Victim of a scam

[stealthcat]

Help SRKers.

I was victim of the "white van speaker scam", explained on scamshield.com.
I was solicited without a permit in a Walmart Parking lot. The transaction took place in my home. I bought a 5.1 surround sound system that they claimed was $4000.00. I didn't believe they were that much but was led to believe they were hi-end and instead, got some $100.00 pieces of shit. My loss is at $700.00 for believing them. The scam works by them saying that I agreed to buy the pieces of crap. Fraud is what I will claim. I called the cops on them already. I did ask for a full refund in writing, and now the employees who solicited me claim they don't work for the company. Please, any advice. File complaints with BBB and attorney's general or straight to small claims?

[Taichi]

I'd say you owned yourself, and now you're gonna have to eat $700

merry christmas

[Jappo]

Are your balls ok?

[stealthcat]

Are your balls ok?

Come make them feel better.

[Gasp]

I'd say you got played hard, did you sign anything or was it straight cash?


prepared to be laughed at by 99% of SRK

[Taichi]

really, the only way to get your money back from a scam like that, is to beat the CEO in a fiddle contest......

[stealthcat]

I'd say you got played hard, did you sign anything or was it straight cash?


prepared to be laughed at by 99% of SRK

Yeah I know I'm gonna get the blunt of it, but in between the laughs, if anyone could give me advice that'd be cool.

Didn't sign anything, I do have my roommate as an eye witness. I do have phone records too of the company calling me after I reported the employees to the cops.
I paid with a PS3 20 GB, an extra controller and the receipt for them and $100 in cash.

[Taichi]

you traded a PS3 for it? :lol:

I'd say you're SOL and JWF

Shit out of Luck, and Jolly Well Fucked

[stealthcat]

really, the only way to get your money back from a scam like that, is to beat the CEO in a fiddle contest......

I got the personal address of the owner of the company through the people complaining on scamshield's site. I guess I could go harass the hell out of his family.

[Taichi]

his family?, not a good idea, mate......

you fuck with HIM, you don't take it to his family.......

nothing can incite a man to shoot another to death, quicker than treatening the well being of his family......

[Biolink]

Hope you do eventually get your money back.My eyebrow's raise everytime some sheisty motherfucker comes up tom me,offering me something that is supposedly priced at some super cheap price compared to its actual price.It sounds irresistible at the time of purchase,but you have to think consiously(sp?)and question why you are handing over all of this money to total strangers.

[mvsc2demon]

:china:

[Hwoarvang]

Be clearer in your writing. So you met them at a Walmart parking lot, brought them home, bought some 5.1 speakers for $700, and found out you got scammed?

These kind of people just need to die. I still remember that last summer where some fooker offered me a job over the phone and all I needed to do was show up for orientation. I showed up and very slowly found out that it was a "be your own boss and sell the greatest vitamins in the world even though we have no actual evidence to back the claim, just pay $150 for a starter kit" bullshit.

[stealthcat]

Be clearer in your writing. So you met them at a Walmart parking lot, brought them home, bought some 5.1 speakers for $700, and found out you got scammed?

My brother looked up speakers on the internet and found out about the scam afterwards. They solicited me in the parking lot.

The employees said they worked for a company that does custom home theatre and that they did deliveries and installations for the company. They come up to people and say they have extra inventory that their supervsior said that they could sell for a lower price. I asked them if the product was legal and they showed me an invoice.

The purchase was made at my place. Is that clearer?

[stealthcat]

Hope you do eventually get your money back.My eyebrow's raise everytime some sheisty motherfucker comes up tom me,offering me something that is supposedly priced at some super cheap price compared to its actual price.It sounds irresistible at the time of purchase,but you have to think consiously(sp?)and question why you are handing over all of this money to total strangers.

I've bought from local people and college students before without any BS. I guess I got too trusting from that. I posted on here to make sure none of you go through this and to seek any ideas you might think of.

[Taichi]

if someone I don't know approaches me, I'm INSTANTLY wary....if they want to sell me something, I tell 'em to get the fuck lost......

I don't know how I can make that any clearer.....but then I'm (mostly) white, and we were always taught not to trust people we don't fucking know.....

[fjf314]

I still remember that last summer where some fooker offered me a job over the phone and all I needed to do was show up for orientation. I showed up and very slowly found out that it was a "be your own boss and sell the greatest vitamins in the world even though we have no actual evidence to back the claim, just pay $150 for a starter kit" bullshit.

I remember someone tried to get me into some BS like that back when I was working at a gas station in high school. This guy came in and was talking to me about how he could hook me up with a great, easy job where I could make all kinds of money. He even gave me his card and a website. Fortunately, I did my homework by digging around online before I even wasted my time going to one of the orientation sessions and realized what was up.

[ugly duckling]

people came up to me in a wal mart parking lot as well offering the same shit. i would have bought but thank god i was broke. i asked for thier number and the guy said well fuck, i guess ill get someone else to buy them. i hope he died by a stingray barb to the heart that fucker. him and the little quiet retard that was with him. stingray barbs..... both of them

[Lucretz]

I think anytime someone who just got out of an unmarked van into a parking lot tries to sell you some shit, an alarm should go off in your head, "THIS MIGHT BE A FRAUDULENT ACT OF FRAUDULENCY". >..>

[lseelba]

So what were the name of the speakers? Also, does the system work? Did they sell you just speakers or a receiver too?

ALSO, where do you live?

I bought some white van speakers about a year ago but my loss was minimal. I payed $160 total for two large speakers. Even though I was pissed when I found out on the internet about the scam, the speaker boxes alone were probably worth about $50 each so I didn't feel that ripped off.

[9TNine]

I don't think I'll ever buy anything out of a van. Ever. Unless it's tacos.

On that topic, would you like to buy a bridge?

-9

[Septimus Prime]

I think anytime someone who just got out of an unmarked van into a parking lot tries to sell you some shit, an alarm should go off in your head, "THIS MIGHT BE A FRAUDULENT ACT OF FRAUDULENCY". >..>
Co-sign.

This scam's facade even seems fraudulent.

[lseelba]

That's the whole point...they make it seem like they are doing something shady, so you think they are selling the speakers under the table, or off the back of a truck or something. Truth is they are shitty speakers and thats why they are so cheap. Plus if you are actually in the market for a speaker system...

[coffeerox]

wow, you got owned hardcore, you could have sold the PS3 on ebay and then just bought some good 700 dollar speakers but noooo, in this day and age you don't go around trusting soliciters. You should expect the following comment, so don't be mad. You are a dumbass. :lol: Now that we got that out of the way, basically the only thing you can fall back on is a verbal agreement, if your friend was there, or you have some phone records that could get you your PS3 back if you take it to claims court and provide the necessary evidence.

[colguile]

Come make them feel better.
That was a pretty nice comeback.:rofl:

[Pat the Great]

that's a pretty well known scam. solution: do not barter ps3s for speakers in a parking lot.

[defcon]

This probably won't make you feel any better (since most ppl get this me-me-me complex whenever something shitty happens to them), but almost everyone that will have something cruel or mocking to say to you has also paid some kind of price that taught them to not trust ppl as foolishly as you did. So you learned your lesson this late in life and it cost you $700. I find it hilarious myself, but hey it could be worse- trust me it could be worse. Consider it getting perfected IRL at the game of scamming. L2Trust nube, l2trust.

[lseelba]

The funny thing about getting scammed on audio equipment is that it happens every day at Best Buy. Ever heard of Monster Cables?

[icon032]

^ Arent those the things that you buy to make the "quality" of your TV look better?

I remember a best buy guy offering my dad one, when we bought our big screen tv.

[Septimus Prime]

I bought one of those a long time ago. Yeah, they have good shielding from interference, but that's about it.

[DaDesiCanadian]

Come make them feel better.

Hahahaha

EDIT: BUSTAHHH NUT! (just realized he asked "are your balls ok"?)

[Najdorf]

Damn son that sucks. But come on, why the fuck not go ahead and offer your car for that pimp as blender they offered you? Maybe receive a quick money shot for that high tech vacuum you coulda been using? Damn you got played, S O L

[MrNasty2K1]

This happened to my friend a couple months back. They sold the speakers to him for $400. They had this fancy, official-looking catalog that said they were $3,000. I didn't know that it was a scam at the time, so I figured "Good job. What a deal." Then I found out about the scam. I told my friend about it and he said "Well, it's works, right?" They do, but probably not for long.

BTW, Millennium Theater Speakers are the speakers' name.

[BananaWeed]

Heh, that sucks. The cops probably aren't gonna do anything, so you should take care of business yourself. Go fuck up their van. Or the guys themselves. Whatever makes you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

[Lv.32 Z-Ism Rose]

Well, normally it is a "buyer beware" transaction. But it seems like they misled you from the start. Since you have his address, file a claim in small claims court and have him served. This is pretty much the only chance you will have to get your money back. You would have to prove that you were duped, misled, suckered, etc. Be prepared to have the judge ridicule your for your lousy actions, though. If you can't prove that you were suckered, then it becomes a more "buyer beware" situation and you will probably loose.

[Phoenix Wright]

Sue:wgrin:

[Taichi]

PT Barnum is alive and well, and selling stereo speakers in parking lots, it would seem.......

[ParryAll]

You'[re fucked.

[The_Cheat]

I fell for the same thing a couple of years ago. The guy had a nice catalog-style picture with a website and everything. It looked really good. I paid $300 for a 5.1 system. I was kinda disappointed when I found out it was a scam but they worked so I can only blame myself for buying stuff out of a truck. Sucks that you gave away a ps3 for those speakers though.

[DropKick Murphy]

Thats some stupid shit you did. You should go one judge mathis and shit so he can make fun of you.

[RoboGem II]

Well I feel stupid for losing $1500 to Duc Do for studiotraffic

Shit happens, it could be worse, at least you got shitty speakers, I got a website that totally dissapeared on me and a guy who thinks he can live with a clear concience because he never made any guarentees despite acting like the biggest fucking cheerleader ever.

GG

[lseelba]

Yeah the sad thing about being scammed is it happened to a LOT of people here on Shoryuken. Remember how long that StudioTraffic thread was stickied? And people are calling this poor guy a moron for paying too much for a shitty set of speakers :confused:

[Hwoarvang]

O'rlly? Studio Traffic was a no brainer.:wasted:

[SRKev]

D-D-D-D-Damn son! Looks like you got duped by Slick Willy! Honestly, this shit is no one's fault but your own. You play with fire, you're gonna get burned. Honestly, you should just move the fuck on because it's over kid.:rofl:

[versus addict]

...dude, just learn from your mistake and let it go. Its over.

You and your ps3 got OWNED....

[Satomiblood]

I have a friend that used to sell weed and he dealt $700 (I'm not sure if it was that number exactly, but it was a ridiculous amount) worth of the stuff to some guy. Dude told him the money was in an alley around the corner in a paper bag. My friend makes the stupidest move of his life and gives him the weed first. He then goes into the alley and opens up the bag only to find it filled with pieces of newspaper.

[TiamatRoar]

Why on earth would you trade away a PS3 that you could e-bay for thousands just so you could buy $700 worth of speakers? Even if the speakers weren't a scam, you would have gotten scammed!

[Dem-Dem]

wow next time give me the money i PROMISE that you'll have a smile and a minty taste is you mouth.

[b1gazn]

Shit goes down here all the time. I was almost stupid enough to buy them one time. I had 4 paychecks in my hand, that I was about to cash for Spring Break. Well as I walked up to the bank, two men in a white van approached me.

They had a line about their boss accidentally gave them too much stock. So they wanted to get rid of it before their shift was over. Well they had no where to put it, I told them to go to Public Storage, but they didnt have a credit card.

Eventually, I get him to open the box and show the goods. Everything looked intact.

I make my way into the bank after agreeing to purchase them. Once inside, I basically talked myself out of buying them.

Once I told the guy, he wasnt very happy, especially since the speakers were sitting in my car.

He nicely tried to guilt me into buying since I agreed, he opened the box, and it was sitting in my car. When he found out I was dead set on not buying them, he got pissed.

He referred to me as a "little punk" that didnt know how to do business. He started gettting a little louder.

When somebody I do not know gets loud with me, I clinch my fist. I felt threatened and was ready to fight even though he was over 10 years older then me but I had 20+ lbs over him(I was 17).

Next thing I know, he tries to spit on me, it misses because the wind was crazy. I responded by trying to spit back at him, but also missed because of the wind(I felt like a damn field goal kicker, but without the ball).

I called him a punk bitch and we both left on our seperate ways.



2 years later, My friend is waiting for me to pick him up from the same shopping center. Dude in a white van tries to sell him some speakers.

6 years later, a month ago, two dudes in a white van roll up on me trying to sell speakers. I laughed and continued on my way.

[final_cut]

Man some dude came up to me with that shit, he asked me to come take a look at them and wouldn't leave me alone. I was pumping gas at a gas station. so, I went over to his car, and started scribbling his tag on a receipt I had in my pocket.
dude was all "yo its cool, I'll see you later bro"
and took off, just like that. I threw away the receipt and went on with my business. that shit sucks though.

[Dem-Dem]

Man some dude came up to me with that shit, he asked me to come take a look at them and wouldn't leave me alone. I was pumping gas at a gas station. so, I went over to his car, and started scribbling his tag on a receipt I had in my pocket.
dude was all "yo its cool, I'll see you later bro"
and took off, just like that. I threw away the receipt and went on with my business. that shit sucks though.

DAMN CUZ Writeing down a license plate can get you shot in oakland.

[b1gazn]

DAMN CUZ Writeing down a license plate can get you shot in oakland.

hell to the yeah!!!!

[final_cut]

Yeah, good point. it was like a wirey little white guy with a fuzz stache though, I was just so annoyed with him the guy wouldn't shut up, he was like a little rat. "Are you sure you don't want it? are you INSANE?" Good thing I live in florida. I doubt I would try some shit like that now though.

[Dem-Dem]

yeha I was just posting in another thread that I thought florida was kind of relaxed. Amazing I wanted to go to florida for a turny I don't know now. I might get in to a fight and the person i'm fighting may help me kick his own ass.

[Taichi]

When I'm in the market for an appliance, or audiovisual accessory (which isn't often, as I just don't have the money), I know right where there's a Circuit City......as well as other fine establishments, where I can purchase quality, name brand electronics.

I will shop around for the best prices, and the best deal for my money, and deal with a reputable establishment, that offers a money back guarantee if I'm not satisfied.....

if someone comes up to me in a parking lot, and tries to sell me something more than $30 out of the back of a van, I'm not fool enough to give them, or even show them, my money.....

that's how you keep from getting scammed......forgive me if I sound cold, I think I sound fucking sensible.......

honestly, if you thought a couple of guys selling speakers out of the back of a van was on the up and up, then you don't deserve the money you wasted......

[lseelba]

Wow you are so superior. I bet you have never made a bad decision or got ripped off by anyone in your life.:rolleyes:

[guado]

My brother looked up speakers on the internet and found out about the scam afterwards. They solicited me in the parking lot.

The employees said they worked for a company that does custom home theatre and that they did deliveries and installations for the company. They come up to people and say they have extra inventory that their supervsior said that they could sell for a lower price. I asked them if the product was legal and they showed me an invoice.

well your common sense should have kicked in and asked why if they work for a established company are they going around soliciting in a parking lot of a walmart?

i feel your pain though, i've been had twice in recent time due to my trusting nature and overall kindness, both from people at school

one time a guy asked me to borrow something and when i went to get it back he refused to. I just cut my losses,because i wouldnt fight someone and risk getting kicked out of school over something as petty as what he took, but now once i tthink about it, could i tell the police or somethin and hope to get it back, or is there nothing i can do besides for physically confront him?


anyways, you live and you learn