Hey, guys. I learned the hard way that it's real easy to get scammed online. I was trying to buy some parts for my car and ended up getting scammed out of my money.
The part was a replacement driver's seat for my daily driver and the deal seemed reasonable at face value. However, after receiving the payment, they never answered another text or call and the tracking number they gave me was bogus.
This whole bad trip has got me thinking. What can I do to avoid getting scammed next time if there ever is a next time?
Which website did you buy it from, and how did you pay?
Mazdas247 forums. Posted about needing a replacement seat. Another usee pm'd me and gave me their number to text. Gave me a picture of the seat and it was ligit. I paid them through cashapp and they sent me a tracking number for FedEx, but FedEx said the tracking number wasn't real and that there were no shipments going to my address. Paid spokeo a dollar to hunt down the owner kd the number they gave me and the name on the number didn't match the name of the person I sent money to on cashapp. I reported the scam to cashapp and tried to order a stop payment with my bank hut they're closed today and won't open until Tuesday because tomorrow's a national holiday.
That sucks.
One way to make purchases like that is to use an escrow company. It's a third party that holds the funds until the goods are delivered. People usually use them for big ticket items like cars though. Not sure if the fees are worth it for smaller value items.
Make sure you call them out in the forum and report them to the admins as well.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive answer (you could write a whole essay on this topic), but when I buy online I try to buy from reputable websites/sellers in the first place, even if I have to pay a little more, but I want that piece of mind. If I stumble upon a site I’ve never heard of nor done business with I check BBB (Better Business Bureau) for any complaints/issues, including online reviews/videos, and ask around (friends, coworkers, even Forums - and now this one!!). I also pay by credit card (and sometimes PayPal), which will give my money back if the company/seller does not deliver within a certain time period. Finally, for big ticket items like a very expensive scan tool - couple hundred to a few thousand $$$ - I buy from an authorized dealer.
