Thief? Advice needed.

Some time ago I won an ebay auction with a South American Queen ticket from 1981 (quite cheaply). The seller had a zero feedback and didn't respond to my emails. When I threatened to include him in the black list on my site, he answered (said he hasn't received my previous mails). We agreed on the deal. He said the only possible way of payment was cash in a letter. I sent the letter with cash (well hidden!). After some time he wrote me that he hasn't received the letter at all. I told him I sent it registered so I can trace it. An hour later he wrote that he actually just received it but there was no money inside.

Would you believe his words? Or is he a thief as I think?

I would say thief. It sucks not being able to trust people these days, but I would really think twice about ever sending cash to anyone again.

I think you now know that this manner of buying something is not the safest one... I think he's a thief

He was very polite, that's the only thing which confused me. But yes, he claims that the letter was "sealed" and money can't get lost from a sealed letter...

Adam - I'm sending cash up to 100 times every year. It got lost only TWICE in history. One case being this guy from Argentina, the second case being Adrian Hopkins Promotions about six years ago when I ordered (for the first and also last time) something via the fan club :-)

Tell him you are giving him bad feedback, and posting on Queen boards not to deal with him. See if that smartens him up, that's about all you can do.

blacklist him,it's too strange.

in the UK we are always told: never send cash in the post. sounds like a crook!

Sounds like a thief to me too. And indeed, sending cash, I know from experience, is quite safe. Mine never got lost anyway. Strange 'coincidence': my only failed Ebay-transaction went quite like this one and it was with a guy from South-America as well!?

As someone said in another thread, 'baby you've been had'

My advice NEVER send cash, there are crooks everywhere these days, and the best ones always sound convincing.

Sorry

Hi Mr Scully, long long time ago i send a mail to you about something very similar that happend to me, if you send the money via registred letter, you know if he is a liar or not, but if you send the money via ordinary mail you never know, i have trade 2 times with you without any problemm so i belive you, of course. And it would be great to make a hall of fame for this.

Well I always send registered so that it's never my fault when something wrong happens. But he says he got it - but with no money inside, that's the problem.

First of all, you've done a breach sending money in a letter, and you know it. So if the seller says, that he didnt find money, and let’s suppose he is right, so one logical explanation, that postmen noticed the breach. So, if the postman doesnt steal money and officially traced a breach, what is the destiny of that letter then? I dont believe that legal situation for this would be extract money from letter and sent it to addressee further without any official note, sent to the sender. It's more likely that you would got your letter back with or without money or with fine instead of them. So, if this situation happened to you before, was it the same as this time? Maybe you should ask somebody from post office? Of course it is very funny advide, but you could just ask “Let’s assume that somebody sents money inside the letter, and what happens than if post office notices it”. Maybe they would explain situation and you’ll decide who is a thief?

Hi, Scully.

Well, I tend to think at least one million times before calling someone a thief. The case is very strange, indeed. It sure LOOKS like the guy or somebody on the way stole the money. Would it be possible that the envelope would be opened and sealed again?

Anyway, don't you have a list for "suspects", instead of "thieves"? I would put a guy like that in the first kind of list.

Finally, have you tried to inform the guy that he was going to be blacklisted to see if he would decide to send you the goods? Maybe even in the odd situation in which he did not get the money, if he is a honest person, he would probably send you the goods.

Cheers,

Ogre-

PS: Did you really put the money in that envelope? :D

I have sent many packages to Aregtnina, the postal service is the worst I ever seen, more worse the Brazil, I would say a lot of the postal people will steal money from letters, as well as packages, when my wife was there, I was sending a letter and package allmost every week, around 60% ever got there, a lot of times letters were ripped in certain places, like a postal person can peer inside to see what is in there, same with packages.
but the letter was sealed, how else can you explain it?

Arnaldo - yes, I guess it will end this way. Saying directly "thief" would be unfair but saying "beware" will be a must.

Barry - it's entirely possible that the postman in Argentina opened the letter and I agree the post offices in these countries are (in)famous for that. But considering the other circumstances... zero feedback, accepting only cash, receiving the letter right after I told him that I can trace it...