We got Scammed

[RockyMtnMT]

Figured I should post this up. We received an order for a pair of Athlon binos, and shipped them, as always. Order came on the 25th of Sept. We got a notice of dispute for the charge today. Turns out is was a fraudulent charge on an innocent person's card that was stolen. How the fraud went down. A guy ordered some binos on Facebook through his Apple account. Then the crook went to sites that deal Athlon and placed orders with stolen credit cards to ship to the person that ordered from the crook. The crook tried 3 diff cards on our site before he found one that worked. The crook charged the unsuspecting customer about half price for the binos, then paid us full price with a stolen card. Crook pockets the half price money and the unsuspecting customer gets his binos. Through some sleuthing, we found the unsuspecting customer. Turns out he receive 4 pairs of binos. The crook ordered from several diff sites trying to fill the order, so that the charge from the unsuspecting customer would receive his order and not contest his charge.

Here is how this works out. The fraudulent charge gets disputed, and the credit card company refunds the charge. The retailer is then out of the money and lost the merchandise. I guess it is great that the card holder is not ripped off, but the retailer is. Nothing we can do about it. Fortunately the unsuspecting customer is a great guy and sending the binos back to us. We still lose the shipping to get them to him and to get them back.

Moral of the story. Stay away from the FB market place, unless you are going to pick up the product directly form whoever you are purchasing from. If the price is too good to be true, don't purchase it! For more reasons than this, I contend that FB is evil and should be avoided.

 

[Sending156s]

Figured I should post this up. We received an order for a pair of Athlon binos, and shipped them, as always. Order came on the 25th of Sept. We got a notice of dispute for the charge today. Turns out is was a fraudulent charge on an innocent person's card that was stolen. How the fraud went down. A guy ordered some binos on Facebook through his Apple account. Then the crook went to sites that deal Athlon and placed orders with stolen credit cards to ship to the person that ordered from the crook. The crook tried 3 diff cards on our site before he found one that worked. The crook charged the unsuspecting customer about half price for the binos, then paid us full price with a stolen card. Crook pockets the half price money and the unsuspecting customer gets his binos. Through some sleuthing, we found the unsuspecting customer. Turns out he receive 4 pairs of binos. The crook ordered from several diff sites trying to fill the order, so that the charge from the unsuspecting customer would receive his order and not contest his charge.

Here is how this works out. The fraudulent charge gets disputed, and the credit card company refunds the charge. The retailer is then out of the money and lost the merchandise. I guess it is great that the card holder is not ripped off, but the retailer is. Nothing we can do about it. Fortunately the unsuspecting customer is a great guy and sending the binos back to us. We still lose the shipping to get them to him and to get them back.

Moral of the story. Stay away from the FB market place, unless you are going to pick up the product directly form whoever you are purchasing from. If the price is too good to be true, don't purchase it! For more reasons than this, I contend that FB is evil and should be avoided.

FB is bad, bad crap. FB, google, & twitter gave the election to biden. They are to big & powerful. They will either be busted up like ma bell was or will help turn the country into a socialist dictatorship.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Figured I should post this up. We received an order for a pair of Athlon binos, and shipped them, as always. Order came on the 25th of Sept. We got a notice of dispute for the charge today. Turns out is was a fraudulent charge on an innocent person's card that was stolen. How the fraud went down. A guy ordered some binos on Facebook through his Apple account. Then the crook went to sites that deal Athlon and placed orders with stolen credit cards to ship to the person that ordered from the crook. The crook tried 3 diff cards on our site before he found one that worked. The crook charged the unsuspecting customer about half price for the binos, then paid us full price with a stolen card. Crook pockets the half price money and the unsuspecting customer gets his binos. Through some sleuthing, we found the unsuspecting customer. Turns out he receive 4 pairs of binos. The crook ordered from several diff sites trying to fill the order, so that the charge from the unsuspecting customer would receive his order and not contest his charge.

Here is how this works out. The fraudulent charge gets disputed, and the credit card company refunds the charge. The retailer is then out of the money and lost the merchandise. I guess it is great that the card holder is not ripped off, but the retailer is. Nothing we can do about it. Fortunately the unsuspecting customer is a great guy and sending the binos back to us. We still lose the shipping to get them to him and to get them back.

Moral of the story. Stay away from the FB market place, unless you are going to pick up the product directly form whoever you are purchasing from. If the price is too good to be true, don't purchase it! For more reasons than this, I contend that FB is evil and should be avoided.

Sounds like you got really really lucky to get your merchandise back for the cost of shipping.

 

[26Reload]

I've lost more than shipping cost before...
Be glad you got the binos....I got nothing..

 

[Kimber7man]

Sorry to hear that happened to you and thanks for the advice!

 

[Southern 62]

Sorry to hear about that. It reminds me why I'm old fashion in my money dealing. It may cost me the opportunity to buy or sell something here. I don't have FB and don't know or want to know about those other methods of payment. I get a Cashiers Check from my Credit Union made out to the person and mail it. When it clears and there happy then they ship. So far twice it's worked. Might not be as quick, but I think it's safe.

Thanks for posting.

Jimmy

 

[Mike Matteson]

I have had in the pass that my credit card has been use in other areas. I watch for it all the time. The card company have my phone number, Sometime they advise me of a charge against my card that looks out of place. More so when traveling. I have more problem with card readers at gas station than anywhere else. I don't go inside to purchase fuel. I want in and out. Most of my purchase for equipment is online. Can't find the items anywhere else. So I am stuck to the one eye. Several years ago, I had a parcel of property deed out from under me. The crooks deed it out and sold it twice. Well 30 thousand later we got the property back and a year in court. The people that purchased the properly, they really when to the cleaners. Hundred of thousands dollars. The crooks went to jail. I don't think the others got them money back.

 

[flyguy1]

FB is bad, bad crap. FB, google, & twitter gave the election to biden. They are to big & powerful. They will either be busted up like ma bell was or will help turn the country into a socialist dictatorship.

Help may be on the way for twitter. Looks like Musk is finally buying it. Libs freaking out.

 

[Muddyboots]

Always set CC alerts for $1.00 to prevent CC tested for small charge before it really gets whacked. I know within 3 SECONDS of CC usage as text to my phone. I have stopped several purchases within seconds of use. Pretty much all CC have this feature in the Alerts on your account page. Easy to do and highly effective. Highly recommend.

 

[Southern 62]

Always set CC alerts for $1.00 to prevent CC tested for small charge before it really gets whacked. I know within 3 SECONDS of CC usage as text to my phone. I have stopped several purchases within seconds of use. Pretty much all CC have this feature in the Alerts on your account page. Easy to do and highly effective. Highly recommend.

That's a Great Idea Thanks Muddy.

 

[Muddyboots]

I have tried to use FB MP for local sales FTF and even then you get morons trying to scam you through similar Modus Operandi. I am never very pleasant with them and their responses are kind of funny. Outrage that they are called out! I suggest FTF but they never seem to want to go that route.

The bottom line to these types of scams are the purchases of items at substantially lower price than is possible. Its like going to a site that has everything in stock but not elsewhere so you start drooling, lose common sense and order. Whammo! Hook, line and sinker. The guy that got the binos was sucked in by ridiculous price which is then the start if the pyramid scam.
And companies like Steve's gets holding the bag.

So the hook in this scheme is something far too good to be true usually is with consequences.

 

[LuvDog]

It sounds like the buyer is an stand up guy. Glad you got your merchandise back with just the cost of shipping both ways.

 

[cohunt]

Sorry to hear about that. It reminds me why I'm old fashion in my money dealing. It may cost me the opportunity to buy or sell something here. I don't have FB and don't know or want to know about those other methods of payment. I get a Cashiers Check from my Credit Union made out to the person and mail it. When it clears and there happy then they ship. So far twice it's worked. Might not be as quick, but I think it's safe.

Thanks for posting.

Jimmy

Unfortunately Cashiers checks are one of the most counterfeit items out there

 

[26Reload]

Yep...my branch manager basically said send a personal check..business check..cashiers check..money order.....say goodbye to the funds...people open accounts just long enough to cash'em out and close up the account...money gone...no help...