Overreacting?

Champ

Gawd
Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
724
Member Update: Von Steve

Just purchased a laptop from a member. Got a good deal on it and have been excited to receive it.

Member has semi-decent heat (similar to mine) 14-0 or so.

Member shipped package on Monday. He told me he shipped it UPS, but has no tracking & that he used the $ instead on insurance. He told me 5-7 business days.

Found it extremely odd when he told me that UPS doesn't give tracking automatically. Let it be and waited to Saturday. Contacted UPS and they confirmed that UPS Ground is there lowest shipping service and that ALL shipments are automatically given tracking. Also, that UPS ground shipping estimates are always 3-5 business days unless out of the country.

So I confirmed with him today that it is indeed UPS and not USPS which I believed he was mistaken. So I just recently messaged him in response to the conflicting answers from UPS and himself.

I'm worried I'm getting the run around or he 'sent' a package, or he plans on committing fraud against UPS/USPS that the package was never received so he'd get more $ (since he 'purchased insurance' instead of tracking).

I could easily receive the package early next week, but these discrepancies worry me. He also posted that:
I didn't get tracking as it was going to be like $5 because of the size of the box so I didn't opt for it and instead got insurance. I've had plenty bad experiences with UPS before too but unfortunately they're the closest shipper to me. Just wait out the time frame and if for some reason it isn't there I'll get a refund and refund you back

So, in summary:

1) Told item shipped via UPS on Monday
2) Told item had no tracking and that UPS ground was 5-7 business days.
3) Told that he only purchased insurance and not tracking information
4) Discovered that UPS is 3-5 business days and that all UPS shipments have tracking.
5) Should've received package this week (or Monday)
6) Feels like something fishy is going on

I did pay paypal and did make sure to pay the fees. He insisted that I pay gift since I'm saving $, but, knowing issues on [H] and other sites, I made sure to pay the fees myself.

What would you do/think?
 
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Sounds very suspicious to me...especially because he asked you to pay via gift. I've never asked a buyer to do that.
 
Tracking comes with it automatically. Either he is naive and he thinks they dont give tracking if you dont ask for, or something is up. Also any UPS package is automatically insured up to $100 and $1.65 for each additional $100 insurance. You can ask him to take a look at the receipt and give you tracking number from there.
 
*edit*
My experience is with Von Steve as well, and another member contacted me about him also. Stay away from this guy.

I just went through a similar situation that was resolved today. Dealt with what seemed like a reputable member, 22-0 heatware. Shipped UPS without a tracking number, even though I called UPS and they said EVERY package has a tracking number. Took about 3 weeks but was finally refunded without having to escalate my paypal dispute claim. I'm still not sure if the dude was scamming me or what.

What you can do is call UPS and ask if there are any pending deliveries to your address. If there is none, start a paypal claim right away to get the process started.
 
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I have UPS My Choice so it doesn't tell me I have any deliveries, but I'm hoping for a glitch in the system since I recently moved two months ago.

Nonetheless, if this causes a refund, should I leave neutral feedback? I just feel like the whole situation is weird. It is funny you went through a similar situation, because something was telling me this is a fraud insurance situation from the gut since I know some people who are idiots that do it.
 
Very true.

I plan on waiting till the end of Monday. If nothing comes, I'll go ahead and file a dispute with Paypal. If he doesn't respond or somehow find a legitimate reason for the delayed shipment in a reasonable time then I'll escalate.
 
I have UPS My Choice so it doesn't tell me I have any deliveries, but I'm hoping for a glitch in the system since I recently moved two months ago.

Nonetheless, if this causes a refund, should I leave neutral feedback? I just feel like the whole situation is weird. It is funny you went through a similar situation, because something was telling me this is a fraud insurance situation from the gut since I know some people who are idiots that do it.

I don't know about the feedback, as I'm still trying to decide what I should do as well. I don't want to give negative because I got my money back, and it wasn't a positive experience....I suppose neutral is the best choice with a decent explanation of what happened.
 
As a heads up, if you paid via "Gift", Paypal is extremely unlikely to help. The reasoning behind that is that you sent the money exactly as it sounds...a gift. I've been down that road myself, but please do try. I just wanted to give you a warning.
 
I made sure to not pay via a gift. Thanks though will keep that in mind for future purchases.
 
I don't know about the feedback, as I'm still trying to decide what I should do as well. I don't want to give negative because I got my money back, and it wasn't a positive experience....I suppose neutral is the best choice with a decent explanation of what happened.

You should give negative because the seller took your money and lied to you. I don't get the logic in giving someone a neutral when the entire transaction was bs and inconvenienced you for multiple weeks.
 
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That is what I was thinking ocellaris. I have no problems if the carrier made a mistake, but from the discrepancies of his 'story' and what I know from UPS and experience this seems like a giant waste of time.
 
Someone here did this exact thing to me a few years back. Idiotically i paid with gift because he had good heat. Luckily, I used my credit card to pay for this through paypal. Paypal gave me the middle finger, so i disputed it with my CC and i got a full refund. To this day any time a seller asks for me to send gift, as soon as they ask i tell them never mind and move on.
 
how do you buy insurance on a package that has no tracking #?

UPS doesn't ship anything without a tracking number
 
As others have said, UPS shipments have tracking numbers automatically. I have sent little 15 dollar 1 pounds packages through them and it had a tracking number. you can pay for different levels of tracking, but they all have it last time I used it.
 
Yeah.

I filed a claim, but will not escalate unless he doesn't refund soon.

Should I post the member's username and link him to this thread?
 
Yeah.

I filed a claim, but will not escalate unless he doesn't refund soon.

Should I post the member's username and link him to this thread?

I would think so, yes. I certainly wouldn't want to deal with this person in the future
 
I'll see what he does tomorrow then I'll post his username.

He normally responds back to me when he gets online, he didn't today.

Hoping for the best, and expecting the worst.
 
Updated member info: the member in question is Von Steve

http://www.heatware.com/eval.php?id=74417

It seems like two other member had the same problem. I'm pretty sure he is committing fraud somewhere.

Von Steve: "Trying to refund but won't let me as it put it in negative balance. Did paypal say anything else you can do?"

Escalated claim. I'd recommend NO ONE do business with this guy. I've given this individual multiple chances to make amends, but he hasn't.

He has checked this thread already, and he hasn't responded either.
 
I'm one of the other two that we know of thats been dealing with him. Stay away from this scammer
 
My friend did business with him as well. Said the same excuse too. Unbelievable he would start scamming. Sad part is that I did business with him too.
 
The user Von Steve http://hardforum.com/member.php?u=235993 has only 2 posts on the forums. Per forum rules "The FS/T forum has its own set of specific rules and has a required 100 post minimum to participate." he shouldnt be trading anyways.

If someone trys to buy or sell me something via pm without meeting the forum requirements I just block them.
 
I took noticed too that. The only reason I was OK in dealing with him is because he had some heat (although it is against the rules). Otherwise, I would've avoided him.
 
Sounds all bad.

I hope all goes well. Do people not know that if you scam using paypal. You are literally just going to be in debt if you try to run off with that money? Paypal will come for you...
 
Sounds all bad.

I hope all goes well. Do people not know that if you scam using paypal. You are literally just going to be in debt if you try to run off with that money? Paypal will come for you...

sadly, some people may just need money in a pinch for bigger problems. last year, another user on a forum i frequent got about $4,000 before people realized something was up; he came clean and said he owed money for drugs.

and i haven't been on a darknet marketplace recently, but the last time i was, paypal accounts were going for ~$15 each. scammers can just accept payments and buy gift cards with the balance, ship to a dummy address/in-store pickup, and the trail ends there.
 
Just to let admins know if they decide to ban him, so far no response on PP. Still have to wait to 10th to get money from no response & he hasn't logged onto [H] since he saw this thread. He's 100% a scammer especially with more people coming out.
 
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