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[FEB 12 UPDATE] !RETURNED! - Dell’Otto
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210 posts in this topic

29 minutes ago, PhilipB2k17 said:

Contact the FBI, and copy PayPal on the communication. This is mail fraud. Also contact the local police department where this guy lives, the sheriff’s department, and the California Attorney Generals Office. Who knows how many other people he’s scammed like this. 

 

Definitely. It’s a cross-border issue now which is particularly frrustrating. 

0F8BB790-B767-4A42-8192-CB7F3F8C76A7.jpeg

Edited by RS88
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10 minutes ago, wurstisart said:

Just a thought, could it be the mail man instead of him ? Just a thought and I am not taken any sides.

Mailman would not know the nuances of the transaction to make such a bold move. It's the thief Visalia. 

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1 minute ago, RS88 said:

And how the border grew!

A letter, email, and voicemail stating how serious you are about seeing this through might go a long way. Let him know that legal actions will begin if it is not returned within x amount of days. 

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Man this stinks. I was recently taken for a 900 dollar lot from an eBay sale through the Global Shipping Program. Don't get me started on eBay and Paypal's absolute disregard for sellers. I haven't listed or sold a single item since because of the hours of wasted time arguing and utter disgust I feel for these companies that allow this to happen.

Edited by cstojano
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9 hours ago, RS88 said:

...

2. ..., but he did not have a gallery or any art posted 

3. Requested an invoice be sent via PayPal, which was done and the Dell’Otto was sent overnight

...

These two points, the first a red flag (but only and not necessarily anything more); the second, especially married to the first always very high risk. Ask for a check or money order (everybody) next time. How the other party responds, by itself, can often tell you all you need to know!

The above zero help to OP for this deal but good for next time and for everyone else that ever reads this.

For OP...this is a stolen property matter for the police department in both locales. If the money is big enough, probably is, also should be moved up to the FBI. I doubt any of this will bring the money or the art back, per se, but it will put all parties on notice and actually, maybe, just the threat of this may motivate this guy to re-think if he wants it to end this way.

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5 minutes ago, vodou said:

These two points, the first a red flag (but only and not necessarily anything more); the second, especially married to the first always very high risk. Ask for a check or money order (everybody) next time. How the other party responds, by itself, can often tell you all you need to know!

The above zero help to OP for this deal but good for next time and for everyone else that ever reads this.

For OP...this is a stolen property matter for the police department in both locales. If the money is big enough, probably is, also should be moved up to the FBI. I doubt any of this will bring the money or the art back, per se, but it will put all parties on notice and actually, maybe, just the threat of this may motivate this guy to re-think if he wants it to end this way.

I just don't see how the police sort out the "he said, she said" aspect of these types of crimes. How do you prove you sent the OA? A recording of you measuring the art at the post office and handing it to the postal worker to tape closed?? I doubt even that would work. Plus no one cares, the police won't bother with this I suspect. 

Edited by cstojano
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14 minutes ago, cstojano said:

I just don't see how the police sort out the "he said, she said" aspect of these types of crimes. How do you prove you sent the OA? A recording of you measuring the art at the post office and handing it to the postal worker to tape closed?? I doubt even that would work. Plus no one cares, the police won't bother with this I suspect. 

They don't sort out or care, all true. You just create the record and wait for the art to show up again one day, then point to back to the record to get the ball rolling. Doing this isn't about trying to get relief, getting or expecting to get relief, more of a due diligence and service to the hobby thing. But occasionally it does work out, see Albert Moy example. Patience is required. That one took about a decade to work out.

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7 minutes ago, stinkininkin said:

Forgive my ignorance, but if payment is sent via paypal personal (friends and family, no paypal fees), then the buyer doesn't have paypal's backing if they seek a refund?

Sorry you got scammed RS88!

Correct. Not the rememdy for two parties that don't know each other already or have any particularly good reason to. Example: I've never done business with Scott but I'd be fine sending him friends payment because I know his good reputation going on 40 years is worth more than: stealing hundreds or even some thousands from me. Most others on this board...not the same. Exception is if there is a sense of or explicit headlines somewhere that there's chaos in the room, desperation, etc (disease, divorce, etc) then...no, as we all know desperate men in desperate times can act in desperate ways.

Then there's Larry Stroman. No. No. And no. On pure reputation alone (the opposite of Scott's).

 

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1 minute ago, Will_K said:

Out of curiosity, would CollectInsure.com cover this situation ?

They say they cover "theft".  So a police report is required to file a claim, correct ?

 

Maybe (don't know, not and never have been a policyholder), but...usually one-n-done post-claim; meaning: they boot you and you are uninsured again.

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Crazy story.  Just horrible.  

I find it hard to believe that Paypal is a closed part of this and cannpt do anything because of a technicality.  From OP's perspective there was no valid return--so if it's not under the original dispute, why can't OP open up another dispute?  And absolutely, calling Paypal and getting past the first Rep would be essential.

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13 minutes ago, Ironmandrd said:

Crazy story.  Just horrible.  

I find it hard to believe that Paypal is a closed part of this and cannpt do anything because of a technicality.  From OP's perspective there was no valid return--so if it's not under the original dispute, why can't OP open up another dispute?  And absolutely, calling Paypal and getting past the first Rep would be essential.

I was given the tip to reach out to eBay Business on social media. Facebook linked a live video of their's in my feed so I unleashed in the comments section about how poorly they treat sellers. Ultimately I got PMed by someone from eBay business who threw a technicality* in my face and I was done again. I am sure the same may work with Facebook. Sadly at this point,  both companies have such poor reputations that I doubt these types of approaches hold as much water as the "airline killed my dog" tweets. 

 

*I did not follow eBay procedure to send the scam buyer another 100 US dollars for return shipping from Australia because I knew from another seller that he would pull the same scam as OP suffered (a cheap copy in return). Note: Global Shipping requires you to pay return shipping from whatever country the item goes to. Said buyer has since been de-registered from eBay but customer service, of course, cannot possibly divulge why as this violates the user's privacy. 

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30 minutes ago, vodou said:

Maybe (don't know, not and never have been a policyholder), but...usually one-n-done post-claim; meaning: they boot you and you are uninsured again.

"one-n-done" might've come in handy in this case.

The guy must be a true and proud Dell’Otto fan to commit fraud and theft.  But I feel sorry for Dell’Otto.

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1 minute ago, Will_K said:

"one-n-done" might've come in handy in this case.

The guy must be a true and proud Dell’Otto fan to commit fraud and theft.  But I feel sorry for Dell’Otto.

My guess is the guy could care less about the artist. He found a mark and went for it. The art will resurface shortly somewhere for sale. 

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1 hour ago, stinkininkin said:

Forgive my ignorance, but if payment is sent via paypal personal (friends and family, no paypal fees), then the buyer doesn't have paypal's backing if they seek a refund?

Sorry you got scammed RS88!

Thanks Scott!

Yah, I definitely take ownership in being naïve and ignoring the red flags.  This situation may not turn out well for me - but I just want everyone to watch out and be careful.  If anything my story is meant to protect you awesome people in the future.

If my payment was personal, turd-burgler wouldn't have been able to dispute it. 

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22 minutes ago, Blastaar said:

My guess is the guy could care less about the artist. He found a mark and went for it. The art will resurface shortly somewhere for sale. 

Yup, he did (Just a dumb trusting Canadian....).  I feel that there's not alot of room for him to go anywhere from here, and I'm sure this tight-knit community will eviscerate him he ever pops up.

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