Ripped off by user: VW99

[Jonny_FRS]

Right guys. . .

Bought a Bury CC9060 handsfree kit off VW99 (http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=7161) for £40, paid October 29th via Paypal, received the kit November 4th. Fitted the kit that evening as per the instructions on the Bury site and the touch screen element of the kit wasn't working. Notified VW99 that night (Nov 4th) via PM and sent him a video of the kit not working correctly:



VW99 replied to ask me to check all wiring and come back to him - which I did. I also contacted Bury direct who told me the issue sounds as though it is down to a faulty base/control unit due to it also not transmitting any bluetooth signal. Reported all this back to VW99, telling him I would return the kit in exchange for a full refund - he then stopped responding! After a couple of messages over the next 4 days he contacted me via PM to apologise for lack of responses and informed me that he had (seemingly) been in hospital and would message me when out. I then patiently waited for 10 days. . despite his account regularly showing as being 'Online' before contacting him again on November 18th and getting a message saying that he would contact me when home from work and that 'his friend also uses his account so must have been him online'. He finally did on November 20th asking me to return the handsfree kit back to his address, which was returned on November 22nd via Royal Mail Recorded Delivery and received on November 26th. VW99 committed to providing a refund once the item had been received and checked but surprise surprise - he has gone quiet since and wont answer messages now!

Sadly I paid via paypal gift so getting my £40 back seems highly unlikely but just wanted to give everyone a warning about VW99 being a scam artist. I've been very fair and patient with the guy right through, and messaged him 1 week ago to tell him that I was going to post this thread should I not receive my refund by Sunday night. I've smelt BS right the way through this but suppose my good nature got the better of me. £40 is a lot of money which I could have done without losing but lesson learned when it comes to sending payment as a gift. I bought off many people on this forum who are true enthusiasts and have been very friendly, honest and helpful - its a shame VW99 had to let the side down.

Thanks for reading.

[DANBOY66]

sad times

hope it gets sorted fella

[bacillus]

Sad times indeed!   
Have you tried reporting this matter to the police?

[Tortaruga]

Not good; unfortunately others on here have lost a lot more than £40.

[xjay1337]

Sad times indeed!   
Have you tried reporting this matter to the police?

Over a pre-owned hands free kit bought on a forum as a gift payment?

Have no chance. There's no proof to say that it wasn't broken when it was fitted by a non professional (I presume you did it yourself)

I'm not being a dick I'm just being honest from a legal point of view.

If it was genuinely faulty it would be honorable and moral to give a refund but there is no LEGAL comeback unfortunately. I can't see any posting activity since early November either

Again, despite warnings from people like Rich, myself and others, people pay via Gift payment and there's NO get back. Sorry to sound harsh but if you had bothered to take the advice and paid as a normal payment you'd not be in this position and would likely have had your money back by now.

[Human Joist]

I don't think gifting on PayPal is a bad idea at all it's the individual on here that's the arse. For example I have just been part of a group buy on the r32 forum for car mats and there were 40 odd people that got mats from one lad for £60 each and we all gifted the money. It's just the occasional fister that needs shooting in the face to stop him doing it again. Ban the fool

[Joesoap]

Pass the debt on or let someone else collect for you.
Or call and fix him yourself.

[Jonny_FRS]

Sad times indeed!  
Have you tried reporting this matter to the police?

Over a pre-owned hands free kit bought on a forum as a gift payment?

Have no chance. There's no proof to say that it wasn't broken when it was fitted by a non professional (I presume you did it yourself)

I'm not being a dick I'm just being honest from a legal point of view.

If it was genuinely faulty it would be honorable and moral to give a refund but there is no LEGAL comeback unfortunately. I can't see any posting activity since early November either

Again, despite warnings from people like Rich, myself and others, people pay via Gift payment and there's NO get back. Sorry to sound harsh but if you had bothered to take the advice and paid as a normal payment you'd not be in this position and would likely have had your money back by now.

To add some background to this, since sending the kit back I have bought the exact same kit second hand off ebay and successfully fitted it to my golf - the kit itself is fed off a wiring harness which runs from your HU harness into the back of your HU with a run off for a 12v ignition feed (which was already present on my car thankfully). I work in electronics and IT, with a previous background in the motor industry so I'd like to think I'm quite clued up when it comes to things like this. As said, I notified the seller that the kit was faulty on the day of arrival and have been more than fair and patient since then, even retuning the kit at my cost. His behaviour hasn't been so credible or honest, which goes completely against his favour.

Point taken about not having comeback with paypal gift payments, at the end of the day he seemed like a decent bloke but clearly my good nature has been taken advantage of so lesson learned on that front.

I don't think gifting on PayPal is a bad idea at all it's the individual on here that's the arse. For example I have just been part of a group buy on the r32 forum for car mats and there were 40 odd people that got mats from one lad for £60 each and we all gifted the money. It's just the occasional fister that needs shooting in the face to stop him doing it again. Ban the fool

Thanks for your support matey, i'd also agree with you're view on gift payments when dealing with someone who is decent and trustworthy. I've bought things in the past on forums from true enthusiasts who aren't out to rip other enthusiasts off, sadly there's always one who lets the side down!

 Thanks to everyone for their support

[edd666999]

  Even when scammed people still think gifting is a good idea.

[scopes]

Pass the debt on or let someone else collect for you.
Or call and fix him yourself.

No better way,  make the trip even if it did cost you money, wrap the door,... Don't let him away with it  




 

[Jonny_FRS]

Even when scammed people still think gifting is a good idea.

Trust me - never again now!

Pass the debt on or let someone else collect for you.
Or call and fix him yourself.

No better way,  make the trip even if it did cost you money, wrap the door,... Don't let him away with it 

 

He's in Birmingham and I'm sadly in Cumbria!

[xjay1337]

I don't think gifting on PayPal is a bad idea at all it's the individual on here that's the arse. For example I have just been part of a group buy on the r32 forum for car mats and there were 40 odd people that got mats from one lad for £60 each and we all gifted the money. It's just the occasional fister that needs shooting in the face to stop him doing it again. Ban the fool

I know I'm quite blunt but this has to be one of the most stupid posts I've read in a long time. I would suggest everyone ignores this and pays with Paypal in a normal manner (as a good of service).
Is a 4% fee too much to ask to cover...? Really? On £40 you're talking like £1.50...

With paying via Gift you have ZERO comeback. NOTHING. DE NADA. ZILCH. ZIPEDEE DO.

I'd piss myself if the lad took £60 from 40 of you and then disappeared. Absolutely NOTHING you can do it about it and to be honest you're asking for it.

Even when scammed people still think gifting is a good idea.

Exactly

I'm sorry but some of the comments in this thread are EXACTLY why people like me (and others) get frustrated at this site and it's complete lack of protection offered for buyers (and sellers) and why now I couldn't really give a crap.

People don't listen to good advice.  People are askholes  

OP - as I said I was being more of a devils advocate as much as anything else. There is no legal way you can get the money back. You've ignored previous advice which has been posted on here and I'm sure you've read elsewhere, and now you're £40 down.

Outside of going on the forum and complaining (which you are within your right to do I just think it would be a waste of time and energy. There's very very very limited (ie no) legal comeback so chalk it up to experience and be grateful it's not £400.

You need to LEARN FROM THIS and stop sending things as Paypal gift "even with your good nature". And this goes to everyone.....

I only ever use Paypal gift as payment if I'm either THERE picking something up myself (eg wheels) or paying a friend (someone I know PERSONALLY)

There are only scammers so long as there are naive people around (like you unfortunately). Good natured intent, you are now £40 down because you didn't want to pay fees.  

Sounds harsh but needs to be said.

[Jonny_FRS]

At the end of the day this thread is simply to warn other users/enthusiasts about this user, this is a community and users have no right to rip off other users whatsoever. Exposing them hopefully saves other users potential hassle as even if you were to pay via a protected method there is still the potential to be messed around at the very least then have to spend time claiming money back etc. The 'we told to so' approach to people naming and shaming, irrelevant to how they paid, is only going to deter users from naming and shaming and leave the forum over to further abuse.

As previously said, lesson learned about paying via PayPal gift and this thread isn't about that or me looking for methods to recover my money.

[Llew]

At the end of the day this thread is simply to warn other users/enthusiasts about this user, this is a community and users have no right to rip off other users whatsoever. Exposing them hopefully saves other users potential hassle as even if you were to pay via a protected method there is still the potential to be messed around at the very least then have to spend time claiming money back etc. The 'we told to so' approach to people naming and shaming, irrelevant to how they paid, is only going to deter users from naming and shaming and leave the forum over to further abuse.

As previously said, lesson learned about paying via PayPal gift and this thread isn't about that or me looking for methods to recover my money.

Well said

[simonp]

Some people insist on gift payments as a buyer could claim they never received anything and apply for a refund to get the money back.

PayPal is too full of loopholes that can be exploited in either direction...