To all of you "Word from the wise"

[boost_boy]

I recently viewed a situation whereas an item was sold to a member of NICO from a member of NICO, but the buyer was not happy with the condition of said item and felt that it was not delivered in the manner in which it was described. Buyer wanted refund, but seller refused to refund which ultimately creates a problem that could've been rectified by researching a would-be seller or purchasing from someone with a good selling history (Be smart and inquire). Requesting qualitative pictures is a must and do not send any money to anyone unless you're 100% satisfied with the window shopping.

As one of the moderators on NICO, I too have been scammed by a member in which I had given him the benefit of the doubt and paid him some $$$s for some simple parts. Well, I got excuses and other sad stories and ultimately ended-up being @ssed-out of $75 because some irresponsible jack-@ss failed to honor a transaction that seemed simple enough. So my point is this, be aware of who you are purchasing stuff from and know exactly what you are purchasing. You as the buyer have every right to request quality (not cell phone crap) photos of a product or item you are interested in. And if you are concerned, ask the members of the CA forum questions about another member or item you might be interested. It can't hurt and there is no cost for advice around here. It's the holidays, so be aware of scammers on NICO ( hope I'm wrong) and throughout the web.

[boost_boy]

Bumping this tid-bit for those that need it.

[roast]

On SON (son240sx.org) I implemented a locked classifieds section so scammers couldn't go and edit the original post or delete original text as the thread was the start of the sale agreement. I figured the member could always go back to the original, print it out and use it for backup if things went to court. It also reduced my need to admin a transaction gone wrong by looking at the original post or being a third party in a dispute.

One of the worst situations I saw was a board member posted in car chat that he was going to drive to Montreal because someone was closing a JDM import shop and selling SR's for dirt cheap... His offer was a smoking deal and free delivery... He collected 2+ full motorset payments, never went to Montreal and tried to pocket the money. I'm not sure what the outcome is however the police were involved and this guy has been charged with Fraud. The real board members rallied around the victims and provided as much info on the scammer as possible...

Boost_Boy's right, Caveat Emptor.