Almost got taken...

**PC101** · 09-16-2006, 11:01 PM

two days ago by some bozo buying sites/domains over on Digital Point. I had put up my credit card site for sale and this guy... johncarlos301 ... offered me $300 for the domains and site which I accepted. He then asked me to let him know when I was ready to make the transfer and then he'd send payment. If I wasn't already cautious by the fact that he was new to DP that immediately sent up a RED flag! Who says that?! Anytime I've ever bought or sold a domain name the person (or I) just sends the money! Then, typically with a few hours or one day at most the domains are tranferred.

So, I PM'ed him back saying that if he was ready to buy I would think he'd send payment. In that same PM I asked him where else might I find him on the web?

Side note.... I've offered to buy/sell stuff when I've been new to a forum too but usually I've a sig that points people here or to Name Pros or to my credit card site... ya know, something that suggest to people I ain't a ghost and I'm not here to rip you off!

Anyway... I figured I'd make the transfer when I got to work... assuming payment was sent. I get there and there's no payment and NO response to my PM. On DG, you can't go invisible so I could see him online, see him making Private Messages, see him looking at other threads in the buy area but he never sent a PM back to me. Second RED flag!

Well, to make a long story short! Turns out I was right and very blessed not to have immediately trusted this guy and/or transfer my domains & site. Turns out I was not the only one who was nearly taken! :angry:

If someone's new to a forum, try and get references before you sell....ask them where they hang out... what other forums are they on... to whom have they bought or sold before?

Lyte

Kaabi · 09-17-2006, 10:12 AM

I'm always afraid of new people who want to buy or sell something, but I trust people with a lot of posts. It's a good standard to go by, usually high-post count people, with good reputations, yeah they're good. I have a red rep on DP but my iTrader is 7 positives so that's good.

**PC101** · 09-17-2006, 10:51 PM

Hey Kaabi,

You're right! I'm pretty new to DP but I have my own forum and I've been on NamePros for a long time.

I went to a GIMP forum for the first time and invented their designers to come PC101 to have a contest where they could win $40.00. They were nice but were like, "Uh... and who are you?" So, I gave them some "references." I showed them my profile on a few different forum, all of which used the same nick. I figured, they'd figure I wouldn't be running a scam which could potentially ruin my rep or all these forums!

Lyte

**Lop** · 09-21-2006, 09:45 AM

You got very lucky that you didn't get taken! Good thing you did your research first and thought things through.

GIMP, are you having a drawing contest?