Caution adviced when dealing with this member (6 Viewers)

[12thMan]

I don't even look in the box. I just toss random chips in the box and hope they like what they get.

Whenever I see your posts i notice there is always a red face reaction. I'm not sure if you have an enemy that likes to cyber bumm stalk you out or if it's a joke but I think it's funny for some reason. You didn't have one yet on that comment. I hooked you up!!

 

[Himewad]

There are two types of people in this world; those that can extrapolate from incomplete information

and …?

 

[warma]

@Saoliver must be napping

 

[Josh Kifer]

Whenever I see your posts i notice there is always a red face reaction. I'm not sure if you have an enemy that likes to cyber bumm stalk you out or if it's a joke but I think it's funny for some reason. You didn't have one yet on that comment. I hooked you up!!

Angry is the new Happy.

 

[upNdown]

Angry is the new Happy.

Then call me Happy McFuckinghappy

 

[Josh Kifer]

Then call me Happy McFuckinghappy

I always have called you that.....

 

[Stufflymcstuff]

What I meant was this...

How many people on this list would’ve have saved how much money if Poppin had been outed publicly by the first 3 that suspected they were getting ripped off?

how much suspicion would you need before posting a warning? Almost everyone has had packages arrive a bit late or people drag their feet on shipping, and these were all international where it’s expected for stuff to be slow.

He did a lot of erratic things that made me want to stay away from buying internationally shipped stuff from him, but posting a thread about vague suspicions is way too aggro and only seems reasonable in retrospect knowing what he did. I wasn’t even thinking he was a scammer at the time, just that he’s spastic and unaccommodating.

And there are many other posters who i wouldn’t buy from (some who have 100% positive feedback) but reaming them publicly would be completely inappropriate without any evidence of wrong doing.

Someone could easily pull off this kind of a scam again with no signs and it would take at least a few weeks before anyone would have the slightest suspicion if they knew what they were doing. If anything I’m shocked it happens as little as it does.

Since the forum admin would be more motivated if there was money at stake, why not have a paid membership tag where you verify posters’ identity and credit score?

 

[upNdown]

If it makes you feel any better, here's the list of those affected and their respective losses to Poppin. No effort was made to keep them anonymous, in case anybody thought that was the case,

Member 1 - $612.44
Member 2 - $395.00
Member 3 - $1,239.51
Member 4 - $1,440.00
Member 5 - $2,190.00
Member 6 - $4,905.00
Member 7 - $1,428.00
Member 8 - $830.00
Member 9 - $65.00
Member 10 - $365.00
Member 11 - $535.00
Member 12 - $400.00
Member 13 - $280.00
Member 14 - $100.00
Member 15 - $70.00
Member 16 - $1,078.00
Member 17 - $2,291.00
Member 18 - $1,152.50
Member 19 - $525.00
Member 20 - $225.00
Member 21 - $1,188.00
Member 22 - $50.00

Hope that helps provide some clarity.

MOD EDIT: Removed member names due to privacy concerns

Here's a question - not sure if this has been addressed yet. How many of these transactions were conducted openly in the classifieds, and how many of them were either initiated or completed via private message?

 

[Bluegrass Poker]

All this Costner talk and no one mentioned American Flyers? Underrated flick and the start of KC’s sports movies.

 

[khp]

Here's a question - not sure if this has been addressed yet. How many of these transactions were conducted openly in the classifieds, and how many of them were either initiated or completed via private message?

I think a large portion was via PM, which hid his double dipping

 

[Sprouty]

I video tape the packing process including a chip count/visual for any high value sale to someone I’m not already very comfortable with. This doesn’t give 100% proof either though.

You could also use this to to figure out who you sent your missing chips to......



I'm already looking forward to working with you on the next transaction. Bonus chips are awesome!

 

[upNdown]

I think a large portion was via PM, which hid his double dipping

That's what I've been suspecting, or assuming. And there's a significant lesson there, I think

 

[khp]

That's what I've been suspecting, or assuming. And there's a significant lesson there, I think

Yea, and though I haven’t been part of one yet, I keep reading that the best sets/chips are only available via PM, which is a pity.

 

[Payback]

Since the forum admin would be more motivated if there was money at stake, why not have a paid membership tag where you verify posters’ identity and credit score?

My expressions as I read this











Perhaps you should take take a gander at the ToS in the classifieds again.

DISCLAIMER
BY USING THE CLASSIFIEDS FORUM, YOU ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY TRANSACTION OCCURRING BETWEEN YOURSELF AND ANOTHER MEMBER. PCF ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR ANY TRANSACTIONS WHICH MAY OCCUR.

MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE A PAYMENT METHOD THAT OFFERS BUYER PROTECTION. IF YOU SUSPECT A MEMBER IS ACTING FRAUDULENTLY, CONTACT A MODERATOR OR ADMIN BY REPORTING THE AD AND/OR PM.

 

[Sprouty]

Credit scores?

 

[Stufflymcstuff]

Yes, that is the rule right now but there’s nothing to stop them from offering a service like that. It doesn’t even have to be a formal thing with credit scores (although I’d be fine providing proof of mine if I sold more often) - but alternatively you could have some way to confirm your identity more generally. Having your real name known and being real life acquaintances with others on here (playing in their home game) offers a much higher level of confidence you’re not getting screwed. It allows people to more accurately measure the risks.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Credit scores?

Dental plan?

 

[Highli99]

I video tape the packing process including a chip count/visual for any high value sale to someone I’m not already very comfortable with.

What’s your YouTube channel I could get into this!

 

[horseshoez]

I think a large portion was via PM, which hid his double dipping

Correct. Had they been conducted via classifieds, everybody would have noticed that there is a slim chance chips like Terrible fracs, PNY’s etc. were being held in those quantities.

 

[Eloe2000]

Dental plan?

You also have to look to your left and cough twice. The hands are cold, but once its over you will be approved for classified listings.

 

[Taghkanic]

What’s your YouTube channel I could get into this!

Twitch stream!

 

[JScott]

I've been watching this thread and it made me remember my one interaction on here where I got (somewhere between not made whole and scammed) - package came with 90% lower quantity than was offered (e.g. think a few chips vs a rack) and seller went dark. I was left with 5 chips when I paid for 100. Not a huge $ amount, but not something I'd want happening to anyone else. It was not a sale thread, so there was no way to leave feedback.

Well, this made me search for that harvester to see if he's come back around, and turns out he's back after a few year absence and made some offers to others. I PMed those who seem like they might be striking or have struck a deal with him about my experience.

What's the right protocol for this? I know some will say dox him, and some will say just let it go there's probably more to the story - but it would be helpful if we had a standard for how to handle these sort of interactions where so much of what we do is based on trust and reputation.

What’s with this group and hiding scammers info?

Tell us!

What I meant was this...

How many people on this list would’ve have saved how much money if Poppin had been outed publicly by the first 3 that suspected they were getting ripped off?

You mean like this very thread? He should have been banned ASAP.

 

[dennis63]

What’s with this group and hiding scammers info?

Tell us!

You mean like this very thread? He should have been banned ASAP.

I suspected him from my first contact with him. He sent me an odd email order outside of PCF.

I posted about it here (without naming him), and he jumped into the thread acting like a victim and basically identifying himself. This, even though he had initially told me he was not a member here. He then sent a PM here on PCF with a tone like his being a PCF member would scare me, as if I had somehow "wronged" him in some way by declining his oddly massive, ever-changing order and daring to mention it here.

I just figured he was crazy.

The term, "crazy like a fox" comes to mind.

Poppin notwithstanding, I've had hundreds of successful, trouble-free transactions here on PCF -- a credit to the members here, and to @Tommy.

 

[upNdown]

I dunno. I think this guy was a chaotic twat, short on both temper and common sense. But I don’t think this was any kind of a long con. He seemed ready and eager to rip people off on any single transaction, a potential criminal to be sure, but if he was orchestrating a massive rippoff like this, I think he would have put more effort into engendering trust? You could say he was poking here and there, probing for weaknesses in the system, and maybe he was. But if I had to guess, I’d guess he’s just a shady opportunist, who was attracted to a community where so much cash passes so freely, and then one day he just decided to grab all he could? I dunno, I just don’t want to credit this guy as a mastermind.
Its kind of a fascinating story, and it would be cool if somebody documented the whole thing - interviewed everybody who had an interaction with him and document it all in a long, cohesive narrative.

I mean no disrespect to the people who lost money - I’m sorry to sound cavalier; you have my respect and my sympathy. But it would make a good story and maybe would even help flag some behaviors and patterns that we can all look out for in the future.

 

[paul sydney]

I dunno. I think this guy was a chaotic twat, short on both temper and common sense. But I don’t think this was any kind of a long con. He seemed ready and eager to rip people off on any single transaction, a potential criminal to be sure, but if he was orchestrating a massive rippoff like this, I think he would have put more effort into engendering trust? You could say he was poking here and there, probing for weaknesses in the system, and maybe he was. But if I had to guess, I’d guess he’s just a shady opportunist, who was attracted to a community where so much cash passes so freely, and then one day he just decided to grab all he could? I dunno, I just don’t want to credit this guy as a mastermind.
Its kind of a fascinating story, and it would be cool if somebody documented the whole thing - interviewed everybody who had an interaction with him and document it all in a long, cohesive narrative.

I mean no disrespect to the people who lost money - I’m sorry to sound cavalier; you have my respect and my sympathy. But it would make a good story and maybe would even help flag some behaviors and patterns that we can all look out for in the future.

From my experience, drug and/or gambling addicts don't plan to scam or harm in order to profit.
It's usually a spontaneous, opportunistic crime in order to dig them themselves out of a hole.
They're desperate for a fix and/or need to pay other overdue debts.
People will steal from their own family out of desperation.

 

[Perthmike]

I dunno. I think this guy was a chaotic twat, short on both temper and common sense. But I don’t think this was any kind of a long con. He seemed ready and eager to rip people off on any single transaction, a potential criminal to be sure, but if he was orchestrating a massive rippoff like this, I think he would have put more effort into engendering trust? You could say he was poking here and there, probing for weaknesses in the system, and maybe he was. But if I had to guess, I’d guess he’s just a shady opportunist, who was attracted to a community where so much cash passes so freely, and then one day he just decided to grab all he could? I dunno, I just don’t want to credit this guy as a mastermind.
Its kind of a fascinating story, and it would be cool if somebody documented the whole thing - interviewed everybody who had an interaction with him and document it all in a long, cohesive narrative.

I mean no disrespect to the people who lost money - I’m sorry to sound cavalier; you have my respect and my sympathy. But it would make a good story and maybe would even help flag some behaviors and patterns that we can all look out for in the future.

He's definitely a dumb fuck as well as a shady fuck. So I agree that he probably didn't orchestrate any long term plan.

 

[Anthony Martino]

Yes, that is the rule right now but there’s nothing to stop them from offering a service like that. It doesn’t even have to be a formal thing with credit scores (although I’d be fine providing proof of mine if I sold more often) - but alternatively you could have some way to confirm your identity more generally. Having your real name known and being real life acquaintances with others on here (playing in their home game) offers a much higher level of confidence you’re not getting screwed. It allows people to more accurately measure the risks.

eBay doesn't verify peoples identities or credit scores. You think this one-owner site with some volunteer mods is going to do it?

The undertaking wouldn't work because:

1. A lot of members won't jump through the hoops or would find it intrusive

2. The site staff don't have the time or resources to do it and maintain it

3. The site staff isn't going to want that sort of responsibility or liability on their shoulders

At the end of the day, do business with those you know/trust and for any deals where significant money is involved and you don't know the person, request they sell it to you via eBay so you have recourse if you get scammed to obtain a refund

 

[pltrgyst]

....for any deals where significant money is involved and you don't know the person, request they sell it to you via eBay so you have recourse if you get scammed to obtain a refund

Or use a "middleman service".

 

[surfik]

Is @Poppin92 still a member?

 

[Jake14mw]

...

My favorite Adam Sandler movie is Spanglish and my favorite Jim Carey movie is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.... I know all about the looks you must get when talking about your opinion with "normal" movie people.


...

Spanglish is a very underrated movie IMHO. I highly recommend it. Also, I love anything Will Farrell does, but also liked his more serious role in Stranger than Fiction.