Today, my husband is meeting someone from a rescue group to turn over our dog, Ginger. This was a difficult decision to make, but in the end, it was the best decision -- for us AND for Ginger.
See, Ginger is a 4-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer. If you know anything about the breed, then you know they are HIGH ENERGY hunting dogs. They need exercise. Activity. They don't do so well with the laying around, chilling out thing -- at least, ours doesn't.
Poor Ginger just hasn't gotten much attention since Nicholas arrived -- even before that. Our focus has been on so many other things.....a new house/moving, our wedding, then my pregnancy, then the baby, now new jobs and my business......there really isn't much time or energy left for a dog.....especially a dog who craves activity.
While Andy was out of town, I placed an online ad on Petfinder.com and some other sites. And I quickly started getting E-mails......but they were from a bunch of scumbag scammers! Oh, let me tell you how this scam works.....and warn you: Don't fall for it!!
The first time somebody tried to pull this scam on me, I was selling a breast pump via Craigslist. They contacted me and said they were in California. Red flag #1. They weren't anywhere near me, so, of course, we couldn't meet or anything. If someone is contacting you from far away, then it's probably a scam....I mean, come on, there aren't any breast pumps for sale in CA?
Secondly, they wanted to pay with PayPal. Now, this wasn't a red flag to me -- I feel PayPal is pretty safe. I didn't think of somebody sending funds from an account that isn't their own, though. The scammers trying to "buy" my dog, however, wanted to pay with Cashier's check or money order. These should be red flags, because you can forge both, but I would say PayPal is more of a pink flag. And banks will cash these fake checks and money orders and then come after YOU later for the funds.
Red flag #3 -- they all mention that they have a mysterious, yet highly reliable, "shipper" who will pick up the item from me at my home when it's convenient for me. Hmmm......MAJOR clue that it's a scam. As soon as you see the word "shipper" and not "UPS" or "FedEx"....you will know.
Red flag #4 -- some of them wanted to make sure they could TRUST me in regards to the transaction. From one E-mail: "i'll like this transaction to be kept in outmost trust". OUTMOST trust....? What is that exactly? Does that mean you trust me NOT to report you after you steal my money....? Or you trust me to be a gullible moron....? How about this one: "I ALSO WANT THIS TO BASE ON TRUST CAN I TRUST YOU?" The more important question is, can I trust YOU? The answer is obviously, "Yes, I can trust you to steal my money."
Red flag #5 -- English is OBVIOUSLY NOT their first or even second language. Not ONE of these scammers had even semi-decent grammar. Some E-mails were hard to read while most were just laughable. They don't use verbs much.....or punctuation.
Okay, so we agreed on a price. Let's say $300 for the dog and a shipping crate. Oh, that was another thing -- nobody would talk about how they were shipping a LIVE dog. MAJOR RED FLAG. Or answer my questions about their home environment and where the dog would live. They all wanted to skip right to my "last asking price" and making payment as quickly as possible.
Then, they say they need my name and address for the cashier's check or money order. And OH, by the way.....they are going to add "some funds" to the total amount and TRUST ME to pay their shipper:
i have seen the price and its ok by me,then i will issue a cashier check to you.meanwhlie i will also include the some of $3000 on the payment so you should expect a cashier check of $3300.why is that the shipper that is coming for the pickup of the pet we collet the excees fund from you when he or she is coming foir the pickup at your location.
Wow....so, this TOTAL stranger is going to TRUST ME to handle their $3000....????! Oh, the reason for the extra amount? Because the shipper is picking up another 7 dogs "in my area", and I guess I must be the most trustworthy of the group to pay the SHIPPER.....?
Here's what scares me -- were they going to really take the dog? And, if so, what were they going to do with her.....? Maybe Michael Vick is behind this scam......
There are some really sick people out there. I almost wish I had continued with the scam and then made arrangements for the shipper to come "pick up" the dog.....and our fine boys in blue would be waiting there instead. My guess is that the shipper might not actually be part of the scam! Who knows?
Other signs someone is trying to scam you:
1. E-mails often end with "God Bless" and "Have a Nice Day!" They seem so nice, don't they? Somebody who blesses me would never SCAM me, right....?
2. They don't really seem to care about the item and often don't want details. When it came to my dog, only one asked for a photo. Some asked questions that seemed like they had cut and paste from some "form" E-mail......from a "How to Scam 101" manual or something. What are the "conditions" of the pet.....? Very few asked any NORMAL questions -- how old, is she good with kids, in good health, what's she like, why are you finding her a new home, etc.
3. Their names are weird....Tonne or Kerry or Mista. Or they might have a first name like "Joe" or "Jim" but then a weird last name. And their E-mail addresses are often odd, too, and make no sense. Rarely do they include their name. And they are usually from Yahoo or Hotmail.
4. They agree to any price waaaaay too quickly. Of course they do! They don't actually plan to PAY you anything. In fact, they basically ask, "what ARE the fees?" and don't really care what you answer. They just want to get you that "extra" amount ASAP, so you can pay their SHIPPER.
5. They usually offer you a little "extra" for your time and effort: "i will also compensate you $100 for your self for the running around" One scammer couldn't do his math, so I was actually going to LOSE money on the deal. I mean, I would be losing money anyway, because they would have MY money when it was all said and done, and I'm guessing I would be responsible to the bank or whomever. But this one scammer said to "keep" $100 for running around, but then the balance he told me to wire to his shipper included that amount! D'oh. Say it with me people -- RED FLAG.
For the PayPal scam, there were some other red flags. The person who contacted me originally was a man who lived in California. Payment came from a woman in Arizona. [Oh, and the note on her payment said it was for UNICEF!]. The "shipper" was in D.C. Red flag, red flag, red flag.
There is also a variation of this scam. Once I was trying to bid on iJoy chairs on eBay. I lost an auction but was the second highest bidder. Somebody contacted me and said they were the seller and the high bidder backed out -- did I want the chair? Well, of course I did! But first, I would have to wire cash [RED FLAG] via Western Union [RED FLAG] to England [RED FLAG!]........even the mention of Western Union is enough to tell you that it's a SCAM.
Fortunately, I didn't fall for any of these scams, and I hope you don't either! People like this make me sick....
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Baby's First Shoes
Nicholas got his first pair of shoes today. I was out shopping at lunch and popped into the nearby Gymboree. They are having a great sale, and lots of the summer stuff is 40% off. I picked up the CUTEST outfits for Nick -- with sailboats, so Daddy loved them, of course. He wore his one shirt to the Flying Scot regatta at Cowan Lake a few weeks back.
Anyway, I thought I should get some shoes for Nicholas, even though he isn't really walking. He can scoot around furniture and will walk if you hold his hands. But he hasn't learned to balance that big noggin just yet.
I had to guess at the size, since he wasn't there. I went with 4 and bought some cute summer shoes. He can wear them in the water, so they will be great at the ocean.
Got them home and thought I'd try putting them on him while he was busy stuffing his face with veggie poofs.
Oh my GOD! You would have thought I was beating the poor child, he was crying so hard. The shoes seemed to fit, so I don't know WHAT was wrong. I guess he doesn't like shoes -- which means he is so not related to me or my younger brother.....Curt might have had more shoes than Imelda Marcos at one point.....
Anyway, Andy got home last night, and I showed him the shoes. We are going to take the Pickle to the mall tonight and try fitting shoes on him and see how it goes. Maybe the 4s are too small, or maybe they were pinching his toes or maybe he just didn't like them. Don't know. But he's going to have to learn to wear shoes at some point!
Anyway, I thought I should get some shoes for Nicholas, even though he isn't really walking. He can scoot around furniture and will walk if you hold his hands. But he hasn't learned to balance that big noggin just yet.
I had to guess at the size, since he wasn't there. I went with 4 and bought some cute summer shoes. He can wear them in the water, so they will be great at the ocean.
Got them home and thought I'd try putting them on him while he was busy stuffing his face with veggie poofs.
Oh my GOD! You would have thought I was beating the poor child, he was crying so hard. The shoes seemed to fit, so I don't know WHAT was wrong. I guess he doesn't like shoes -- which means he is so not related to me or my younger brother.....Curt might have had more shoes than Imelda Marcos at one point.....
Anyway, Andy got home last night, and I showed him the shoes. We are going to take the Pickle to the mall tonight and try fitting shoes on him and see how it goes. Maybe the 4s are too small, or maybe they were pinching his toes or maybe he just didn't like them. Don't know. But he's going to have to learn to wear shoes at some point!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Christmas Came Early.....
....And it's called FATHER'S DAY! Wow, it's been a wild ride, Mr. Toad. Since May 30 or so, we've had record-breaking sales every day. Even the weekend was good, and the weekends are almost never good. So, if you are reading this, and you bought something from us for Dad, then THANK YOU! You rock!
This mad flurry of Dad Day sales motivated me to create some new designs for Dad. I've been so busy with my new job that I just haven't had time to work on anything new. :( Boo hoo, I know. So, I stayed up late one night and worked on some ideas that have been sitting on scraps of paper in my office.
That's usually what happens -- I get an idea, and I frantically search for a piece of paper to write it on, or else it could be gone in seconds. Funny.....wasn't that way BEFORE I had a baby.....?
What was I saying.....?
Oh yes, ideas. So, I pulled out some scraps, chuckled at a few, groaned at some others, and got to work. The result?
She's Having My Baby
Don't Need Directions
Okay, so that's all I had time to do for Dad.....I did work on some new designs in Spanish, too, but I will save those for my next post.....and some new baby designs, including a little series about baby starting the "Terrible Two's" early......please check them out!
Happy Father's Day to all, and to all....a good night! [Like I said, Christmas came early.....]
This mad flurry of Dad Day sales motivated me to create some new designs for Dad. I've been so busy with my new job that I just haven't had time to work on anything new. :( Boo hoo, I know. So, I stayed up late one night and worked on some ideas that have been sitting on scraps of paper in my office.
That's usually what happens -- I get an idea, and I frantically search for a piece of paper to write it on, or else it could be gone in seconds. Funny.....wasn't that way BEFORE I had a baby.....?
What was I saying.....?
Oh yes, ideas. So, I pulled out some scraps, chuckled at a few, groaned at some others, and got to work. The result?
She's Having My Baby
Don't Need Directions
Okay, so that's all I had time to do for Dad.....I did work on some new designs in Spanish, too, but I will save those for my next post.....and some new baby designs, including a little series about baby starting the "Terrible Two's" early......please check them out!
Happy Father's Day to all, and to all....a good night! [Like I said, Christmas came early.....]
Friday, June 1, 2007
Hello World!
It's been awhile since I posted to my blog.....just been SO busy with the new job and the got baby! biz. But life is GOOD, so I can't complain. The new job is absolutely wonderful -- I'm loving every second of it. My manager rocks, the company rocks, the work rocks, the shorter commute rocks, my title rocks, and my pay rocks. Making this move was the best thing I could have done -- for ME, for my mental health, for my creative inner child and for my career. I am one happy camper!
The got baby! business is going well, too, especially with Father's Day sales kicking into gear. May was better than December, so that's quite something. It enabled got baby! to buy a slick, High Def digital camcorder for filming advertisements and other stuff. And I got this killer 24" monitor for the biz. Really, I can't complain!
Oh wait....I got summoned for jury duty....two days before I leave for Las Vegas....is that cause to complain???
By the way, HELLO to any former co-workers and my husband's ex-wife who are still snooping around my blog....hope you're enjoying yourselves. I can see you in the log files....sorry my blog isn't the source of taboo opinions that it might have been in the past......
Later, gotta run! Baby Bird and I are both sick with some sort of cough and congestion thing. I'm going to bed early, in the hopes of beating this thing. I am off to Vegas for a trade show at the end of the month, so I need to make sure I'm well before that trip! Plus, I'm just sick of being sick.
The got baby! business is going well, too, especially with Father's Day sales kicking into gear. May was better than December, so that's quite something. It enabled got baby! to buy a slick, High Def digital camcorder for filming advertisements and other stuff. And I got this killer 24" monitor for the biz. Really, I can't complain!
Oh wait....I got summoned for jury duty....two days before I leave for Las Vegas....is that cause to complain???
By the way, HELLO to any former co-workers and my husband's ex-wife who are still snooping around my blog....hope you're enjoying yourselves. I can see you in the log files....sorry my blog isn't the source of taboo opinions that it might have been in the past......
Later, gotta run! Baby Bird and I are both sick with some sort of cough and congestion thing. I'm going to bed early, in the hopes of beating this thing. I am off to Vegas for a trade show at the end of the month, so I need to make sure I'm well before that trip! Plus, I'm just sick of being sick.
Friday, April 13, 2007
DNA is Like a Box of Chocolates
So, when Nicholas was first born, most people said he looked more like me. Granted, it's hard to tell with an infant so young, but I did agree with them......over the weekend, though, my mom said that Nick Knack was looking more like Andy! I took a close look at my baby and thought, "Hmmm....I just don't see it...." [or maybe I don't WANT to see it!]
What is lurking in Nicholas's DNA is 50% a mystery. As Forrest Gump would say, it's a box of chocolate....you never know what you're going to get! I suppose that could be true about what I passed on....the only thing I know for sure that I gave to that child are his toes! They are definitely my toes, and they are the same toes that my father has. We all have these lollipop big toes and the second and third are close together. In fact, that's the second thing I said in the delivery room right after, "He's so beautiful! And slippery!" I then said, "He has my feet!"
I remember when I was pregnant, and the doctor asked me about some test for a disease that is hereditary. I said, "Oh, that's okay....it doesn't run in my family." Then, I suddenly realized that I have NO idea what runs in Andy's family! It's because he was adopted, and he has never looked for his biological parents. Therefore, he could have all sorts of things lurking in the shadows of his genes....
Me, for example, I am half Greek. I already know what evil noses and big ears are hidden in my DNA. My grandmother had quite a schnoz! Thankfully, they don't seem to be dominate genes! So far, Nicholas has a cute, normal nose. We'll see if it becomes the German nose that both my brother's and I have.
My biggest concern with this unknown family history stuff is that we don't know what to look for or prevent.....physical appearance is pretty minor compared to the real problems he could have inherited. Like, does cancer run on Andy's side? Mental illness? Or something like that? Same for his girls.....we really don't know.
I guess there isn't much we can do but wait.....and see how our little baby grows....
What is lurking in Nicholas's DNA is 50% a mystery. As Forrest Gump would say, it's a box of chocolate....you never know what you're going to get! I suppose that could be true about what I passed on....the only thing I know for sure that I gave to that child are his toes! They are definitely my toes, and they are the same toes that my father has. We all have these lollipop big toes and the second and third are close together. In fact, that's the second thing I said in the delivery room right after, "He's so beautiful! And slippery!" I then said, "He has my feet!"
I remember when I was pregnant, and the doctor asked me about some test for a disease that is hereditary. I said, "Oh, that's okay....it doesn't run in my family." Then, I suddenly realized that I have NO idea what runs in Andy's family! It's because he was adopted, and he has never looked for his biological parents. Therefore, he could have all sorts of things lurking in the shadows of his genes....
Me, for example, I am half Greek. I already know what evil noses and big ears are hidden in my DNA. My grandmother had quite a schnoz! Thankfully, they don't seem to be dominate genes! So far, Nicholas has a cute, normal nose. We'll see if it becomes the German nose that both my brother's and I have.
My biggest concern with this unknown family history stuff is that we don't know what to look for or prevent.....physical appearance is pretty minor compared to the real problems he could have inherited. Like, does cancer run on Andy's side? Mental illness? Or something like that? Same for his girls.....we really don't know.
I guess there isn't much we can do but wait.....and see how our little baby grows....
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Whole Foods ROCKS
There's a Whole Foods grocery near my parents' house. This place ROCKS. I really wish we had one in Cincinnati.....maybe one day we will. I'm hopeful since Whole Foods bought Wild Oats, and we have that grocery.
So, if you haven't been to a WF, you are probably wondering, "What's so great about this place...? It's just a grocery store, after all....."
Just a grocery store. That's like saying the Louvre is "just an art museum." Oh lord, that is quite a dramatic analogy! But oh so fitting.
WF is not cheap, and you probably won't find Tide and Charmin there. Instead, you'll find all sorts of organic stuff. We like it for the organic stuff, but it's the fresh stuff that we love. The fish department is stellar, and they have all these wonderful cheeses, meats and prepared foods. Oh, and the bakery and fresh bread and wine department. Basically, it's ALL good.
While there, we bought some tuna burgers and these spicy buffalo burgers. They were giving samples away....which means there was a HUGE crowd in front of the counter. We bought a couple of burgers and froze them for this weekend. These burgers have quite a kick but are yummy!
We also spent some time in the wine department chatting about Viognier with someone who works there. We were trying to find a nice Champagne for my brother and his wife. They just moved into a new house. In addition to the Champagne, we found one of Andy's favorites, Hangtown Red from the Boeger Winery. He was THRILLED. And I found Wishing Tree Shiraz, which is one of my favorites. So, we were quite happy with our little detour to the wine department.
Maybe if I pray really hard to the Whole Foods gods, they will send one of their stores our way...
So, if you haven't been to a WF, you are probably wondering, "What's so great about this place...? It's just a grocery store, after all....."
Just a grocery store. That's like saying the Louvre is "just an art museum." Oh lord, that is quite a dramatic analogy! But oh so fitting.
WF is not cheap, and you probably won't find Tide and Charmin there. Instead, you'll find all sorts of organic stuff. We like it for the organic stuff, but it's the fresh stuff that we love. The fish department is stellar, and they have all these wonderful cheeses, meats and prepared foods. Oh, and the bakery and fresh bread and wine department. Basically, it's ALL good.
While there, we bought some tuna burgers and these spicy buffalo burgers. They were giving samples away....which means there was a HUGE crowd in front of the counter. We bought a couple of burgers and froze them for this weekend. These burgers have quite a kick but are yummy!
We also spent some time in the wine department chatting about Viognier with someone who works there. We were trying to find a nice Champagne for my brother and his wife. They just moved into a new house. In addition to the Champagne, we found one of Andy's favorites, Hangtown Red from the Boeger Winery. He was THRILLED. And I found Wishing Tree Shiraz, which is one of my favorites. So, we were quite happy with our little detour to the wine department.
Maybe if I pray really hard to the Whole Foods gods, they will send one of their stores our way...
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
New Tooth!
Last Thursday, Taylor called me to inform me that Nicholas had a tooth! I guess Andy was waiting for the girls at school and happened to notice something white in Nick Knack's mouth. He felt it and realized it was a tooth -- very exciting!
There's just one so far, and it's on the bottom. And let me tell you....my normally happy-go-lucky, smiling baby has been a little fussy and pill-ish from this whole teething experience. Even the day care ladies commented that he seemed a little fussy -- something they are NOT used to from Nick!
On Sunday night, he would scream every time I put him down in his crib. I finally gave him some apple juice with baby Tylenol in it. AND he and I slept in Taylor's bed [she was at her mom's]. He had a fitful sleep, but he did sleep....unlike his mother who is a light sleeper and wakes up at every little twitch!
It's okay....I did get to nap while he was at day care.....and he seems to have returned to his sweet, happy self. From what I've read, the first few teeth are the worst....so if THIS was the worst, then we are pretty darn lucky.....
There's just one so far, and it's on the bottom. And let me tell you....my normally happy-go-lucky, smiling baby has been a little fussy and pill-ish from this whole teething experience. Even the day care ladies commented that he seemed a little fussy -- something they are NOT used to from Nick!
On Sunday night, he would scream every time I put him down in his crib. I finally gave him some apple juice with baby Tylenol in it. AND he and I slept in Taylor's bed [she was at her mom's]. He had a fitful sleep, but he did sleep....unlike his mother who is a light sleeper and wakes up at every little twitch!
It's okay....I did get to nap while he was at day care.....and he seems to have returned to his sweet, happy self. From what I've read, the first few teeth are the worst....so if THIS was the worst, then we are pretty darn lucky.....
Monday, April 9, 2007
What is Wrong With the Dog?!?!?!??!???
Oh my GOD......never give a dog a lamb bone. This is a lesson I wish we hadn't learned the HARD, nasty way.....
This past weekend was Easter. It was also Greek Easter. So, we packed up Nick and the dog and headed up to visit my parents. As usual, we had a wonderful time and lots of great food. Nick tried some mashed potatoes and really liked them.
Well, since it was Greek Easter, we had lamb. And the lamb came with a bone. My dad and Andy decided it would be a good idea to give this bone to Ginger.....yes, in theory this sounds like an okay plan. Obviously, you wouldn't give chicken bones to a dog, but what's wrong with a little lamb bone, right....?
Ginger was thrilled with her bone and quickly devoured the entire thing. Yes, the entire thing....not sure how she did this, but there was no bone to be found.
That night, the trouble started....she seemed to have a little diarrhea.....okay, gross, but she was doing it outside....so, we put her away for the night and went to bed.
The next morning.....and here is where my story gets NASTY, so stop reading if you don't want all the gory details......well, the next morning we discovered that Ginger and her bowels had been rather busy all night! Thank goodness she's in an UNfinished part of the basement with cement floors.
I'm not sure if there was a jagged part of the bone that caused a little internal damage, because there was blood mixed in with all the brown stuff. I was wondering if she was going to die or something! It was pretty bad.
By the time Andy got home from work, she and her bowels were feeling fine and on their way to being normal. I refused to clean up the nasty mess, so Andy got out the bleach and a scrub brush and got busy. I had to clean up after that dog went through her second [and LAST] heat, because Andy was in China. That time, she had dripped all over the cement floor, so I was scrubbing with bleach on my knees for hours. Andy got a little luckier, although there was the brown stuff mixed in.....gross, gross, gross!
Needless to say.....knick knack, paddy-whack.....never give your dog a lamb bone! Hell, for that matter, we'll never be giving her any bones PERIOD unless they come from the pet store and are filled with something safe like peanut butter......
This past weekend was Easter. It was also Greek Easter. So, we packed up Nick and the dog and headed up to visit my parents. As usual, we had a wonderful time and lots of great food. Nick tried some mashed potatoes and really liked them.
Well, since it was Greek Easter, we had lamb. And the lamb came with a bone. My dad and Andy decided it would be a good idea to give this bone to Ginger.....yes, in theory this sounds like an okay plan. Obviously, you wouldn't give chicken bones to a dog, but what's wrong with a little lamb bone, right....?
Ginger was thrilled with her bone and quickly devoured the entire thing. Yes, the entire thing....not sure how she did this, but there was no bone to be found.
That night, the trouble started....she seemed to have a little diarrhea.....okay, gross, but she was doing it outside....so, we put her away for the night and went to bed.
The next morning.....and here is where my story gets NASTY, so stop reading if you don't want all the gory details......well, the next morning we discovered that Ginger and her bowels had been rather busy all night! Thank goodness she's in an UNfinished part of the basement with cement floors.
I'm not sure if there was a jagged part of the bone that caused a little internal damage, because there was blood mixed in with all the brown stuff. I was wondering if she was going to die or something! It was pretty bad.
By the time Andy got home from work, she and her bowels were feeling fine and on their way to being normal. I refused to clean up the nasty mess, so Andy got out the bleach and a scrub brush and got busy. I had to clean up after that dog went through her second [and LAST] heat, because Andy was in China. That time, she had dripped all over the cement floor, so I was scrubbing with bleach on my knees for hours. Andy got a little luckier, although there was the brown stuff mixed in.....gross, gross, gross!
Needless to say.....knick knack, paddy-whack.....never give your dog a lamb bone! Hell, for that matter, we'll never be giving her any bones PERIOD unless they come from the pet store and are filled with something safe like peanut butter......
Friday, April 6, 2007
2 Busy 2 Blog
Where does the time go? Before I know it, days have passed, and I've had zero time to blog! Just been so busy lately....I have found a moment while Nicholas is busy cooing at the Higgley Town Heroes and gnawing on a plastic doggy.
Things have just been crazy lately. I recently left my employer of eight years, and I was trying to wrap up as much as possible before I went. At the end, it was like a feeding frenzy for all of my stuff! I do admit I had some top notch equipment -- I think I'll miss my 24" Dell wide aspect monitor the most....sniff, sniff.....however, hubby has promised me that I can get one at home! March was our best month ever, so I get to "reward" myself with the monitor. This 19" flat panel seems so puny now....
Things have just been crazy lately. I recently left my employer of eight years, and I was trying to wrap up as much as possible before I went. At the end, it was like a feeding frenzy for all of my stuff! I do admit I had some top notch equipment -- I think I'll miss my 24" Dell wide aspect monitor the most....sniff, sniff.....however, hubby has promised me that I can get one at home! March was our best month ever, so I get to "reward" myself with the monitor. This 19" flat panel seems so puny now....
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Internet Scams.....Beware!
Recently, I decided it was time to try selling the Medela breast pump I barely used. I was going to use eBay, but I feel their fees are a little steep. So, I gave craigslist.com a try. Well, someone from California [who obviously knows English as a second language] contacted me and wanted to buy the pump....the fact that they weren't local should have been my first clue.....
Well, after several e-mails [that were usually one, very long, rambling paragraph], I agreed to sell them the pump and pay their shipper from money they were sending me via PayPal. Hey, it's PayPal, right? I figured I would be safe....how can they screw me over with PayPal....??
We paid about $320 for the pump, and I had it listed at $150. I figured shipping would be about $35 - 50, so I was looking for about $185 to show up in my PayPal account.....NOT $975! I suddenly get an e-mail from PayPal regarding this rather large deposit and then another e-mail from the "buyer" giving me details on what to do with this money.
Seems they had bought several items from sellers in Cincinnati, and they were entrusting me, a total stranger, with making payment to their "shipper" in Washington, D.C. And payment came from somebody in Arizona and was marked "UNICEF." Oh, and I was supposed to use WESTERN UNION to wire the money. And I was supposed to keep an extra $50 for my "trouble" of going to Western Union. However, the math didn't add up, and they didn't send me enough money nor did they tell me where to actually ship the breast pump....hmmmm.....
Are there really people who are THIS stupid or naive that they would fall for this scam? How many red flags do YOU notice in this scenario? Let's see....the horrible English.....all the different locations.....WESTERN UNION [major red flag]......not enough money......
Needless to say, I immediately contacted PayPal and explained the situation to them. They agreed it was a stolen account and scam and are supposed to put a freeze on the payment. Actually, they didn't seem all that concerned....which really surprised me! Wouldn't they have some interest in going after these people who are using THEIR system to scam others out of money.....? You would think so, but maybe not.
Luckily, a local woman contacted me about the breast pump, and I sold it to her instead. She's due in July, and I hope she gets more use from the breast pump than I did! Now, can I interest you in a Chicco carrier.....?
Well, after several e-mails [that were usually one, very long, rambling paragraph], I agreed to sell them the pump and pay their shipper from money they were sending me via PayPal. Hey, it's PayPal, right? I figured I would be safe....how can they screw me over with PayPal....??
We paid about $320 for the pump, and I had it listed at $150. I figured shipping would be about $35 - 50, so I was looking for about $185 to show up in my PayPal account.....NOT $975! I suddenly get an e-mail from PayPal regarding this rather large deposit and then another e-mail from the "buyer" giving me details on what to do with this money.
Seems they had bought several items from sellers in Cincinnati, and they were entrusting me, a total stranger, with making payment to their "shipper" in Washington, D.C. And payment came from somebody in Arizona and was marked "UNICEF." Oh, and I was supposed to use WESTERN UNION to wire the money. And I was supposed to keep an extra $50 for my "trouble" of going to Western Union. However, the math didn't add up, and they didn't send me enough money nor did they tell me where to actually ship the breast pump....hmmmm.....
Are there really people who are THIS stupid or naive that they would fall for this scam? How many red flags do YOU notice in this scenario? Let's see....the horrible English.....all the different locations.....WESTERN UNION [major red flag]......not enough money......
Needless to say, I immediately contacted PayPal and explained the situation to them. They agreed it was a stolen account and scam and are supposed to put a freeze on the payment. Actually, they didn't seem all that concerned....which really surprised me! Wouldn't they have some interest in going after these people who are using THEIR system to scam others out of money.....? You would think so, but maybe not.
Luckily, a local woman contacted me about the breast pump, and I sold it to her instead. She's due in July, and I hope she gets more use from the breast pump than I did! Now, can I interest you in a Chicco carrier.....?
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