Pay it Forward Scam

[gmangolf]

I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but what is to prevent someone from claiming their clubs were stolen, writing some sob story and then taking advantage of everyone on here who sends clubs?

Again, I think its great that people help each other out... its awesome to see and I have no doubt that there are some real situations out there where good people have helped someone out. I just have always wondered what prevents some punk from claiming his clubs were stolen and waiting for the loot to roll in.

[Brad G.]

I thought from the onset of this thread, especially once he "found" his clubs at Play it Again, but wanted to keep everything he was sent, that he was scamming for free clubs. Looks like it turned out to be true.

So if I'm reading everything correctly, he scammed so clubs and another $40 bucks out of members here.

That's teh interwebs I guess.... What an a**hole.

[masterli]

[quote name='gmangolf' post='1836169' date='Jul 22 2009, 09:37 AM']I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but what is to prevent someone from claiming their clubs were stolen, writing some sob story and then taking advantage of everyone on here who sends clubs?

Again, I think its great that people help each other out... its awesome to see and I have no doubt that there are some real situations out there where good people have helped someone out. I just have always wondered what prevents some punk from claiming his clubs were stolen and waiting for the loot to roll in.[/quote]

i remember reading the thread and being amazed at the generosity of everyone. i told my wife about it and she's seen similar things on cooking forums she's part of. what a great community i thought... then it takes one person to screw it all up. i wondered the same thing if it was just a guy trying to take advantage of everyone. but me being me (and i suppose why this sort of things work) i give people the benefit of the doubt. his story seemed plausible and even refused initial offers. my guess is his initial intention was not to get free clubs. the opportunity fell in his lap and ran w/ it. maybe not even after the first club but after realizing just how much he could get for little effort.

feel bad you guys are out the shipping but feel even worse for the people that donated clubs. what a waste...

[Bizcut1]

Let me get this straight...so this guy went through all these gesticulations to make $40?

Or, did he have dreams of creating a new empire?

You know - 4Ballsgolf.com

Yes - I can see it now - thousands and thousands of beat-up Toski and Ram irons stretched out as far as the eye can see...

Pay it Forward with golf clubs? Is anyone THAT bored?



Ben

[Golf Punx]

you know guys, im sorry. really, i am. but i explained my situation, so forgive me if i'm more concerned about my credit then sending you a free club. do you really think that i'm trying to scam anyone out of $10? seriously? well if you all want to continue to hate me, allow me to give you my information

Patrick Allen Kalbus
2836 La Colina way
Carmichael CA 95608

myspace: www.myspace.com/w00t581

yahoo: mxer581@yahoo.com

i dont have a phone number for me to give you, and for that i appologize.

[Golf Punx]

oh, and i will get you the clubs AS SOON AS I CAN

[tpariff]

So what's the story, mxer581? Where's the money you took for shipping? Did you or did you not take that money and use it for something other than shipping clubs? The reason people sent you $10 was so you could ship them a club, not pay your bills. Is the $40 really saving your credit?

Kevin

[Golf Punx]

the $40 was meant to go to shipping, then when i went to ship the clubs i was informed that i had insufficient funds. i went to the bank and found out my account was over drawn by $80. i am currently down to only $20 over drawn. i wont give you a sob story, only that im trying to do the right thing. get off my case

[mshain81]

Wheres all the bashing now that the man showed his face again? LoL

[tpariff]

[quote name='mxer581' post='1836505' date='Jul 22 2009, 01:05 PM']the $40 was meant to go to shipping, then when i went to ship the clubs i was informed that i had insufficient funds. i went to the bank and found out my account was over drawn by $80. i am currently down to only $20 over drawn. i wont give you a sob story, only that im trying to do the right thing. get off my case[/quote]

The right thing would have been to either ship the clubs using the $40 given to you by the four people, or to return the $40 to those people. The wrong thing is taking the $40 and using it to fund your own insufficient bank account. I don't think any of the people here intended to "loan" you money so you could get your bank account back to the plus side.

I guess the question is how do you intend to get the other $20 PLUS another $40 to either repay these folks or ship their clubs? And how long will that take?

I think it's fair for people to "be on your case" considering people stepped up to help you out and it seems you took advantage of that.

Kevin

[jsanatx]

[quote name='mxer581' post='1836474' date='Jul 22 2009, 11:54 AM']you know guys, im sorry. really, i am. but i explained my situation, so forgive me if i'm more concerned about my credit then sending you a free club. do you really think that i'm trying to scam anyone out of $10? seriously? well if you all want to continue to hate me, allow me to give you my information

Patrick Allen Kalbus
2836 La Colina way
Carmichael CA 95608

myspace: www.myspace.com/w00t581

yahoo: mxer581@yahoo.com

i dont have a phone number for me to give you, and for that i appologize.[/quote]


you know patrick, it's not about the $10 or the club, its about the feeling a person gets when he/she feels they are being taken advantage of. the only thing i asked in my PMs was for you to keep me informed and you didn't. communication is the key in any transaction, whether its for a million dollars or just 10. i told you i understood your predicament and i really feel its a bad situation that you find yourself in, we've all been there. i think we've all learned a lesson here, if it helps any keep the money and your club. hope things go better for you.

[Golf Punx]

you know, kevin, you're right. and i would have done that had the $40 not gone directly into my bank accout. cause you see, it's awfully difficult to take out $40 when you already owe $80. smart a**

[EMKelly]

Makes no sense. These people sent money for shipping, apparently he sent it to his bank account to help not be over drawn. How hard is it to ask you mom or dad for money. Your story makes no sense and I am ashamed that I offered to send you a club. I know it isn't hard to come up with 40$... mow a lawn or two... really it's not hard.

I think you are making up excuses and that the money you were sent should have never been placed into you bank account, that is what really gets my goat. Your excuse is overdrawn account, but why would that affect the 10$ shipping money everyone sent you? you can print shipping labels directly from paypal, the money should have never found your bank account.

You shouldn't of done this and I did go to play it again and inquired about their policy for "retrieving stolen clubs" and it wasn't anything like what you said. They don't just give them to you and take your word for it. Otherwise I would have claimed a bowflex I never had.

You are a pathetic, disgraceful person and I am sure this will catch up with you.

Regards,
Eric

[Golf Punx]

and jsanatx, i'm still going to ship out the clubs. i wouldn't feel right if i didn't.

[woods991]

I agree where is everbody now, he has come to the table with all of the his information, now what? Sounds like to me the truth was being told he is overdrawn!! Have to give him credit.

[tpariff]

[quote name='mxer581' post='1836527' date='Jul 22 2009, 01:16 PM']you know, kevin, you're right. and i would have done that had the $40 not gone directly into my bank accout. cause you see, it's awfully difficult to take out $40 when you already owe $80. smart a**[/quote]

So let me try to understand this. You get $10 each from 4 people, for a total of $40. The money goes into your PayPal account (I'm assuming this since it would be stupid to pay wire fees on both ends for $10), then you transfer the money from there to your checking account. Your checking account is ALREADY overdrawn by $40 (you did say you were $80 overdrawn when you went to ship the clubs).

Now, how could you not know you were ALREADY overdrawn by $80 BEFORE receiving the $40 from these four people? And if you KNEW you were already $80 overdrawn, why take this money thinking you were going to be able to use it to ship the clubs? Anyone with a checking account should know that you can't take funds from an overdrawn account.

That just doesn't make sense, especially considering it takes 2-3 business days for funds to clear PayPal into a checking account.

I'm not being a smart a**, but rather trying to apply a little common sense to this situation. It just paints a bad picture for others who try to help folks when they need it.

Kevin

[EMKelly]

[quote name='mxer581' post='1836474' date='Jul 22 2009, 11:54 AM']you know guys, im sorry. really, i am. but i explained my situation, [b][i][u][size=3]so forgive me if i'm more concerned about my credit then sending you a free club.[/size][/u][/i][/b] do you really think that i'm trying to scam anyone out of $10? seriously? well if you all want to continue to hate me, allow me to give you my information[/quote]

Well, obviously you are not educated in what information is used to build credit and what isn't. Having an overdrawn bank account, can in [i][b][u]NO WAY[/u][/b][/i] affect your credit score. I don't know where you got that from but it could not be any more incorrect. The only thing that's going to happen (if you don't pay it in about 2-3 months) is you aren't going to be able to open an account with another financial institution for several years. Judging by your lack of funds, that won't be an issue anyway.

Stop the pitiful excuses and own up to your scheme.

And if it's your personal "credit" as in, how others perceive you, I wouldn't be too concerned with that. If you are anything like how you are here in the "real world", I wouldn't expect you to be too respected or cared for..

Regards,
Eric

[grizzlyblades]

Holy cow! reading the title of this thread I thought what if this was about that guy who was given free clubs because his bag was stolen. I can't believe people are this disgusting to do something to people who are graciously helping someone who was supposedly in need.

wish I could take a bat to the fking scum that ruins it for those REALLY in need!

[tpariff]

With regards to personal credit, do you even have credit, i.e. a credit card? If you have a credit card, it's VERY easy to send the $40 back to these folks OR charge the $40 shipping on your card and pay it off later.

Kevin

[EMKelly]

After reviewing your address information, I would assume your parents don't have $40 to cover your debts. Now not only do you owe a bank, but you owe individuals.

I presume you attend Alicante School... otherwise you wouldn't have put yourself in this situation.

If you need $80, I will send you $80... all you have to do is return the clubs individuals sent you when you lied about your clubs being stolen. After confirmation from the individuals who sent you clubs, I will mail you $80 cash.

Unless somehow my account becomes overdrawn... oops...

Regards,
Eric

[Golf Punx]

i did not lie about a thing. so keep you $80, i'll pick up cans. and no i dont have a credit card, i have a debit. i was talking about being able to have a bank account

[woods991]

I have changed my opinion, in reading through all of this mess, I feel that this kid should be banned from this site. He appears to be a fake and if he has a hard time balancing out his "so called check book" he has zero business in trading, buying and for that matter voicing his opinions on this site or any other site. Get a grip little boy, and start over once you actually get a checking account.

[EMKelly]

Keeping a bank account?? You don't have a bank account now! You have a number with your name attached, that's all you have. I would suggest getting off your a** and start making some money so you can make good on your debts.

You look like a lazy idiot right now. The sooner you take care of your debts, the better off you are. In my opinion, you should join another forum with a different name, you won't have any "credit" around here anyways.

Also, why haven't you explained HOW the money found its way into your personal bank account? You and I both know this should have never been the case. Paypal is used for security, I pray everyone opens up a dispute against you and then you get paypal, the real greddy ba$tards, on your a**.

EXPLAIN HOW THE MONEY WENT FROM PAYPAL TO YOUR ACCOUNT.

Regards,
Eric

[Golf Punx]

then have me banned. i really am so sick of this i could not care less. to those i promised clubs to, you will still recieve them.

[Brad G.]

I'm just going to come out and say it....

You get your clubs stolen AND end up $80 overdrawn, even after receiving $40 from members on this board?

Maybe the problem is... you?

Just sayin'

[EMKelly]

HOW DID THE MONEY FROM PAYPAL GET INTO A PERSONAL ACCOUNT?

YOU ARE AN IMBECILE.

Don't worry everyone, you will receive your clubs in about 3 years when this kid gets off his sorry a** and says "would you like fries with that" for a couple months to raise $40.

You are pathetic and a waste of membership on this forum. Your opinion is not valued, just tell us [b][/b]HOW DID THE MONEY GO FROM PAYPAL TO YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNT?!?!?!

[Brad G.]

[quote name='mxer581' post='1836532' date='Jul 22 2009, 12:17 PM']and jsanatx, i'm still going to ship out the clubs. i'd be a criminal if i didn't.[/quote]

Fixed.

[tpariff]

Patrick, here's the real issue. You joined here on May 25, then on June 15 you start a thread about your clubs being stolen. Members here step up to help you, and now we have this mess. The people who stepped up didn't know you from Adam, nor did you have any real history here. They basically helped a stranger, a fellow golfer in need.

I think that's what pisses people off more than anything. It's not the $10. Geez, that's what most people spend on going out for lunch every day. It's the principle. And unfortunately it will leave a bad taste in the mouths of those who helped and those who have read this thread.

Listen, I hope you get your situation squared away. You're young and have a long road ahead. You'll make more mistakes...we ALL have. Heck, I make mistakes all the time. But it's how you step up and correct them that will show your true colors.

Kevin

[EMKelly]

[quote name='mxer581' post='1836527' date='Jul 22 2009, 12:16 PM']you know, kevin, you're right. and i would have done that had the $40 not gone directly into my bank accout. cause you see, it's awfully difficult to pay my "pretend" bank account without taking advantage of individuals in the process. smart a**[/quote]


Sounds about right to me.

[Gungagalunga]

This thread delivers.