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Dealing w/ Online Fraudulent Sellers?

Nicholas French asks: "I have recently made a couple of online purchases, one was an Ancient Bronze Amlash ring from The Antiquities Company which cost me *cough* 'a lot of money' and was backed up by a 'guarantee of authenticity'. The other was a second hand Book Crowds & Power, via the Amazon Marketplace, which I have not even received regardless of the numerous emails sent to both the seller and Amazon. I have since taken delivery of the ring and had its metal composition tested...turns out it is actually brass, and not exactly Ancient either! When I approached the seller via email, quoting my money back 'guarantee of authenticity' I was told politely to take a hike. I am considering speaking to Trading standards but am not really sure where to start, so have added myself to the growing numbers of reported Fraud victims on Fraud.Org. Have any other Slashdot readers managed to retrieve their hard earned cash from these Fraudsters, or had any similar problems with large online's such as Amazon?"

11 of 61 comments (clear)

  1. My solution - Russian mafia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    reasonable rates (generally percentage off the money required to get back)

    discounts for regular customers

    free educational seminar on bad nature of fraud conducted by instructors in leather jackets with baseball bats

    boosting scammer's local economy by increasing his medical bills

  2. obvious by doug · · Score: 4, Funny

    Mention them on slashdot and hope that they get slashdotted. If they have a crappy ISP then that should bring down the website for a while. While this won't get you your money back, you'll have the satisfaction of causing them headaches, and that's worth something, isn't it?

    - doug

  3. well....? by croddy · · Score: 3, Funny

    what did you think would happen, lusting after the ancient Ring?

  4. More ring online fraud possibilities. by AtariAmarok · · Score: 3, Funny

    eBay right now has around 30 One Ring, 100% authentic. Nah, I'm not going to be the one that actually believes that all of these are the unique One Ring that turns you invisible. They'll make $5.95 ($11.95 "buy it now") vanish, however! I've even seen eBay entries for "One Ring" that "really works".

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  5. Yeah I know, I suck. by JAD+lifter · · Score: 5, Funny

    As much as I hate to admit it I purchased an imaginary girlfriend from imaginarygirlfriends.com. They charged my credit card about $45.00 and then I never heard from them. I started sending them emails but they never bothered to reply to my emails. Eventually, after about two weeks, I contacted the company who handles their credit card transactions and I filed a complaint with them. Still nothing happened. I again mailed the company that handles their credit transactions, this time an angry email accusing imaginarygirlfriends.com of being a scam and stealing my money. Within a few hours I got an email back from them saying the issue was resolved and that I would be getting a refund and an apology from imaginarygirlfriends.com.

    It is not bad enough that I am so low and pathetic that I would think of using a service like imaginarygirlfriends.com but then they go and just take my money and make me look like a bigger loser. Of course in the end I did get my money back but only after weeks had passed and many unanswered emails had been sent.

    1. Re:Yeah I know, I suck. by real_smiff · · Score: 2, Funny
      wtf is imaginarygirlfriends.com, i have to check this out.
      .

      OH... MY... GOD..
      yes, you pay girls (through them.. they're kind of a 'clean pimp') to pretend to be your (presumably long distance) girlfriend.

      excuse me while i go outside and keel over laughing. not at you, but that this really exists. (or have i been had?). someone pinch me, this can't be real. (and no, not because it's what i've been looking for :p). i don't even know where to start with this. thanks for the heads up.

      oh the embarrasment of having to go to your bank and complain about your dealing with imaginarygirlfriends.com.. i feel for you buddy, i really do... mod this one up +1 informative (slashdot is missing the necessary option methinks..)

      --

      This is my Sig, this is my Gun. One is for Slashdot and one is for Fun.

    2. Re:Yeah I know, I suck. by stanmann · · Score: 3, Funny

      And the girls are all really guys. THis is the internet.

      --
      Food not Bombs is a nice platitude but it breaks down when you notice that the Bombees are usually well fed
    3. Re:Yeah I know, I suck. by stienman · · Score: 2, Funny

      Perhaps you accidently bid on imaginaryconman, instead of imaginarygirlfriend.

      But the reality is that you did get your imaginary girlfriend. You just have a very poor imagination.

      -Adam

    4. Re:Yeah I know, I suck. by louthegiantrat · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hey buddy, seems like you had an imaginary girlfriend. Takes your money, kind of moody, never does what you want, leaves you unsatisfied...

      --
      Rob
    5. Re:Yeah I know, I suck. by sysadmn · · Score: 2, Funny

      Don't feel too bad - that's how my real girlfriend treats me also.

      --
      Envy my 5 digit Slashdot User ID!
    6. Re:Yeah I know, I suck. by real_smiff · · Score: 2, Funny
      good point. (I came back to this thread for another laugh).
      "I purchased an imaginary girlfriend from imaginarygirlfriends.com"
      Best Comment Opening Ever. I mean, you *know* it's downhill from there. this has to be made into a t-shirt or mug or something..
      --

      This is my Sig, this is my Gun. One is for Slashdot and one is for Fun.