I won the bid on ebay for $1860 from a guy in Tulsa. The ad said he'd take VISA.

I'm getting 3rd party mail from "SBW World Shipping" wanting me to wire Western Union money to this address:
Street:156A Southampton Row
City:London
Zipp:WC1B 5AR
Country:United Kingdom
They warn me in the email not to tell Western Union what the money is for. They want me to tell Western Union that the moneyit is for a friend.
Are people really that stupid.
I'm gonna call the guy in the morning. I called today his secretary seemed ligit but he wasn't in.

I sent ebay copies of the emails.
Please, any input is welcomed.

First blush, seems like a scam to me. I'd be super careful.

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Bill
Yamaha PSR2000

Boo, I agree with Bill on this. The price sounds way too good to be true.

If the Ebay ad says they accept VISA then they're bound to that agreement. Absolutely DO NOT wire them cash, as you'll more than likely never receive the PA1xPro or your money. Paying by credit card is your ONLY protection, and that itself remains limited.

Good luck.

Scott

What' funny is I called a number for him earlier this afternoon and a woman whom I assumed was his secretary seemed legit. She said he was a famous Banjo player and that he and his wife played around Tulsa. She even said he played keyboard. She was going to try to reach him and have him call me.

A while later I called a second time and a man answered with a company name I didn't catch and said he definitely would not send Western Union money and that I'd best call Rick Bentley back in the morning. Rick is supposed to be the famous Banjo player.

I called a while ago and got the long drawn out recorded message with about 4 names to leave a message for. When Rick Bentley's name came up I left him a message to call me. We'll see what happens.

Wow! Ebay emailed me and said the guy's account may be jeopardized and not to send him any money and they removed the item and I can't even email him now.

I had a bad experience with ebay last year that worked out after a week or two but the two weeks were stressful at that time because I sent the money. Visa stopped the payment told me to send the item back and he I assume reimbursed them.

Is it possible ebay won't exist in some time. I mean it is getting scarier by the minute.

Hi Boo,

Scott is correct. This is an outright fraud! You are wise not to fall for this silly scam. Thank you for posting this incident on the SynthZone forum and warning all of us.

It amazes me just how blatant these scammers are getting on ebay. Yes, and I do keep getting those fake PayPal emails telling me to update my account by visiting a bogus link.

Do not under any circumstances wire to Western Union. Always use your Credit Card on all on-line transactions.

Tapas

Boo,

Maybe a google will tell you whether he's famous or not? And his secretary might be in on the scam. Just makes it seem more legit to have someone back him up.

Taike

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Khoi huk ngam sud tee huk kon diow.

Boo.....what does his past feedback state?

sounds very fishey.....tell him you want to go pick it up in PERSON.....it'll be worth the ride.

Boo.....what does his past feedback state?

sounds very fishey.....tell him you want to go pick it up in PERSON.....it'll be worth the ride.

Google Results for 'Rick Bentley' & 'Banjo'

- Scott

Boo, you might try contacting Rick Bentley at the phone number given here:
http://www.hydraservice.com/cdsite/

Scott

I recently heard a podcast on dl.tv.com The show hosts one of them a guy by the name of Patrick Norton originally from Tech TV and a supreme geek and very knowledgable about scams strongly advises not to purchase anything where you send payment thru Western Union, apparently it's not traceable as PayPal is. I would use caution. Wish I had read this post earlier to mention that comment. Good luck.

[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 03-15-2006).]

Scott, I sent an email to Rick at hydraservice. I guess that's where I've been calling.

I'll keep you guy's posted. The emails I received seemed to be from foreigners. They wrote like foreigners speak on TV. Why is a guy in Tulsa doing business in London.

Donny, I don't want to drive that far but I did offer to pick it up to get his response.

[This message has been edited by brickboo (edited 03-15-2006).]

Boo,

Run away from this one as fast as your tired, old legs can carry you!

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Boo, I was in Tulsa all weekend. Wish I'd know about it. Someone has stolen Rick's identity. Don't send money.
DonM

This guy is completely legit!!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Korg-PA1xPro-fully-l...9QQcmdZViewItem

Well Boo,
If this deal doesn't work out, I'll probably have my PA1Xpro for sale in a couple of weeks - after check out the Genesys XP and the Midjay. However, you'll have to pony up a little more than $1800.
Ciao,
Jerry

... the price seems to be also ...
t.

I'm extremely cautious with ebay. I won't buy anything from eBay unless I can pick it up.
A while back there was a PSR1500 on sale on eBay in London, England!!!!! but the seller lived in Toronto, Canada. (Where I live). I won the bid at an extremely low price!!! (I guess to many bidders were scared off). When I emailed him, he said he would bring the keyboard to my home (he didn't give me his address). He never showed up. I put the money back into the bank.
Starkeeper
I think Uncle Dave's famous quote is, "No see, no try, no buy". This is a good motto to live buy.

[This message has been edited by Starkeeper (edited 03-16-2006).]

Just got off the phone with Rick Bentley. He doesn't even own a keyboard. He's a very nice guy. He owns a company that does hydraulics that work with rudders on ships etc.

We got to talking music and what a small world. I mentioned a country guitarist I worked with in the early 60�s in a Honky Tonk playing country on a sax. I did that quite a few times and even more recently, ask DonM. His name is Huey Bourgeois. Don, is that how you spell Boouse-war? Huey is about the best country guitarist in the New Orleans area if not the state and Rick knew him pretty well.

Its seems all of the country guys know each other just like us jazz guys know each other and the way all of you OMB guys know each other.

Don't forget the order is
1. Jazz
2. Country
3. OMB musicians
4. Drummers (the public still thinks drummers are musicians)
Just joking around friends.

Three NO guitarist Huey, John Bonnvillian and Sonny Robichaux sometimes even worked together making a living playing country. John and especially Sonny Robichaux showed me jazz licks that still influence me till today.

I bought a few good deals on ebay. A small PA to help me get started 4 or so years ago, a laptop, the Lil� Green Monster (Carvin AG100D) full range amp I use at retirement centers, among other items with no trouble. Rip-off artist should be shot on the spot. They ruin it for the rest of the nice people. The problem is the rip-off guy might be someone�s relative and no body wants to get rid of a relative no matter how rotten they are. What a world! It�s scary friends.

brick ... so I guess banjo pickin' ain't payin' the rent for ol' Rick ...

I've also had success on e-bay, although I've only bought a few things ... a Phillips CD recorder, digitech harmonizer, Senn mic ... but obviously "Caveat Emptor" ...
t.

Brickboo, I tried to buy a 9000 on e-bay and the guy tried to pull the Western Union scam also. I smelled a rat and tried to get phone numbers etc. It turns out the guy was operating out of some seedy apt. in Newark and the guy was an out-and-out fraud. There's a million of these guys out there. If you find a deal that's too good to be true, it probably isn't. Let the buyer beware.

Tom

The normal scam is. I wanted to sell 9000Pro for �900. The buyer sent a cheque for �3000 and stated his secretary had made a mistake and for me to send him back the difference �2100.
I suspected his cheque was fraud and I took it to the bank for them to check. Yes it was from a stolen company cheque book. The bank past it onto the fraud squad. He had no intention of wanting my 9000pro.....just my money.

Tony,
He said he owned the company, he's an engineer and there are atleast 5 or six people there that answer the phone for him.

I'm sure there is a heck of a lot more money in hydraulics for ship rudders, (he did say ships, not boats) then banjo picken. all the banjo pickers and guitar pickers I ever knew mostly drove use Chevys and Fords. Ha! Ha!

Don, is that Boouse-war spelled right? I don't want to appear as a Cajun Clown friend.

Boo,
If the spelling is correct then you would pronounce it Bhore-jwwa (should sound like whore with a long rolling R)
Star

Tom

Are you still looking for a PSR9000?

Ed

Ed, you have mail.

Tom J

Street:156A Southampton Row
City:London
Zipp:WC1B 5AR
Country:United Kingdom

It�s the same address.

I remember a while back where a member from Synth Zone had lost his life savings to that scam.

Keyboardcapers

brickboo!

You have mail.

Keyboardcapers

With me they acted like they already shipped in a hurry and they wanted me to hurry down and wire the money from Western Union. They even instructed me not to tell Western Union what the money was for. They said to tell Western Union that I was sending the money to a friend.

How can these people figure out how to get into an ebay account and pull these scams and be so stupid? I guess if I sent them the money, then that would make me more stupid. Ha! Ha!

If I were a millionaire I could fly over there and gas bomb their office while the boss was in it. Ha! Ha! Sometimes it worth a whole bunch not to be rich, eh?

I'm an Oklahoma Indian, not a Cajun! You'd have to ask my wife!
DonM