Are there really that many crooked skydivers?

[catfishhunter 2]

I'm selling a main canopy and everyone wants me to send them the canopy first. While I could see this if I was someone that couldn't be checked out but I have no place to hide LOL in my industry I have people Round the world that have never met me in person only talked to me on the phone and know me from our industry boards wire 10- 30-40k with no question. But try getting a skydiver to send 1600 for a canopy and they think your gonna rip them off.

Before anyone says I should send it to a rigger etc there is way to much interest in my canopy to send it to one person and wait for my money and have someone else that really wants it miss out.

Anyway back on topic. Other then the obvious scams are skydivers really that crooked?

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[Andy9o8 2]

A pretty huge portion of the for-sale ads, or replies to for-sale ads, on Craigslist are either seller scams or buyer scams (not to mention the scammers using the DZ.com classifieds). Everyone has heard the stories, and has read the all consumer warnings. So yeah, it may be a bitch, but you really can't blame people for using top diligence to protect themselves.

[rehmwa 2]

They don't know you from a stranger on the street no matter how popular/reknown you believe you are.

And for anyway nowadays, $1600 isn't chump change either.

Find a way to do it clean/safe for both buyer and seller. There's nothing wrong at all with that.

Or wait for a local to buy it and don't deal with the fuss.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[catfishhunter 2]

I'm all for due diligence. I am easily vetted. As I said I have no where to hide. I wouldn't trust someone that couldn't be traced but I'm not that guy. I guess i shouldn't be surprised after all the scams and after what Gary did to people.

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[catfishhunter 2]

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They don't know you from a stranger on the street no matter how popular/reknown you believe you are.

And for anyway nowadays, $1600 isn't chump change either.

Find a way to do it clean/safe for both buyer and seller. There's nothing wrong at all with that.

Or wait for a local to buy it and don't deal with the fuss.

LOL I missed the part where I said I was popular or renowned...but um ok ..

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[Andy9o8 2]

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I missed the part where I said I was popular or renowned

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catfish_Hunter

[rehmwa 2]

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LOL I missed the part where I said I was popular or renowned...but um ok ..

well you are with me


Short answer - If the buyer or seller isn't within driving distance, it doesn't matter who they are. I want to protect my interests. For my big sales, I take a deposit, and I always find someone I know personally at that location to send gear to for a sale that can act in my interests. Even then you're taking a chance. I'd just as soon not have the gear leave the friend's sight until it's inspected, jumped and the money is in my hands.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[catfishhunter 2]

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I missed the part where I said I was popular or renowned

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catfish_Hunter

Loved watching him pitch.....

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[futuredivot 0]

So, you don't trust them to send the money and are offended that they don't trust you to send the canopy...

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[BETO74 0]

I came across some crooks while selling gear nothing original, but I must say the times I sold my gear was people who entrusted me with the money first before I even sent the canopy or gear.! very trusted I always thought "man if I was a scammer I could get away with taking the money" ofcourse I was always upfront about giving my address phone and refrences, Still I had sent canopies as far as Australia from the US never had a problem explaining that they will have to wait until funds were clear etc! I guy once meet me in a gas station to pay me cash all 20 bill a rig of 4,000 that was a pack of cash!

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[BrokenR1 0]

Well I'm trying to put together my first rig and found a couple things in the classifieds. I would much rather have them sent to a third party rigger that can verify both condition and that any SN etc are valid. Now I am out of the country at this time so that has a play in the validating SN part but a trusted third party is still a good way to go I think.

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Rap is to music what etch-a-sketch is to art.

[JohnRich 4]

From Mr George Tuma
01 bp 23 Bingerville Avenue
Abidjan,Cote D'Ivoire
West African

I deem it a respect and honour as well as priviledge to write you, on my deep conviction about you,after my deligent search for a honest and trustworthy someone of which I have chosen you to assist me for the execution of this project that is at hand.

My name is Mr George Tuma, foreign operation manager of a bank here in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire West Africa.

On 16th day of September 2003, I was approached by MR ROBERT JONES(Director of Tobacco Distributors in CI ) to use my office for the onward transfer of US$ 8,000,000.00(Eight Million United State Dollars) he deposited in our Institution,into his foreign account.

After two weeks of his approaching ,I heard over the radio, that MR ROBERT JONES and his entire family was killed by Rebels who want to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Laurent Gbagbo,because they was supporting the present Government. since then nobody comes for the fund.

I secured his documents in my own private files, because it is my own opportunity to divert this fund for my own mutual benefit, I am the only one that is in control of this account,inwhich I have all the available necessary information for the legal transfer of this fund into any account you will provide.

Now that President Laurent Gbagbo is not longer in power, I want to let you know that this execution will take us 14 working days to conclude the claim which you have to co-operate very well to authenticate this claim.Your partnership will be rewarded with 50% of the total amount of this fund while 50% will be for me to see successful transfer of this money into your account.

I am looking forward to hear your positive response so that I will details you the mode of execution.

Thanks and God bless you and your family.
Yours Faithfully,

[catfishhunter 2]

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So, you don't trust them to send the money and are offended that they don't trust you to send the canopy...

Cabela's aint sending me my order for Ammo without getting paid...

I posted wondering if SKYDIVERS where that crooked. I know all about the scammers but how many SKYDIVERS have ripped people off. Other then Gary that is....

P.S. I just sold my canopy :)

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[futuredivot 0]

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Cabela's aint sending me my order for Ammo without getting paid.

and when you have that many locations and inventory you can expect that-don't know who you are, but you ain't Cabela's

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[Southern_Man 0]

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So, you don't trust them to send the money and are offended that they don't trust you to send the canopy...

Cabela's aint sending me my order for Ammo without getting paid...

I posted wondering if SKYDIVERS where that crooked. I know all about the scammers but how many SKYDIVERS have ripped people off. Other then Gary that is....

P.S. I just sold my canopy :)

Not everybody placing or answering an ad on this site is a skydiver.

Skydivers don't have some supernatural immunity from the human temptations and frailties that plague all of life.

Seems to me a 3rd party rigger is the safest for both parties. If you don't want to bother, then don't.'

I've only bought 2 things on here, I paid for both before they were shipped. It occurred to me that I could be ripped off but they were relatively low cost items so it was a chance I was willing to take.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[catfishhunter 2]

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Cabela's aint sending me my order for Ammo without getting paid.

and when you have that many locations and inventory you can expect that-don't know who you are, but you ain't Cabela's

Not Yet

P.S. I did just get my Benchmade Distributorship :)
http://www.benchmade.com/

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[catfishhunter 2]

Funny I post this and then this is posted...

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The short story; I had a rig for sale (which will be posted again soon). The potential buyer sent a cashiers check from England for $1,600.00 more than we agreed on. I told him after a short delay at my bank the check cleared, I'll be sending the rig soon. He wanted me to send the "overpayment" Western Union asap so he, and his pregnant wife, could put a down payment on an apartment, having to leave their present one due to landlord issues, then he would let me know his new address to send the rig. He called this morning wondering when the Western Union would be sent. I told him my bank would not let me withdrawal any cash until he sent a photo ID to verify his cashiers check as they were trying to verify it drawn on TCF National Bank in Burr Ridge, Illinois (an actual bank). Then I hear "Click" He's called several times over the past week, number blocked, and emailed several time, yahoo account. This is simply to alert you to be careful. Thanks.

I get this is why people are scared but there are so many red flags that this person wasn't a skydiver.

I am not all faulting anyone for not being trusting just asking if it is crooks they are worried about or is it crooked skydivers....there is a distinction...

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[JohnMitchell 16]

I've sold quite a few items thru DZ.com classifieds. I've sent gear on the promise of a check, or received the check first. This was after actual phone calls to the buyers. I could have been burned but I wasn't.

We did have a buyer try to not pay for a rig once (long story) but the great people in our sport kept an eye on this person, from state to state, until it was paid in full with interest. That's my worst experience.

[DiverMike 5]

I bought my rig on DZ.com and didn't have problems. It helped that I was sending the check to an officer on an Army Base. I talked to him on the phone about his MOS and he was either legit or an extremely well prepared liar. As it turns out he was legit and I got the rig.

I guess if someone walks and talks like a skydiver I would generally trust them. YMMV.

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[ryoder 1,590]

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Seems to me a 3rd party rigger is the safest for both parties. If you don't want to bother, then don't.'

And be sure the "third party rigger" isn't a buddy who will just give him the gear w/o even paying for it.
I'm speaking from experience here.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[pyrotech 0]

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Now that President Laurent Gbagbo is not longer in power, I want to let you know that this execution will take us 14 working days to conclude the claim which you have to co-operate very well to authenticate this claim.

*shrug* Sounds legit to me.

[Hjeada 0]

I'm a big fan of a down payment first, ship the goods to a trusted rigger for inspection to make sure that the product is as advertised, then pay the remainder and have the rigger release the product once they have received verification that the seller has received all monies owed. Anyone that won't ship the product with a 50% down payment gives me enough reason to suspect that either I won't get the product, or it is not in the condition advertised.

Dudeist Skydiver #0511

[warpedskydiver 0]

When I sold Dana's PD135 reserve it was pristine and all I had to do is tell one of the riggers from SDC it was for sale, they hand delivered it to the girl who purchased it.

It was like brand new, it only had 1 pack job, the thing was pristine, no tension had ever been applied to the knots.

She got that for $750 and others who knew her were trying to get far more for stuff that was virtually too far gone.

I recently found out that someone I know of was trying to pull a fast one on selling someone's gear.

There was also someone else that decided to not pay a close friend of mine for an entire rig that he got a great deal on from one of the guys that helped to develop AFP.

I guess since he changed DZ's he thought he could do it and nobody would care.

Guess again....

[catfishhunter 2]

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When I sold Dana's PD135 reserve it was pristine and all I had to do is tell one of the riggers from SDC it was for sale, they hand delivered it to the girl who purchased it.

It was like brand new, it only had 1 pack job, the thing was pristine, no tension had ever been applied to the knots.

She got that for $750 and others who knew her were trying to get far more for stuff that was virtually too far gone.

I recently found out that someone I know of was trying to pull a fast one on selling someone's gear.

There was also someone else that decided to not pay a close friend of mine for an entire rig that he got a great deal on from one of the guys that helped to develop AFP.

I guess since he changed DZ's he thought he could do it and nobody would care.

Guess again....

Ok guess there is good reason not to trust skydivers.....

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[ShayneH 0]

When I buy through this website, I ask the seller to ship the item to my local DZ. It isn't necessarily an issue of trust and getting the goods, it's more that I want to inspect the item myself. Often times, people's definitions of "still slippery" or "no sun damage" can be a bit different than mine.

And if I'm selling an item, vice versa. I'll ship an item to their DZ, but I'll usually call the DZ and ask that they do not release the item to the individual until I give them the OK.