Getting scammed on the forum

[JopagocksNY]

Hey all. So I'm a fairly new member and have found that you have an extensive "for sale" section. I've also noticed that a bunch of people have been burned on their purchase. I'm thinking about purchasing some irons, so what's the best way to protect myself from getting scammed? And if I do, is their any way to get my money back? What do you recommend?

[Shimsham]

I'd assume PayPal or combo it with ebay auction.

[PutterFingers]

Make sure you pay with "goods and services" on Paypal, do not ever "friends and family gift" payment to a seller as it will remove all paypal protection from your purchase.

[SubaruWRX]

Use paypal and DO NOT gift payment.

And check the sellers feedback. Have they been a member long? Are they forum contributors or just joined and only post in the BST here and there?

Do your homework and enjoy.

There are wall less bad transactions here percentage wise compared to everywhere else I've bought golf items from.

Good luck!

[JopagocksNY]

Make sure you pay with "goods and services" on Paypal, do not ever "friends and family gift" payment to a seller as it will remove all paypal protection from your purchase.

 

PayPal seller protection guarantees money reimbursement if you get scammed? How does that work. Sorry if I sound ignorant. Just wondering how it all works.

[JopagocksNY]

Use paypal and DO NOT gift payment.

And check the sellers feedback. Have they been a member long? Are they forum contributors or just joined and only post in the BST here and there?

Do your homework and enjoy.

There are wall less bad transactions here percentage wise compared to everywhere else I've bought golf items from.

Good luck!

 

Maybe the forum needs a section that verifies that a seller is legit. For instance, a stickie where you can give a positive/negative rating to someone. List the item you about. Include their username so it is searchable. Etc. Might help a lot.

[dearth12]

Use paypal and DO NOT gift payment.

And check the sellers feedback. Have they been a member long? Are they forum contributors or just joined and only post in the BST here and there?

Do your homework and enjoy.

There are wall less bad transactions here percentage wise compared to everywhere else I've bought golf items from.

Good luck!

 

Maybe the forum needs a section that verifies that a seller is legit. For instance, a stickie where you can give a positive/negative rating to someone. List the item you about. Include their username so it is searchable. Etc. Might help a lot.

 

 

That is what feedback is for. You will find that most people on here are honest people and those that aren't are quickly found out. If you purchase through PayPal and DO NOT GIFT THE PAYMENT you will be fine.

[tatertot]

So you've been a member for 2 weeks, and not bought or sold anything, but your ready to recommend changes on how to make the BST a better place for all Golf WRXers?

 

Yeah, you'll fit right in around here.

[T Shaf]

Extensive BST - yes

 

Bunch of people getting burned - no

 

do some research...

[JopagocksNY]

Extensive BST - yes

 

Bunch of people getting burned - no

 

do some research...

 

 

 

The BST Dispute forum proves otherwise. The term "bunch" is open for interpretation. Cheers.

[Jojodimaggio]

You're from NY you should be able to spot a scammer

[T Shaf]

Extensive BST - yes

 

Bunch of people getting burned - no

 

do some research...

 

 

 

The BST Dispute forum proves otherwise. The term "bunch" is open for interpretation. Cheers.

 

44 out of 21654 - cheers.

 

Look at the dates in the section you reference. Maybe you should go to eBay to purchase stuff...much safer there.

[VNutz]

Know what you're buying, ask questions and don't be afraid to walk away if the seller can't answer sufficiently.

[JopagocksNY]

Extensive BST - yes

 

Bunch of people getting burned - no

 

do some research...

 

 

 

The BST Dispute forum proves otherwise. The term "bunch" is open for interpretation. Cheers.

 

44 out of 21654 - cheers.

 

Look at the dates in the section you reference. Maybe you should go to eBay to purchase stuff...much safer there.

 

There's always one.

 

Thanks for helping me out. Maybe I'll do that instead.

[JopagocksNY]

You're from NY you should be able to spot a scammer

 

Hahahahaha

[wobgon]

Extensive BST - yes

 

Bunch of people getting burned - no

 

do some research...

 

 

 

The BST Dispute forum proves otherwise. The term "bunch" is open for interpretation. Cheers.

 

44 out of 21654 - cheers.

 

Look at the dates in the section you reference. Maybe you should go to eBay to purchase stuff...much safer there.

 

There's always one.

 

Thanks for helping me out. Maybe I'll do that instead.

Make that two.

[Cincygolf17]

Block list updated.

[SubaruWRX]

Added to block list. Odd way to achieve that, but it worked.

[JopagocksNY]

Thanks all for the help. I really appreciate the feedback.

[Jojodimaggio]

You have 12 post and 16 blocked members. Wow impressive

[JopagocksNY]

You have 12 post and 16 blocked members. Wow impressive

 

 

Wait what!? What did i do? Everyone is misunderstanding me.

[JopagocksNY]

If I offended anyone I apologize. I did not mean to do that. I thought that I was being attacked by Tshaf. I'm very confused, all I did was ask a question, and all my responses were sincere.

[sharkiesj]

The only way to really protect yourself from being burned is to not use paypal, do not use eBay, and do not send money or receive goods in the mail. Meet the person instead, local only. If you see something that you want that someone from Florida is selling, too bad. Don't do it. Local meet and greet only. That way you're sure of what you're getting and you don't get screwed over.

[T Shaf]

If I offended anyone I apologize. I did not mean to do that. I thought that I was being attacked by Tshaf. I'm very confused, all I did was ask a question, and all my responses were sincere.

 

attacked? No man, I was pointing out you're flawed conclusion that a bunch of people get scammed here. You respond to my first post and reference a section of the forum that, while unfortunately necessary, actually disproves your assertion - you did notice there's 4 pages in the dispute section, since 2007??? The 1st page goes back to 2014.

 

The BST is safe but not perfect. At the size it is now, it cannot be without incident. The only time I was burned was back in 2007 and it eventually got resolved (multiple people had issues from same seller). Obviously I still use it. While we have mods, the BST primarily is policed by members...many of whom are incredibly effective at making someones life a bit uncomfortable if they do scam our members.

 

While the numbers aren't this simple, the 44 out of 21654 I posted last night - should've been 44 compared to 21654. 44 less than "good" reported feedback over the last year, 21,654 reported "good" feedback left...the BST is safe..."perfection is unattainable."

[Bomber61]

Block list updated.

 

Lol really? Wow...

 

Added to block list. Odd way to achieve that, but it worked.

 

Unbelievable ...

[wobgon]

Block list updated.

 

Lol really? Wow...

 

Added to block list. Odd way to achieve that, but it worked.

 

Unbelievable ...

Some folks are easily wowed and have a hard time believing things.

[Liquid_A_45]

OP Idk if you've ever been an active member on a specialized forum or not but let me give you some advice.

 

I've been an active member of several types of forums (golf, hunting. Auto, etc) and in my experiences I've had the best buying and selling transactions with people through those markets than places like eBay or Craigslist. Buy doing a little research and looking at the sellers post count and feedback it'll help you out. Also check and see how many likes they have. Member's with a good amount of posts/likes and good feedback are 99.999% likely NOT to be scamming anyone on the forum because they have a vested interest here. Unlike someone on eBay who does not. There's always an exception but i have dozens of transactions buying used golf clubs, duck calls and auto parts on forums and I've never had an issue.

[JopagocksNY]

If I offended anyone I apologize. I did not mean to do that. I thought that I was being attacked by Tshaf. I'm very confused, all I did was ask a question, and all my responses were sincere.

 

attacked? No man, I was pointing out you're flawed conclusion that a bunch of people get scammed here. You respond to my first post and reference a section of the forum that, while unfortunately necessary, actually disproves your assertion - you did notice there's 4 pages in the dispute section, since 2007??? The 1st page goes back to 2014.

 

The BST is safe but not perfect. At the size it is now, it cannot be without incident. The only time I was burned was back in 2007 and it eventually got resolved (multiple people had issues from same seller). Obviously I still use it. While we have mods, the BST primarily is policed by members...many of whom are incredibly effective at making someones life a bit uncomfortable if they do scam our members.

 

While the numbers aren't this simple, the 44 out of 21654 I posted last night - should've been 44 compared to 21654. 44 less than "good" reported feedback over the last year, 21,654 reported "good" feedback left...the BST is safe..."perfection is unattainable."

 

Thanks for reaching back out to clarify. My problem was that I was only using the GolfWRX app. I hadn't used the actual website to interact until now. The app didn't allow me to see certain things like feedback. I didn't mean any ill will.

[blink3665]

You can take what most members have mentioned in this thread. It's a pretty extensive list.

 

NEVER GIFT

Know what you're buying. For instance, ask about standard loft and lie. Has it been reshafted? Is the shaft a pull? Are there any extensions? Swing weight? Should you ask for more pictures? Clearer pictures? Is there anything in the picture that you don't like (Is that a scratch or a dog hair?).

Some sellers won't be able to answer all of these questions. That doesn't mean it's not legit, but it means that you will have to make a decision about if you actually want to buy it.

Never be afraid to ask questions about the product. If the seller refuses to clarify questions, proceed with caution.

NEVER GIFT

Check the person's feedback. Do they have any negatives?

NEVER GIFT

Check out their posts. Are they active?

NEVER GIFT

 

I'm sure there are others that im forgetting. But keep in mind that TShaf is correct. There is a very small amount of transactions that go sideways but more go well.

 

Did I mention that you shouldnt gift?

[Medic]

OP, you've received some solid advice about buying on here. It's perfectly safe most of the time - those who got taken allowed themselves to be victimized in many cases.

 

There are several other threads all about staying safe in the BST, buying and selling, sending money, etc. Do a search, a little research, and be careful how you respond. First impressions go a long way in this place and this thread represents yours.