I have found a pin I want that is a long way away. I am always worried about scams so my policy has been to always pick up and then cash. In this instance I can not pick up.
1. What advise, steps can be taken to protect yourself? 2. Who is the best shipper? What about it crossing the border? 3. What about payment? Is there a way to have a 3rd party clear once both sides are satisfied?
Any other tips.
Thank you
Current Lineup: Black Knight, Riverboat Gambler, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Flintstones, Orbitor 1, Wipe Out, Breakshot, The Simpsons Pinball Party, Fish Tales, Eight Ball and a 60 in 1 Cocktail.
That couldn't be said loudly enough. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. This machine isn't coming from Calgary is it? I'M NOT HARPING ON CALGARY HERE, but there is a known scammer out that way and he's still active.
Now that that's out of the way..
I can't comment on shippers, but there are a few on here (ie. Hardkor) who use shippers for pins all the time so they may be able to help.
Payment, though.. try to stick with your credit card if possible, it's probably your only insurance here. Unless the seller is willing to go escrow with your payments (you pay him after you're satisfied with the machine), but if the seller is legit, he would be just as worried as you are.. ie. how does he know you're not trying to scam him?
If he has Paypal, even better.. if he's gripes about Paypal fees, throw him a few bones extra to make it worth his while.
If he is a truly legitimate seller, he should understand your worry and be willing to work with you on this.. if he starts to back out once you start suggesting safer ways of doing things, he's probably a scammer.
Hope that helps.. this is advice from someone who was burned heavily in the past (by said scammer in Calgary)
Own Magic, Star Gazer, Batman Forever, STTNG, Mystery Castle (project)
Gone Fairy, Secret Service, Meteor x3, Title Fight, Eight Ball Deluxe, Bone Busters Inc., Seawitch, Starship Troopers, Strange Science, Arena, Hook, Pin*Bot x2, Time Warp, Motordome, Robocop, Black hole, Jurassic Park , Wipe-Out, Pinball Pro: Challenger I, Swords of Fury, Stargate, Party Zone
Say 'yes' to classic Sterns. Complete MAACA-Wacko!
Posts
2,680
Gender
Male
Posts Per Day
1.31
Time Online
655 days 1 hours 13 minutes
Location
London, Ontario
Age
33
The only way I will ever buy a machine from a long-distance is if the seller is known in the pinball community, has a proven track record with a decent reputation and can provide references. Even then, I will assume and expect that the machine will have issues I'll need to fix when it arrives no matter how perfect the seller says it is.
If the seller is a complete unknown among the maaca/RGP community, has a GREAT machine at a ROCK BOTTOM price, drops communication once you start asking tough questions and can't provide any references or proof that he has the machine he says he has, move along... you're being scammed.
That couldn't be said loudly enough. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. This machine isn't coming from Calgary is it? I'M NOT HARPING ON CALGARY HERE, but there is a known scammer out that way and he's still active.
Now that that's out of the way..
I can't comment on shippers, but there are a few on here (ie. Hardkor) who use shippers for pins all the time so they may be able to help.
Payment, though.. try to stick with your credit card if possible, it's probably your only insurance here. Unless the seller is willing to go escrow with your payments (you pay him after you're satisfied with the machine), but if the seller is legit, he would be just as worried as you are.. ie. how does he know you're not trying to scam him?
If he has Paypal, even better.. if he's gripes about Paypal fees, throw him a few bones extra to make it worth his while.
If he is a truly legitimate seller, he should understand your worry and be willing to work with you on this.. if he starts to back out once you start suggesting safer ways of doing things, he's probably a scammer.
Hope that helps.. this is advice from someone who was burned heavily in the past (by said scammer in Calgary)
Who is this person so I can avoid? If the machine is in Calgary let me know and I can try to take a look at it for you. Yes try to pay from something like PayPal. I just bought my SWE1 from the US and he wanted money order but I convinced him to use PayPal. I had to front the PayPal fees but I was happy to have the extra insurance.
If shipping from the US, I recommend getting it sent to a receiver just on the US side of the border. That way you can declare it and pay taxes yourself, no broker needed, and shipping is usually cheaper too. I used http://www.corp-center.com/ to get my RFM from New Jersey.
Have
Want
-The Getaway: High Speed II!! -Spider-Man -F-14 Tomcat -Guns N' Roses -Lord of the Rings -Twilight Zone
-Medieval Madness! -Indiana Jones (Williams) -Star Trek: The Next Generation -Champion Pub -Terminator 3 -Congo -Johnny Mnemonic -Tales of the Arabian Nights
Who is this person so I can avoid? If the machine is in Calgary let me know and I can try to take a look at it for you. Yes try to pay from something like PayPal. I just bought my SWE1 from the US and he wanted money order but I convinced him to use PayPal. I had to front the PayPal fees but I was happy to have the extra insurance.
Lance
Google "Ivo Jebsen", he'll come up. Quite notorious.. it's amazing he's not behind bars. I practically handed the police his home address...... . . .
He's the western version of Ontario's very own Mark Uttley / Andersen
Own Magic, Star Gazer, Batman Forever, STTNG, Mystery Castle (project)
Gone Fairy, Secret Service, Meteor x3, Title Fight, Eight Ball Deluxe, Bone Busters Inc., Seawitch, Starship Troopers, Strange Science, Arena, Hook, Pin*Bot x2, Time Warp, Motordome, Robocop, Black hole, Jurassic Park , Wipe-Out, Pinball Pro: Challenger I, Swords of Fury, Stargate, Party Zone
Jester
Male
Logged
, Wipe-Out, Pinball Pro: Challenger I, Swords of Fury, Stargate, Party Zone
MAACA ARCHIVES - JOIN THE NEW FORUM AT HTTP://WWW.MAACA.ORG › General Boards › MAACA Forum and Chat › Advise - Buying a pin long distance
