HimsyPimsy wrote:
Time to ask for your money back?
I have. I've messaged Josh multiple times and posted on his Facebook wall, and I've heard nothing for months - bar the post above, on April 3rd. 
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Glasgow, Scotland.
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Glasgow, Scotland.
Andrex wrote:
Man that GB looks reaaaally dope, wish this wasn't a scam.
Aye. Given how long it's been, sadly I can only conclude that I've been scammed. Should have known when he said he couldn't use PayPal. Dodgy as fuck.
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Last edited by leavelucktohell (Dec 14, 2017 10:41 am)
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Cookeville, TN
I'd prefer to handle something like this privately and avoid unnecessary public confrontation and/or potential arguments, and I don't like to make public accusations/call-outs (and I don't necessarily intend to do so right now), but I need to clear some things up and possibly call some other things into question.
Stephen contacted me in late December asking to purchase the Nintendo Gay Boy from me. Standard buyer/seller convo ensued, he talked me down on the price a little bit, I got his address, and we came to an agreement. No, I was not accepting Paypal. I myself had recently been scammed out of quite a bit more than $85 and a decent amount of merch/parts, and the lack of a proper resolution left a bad taste in my mouth. I recommended payment directly through Facebook Messenger, as a lot of my other artist and modding friends have been using it as an alternative to Paypal for little one-offs and commissions. I'd heard nothing but good things about it, used it a couple times myself without issues, it's supposedly just as safe as Paypal but a little easier to deal with on both ends when a deal goes weird. Stephen was apparently unable to use this method for some reason. He said the service probably wasn't available where he lives, which, looking back, strikes me as a bit odd considering I've previously used it with friends who reside in the UK without any issues. He instead recommended a direct bank transfer through a service called TransferWise. Never heard of it before and generally when you hear stuff about bank transfers in online deals you'd stay away from it, but Stephen had a couple of trusted mutual friends on Facebook so he seemed legit, and I needed the money. After a quick googling of TransferWise to see whether or not it was legit, everything looked A-OK for the most part, so we proceeded with the transaction, and I sent him the Gay Boy. We didn't use international tracking because that stuff is expensive AF and any issues like this are few and far between, if they even happen at all. I'll admit, that was my bad. As previously mentioned in this thread, from now on I will only be doing international shipping at my own discretion, with mandatory international tracking.
Fast forward to last month when Stephen made a couple public posts claiming I'd scammed him. I made my previous post in this thread vowing to either figure out what had happened to the Gay Boy if I could, and if I couldn't I would send him a new one, since I was planning on putting a few more together anyway and frankly this whole ordeal was causing me more stress than it was worth and I didn't want to have deal with it for that much longer.
The post office of course had no clue how to help me so I ended up making him a new Gay Boy. I had it packaged and ready to go out Monday night and I dropped it off at the post office yesterday morning. Curiously, Stephen seemed to ignored the message I sent to him about the matter but sent me another message asking why I wasn't replying. I'm... confused by this. "Facebook says he's seen the message, but maybe we're just experiencing some weird hiccup in Messenger or something?" I wonder. I send him another message. He doesn't reply. I figure if I don't hear back from him within the next day I'll shoot him an email and maybe a PM here on CMO. (sidenote: I just realized that I don't have your email address, Stephen. I'd appreciate it if you could PM it to me or send me an email at [email protected])
But I didn't have to do either of those things. He replied. I woke up today to a message calling me a charlatan and several Facebook notifications to let me know he'd left some comments on my original sale post from December in the ChipWin Facebook group while I was asleep. A few people responded to his comments, a couple of people unfriended me, and Hoodie disabled comments on the post. Not sure what else to do, I decided to check here, found that this thread was still active, and here we are.
tl;dr recap:
-Sketchy bank transfer was not my idea, I was hesitant but I took the offer anyway because Stephen seemed legit and I needed the cash.
-Communication with Stephen has been pretty sus, especially with Facebook over the last couple of days leading up to the most recent post, and for some reason he won't just email me directly or PM me on here.
-I've now sent this guy two Gay Boys, and I at least have the tracking on the latest one to prove when he receives it.
-This is starting to feel like borderline libel and harassment from where I'm standing and I really don't appreciate it.
The dude is getting his Game Boy. The only reason he isn't get a refund instead is because apparently the only option we have is sketchy bank transfers and I'm not comfortable dealing with that again. I have done all that I can do, and I'm done.
P.S. I'm PMing him his new tracking number here on CMO right now. I'd also send him an email but I do not have his email address.
Last edited by Josh-Shmosh (Jun 1, 2017 1:09 am)
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Glasgow, Scotland.
Err, okay. Your post above contains some glaring omissions and inaccuracies, so let's try and make what actually happened clear:
1. Payment: It was you that said I couldn't use Facebook payments, not me, so it's bizarre that you are claiming otherwise - especially since you sent me a screenshot showing that. In any event, you received the money - through a direct bank transfer. TransferWise acts as a middle man to avoid exorbitant international fees. I did everything I could to try and get the cash to you since you wouldn't take PayPal. Bank transfers are only an issue for the buyer - not the seller. Precisely because of this issue that we are now having. I have zero recourse except to try and get you to stick to your word.
p.s. I'm not sure who in the UK you managed to send cash to using the Facebook payment service before me since it clearly wasn't available here before December: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/sci … -uk-launch
2. E-mail address: You already have my e-mail address - from the bank transfer that I sent you.
3. Messages: I posted publicly only after you failed to respond to me for weeks, and followed up as the episode dragged on for months because you hadn't bothered to reply to me via any of the mediums. I posted here, in the ChipTunes = Win Facebook group, on your wall... and Brandon H messaged you directly. I still didn't get a reply, or an e-mail on the address that you had for me.
4. From your screenshots, you claim to have sent me tracking information for a package after May the 1st (you can see the dates on my screenshots below, which make the timeline clearer). The tracking info you provided says the package was posted out yesterday - so what's the deal with that? It still took you another month to actually send it out after I asked for an update.
Here are my Facebook messages, since we are apparently posting them:
Isn't it interesting that there was no issue with your messages sending until there was a problem? It's also strange that you managed to reply fine to Brandon apparently, but your messages to me somehow got lost.
In any event, even if your messages weren't getting through, this has been going on for months. You knew it hadn't arrived, and you didn't make any effort to try and resolve the situation. You could have sent a refund or posted out a new DMG weeks ago and it would have arrived by now. Or e-mailed me... or replied to any of the forum or Facebook posts when you figured out there was an issue.
I have (finally) received the tracking info now via DM here, which shows that you posted the item out yesterday - only after I posted here, again - not back at the beginning of May as your weird screenshots above claim. Why didn't you post it out weeks or months ago? How could you have given me a tracking number before yesterday if you didn't post it out before then Even if you did have the tracking number for weeks, why didn't you post it out until yesterday when you said you already had? This whole thing stinks, and I don't trust you at all. At best it doesn't seem like you care, even if the messages weren't coming through.
FWIW, I have been extremely patient and convivial throughout this whole sordid episode, and given you the benefit of the doubt every step of the way until now. I am (rightfully) pissed off at this point. It should not have been this much of an issue to get you to do something, or for you to make some sort of effort to contact me properly and find a resolution. I posted on the Chiptunes = Win thread weeks ago and you never bothered to reply then, when you clearly saw it - long before the comments were closed.
You shouldn't be taking people's money if you aren't going to care about dealing with them properly. This should have been sorted out months ago, when your Facebook messages hadn't started to experience their mysterious disappearing act. As far as I'm concerned, now that you've finally given a response and provided a tracking number, there's nothing else to be said so long as it turns up in an acceptable condition. It really shouldn't have been this hard.
Last edited by unexpectedbowtie (Jun 1, 2017 4:00 pm)
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Abandoned on Fire
Essentially the same experience here. Not expecting to receive anything at this point.
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IL, US
seriously, you could ALMOST get the benefit of the doubt if it were only one instance, but what about Arnie who seems to have had similar experience with you?
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TSSBAY01
this guy likely was trying to get more for this thing from someone else and shopping it around elsewhere and couldnt get a buyer, so he gave you a song and dance. he 'made' another one, yet couldnt spring on tracking. sure pal. you'd think when you were entirely in the wrong like this, you wouldnt make a point of saying someone lowballed you. too bad you outed yourself as a scammer by trying to plead that case, much less anything else.
people do this kinda shit on discogs and ebay all the time where they list an item, dont send it/dont give tracking information, then they get pissed when the buyer asks for shipping/tracking info after 2-3 days. well, theres a reason for that. its because people do this kinda crap, listing stuff on multiple sites and if they get a bite, even get a sale, they refund the money, cancel the sale and take the neg, but still sell the item to who offers more. if anyone could give some other fitting scenario, i'd be really surprised. fuck people like this..
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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ el ass dee j
Hey Stephen,
I saw the update to this thread a few days ago and I was kinda shocked, but earlier in the week I found this seller.
https://tictail.com/s/pinnedandfabulous
Thought it was pretty funny that this item that bears a striking resemblance to the GB (which I have seen in person multiple times) which was posted on the same day you started complaining about the lost GB
https://tictail.com/s/pinnedandfabulous … oy-6111412
Also pretty funny how the contact email for the same seller includes your first/middle initials and last name. Plus it's located in the same city as you.
https://tictail.com/s/pinnedandfabulous/policies
Oh and I forgot to mention the Instagram of the seller reposted some posts from your personal Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUB-mJml87E … ndfabulous
It seems to be doing really well though, I will tell you that!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVC9TZhhlEN … ndfabulous
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVHSelJFE1L … ndfabulous
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVHeuucFAxi … ndfabulous
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVHxphmF3cB … ndfabulous
I think it's also worth noting that the mockup for the design was posted the day that he started complaining about the first one being lost in the mail.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BT9gD1GlHnf/
In case the store suddenly runs into a 404, the ig posts get deleted, or their information gets changed, I've taken the liberty of taking some screenshots.
You're claiming that a scam was made by a well-renowned modder who has been around for over 6 years in the scene, and you could've easily used inspect element (or even just deleted the messeges) on the messenger website (which we can't tell if it is thanks to conveniently cropped screenshots of what appears to be a laptop or desktop computer size window). Also considering that if it was a scam (which I highly doubt), he would've easily lost money just because of parts alone.
As for Facebook payments, it's entirely possible that Facebook payments could've been made with accounts registered in the US, or (more likely) Facebook did a small rollout to test the functionality, something that they're known for. You also explicitly say "Ah cos I'm in the UK probably," so you had some knowledge that you couldn't do this.
In regards to Arnie, not entirely sure/don't know too much of the details, but knowing (and commissioning) Josh in the past, he *will* get a job done, even if it takes a while. He's not the kind of dude to do that from what I've gathered talking to him.
I mean hell if we're really gonna start shit based around delays I've dealt with plenty of delays from established modders (even for just repairs) which some have lasted over a year. So as much as I hate to be that guy, I've been through worse.
I would like to propose, to finally clear this all up, to be PM'd the tracking so that a 3rd party can verify it was indeed shipped. I will post screenshots that dont reveal personal info. Something is *clearly* sus on the buyer side of things, and I'm surprised nobody else is seeing this.
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Glasgow, Scotland.
nanode wrote:
Thought it was pretty funny that this item that bears a striking resemblance to the GB (which I have seen in person multiple times) which was posted on the same day you started complaining about the lost GB
https://tictail.com/s/pinnedandfabulous … oy-6111412Also pretty funny how the contact email for the same seller includes your first/middle initials and last name. Plus it's located in the same city as you.
https://tictail.com/s/pinnedandfabulous/policies
It's not that funny. The reason the email is the same is because it is me. I haven't tried to hide that at all. I've actively promoted it under my name all over the place, so it's hardly a revelation. When I realised that I wasn't going to get my cash back from Josh, I decided to release a pin to try and recoup my losses, and to raise a bit of money for an LGBTQ charity at the same time. Josh doesn't sell pins, nor does he own the rights to the rainbow flag or the Game Boy design, so not sure what you think you have discovered here.
As for the actual DMG, I received a customs notice today to pay import tax for the item, which I've done. We'll see what sort of condition it appears in when it arrives on Monday. If it appears fine, then I'll gladly post pictures here and update.
I've been through worse.
The fact that other people have treated you shittilly in the past doesn't justify other shitty behaviour. That's a bizarre argument.
Last edited by unexpectedbowtie (Jun 9, 2017 7:57 pm)
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Glasgow, Scotland.
nanode wrote:
I would like to propose, to finally clear this all up, to be PM'd the tracking so that a 3rd party can verify it was indeed shipped. I will post screenshots that dont reveal personal info. Something is *clearly* sus on the buyer side of things, and I'm surprised nobody else is seeing this.
I've never disputed that something has now been posted out. I'm not sure why Josh had an issue with posting the tracking info here, but I don't:
LA150446990US
The issue has always been about Josh's lack of communication and concern for the fact that he sold something and didn't follow up for months when it didn't turn up. Like I said, I'll post when it arrives fine. As far as I'm concerned, that will be the matter closed.
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Abandoned on Fire
Yeah those pins are nice! Not sure what nanode is trying to say here?
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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ el ass dee j
unexpectedbowtie wrote:
The issue has always been about Josh's lack of communication and concern for the fact that he sold something and didn't follow up for months when it didn't turn up. Like I said, I'll post when it arrives fine. As far as I'm concerned, that will be the matter closed.
He did though, he sent you 2 DMs (as pictured by the screenshots he posted) over facebook with the tracking number. He's been communicative as possible given the circumstances he's been in as of late, and it's not his fault if he did really send them and facebook just never patched it through to you.
Also posting tracking info can reveal sensative data for both the seller and buyer, probably why he never shared it publicly.
I dunno, just seeing that along with this weird discrepency between a mobile screenshot of dms with desktop cropped screenshots, and then an attempt to recoup losses on pins based off of the design of a product you purchased seems kinda suspicous to me... especially with less than 10% of the funds going to charity (50p out of 6GBP)
Last edited by nanode (Jun 9, 2017 8:17 pm)
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Glasgow, Scotland.
nanode wrote:
He did though, he sent you 2 DMs (as pictured by the screenshots he posted) over facebook with the tracking number. He's been communicative as possible given the circumstances he's been in as of late, and it's not his fault if he did really send them and facebook just never patched it through to you.
He sent those messages more than 5 months after I paid for the item, and only after I kicked up a fuss here. Hardly communicative, even if the last few messages did legitimately go missing.
I dunno, just seeing that along with this weird discrepency between a mobile screenshot of dms with desktop cropped screenshots
Okay, since the issue is that I screenshotted off a desktop instead of a phone, here are mobile screenshots, taken about 5 minutes ago:
especially with less than 10% of the funds going to charity (50p out of 6GBP)
Yes, because as I said, I did this to try and get some of the cash back that I lost. In order to recoup the cost of the DMG, and the cost of the pins, I have to make at least £290. In any event, it might be less than 10% going to charity, but how much of the Game Boy sale went to charity? About 0% - so not sure criticising in that area makes much sense.
Last edited by unexpectedbowtie (Jun 9, 2017 8:39 pm)