I traveled from KL to SG for a deal and the buyer ffk.

[Mintze]

Hi all,I'm here to share my worst trading experience and hopefully nobody will be so bad luck like me in future. Allow me to introduce myself, my hometown in JB and I lives in KL.

Last few weeks, I advertised my 70-210mm lens in several Malaysia's photography forums. Last week, a guy from Singapore approached me and negotiate with me, his no is 93964049. I told him, i only cod in JB for a limited time, he said he is ok with it. After all, the price is set, time to meet is set and place to meet is finalized too. He suppose to meet me TODAY at Sutera Mall, JB before lunch time since I need to travel back to KL after lunch. The story begins here:

Last Friday, he smsed and reconfirm the meeting place and time with me. Today 8.30, I smses him and ask if he able to COD today. At 9.15, he replied and said he woke up late. So I told him, it's ok, i can slightly delay my time, it just a small problem.

At 11.30, i smsed him again and asked for the estimated time he will arrive. He said his passport expired, he cannot come in. At that time, I think he might want to ffk. So I replied him what if i can meet him at Woodlands?

He immediately replied YES! So I think the expired thingy maybe is true. Seriously, since I traveled from KL to JB already and i had some very good experiences in dealing with Singaporean, I don't quite mind to go SG to get the deal done, although it is just a small amount of money. We agreed to meet at Woodlands MRT at 3pm.

The traffic at checkpoint today is not so smooth,i took longer time to clear than i expected. At 3pm sharp, i smsed him and said i'll be late, ard 3.30pm. He replied Ok, Thanks. At 3.30pm,I still stuck in traffic,so i pick up my phone again and informed him. He replied Ok,No problem.

When I finally passed the checkpoint, he smsed me and asked what is the zoom range of the lens again. I felt something here but i pray to god, no, he won't ffk at this point. I replied him 70-210. He replied me with this : So sorry bro, actually buying for my nephew. i have him wrong info tot was 18-210mm.

What a joke!i never know nikon come out with a 18-210! I told him : i'm already here man! No reply from him. Then i smsed him again : hey,i'm here,where r u? and i called him 4-5 times, nobody pick up the phone. At that moment, I was so angry and disappointed. I smsed him to screw him up and leave with lots of anger.

When I reached checkpoint again, he smsed me and said another friend of him interested but only willing to pay 50% of my asking price. Of course, I replied him with some not very nice words. That's the end of the story.

At the end, i really don't know what should I say. I can never imagine a buyer ffk when the seller travel from a country to another. I was too naive to believe him. He should be ashamed for what he did but I don't know if he will.

Thank you guys for spent your precious time with me and pardon my anger if I said anything bad.

 

[CS TAN]

You shouldn't do this cross boarder B&S - even if the guy does show up, he might have hundred of reasons why he does not want to go through with the deal. An agreement to meet is not an agreement to buy. He just happened to gave you 2-3 of those reasons today.

 

[geraldkhoo]

So sorry to hear about your experience. If you read clubsnap, you would find that what you have experienced has happened before to those who live in Singapore. Take it as an experience and move on. There are many people who have had bad experiences with buyers and sellers. Hope you feel better now

 

[allenleonhart]

You shouldn't do this cross boarder B&S - even if the guy does show up, he might have hundred of reasons why he does not want to go through with the deal. An agreement to meet is not an agreement to buy. He just happened to gave you 2-3 of those reasons today.

yep. agreement to meet not agreement to buy. if its agreement to buy make sure u get a letter blah blah. anything happen u can sue him at least.

 

[Mintze]

Well,if i live near by and the buyer ffk,i'm perfectly ok with it. This is part of the business. From my point of view, I'm a seller who believe in credibility and responsibility, and i'm willing to travel for 500km just to fulfill the deal, but the buyer ffk at the very last min when I spent so much efforts, time and money, this is what i can't really accept. I'm not trying to be a crying baby, just that I think the buyer should be considerate a little bit more for a seller. If you really not interested,tell me ealier, I understand ppl do change their minds but not tell me sorry when I get there. Hope I convey my message well. Thanks for the response, I really appreciate them.

 

[sinned79]

Sorry to hear your plight.

Maybe next time do some check on this member (eg, new member or old member with some established posts then nonsensical posts etc)

I think u rather fall thru some deals then get smoke again.

 

[night86mare]

oh man, if this is 100% accurate this is very very bad

what a joker, i think he was just yanking your chain for fun.

 

[Kenny Khaw]

so sorry to say but i think u r being a bit silly too. but stil that guy's a real *******. i think if you open a shop n give this kind of service, all ppl will come to you. bad and good.

 

[sakuragiz]

Feel sorry for u. But dun get angry anymore treat as a shopping trip in Sg.

 

[dingaroo]

Brother Mintze,

Sorry you had a bad experience selling to someone from Singapore. I hope that does not turn you off from selling to future Singaporeans.

You know, it takes all kinds to make this world go round, and you just happened to have chanced upon a bad egg.

Tomorrow is Monday, hope it won't turn it too blue ... Keep smiling, and it will chase the blues away!

Cheers

 

[mezza001]

So sorry to hear your bad experience. These people give us Singaporean a bad name. *******s! There I said it for you. . .
In general people in CLUB SNAP Singapore are generally decent and authentic buyers.

But next time as a rule of thumb never do the cross border thing again, unless u already in Singapore.

If the person is serious and keen, he/she should go up to you . . . usually buyer will go up to seller . . . . I think . . . or meet halfway, but never to cross border like that.

Mezza

 

[travelfotografer]

A person in Singapore calling with a Singapore phone number is not necessarily a Singaporean. 1 out of 3 people in Singapore are NOT Singaporeans, and more than 1 out of 3 people in Singapore are NOT Singapore Citizens.

I am currently struggling with a one-man camera repair shop in the USA. The guy took my money and my camera, returned my camera twice in faulty condition and finally returned me a dead camera. He refuse to refund the fee I paid him and refused to compensate me the camera he damaged.

Sickos like these exist everywhere.

These people give us Singaporean a bad name. *******s! There I said it for you. . .

 

[ahbian]

I think the intention of TS is not to highlight the fact that the "kite flyer" is a Singaporean, just that the experience was worsen by the hassle involved in the amount of traveling and custom clearances.

 

[cosycatus]

So sorry to hear your bad experience. These people give us Singaporean a bad name. *******s! There I said it for you. . .
In general people in CLUB SNAP Singapore are generally decent and authentic buyers.

But next time as a rule of thumb never do the cross border thing again, unless u already in Singapore.

If the person is serious and keen, he/she should go up to you . . . usually buyer will go up to seller . . . . I think . . . or meet halfway, but never to cross border like that.

Mezza

actually, clubsnap in recent years have a lot of indecent buyers and sellers. Very much unlike 3/4 years ago. I can't remember the countless times i've been duped..( some by rather " reputable" forumers some more)
Every time i try to buy/sell something i do it with a HUGE pinch of salt. When i sell, i sell a bit cheaper and insist that the fellow come to my place to deal ( so if no show, it's still okay for me...)

 

[SHLEW]

Hi Bro Mintse
Sympathies be with you.
Selling & buying of small used items with strangers is normally very risky. Even bona fide shops sometimes screw people up.
Whenever I buy small items such as a $10 filter through ebay, I am prepared to forfeit the amount. Fortunately, up to now, my small purchases such as a cable remote control, filters, filter holder, lens extention tubes, camera strap - from Hong Kong and local (Singapore) were good.
Next time do not do cross-border deals. It is too much of a hassle and frustration if the deal fell through.
Regards and God Bless.
SHLEW

 

[Mintze]

Thanks to all the bros and kind-soul here, your reply is very much appreciated. I deal countless time with Singaporeans before, all the buyers/sellers I met are wonderful until this time. I learned the lesson and hopefully it won't repeat again. Thanks for the inputs again, these replies brighten up my Monday.

 

[nemo]

it's quite obvious he is trying to pull a fast one. if there is a next time, said yes, 50% of the price, meet him and bash him with your lens.

 

[AbsolutKev]

I think the intention of TS is not to highlight the fact that the "kite flyer" is a Singaporean, just that the experience was worsen by the hassle involved in the amount of traveling and custom clearances.

i am also frm jb, n for the past year i dealed 5 times frm bns section, so far no prob from singaporeans. its real nice that although we r of a diff country but we hav the same vision n understanding. hope we can cont that. for the person who ffk, we must mark him by his no.

 

[Mintze]

it's quite obvious he is trying to pull a fast one. if there is a next time, said yes, 50% of the price, meet him and bash him with your lens.

I love your idea man!How come i didnt think of that!

 

[Mintze]

it's quite obvious he is trying to pull a fast one. if there is a next time, said yes, 50% of the price, meet him and bash him with your lens.

i am also frm jb, n for the past year i dealed 5 times frm bns section, so far no prob from singaporeans. its real nice that although we r of a diff country but we hav the same vision n understanding. hope we can cont that. for the person who ffk, we must mark him by his no.

I agreed with you bro,it is a bonus for JB residents able to deal with same enthusiastics from the neighbor country.