A character to avoid

[Acerforestry]

I recently purchasesd (in theory) a Logun S16 advertised on Gunstar, from an individual called Martin Potts from Barmouth in Wales, and have in due course received a box containing a rifle slip, a few pellets and targets, and no rifle / scope etc as advertised. To say I'm pi**sed off is an understatement as he went to the trouble of carfefully wrapping up a few small slabs of tarmac to make sure the box was at least correctly weighted. There appears to be no doubt this is blatant fraud and not just wrapping things in an eccentric manner (I've seen all sorts) with the rifle to follow, as his text and mobile contact was fine right up to the voicemail I sent when I received this rubbish, now there is nothing but the number is still live. If anyone knows this clown or has any intentions of dealing with him in the future, clearly do yourself a favour, and avoid
Hopefully my bank can get some justice here, as because my partners Paypal account had been hammered of late, I paid by BACS, having spoken to him on the phone before the deal and trusting my gut instincts. I won't be doing that again

[billytheghillie]

Good of you to name and shame, hope you get sorted.

[scarecrow243]

Hi contact your bank and ask them to contact his bank and tell them he is using his account for fraudulent activities the will block his account and you may get a refund

[243deer]

I would also get a crime report number as it may help smooth things with your bank. At the moment it is his word against yours playing devils advocate.

[enfieldspares]

Have you spoken with Gunstar and reported this to the police AND retained the packaged tarmac so that if the police do care to investigate there should be fingerprint evidence that as well as you having handled them so has someone else. Which may, or may not, be who you think! What carrier was used? For it is possible (to give the benefit of the doubt) that during its journey to you a third party has opened the package and replace the blocks for the gun. 

Edited December 18, 2022 by enfieldspares

[Acerforestry]

I messaged Gunstar this am and yes don't worry the packaging has been retained and I'll photograph it. I've literally just got off the phone to Barclays fraud, so i'll send an image of that to them too. Thre carrier was Parcelforce 48 as alwaysd. To be fair I've given the benefit of the doubt to the seller for that last three days, but it really doesn't sound great the lack of contact from him since I've received it - I also wondered if he had strapped the rifle to the box but nothing about the packaging looks tampered with or torn off. If I'd just sent a rifle to someone as I have in the past I'd make sure I was available for phone contact on the days ensuing to be in contact if they needed it. 

Also I can report it to the police but are they seriously going to be interested in the loss of funds on a sub 12 rifle? If a firearm goes missing yes, but this I doubt

[steve_b_wales]

Get in touch with ActionfraudPolice. I did when I was scammed for £1000. 

[holloway]

Acerforestry You have mail.

Edited December 18, 2022 by holloway

[PeterHenry]

1 hour ago, Acerforestry said:

I messaged Gunstar this am and yes don't worry the packaging has been retained and I'll photograph it. I've literally just got off the phone to Barclays fraud, so i'll send an image of that to them too. Thre carrier was Parcelforce 48 as alwaysd. To be fair I've given the benefit of the doubt to the seller for that last three days, but it really doesn't sound great the lack of contact from him since I've received it - I also wondered if he had strapped the rifle to the box but nothing about the packaging looks tampered with or torn off. If I'd just sent a rifle to someone as I have in the past I'd make sure I was available for phone contact on the days ensuing to be in contact if they needed it. 

Also I can report it to the police but are they seriously going to be interested in the loss of funds on a sub 12 rifle? If a firearm goes missing yes, but this I doubt

Keep in mind that the police class air guns as firearms for the purpose of statistics - so that might get you somewhere. Especially if he has anything else to do with shooting.

[enfieldspares]

1 hour ago, Acerforestry said:

Also I can report it to the police but are they seriously going to be interested in the loss of funds on a sub 12 rifle? If a firearm goes missing yes, but this I doubt

Yes. Be assured they will. This sort of crime is like an old woolly sock with a loose thread. Once you pull the thread you never now what else unravels with it.

Plus for them it's fairly simple to investigate. The tarmac additions show it isn't accidental but deliberate. By someone. That's for the police to find out. It's either the seller, you trying it on, or it's been interfered with by someone who handled it in transit with enough time to open, remove, replace, reseal. So the pool to be fished in is small and the number of fish not great.

AFAIK Parcelfore require the sender's address on the parcel so the police have that to start with, and they've proof of funds paid from your bank to the vendor's) and it is "guns". Guns always will interest the police. 

But even though I'd be less likely to assume interference with goods shipped by Parcelforce they at least should have the ability (as would you) to track it onlomne from literally, hand of office to hand of officer, at each stage. 

And, even though unlikely, it may be the seller is was ill so out of contact. 

Edited December 18, 2022 by enfieldspares

[enfieldspares]

1 hour ago, holloway said:

Acerforestry You have mail.

Yes. From myself also!

[Acerforestry]

Ok, all of that noted. one thing that would estasblish if the box has been messed with is the min length an S16 breaks down to - I know its a short tactical airgun but first thing I thought when I saw the box is "that isn't very long"; if box is too short for gun, he never put it in there. He also said before he sent he was going to make "a secure framework, you know what these couriers are like". Either he changed his mind, or there was never going to be a framework. I really think its just a proper scam, nothing else

You'll see either the sender or someone has actually weighed the bits of slab and written weight in kilos on the pieces, youreally couldn't make this stuff up

Edited December 18, 2022 by Acerforestry

[enfieldspares]

I think the police will be most interested, yes, for the packages themselves offer huge opportunities to find the rest of the blocks, fingerprints on the underside of the polythene, and etc., etc.. And the words "You now what these couriers are like" appear to be setting up the scene to then explain away then absence of the rifle. I hope my PM was useful?

Edited December 18, 2022 by enfieldspares

[Mice!]

3 hours ago, Acerforestry said:

Ok, all of that noted. one thing that would estasblish if the box has been messed with is the min length an S16 breaks down to - I know its a short tactical airgun but first thing I thought when I saw the box is "that isn't very long"; if box is too short for gun, he never put it in there. He also said before he sent he was going to make "a secure framework, you know what these couriers are like". Either he changed his mind, or there was never going to be a framework. I really think its just a proper scam, nothing else

You'll see either the sender or someone has actually weighed the bits of slab and written weight in kilos on the pieces, youreally couldn't make this stuff up

Really is shocking that he's wrapped and weighed lumps of tarmac 

[Acerforestry]

I couldn't agree more

[Walker570]

Pieces of tarmac ?????  Hmmmmmmm??????  Ring a bell somewhere.  ????

[billytheghillie]

1 hour ago, Walker570 said:

Pieces of tarmac ?????  Hmmmmmmm??????  Ring a bell somewhere.  ????

Thats why all these pot holes have appeared.

[tonyshooter]

A mate had a similar issue with an e bay item that he sold which the seller returned to him for a refund.

The item was not returned, instead he had a box of tarmac returned to him ( buy the buyer ) via RMSD and e bay automatically paid the buyer out for a refund.

After a nightmare which included him getting an incident number from the police, all was resolved some 4 months later by e bay.

 

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by tonyshooter

[amateur]

2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Pieces of tarmac ?????  Hmmmmmmm??????  Ring a bell somewhere.  ????

I wonder if the postal address is a caravan site.

[Acerforestry]

On 18/12/2022 at 16:54, enfieldspares said:

I think the police will be most interested, yes, for the packages themselves offer huge opportunities to find the rest of the blocks, fingerprints on the underside of the polythene, and etc., etc.. And the words "You now what these couriers are like" appear to be setting up the scene to then explain away then absence of the rifle. I hope my PM was useful?

Yes any assist on this helpful thanks

[jamesleee123]

Hasn't this been done to death twice on AGF

[old'un]

1 hour ago, jamesleee123 said:

Hasn't this been done to death twice on AGF

Does it matter? The more people who see it the better.

[Ultrastu]

Well funnily enough myself and many others on THIS forum aren't on the AGF.

[jamesleee123]

Hundreds of replies on agf telling him to report to his bank and police but took him about a week to do anything. Then he had contact with seller who fed him some BS and again he faffed around. Not sure what the problem is, if you can check out the threads on agf same title, just seems odd.

[old'un]

6 minutes ago, jamesleee123 said:

Hundreds of replies on agf telling him to report to his bank and police but took him about a week to do anything. Then he had contact with seller who fed him some BS and again he faffed around. Not sure what the problem is, if you can check out the threads on agf same title, just seems odd.

Nothing odd about him warning others on different forums, as Ultrastu said, not everyone is on AGF, this is the first time I had heard about it.