Thank you Peter!
Shane, as far as buyer beware....
I really pay attention to feedback and try to view items sold to see if the seller is trying to "pad" his feedback. If it is an eBay sale, ONLY pay with PayPal, NEVER deviate from eBay policy. If you get hosed, and I have, you can get your money back normally a month out.
From an LE perspective, the t
Hard truth is, normally there is very little that we can do without credible evidence. If you should deviate from eBay policies and you get hosed, you are still a victim of internet crime or theft. In the aforementioned case, I worked with The US District Attorney and with his help, and a lot of footwork following up with banks and car dealerships, we were able to get a conviction....but, the victims still remain and were given a settlement by the court but...the perp will never pay these poor people back. The perp went to prison but because it was a first time offense in Federal court, the conviction means no chance of early release but I think he only spent a few short years in jail! The perp really will never be able to pay back the million plus dollars of stolen monies because...well...that's life...and as long as he makes good faith payments of what he can afford...well
Just be careful. Craigslist is a big problem too and reading the post really sends me over the edge because some people...they know....that if this $850 machine is being sold for $400 AND it's brand new it's clearly stolen. This kind of buyer is unscrupulous. The seller is a dirt bag but the buyer is contributing to the problem too. If you should get a really good deal, maybe the guy is good but maybe not, check the serial number through...in this case, and thank you for offering...you, Shane. You can also call your local police and query the serial number for an NCIC hit but if it wasn't entered into the system it will never be recovered, registering tools is so important. I think I read that somebody said they only buy from real dealers. That's really the only way to go. But it still doesn't stop me from going on eBay or CL, I just won't buy from shady people. I know this really doesn't help other than the typical "don't trust people" or of your an unscrupulous buyer "if you sleep with dogs...you're gonna get fleas". But when you think about it....document your tools, buy from reputable people and register your tools with your insurance company too.