A Pretty Woman scammed me

[Hamlet]

Ordered and paid for a name and email address on August 8, 2005.  Email address was worthless.

Wrote to company asking for correct email address.  They wrote back and promised it in a few days.

They never provided it and ignored my subsequent emails seeking a credit on my charge card.

[Scaught]

... in response to A Pretty Woman scammed me, posted by Hamlet on Sep 11, 2005

I doubt there's anyone here who either hasn't been scammed by one of them, or who wasn't the attempted victim of a scam. It would only be newsworthy if there is someone here who hasn't been scammed. That would be a short discussion thread.

[Michael B]

... in response to A Pretty Woman scammed me, posted by Hamlet on Sep 11, 2005

How could she scam you if you were never able to contact her? It might have been a legit email address when she gave it to them and then she abandoned it or forgot the password or she doesn't check it very often, might have gotten married and neglected to tell the agency, or (horrors!) perhaps she looked at the pictures you attached and decided not to answer you, who knows, could be a million reasons. I wouldn't cry over 6 dollar transaction.

[NW Jim]

... in response to Re: A Pretty Woman scammed me, posted by Michael B on Sep 11, 2005

" A Pretty Woman" is the name of the agency.

[Michael B]

... in response to Re: Re: A Pretty Woman scammed me, posted by NW Jim on Sep 11, 2005

Oh, didn't realize that. Now I look silly.

[Streetwise]

... in response to A Pretty Woman scammed me, posted by Hamlet on Sep 11, 2005

... there are some here who will ridicule you for that. Sorry to hear you got had, buying addresses is always a lottery; some of the addresses may even have been genuine once, but some agencies trade addresses between them and many haven't been checked and updated since they were posted years ago. If you get 3 genuine "active" addresses for every 5 you order, you won't have done badly!!!

[Hamlet]

... in response to Don't expose your vulnerability on this ..., posted by Streetwise on Sep 11, 2005

The purpose of my message was to warn people that this agency will take money, make promises they will not keep and then refuse to refund the money.  I'm not sure why one of the other posters in this thread would riducule me for that as it seems that one of the purposes of this forum is to trade such information.  

There are a lot of agencies out there, perhaps it is better taking a chance on others.

[Streetwise]

... in response to Re: Don't expose your vulnerability on t..., posted by Hamlet on Sep 11, 2005

...look at the recent posts! I think you call it "flaming" in the States?

Seriously though, buying addresses is fine if you are prepared to accept a percentage of wastage (obsolete information) in the process; I think that goes for most agencies. Personally I would stick to those which give a date for when their profiles were posted, and contact the most recent additions; any profiles over a year old (or undated) are unreliable. Life is unpredictable over there, I know that the ladies move apartments quite often, and their personal circumstances also change quickly. As for A Pretty Woman... I believe they are less diligent than most in updating/deleting old profiles, I remember recognising one girl's profile from three years earlier, unchanged!! As I mentioned earlier, many of them actually trade profiles and addresses by the hundred with each other; some will still be valid but there are no guarantees and I don't think many of the agencies are in the business of giving refunds.    

By the way, you said the email address did not work... what response did you get? It's worth noting that the more popular ladies' mailboxes can fill up in the first day of posting their profiles, and many can't check their mailboxes more than once a week.

[Hamlet]

... in response to Agreed, but..., posted by Streetwise on Sep 12, 2005

I suppose it is rational for people like LP to assume that I wanted to contact a woman on a site named "A Pretty Woman" for romance, but in fact I wanted to contact her for another reason and another woman would not substitute.  This woman is a certain kind of high-level professional involved in international business transactions and so it was reasonable for me to assume her email address would be stable.  Nor was she likely to be one of the "more popular ladies" as you suggested due to her advanced age, physical appearance and location.

She lives in a country that is isolated and run by a dictator who has legions of secret police checking, among other things, incoming and outgoing snail mail and where US citizens are not generally able to visit.  I know from experience that I am not willing to disclose that the only safe way I could contact her is by email.

In any event, to answer your question, the email was bounced back to me.  The agency sold me a name and email address.  The certain implication they made is that the address is valid.  If it is not, the company is obligated to return my money and since they failed to do so I told the credit card company to reverse the charge and I warned other men on this forum.

Hamlet

[LP]

... in response to Re: Agreed, but..., posted by Hamlet on Sep 13, 2005

[This message has been edited by LP]

...Contacting woman FSU for romance is what that (and this) site is all about so yes, it would be rational to assume that's what you were doing. That said, scammed is scammed whatever the motivation.

Although it does makes one wonder what you'd like to cook up with a "professional" who does high level international business transactions in a country that is isolated and run by a dictator who has legions of secret police and where US citizens are not generally able to visit.

Whatever it involves also sounds rational. Course, that way of thinking probably only applies to people like me..

[LP]

... in response to Agreed, but..., posted by Streetwise on Sep 12, 2005

...I wasn't going to jump on him. Contrary to popular belief I won't kick a guy when he's down. Personally I don't understand why anyone would buy addresses cuz it's old hat, not reliable, and there are so many better ways to meet these women. But hey, it's his show and if he thinks he's getting his two bob's worth who am I to question it.

Yeah, we call it flaming here. What it's called over on your side? Or are you blokes still too civilized to engage in it?

Touche on the poem btw. I suppose I had it coming. Cheers....

[Streetwise]

... in response to Hey Mate...., posted by LP on Sep 13, 2005

...no worries LP, nothing wrong with a bit of the old cut- &-thrust to spice things up occasonally. We call it "putting the boot in" and it's a national pastime here.. that and cricket of course.

[LP]

... in response to Don't expose your vulnerability on this ..., posted by Streetwise on Sep 11, 2005

...or not to be vulnerable, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of others or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them, to die, to sleep

[Streetwise]

... in response to To be...., posted by LP on Sep 11, 2005

Do not, as some ungracious pastors (posters) do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven;
Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine,
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads (threads),
And recks not his own rede.

[Beattledog]

... in response to A Pretty Woman scammed me, posted by Hamlet on Sep 11, 2005

You got had. just learn from the experience

Beattledog