parked on the drive in Streetview). We’ll see, we’ll see

I’ve sold and bought plenty from here without a problem but then I’ve used common sense. I offer the choice of Paypal gift or buyer pays fee. I have never ripped anyone off nor been ripped off because I’m not lazy because I’ll ask for pictures, check peoples posting history and know if somethings too cheap to be true then usually it isn’t and give it a wide berth. When I list an item for sale I post the picture and give a fair description so the buyer knows what they’re getting.
A lot of buyers knock the original price down and taking into account recorded deliveries and paypal fees to be knocked off the final price is it really worth selling the item to fund someone elses hobby because they are too cheap to pay the fees.
Banning people who ask for paypal gift isn’t the answer as paying by normal paypal doesn’t guarantee the receipt of the goods or a successful claim afterwards. Infact it has led to honest sellers been ripped off by dishonest buyers. Lets try banning the stupid people first who cry afterwards “I didn’t think it would happen on here” as if this place is some haven for saints even though we almost weekly posts crying the same tale.
Mods have enought to monitor with some of the posts on here without needed to do an idiot watch too. I’ve seen plenty of posts recently spoiling sales by warning people to be aware but still people go ahead and buy the goods then cry on here later.
Anyway I have some magic beans for sale, guaranteed to make you rich. £100 paypal gift.

You’ve been watching too much CSI!!

Lets try banning the stupid people

There’ll only be you and me left. And I’m not so sure about you.

xiphon – really? I did not know that, every day’s a school day here.

Lets try banning the stupid people

There’ll only be you and me left. And I’m not so sure about you.
I don’t care about you, I’m having those magic beans, let’s see who’s stupid then

I’m having those magic beans, let’s see who’s stupid then

Without asking for pics first 😯 totally crazy

Without asking for pics first totally crazy

Oh no it is’nt!

Enough of this tedious crap about PP gift. This:

Stoner – Member

troglodyte – Member
I remember my first day on the internets….

wren was it?*

* one for the twitchers

Is absolute gold – Well Done Sir…

I’ll send them in a Heinz Baked Bean tin to hide them just to be on the safe side. I’ve heard there are some dodgy people around nowadays and you can never be too careful.

BigButSlimmerBloke – technically you *can* trace accurately physical address with an IP address, but it involves court orders to disclose the information (Data Protection Act) from the ISP who manages the IP.

Various services like Geo IP can find out approximately where you are – although it may be way off the mark. My ISP at home (Lancashire) means the internet thinks I’m in London… as that’s where I “exit” my ISPs network.

Lancashire you say?…. <makes notes>
We are closing in

😉

although it may be way off the mark

Well yes, if I were scamming I’d use a couple of VPNs to throw that sort of rudimentary check way out.
I subscribe to a VPN service that allows me to use 40 or 50 different IPs from all around the world