 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: sonicbang
Date: 2024-05-08 12:21
I saw a promising listing on FB in the Clarinet MOUTHPIECES for Sale & Wanted group and contacted the seller about some Selmer Bb mouthpieces. I always search for quality blanks to reface and resell with a small margin.
The seller's profile name is Mattias Roemke. He is not a woodwind player and didn't know anything about the mouthpieces he sells, so I even provided some additional info about the rest of the mouthpieces to help him with selling them.
We agreed on a price and sent them the money via PayPal. This happened two weeks ago. I randomly checked the tracking and it turned out the package was not even accepted by USPS, and the status is still "awaiting package". I reached out to the seller and he is unresponsive. Before I sent the money, the seller even sent a video about the mouthpieces to show them closely and answered messages within a few minutes.
I even got a screenshot of the successful USPS label creation. Well, this only means a label was created but nothing more. So the "seller" pays a shipping fee only, but he never actually sends the item. The first status of the tracking is correct and everything seems to be fine. The label then just expires after a while, as USPS will never receive the package. This way the seller can claim they sent the package, even got a tracking number, so the issue is probably on the USPS's side. I must say, this way well-planned by the scammer.
The bottom line is that I was too naive and didn't use the 'send money for goods and services' option so I'm not eligible for buyer protection. A fool and their money soon will be parted, as the saying goes.
Don't be tricked by a seemingly honest seller, even if they are friendly and communicative! Always use a payment method where you have the chance to open a case or init a refund process. I have been trading/exchanging mouthpieces for more than ten years, and I got naive because I was fortunate enough to meet with good and honest people. It's not easy to maintain a sense of danger or awareness after a long time.
Mark
Post Edited (2024-05-08 12:29)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: m1964
Date: 2024-05-08 15:59
I hope you did not spend too much money...
It's a very common scam, on both FB and CL.
On CL, there was a suspiciously cheap Buffet low C bass ($2500), in DC, and the seller offered to send it to me...Only a few days later someone posted identical add describing the exact same scam ...
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
