A Fair Warning To Anyone Buying From User "cypher"
02-18-2009, 12:31 PM
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For those that have NOT heard me b****ing in the shout box, the short end of this story is "<u>don't buy from Cypher unless you're the gambling type.</u>"
For reference please see his sale post from Jan 4th:
http://www.rdtiburon.com/index.php?showtop...mp;#entry386868
I'm not going to make this a "oh woe is me" or pity party thread; that's not really my style. But as a community its only fair to point the mis-deeds of other members so no one else gets hosed.
Long story short I offered to buy the wheels in the thread above from him and requested a shipping quote, but stated that I was waiting on a check to arrive and said that in the mean time it was only fair that he have the right to sell them. It took me a 2 weeks to get the money together sadly but at the time I did he still had them, however a few days later he stated that a local showed interest and he was awaiting a PM from them begin that shipping would be more difficult. This SHOULD have been warning number 1, but I'm stupid and these wheels are just perfect for my look. Instead I offer him a bit more than his asking price (which seems to have gone up, but I may be wrong) which should cover shipping and leave a decent bit left over for incentive; but I get no response. Then I offer to come pick them up thinking a nice road trip would be fun and it's been years since my last. I get back a very simple:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cypher @ Jan 31 2009, 11:22 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>s*** man, if you want to come pick them up they are all yours!</div>
I even offered to bring cash since paypal does cost money to use. As of Feb 2nd the plan was to meet up the night of February 14 and I would pay him for the wheels plus $40 for for "mount and road-force balance." It all seemed cool. I went and bought some tires, even got a damn good deal on some Nexen N3000's ($159 + 55s/h from Nate's Wheels ebay store, yes new) and found hubcentric rings that were to fit the SSR's inner bore; and as we all know these are non refundable. To make a weekend out of it I even managed to weasel my way into a 6:45 reservation at The Melting Pot in Arlington, VA and snag a sweet room at the Arlington Radisson. Problem, I still don't know where we're supposed to meet; which SHOULD have been strike 2. On Feb 10 I get a PM stating that he won't be able to mount/balance due to a busy schedule that night, which I don't really consider a problem because it's Valentines night. But I still had no idea where we were to meet, all I knew is that he was going to be in the Glenn Burnie area, about 30 mins north of where we were at a tattoo parlor. This SHOULD have been #3 and I'd be lying if I said at this point I hadn't woken up to what was about to go down. I sent him a pm more the point of: "Hey dude, where are we going to meet and what time?" I had given him my phone number again, as I did in several PMs, and just before we left at 4am Saturday morning I left another PM this time requesting a call. We drove 10 hours strait from Atlanta to DC, limping on the bent rims I was hopefully going to replace. We made it there around 2pm and checked into our hotel. I then checked my pms here and hadn't yet received any, I checked again and again over the next 24 hours and noticed that he hadn't logged since Friday afternoon. We never got ANY form of contact and even left a few more PMs. So basically sometime between the 10th and 13th it was already decided that I wasn't going to be sold these wheels. Or so it seems. To make matters worse, because we left late on Sunday and got caught in DC traffic out-bound we only made it to Charlotte before I was just exhausted, as a result there was a 2nd hotel room I hadn't planned on and I missed work Monday. On top of driving 1500 miles, ON BENT RIMS, and paid gobs of money in planning; just to get stood up. Who in their right mind would turn down easy cash, even and extra $70 (he was asking $280 and I offered $350).
I may be wrong, perhaps there was some emergency that came up last minute. But for god sakes, I voluntarily drove 1500 miles round trip and offered to flex to any schedule, for nothing. The least I expected was a call with a "sorry I wont be able to make it. _____ came up." And maybe it was one of those 'drop everything' type of emergencies, but he still hasn't logged on and ignored 4 days worth of pms prior. It all seems really suspicious.
<u>Rough estimate of costs: </u>
Fuel: $120 (5 stops for fuel plus tip in DC)
Food: $60 (excluding dinner at tMP, that was pure indulgence wink1.gif )
Hotel: $240 (the 2nd night was an unplanned expense)
Hubcentric Rings fit for SSR wheels and Tibby: $20
Tires: $215
<u>Total: $655!!</u>
For reference please see his sale post from Jan 4th:
http://www.rdtiburon.com/index.php?showtop...mp;#entry386868
I'm not going to make this a "oh woe is me" or pity party thread; that's not really my style. But as a community its only fair to point the mis-deeds of other members so no one else gets hosed.
Long story short I offered to buy the wheels in the thread above from him and requested a shipping quote, but stated that I was waiting on a check to arrive and said that in the mean time it was only fair that he have the right to sell them. It took me a 2 weeks to get the money together sadly but at the time I did he still had them, however a few days later he stated that a local showed interest and he was awaiting a PM from them begin that shipping would be more difficult. This SHOULD have been warning number 1, but I'm stupid and these wheels are just perfect for my look. Instead I offer him a bit more than his asking price (which seems to have gone up, but I may be wrong) which should cover shipping and leave a decent bit left over for incentive; but I get no response. Then I offer to come pick them up thinking a nice road trip would be fun and it's been years since my last. I get back a very simple:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cypher @ Jan 31 2009, 11:22 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>s*** man, if you want to come pick them up they are all yours!</div>
I even offered to bring cash since paypal does cost money to use. As of Feb 2nd the plan was to meet up the night of February 14 and I would pay him for the wheels plus $40 for for "mount and road-force balance." It all seemed cool. I went and bought some tires, even got a damn good deal on some Nexen N3000's ($159 + 55s/h from Nate's Wheels ebay store, yes new) and found hubcentric rings that were to fit the SSR's inner bore; and as we all know these are non refundable. To make a weekend out of it I even managed to weasel my way into a 6:45 reservation at The Melting Pot in Arlington, VA and snag a sweet room at the Arlington Radisson. Problem, I still don't know where we're supposed to meet; which SHOULD have been strike 2. On Feb 10 I get a PM stating that he won't be able to mount/balance due to a busy schedule that night, which I don't really consider a problem because it's Valentines night. But I still had no idea where we were to meet, all I knew is that he was going to be in the Glenn Burnie area, about 30 mins north of where we were at a tattoo parlor. This SHOULD have been #3 and I'd be lying if I said at this point I hadn't woken up to what was about to go down. I sent him a pm more the point of: "Hey dude, where are we going to meet and what time?" I had given him my phone number again, as I did in several PMs, and just before we left at 4am Saturday morning I left another PM this time requesting a call. We drove 10 hours strait from Atlanta to DC, limping on the bent rims I was hopefully going to replace. We made it there around 2pm and checked into our hotel. I then checked my pms here and hadn't yet received any, I checked again and again over the next 24 hours and noticed that he hadn't logged since Friday afternoon. We never got ANY form of contact and even left a few more PMs. So basically sometime between the 10th and 13th it was already decided that I wasn't going to be sold these wheels. Or so it seems. To make matters worse, because we left late on Sunday and got caught in DC traffic out-bound we only made it to Charlotte before I was just exhausted, as a result there was a 2nd hotel room I hadn't planned on and I missed work Monday. On top of driving 1500 miles, ON BENT RIMS, and paid gobs of money in planning; just to get stood up. Who in their right mind would turn down easy cash, even and extra $70 (he was asking $280 and I offered $350).
I may be wrong, perhaps there was some emergency that came up last minute. But for god sakes, I voluntarily drove 1500 miles round trip and offered to flex to any schedule, for nothing. The least I expected was a call with a "sorry I wont be able to make it. _____ came up." And maybe it was one of those 'drop everything' type of emergencies, but he still hasn't logged on and ignored 4 days worth of pms prior. It all seems really suspicious.
<u>Rough estimate of costs: </u>
Fuel: $120 (5 stops for fuel plus tip in DC)
Food: $60 (excluding dinner at tMP, that was pure indulgence wink1.gif )
Hotel: $240 (the 2nd night was an unplanned expense)
Hubcentric Rings fit for SSR wheels and Tibby: $20
Tires: $215
<u>Total: $655!!</u>
02-18-2009, 05:44 PM
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Damn man, like I said via PM, that's INSANE!
And Cypher? He always tries to act like such a stand up guy and nail any "wrongdoers" everywhere.
Did you post this over at EXD?
And Cypher? He always tries to act like such a stand up guy and nail any "wrongdoers" everywhere.
Did you post this over at EXD?
02-18-2009, 07:08 PM
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i read the story twice to make my decision. it seems to me like both of you made a mistake. you hopped right in the car instead of talking to him a bunch of times. all of the problems you're describing are things that happened to you. it seems like he wasn't prepared for you to come for the rims so fast. when it comes to these big items, you have to bug the person until everything is worked out. when i bought my $220 valued hoover steam cleaner for pickup in alexandria, i called the owner several times the week before to say i was going to drive up, that i would call to confirm before i left. Cypher is at fault for selling them at the wrong time and not being able to take the responsibility of handling a rim sale on here. you post rims, you're asking for it yourself, you're going into deep water. for example, if i'm selling my EVO hood, you're damn right it's going to be packaged when i confirm it's about to get sold before any payment or arrangement is involved.
it's February, the most difficult month of the year. the people from this area are working 9-5 (economy is low and you have to show your boss you're worth something) , perhaps longer, taxes are due, school is in full blast with essays, reading, tests, and exams, and various other things. it's really busy anywhere near d.c. and baltimore. it's only natural to me that someone doesn't have time for cars. he had a tiburon meet in June which signifies to me like it was his idea of the best time to have it.
from my perspective, if you offered such commitment to drive, spend money and pick them up on your own, then you should be treated like a God. but you weren't. it could be possible he had no idea when to expect you or how long you got caught up in that nasty nasty D.C.-VA traffic uugh. so yeah, there was some miscommunication and unfortunately he should have been more prepared to answer your phone knowing you were driving all the way from Georgia so i see why you're pissed and you have a right to be.
it's February, the most difficult month of the year. the people from this area are working 9-5 (economy is low and you have to show your boss you're worth something) , perhaps longer, taxes are due, school is in full blast with essays, reading, tests, and exams, and various other things. it's really busy anywhere near d.c. and baltimore. it's only natural to me that someone doesn't have time for cars. he had a tiburon meet in June which signifies to me like it was his idea of the best time to have it.
from my perspective, if you offered such commitment to drive, spend money and pick them up on your own, then you should be treated like a God. but you weren't. it could be possible he had no idea when to expect you or how long you got caught up in that nasty nasty D.C.-VA traffic uugh. so yeah, there was some miscommunication and unfortunately he should have been more prepared to answer your phone knowing you were driving all the way from Georgia so i see why you're pissed and you have a right to be.
02-18-2009, 08:18 PM
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Why would you drive 10 hours without having set plans in stone or even the guy's cell phone number? Granted, he's a dick for blowing you off, I wonder what his excuse will be. But all the times I've gone on road trips to pick up parts, I made sure that I had the person's phone number and home address.
02-18-2009, 10:05 PM
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i know cypher personally and to be honest this does not sound like him...
cuz back in june/july...he fixed my wheel balance free of charge at his job, i know if you was going to put some tires on there for you...he was going to do it when his manger was not there or around...
im not taking sides or anything...there was poor communication in this deal, im sorry you got the raw end of the deal...it just does not sound like him, very strange...
cuz back in june/july...he fixed my wheel balance free of charge at his job, i know if you was going to put some tires on there for you...he was going to do it when his manger was not there or around...
im not taking sides or anything...there was poor communication in this deal, im sorry you got the raw end of the deal...it just does not sound like him, very strange...
02-19-2009, 05:11 AM
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RED ZMAN @ Feb 18 2009, 06:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Did you post this over at EXD?</div>
Not yet, I figure if he's really that type of guy some crap will go down and then I have the right act like a prick.
Before I go on a slander binge I'll give him some time to come to me with an excuse.
As for what's been said here and in the shoutbox, yes it would be pretty stupid to drive to drive 10 hours w/out confirming crap just to sit around waiting for a call. Hell, if it was just for the wheels alone it'd be pretty silly. I did say we decided to make a weekend out of it (besides try to get dinner reservations the week of valentines, if I lost those I'd be complete screwed.... or perhaps not at all). There was plenty of stuff for us to do and it turned out that there was a convention at the Hyatt just around the corner. I know where I went wrong and pretty much knew by Thursday before we left that he was going to no-show. But When you offer someone 25% MORE than their asking price, there is a certain level of expectation.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mwood @ Feb 18 2009, 11:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>i know cypher personally and to be honest this does not sound like him...</div>
That's what I though too after the first few PMs. But shy of spontaneous combustion, nuclear fallout or equivalent tragedy the visiting party at least deserves notification. And there was a good half week with no response despite him begin online.
Not yet, I figure if he's really that type of guy some crap will go down and then I have the right act like a prick.
Before I go on a slander binge I'll give him some time to come to me with an excuse.
As for what's been said here and in the shoutbox, yes it would be pretty stupid to drive to drive 10 hours w/out confirming crap just to sit around waiting for a call. Hell, if it was just for the wheels alone it'd be pretty silly. I did say we decided to make a weekend out of it (besides try to get dinner reservations the week of valentines, if I lost those I'd be complete screwed.... or perhaps not at all). There was plenty of stuff for us to do and it turned out that there was a convention at the Hyatt just around the corner. I know where I went wrong and pretty much knew by Thursday before we left that he was going to no-show. But When you offer someone 25% MORE than their asking price, there is a certain level of expectation.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mwood @ Feb 18 2009, 11:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>i know cypher personally and to be honest this does not sound like him...</div>
That's what I though too after the first few PMs. But shy of spontaneous combustion, nuclear fallout or equivalent tragedy the visiting party at least deserves notification. And there was a good half week with no response despite him begin online.
02-19-2009, 12:11 PM
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so my question is if you had not heard from him onine in days, why jump in the car and drive 10 hours, you said you were paying cash for them right?
02-20-2009, 08:24 AM
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Are you serious? I believe that question was answered just above. But just in case my motives weren't 100% clear:
Being a sentient animal capable of logical thought I presumed, correctly I may add, that there is at the very least a scintilla of entertainment in a large town like DC and/or Baltimore. I came up with a list of attractions we were to see, also included a nice dinner out and some time to relax. Being the stress of the holidays and both of us taking on new career paths in the coming weeks my wife and decided that a weekend out of town would be an enjoyable experience. It just so happened that this coincided with the offer in question and my familiarity with the surrounding area.
Translated for the laymen impaired
And, yes. I offered him cash which was completely covered in the first post. I am the kind of individual who realized that paypal costs the seller money. Plus if he did duck out of the sale (hehee ) I wouldn't be hosed with bum sale and the hassle of trying to redeem the money or goods via paypal claim; the extra 25% was included as basic incentive to hold the wheels and NOT hose me. Gravy if you will. $70 for doing nothing. Plus, if I recall correctly you had a similar experience not to long ago with a seller here on RDT who you sent money plus extra incentive and wound up with a mess just trying to get crap shipped.
Being a sentient animal capable of logical thought I presumed, correctly I may add, that there is at the very least a scintilla of entertainment in a large town like DC and/or Baltimore. I came up with a list of attractions we were to see, also included a nice dinner out and some time to relax. Being the stress of the holidays and both of us taking on new career paths in the coming weeks my wife and decided that a weekend out of town would be an enjoyable experience. It just so happened that this coincided with the offer in question and my familiarity with the surrounding area.
Translated for the laymen impaired
And, yes. I offered him cash which was completely covered in the first post. I am the kind of individual who realized that paypal costs the seller money. Plus if he did duck out of the sale (hehee ) I wouldn't be hosed with bum sale and the hassle of trying to redeem the money or goods via paypal claim; the extra 25% was included as basic incentive to hold the wheels and NOT hose me. Gravy if you will. $70 for doing nothing. Plus, if I recall correctly you had a similar experience not to long ago with a seller here on RDT who you sent money plus extra incentive and wound up with a mess just trying to get crap shipped.