Doug Smyth RIP, scammer??? Options

[TravisNeff]

I super sold out low on 2.0 ssi's for him. then 3 weeks later I get an email from his daughter saying he is dead and asking for a refund

I said return the exchangers and I will refund, the funds

its been a couple weeks and nothing. This dude and his family are scammers. BEWARE for NY or Quebec transactions

******
I edited the title, I was super aggressive and a couple of PM's opened my eyes. I was never scammed. I will admit I feel like a total ass.

I never put a FS ad for my exchangers out there, just mentioned them in a thread where I was asked - how much? User with a low post count, and I don't remember a join date or any posts from him

Communication (from me and Doug) was slow, and it seemed like apathy to send funds, but pressure that I sent the parts first. Maybe it was just me.

I was to send them to a UPS mailstop in North NY, Doug had a Canadian email address. Well after a month I hear that he has passed from his daughter. No one has picked the parts up, but it was said to me that he JUST passed suddenly.

Then his daughter had said; from Doug's email address that his paypal was open, but not sure if how long his email would be active. She asked that if she return the parts could she get a refund. 2 days later I replied and sure enough his email was no good. She copied her email address and I responded to that as another addressee. I have never heard back from her, no failures on her email address.

I responded, sorry about your loss and I would do anything I could to return funds. I just needed the exchangers back minus shipping (that was the deal, one price including shipping).

I logged into paypal to return funds, even shipping (where I felt/feel I was almost scammed). horrible story from the email.. This is where I felt stupid looking at the above. I held my ground and never heard anything back from his daughter, no exchangers, etc.

I should have said, RIP (which I changed the title) and said - maybe beware.

[bdstone914]

I super sold out low on 2.0 ssi's for him. then 3 weeks later I get an email from his daughter saying he is dead and asking for a refund

I said return the exchangers and I will refund, the funds

its been a couple weeks and nothing. This dude and his family are scammers. BEWARE for NY or Quebec transactions

Does he go by Doug Smyth as a screen name ? Email address ?

[rhodyguy]

Ignore them Travis.

[Tom_T]

Travis,

I'm still dealing with stuff from my aunt who died in May! It took several years for stuff when my & my wife's folks passed. It is more complicated than most realize.

I can't say for sure, but they may just be buried with death & greif stuff, or maybe can't afford or don't want to deal with shipping the HEs back - who knows.

Give them the benefit of the doubt for now, & some time to work thru their stuff, then if they don't call back or send them, you're off the hook.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[rhodyguy]

what? the guy bought the heat exchangers, he died, someone finds the parts and estate wants a refund with no parts in hand? like that's travis' problem? i've had to settle both of my parents estates. complicated? a bit the first time through the process. this i will tell you…i NEVER dreamt of trying to return any thing my parents had purchased. apparently the grief isn't so bad that a couple hundred bucks might help cure it. scrounging for scraps is not what i consider grieving type behavior.

[bdstone914]

what? the guy bought the heat exchangers, he died, someone finds the parts and estate wants a refund with no parts in hand? like that's travis' problem? i've had to settle both of my parents estates. complicated? a bit the first time through the process. this i will tell you…i NEVER dreamt of trying to return any thing my parents had purchased. apparently the grief isn't so bad that a couple hundred bucks might help cure it. scrounging for scraps is not what i consider grieving type behavior.

Do a google search on that name and you will find an obit with that name of a person in Ont Canada that died on Sept 10. Still sounds fishy.

[euro911]

Yeah, I'd be skeptical too. The ball's in the 'daughter's' court ... let it run it's course

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[Mikey914]

I've sold a bunch of stuff to Doug Smyth. Hope he's not dead, but these things do happen. I have not been contacted but if they return it I will refund it. I can't imagine that they would be doing so, but $hit happens.

[Mueller]

Sounds like a scam and if it was true, to me it is tacky and it sounds like someone just wanting money that they feel entitled to....a pissed off ex-wife or slacker kids.

[euro911]

Well, there is an obituary for a Doug Smyth and someone did mention Porsches in the guest book. Guess it's true (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Mueller]

Well, there is an obituary for a Doug Smyth and someone did mention Porsches in the guest book. Guess it's true (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

could be true, but what gives the relatives the right to seek money from past purchases and how far back can they go? Days, weeks or years if the item wasn't used or has no value to them?

If I croaked tomorrow I wouldn't expect the PO of my 914 to buy it back from her since she has no use for it.

[euro911]

Didn't say anybody had the right to do anything, Mike. My post was in response to Mark W.'s post ... "I've sold a bunch of stuff to Doug Smyth. Hope he's not dead, but these things do happen." ...

[porschetub]

Well, there is an obituary for a Doug Smyth and someone did mention Porsches in the guest book. Guess it's true (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Ok ,yes it has happened and genuine ?,don't think the op has any obligation to give a refund as the items were purchased while the buyer was alive,thats the way to leave it IMO.
Really what can the family do? ,my wife died last year I would never think of returning stuff I bought for her using that as a reason....pretty sad really.

[euro911]

Geezes, don't you guys read earlier posts? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)




Sorry for your loss, 'Tub'

[TheCabinetmaker]

Funerals are very expensive. Maybe he had no insurance and the heirs are scrambling to pay for his burial. Instead of making accusations of scamming, maybe we should be taking a collection to help his family. He was after all, a member of this community, and that is what we usually do for our departed brothers.Just saying.

I'd chip in 20

[Mueller]

Funerals are very expensive. Maybe he had no insurance and the heirs are scrambling to pay for his burial. Instead of making accusations of scamming, maybe we should be taking a collection to help his family. He was after all, a member of this community, and that is what we usually do for our departed brothers.Just saying.

I'd chip in 20

True, we are going thru this right now...however in the original thread, no explanation except he passed away, I read that as "I could use the money for other things and I am entitled to it"

I might be wrong...or I could be correct, people can do ugly things unfortunately.

[DRPHIL914]

Funerals are very expensive. Maybe he had no insurance and the heirs are scrambling to pay for his burial. Instead of making accusations of scamming, maybe we should be taking a collection to help his family. He was after all, a member of this community, and that is what we usually do for our departed brothers.Just saying.

I'd chip in 20

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) i can't believe reading this thread , the over-reaction and assuming the worst calling people scammers, before you really know whats going on, and in the end the truth is a guy is dead!
I hand it to some cooler heads prevailing, giving some wise and sage advice -Tom, Euro911, Cabinetmaker. Hope we learn something from the whole senario. VERIFY and never assume because as the say it makes an A** out of you ---- and so some of you just did....

I understand being worried about being scammed, and loosing a few bucks, but maybe you should have phrased it differently, i mean you called a guy who turns out dead a scammer. and the daughter has not scammed you out of anything yet has she? she asked if you would give a refund, and you offered to if they returned the product. Sounds fair from both ends. if she doesnt send it back no worries i guess. Sounds to me like things might be tight for them. Might be nice to reach out and see if as was suggested above, we see if the group can help them.
tell you what, how much did you sell the h.e.'s for?

Maybe we can flip this around and make something good come from it. Mark has had some business with them. Maybe he can reach out to the family with a condolence type of sorry for your loss type of message, and maybe someone is close enough to them that could help. if there are parts that need to be sold or sent back to raise money for the family, funeral etc that would be awesome.

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[Mikey914]

I will attempt to make contact tomorrow and offer our condolences as a community. I will keep all posted.
Mark

[TravisNeff]

I did look for an obit, the best I could find with someone with the same name in NJ at 98 years old, that died 4 months before the transaction happened. Maybe my search ability is no Bueno

[bdstone914]

I did look for an obit, the best I could find with someone with the same name in NJ at 98 years old, that died 4 months before the transaction happened. Maybe my search ability is no Bueno

Did a google search of Doug Smyth died and this was the first thing that came up.

http://www.barkerfh.com/fh/obituaries/obit...amp;fh_id=11496