Sorry, this is not about sound of Naim.
I planed to build Tri amping system for my ATC. Now I am using XS2 like amp for tweeter and as pre amp for NAP 250.2 which is driving bass and mids.
I found very good offer for NAP250.2 on german web QUOKA, I bought many times on ebay with ok result.
So I contacted seller, he sent me bank account number, I sent money and this is the end…
I think this web portal is full of fraud offers, for Naim component too.
I lost 1.100 EUR, don´t be another one!
Sorry to hear that, must be very frustrating. But thankyou for your honesty by coming forward with your mistake.
Thank you for your condolence! I will go to the bank ask for help, but seller´s bank is ING in Holland and Holland is land for thieves´ protection, I can not to say more exactly:grinning:
That sucks, toe-rags.
All the best. No doubt you handle it well since you have been open about it - very important! We recently had ‘chantage’ in the family - and it had a very destructive mental result on the person.
I hope the culprit was caught and dealt with by the law…not nice at all.
Franta, I’m very sorry to hear of your experience. I imagine you are feeling very angry right now, but thank you for coming onto the forum to share. It’s a galling thing to happen. And while it undermines trust for those of us who buy and sell regularly in a decent and trustworthy manner, it also serves as a useful lesson for us all.
I don’t know Quoka but would advise anyone interested in buying anything of a high value from any auction or classified sales site to always be cautious.
For anyone considering purchasing a second hand item privately, then here’s some advice; if something looks too good to be true, then it probably is exactly that. The best scammers do their homework and usually price something low enough to look like a bargain, while high enough to appear genuine. They rely on their victim to think that it’s a bargain that will be snapped up quickly, so caution is set aside in haste to secure the item.
Get their phone number and speak to the seller. Most genuine sellers will be happy to discuss the item and will be able to give details. If it’s Naim kit then always ask for the serial number. Check any serial numbers with the local distributor or the Naim factory.
If you can, arrange to meet in person. If taking a lot of cash then take precautions. Meet somewhere public or if it’s at their home, then check it out first. I always do a google earth and street view search first. If the meeting place looks strange or you feel there’s a risk of getting mugged then be cautious and either back out or take a friend with you.
If they are sending the kit to you then try to pay by Paypal (don’t use Paypal gift/friends & family unless you absolutely trust them) which will provide some protection. Don’t pay by a bank transfer unless you absolutely trust them.
And if all of that seems like just too much trouble and risk, remember that there are plenty of great dealers out there who not only have a lot of great secondhand kit at a fair price, but also provide you with peace of mind and even a guarantee.
People, some simply aren’t worth the air they breathe. Sorry it happened to you, thanks for the heads up.
I agree with Richard’s suggestions. A while back I bought a nearly new XPS DR on eBay and the guy selling it had good feedback. Also in an email exchange he said he had bought it together with some other kit from a particular Naim dealer but now needed to free up some cash as he had moved house. I was able to work out his name from the email (a work email address and I was able to confirm via google that he did indeed work there in a job compatible with Naim ownership) and found that he had indeed moved house recently and the old one (his parents’ house) was near the named dealer. The new home was in Wimbledon and therefore was small but expensive. This all took some research but google search reaches places one would hardly believe. (Planning applications and newspaper announcements of marriage are very revealing sources of information!)
So I completed the deal and it was all as described. I went to his house and saw the other kit and the evidence of a young child who was probably partly why he needed the cash! Subsequently he emailed me a copy of the original receipt from the dealer, which confirmed much of my research.
Anyway my point is that during the auction, and after I had won the item, I did quite a bit of on line research before paying. And I paid a fair price for the unit, but still saved myself over £1000 compared to a new unit from a dealer.
Best
David
Very true. Some years ago I (thought I’d) bought a NAC300 from a Craigslist seller. The price was quite good, though not stupidly cheap. They claimed to be in the Orkneys. I send the money - absolutely no response. I contacted their bank (Barclays) and they said that there was nothing that they were willing to do about it. I have never used Craigslist again - they were no help either, showing no interest at all.
A famous auction site charges quite a lot for their services, but I understand that they are much more helpful in such circumstances.
That’s about as accessible as Greenland ! Not much chance to meet the seller, inspect/audition the goods and take delivery in person !
Probably why he chose to say he was there. In fact he was much nearer to Reading.
Richard’s advice is good. To add to it, when I bought an amp from Canada a couple of years ago, (which I did using PayPal). Negotiations were by email, giving a full record, but before final commitment I telephoned to speak directly (everything else by email showing full email trail) - and asked him to send me a photo of him holding his passport clearly visible. He agreed, and sent it an hour or two later - with him also holding that day’s newspaper showing the date, which I had not thought to ask for. Not foolproof, as of course it could be faked, and it wouldn’t guarantee resolving any issue even if it was genuine evidence of his identity, but it would have added significantly to his level of difficulty if it was a con - and his lack of hesitancy on the phone and then complying gave me the confidence to proceed.
My commiserations to the OP - that is I significant amount of money. Have you exhausted all lines of follow-up, or is there still some hope, however thin?
Yes, the feedback aspect is good, though sadly more limited and so less good than it used to be. But I think it is important t scrutinise carefully, looking at selling more than buying (though buying history can still be informative), and look at the types, values and pattern of selling and responses to try to gauge validity. I would certainly never buy anything expensive purely online from someone with zero feedback, nor from someone with high good feedback accumulated in a very short time selling only very low value stuff. One useful question if they don’t offer collection, is to ask if you can collect, or have someone you know who lives near collect it - a flat no may be grounds for suspicion.
I hope many people will read this discussion! These advices are very helpful. Only one thing is quite shocking, state of today´s western society. Some years ago I bought on internet many times vintage english amplifiers without any problems. So, wolrd is changing…
I contacted local police and my bank yesterday. I will report the result.
Very good. If you are Dutch, ING will take at least the account down upon Police request.
For warning , this is contact of seller, copy from QUOKA site, then communication was via email.
This is my bank account :
Account Holder: Uwe Marian Günther
IBAN: NL23 INGB 0797 0311 46
Swift: INGBNL2A
Bank : ING Bank
Please send me the proof of payment,and your address and full name,on my email address : Ichlieberock12@web.de
I am not bank expert, but there must be real person, holder of bank account.
We will see like system works…
We (my business) was ripped off for over $110,000 in a internet bank scam a few years ago. We managed to get it all back thanks to the help we received from our bank, they guarantee it think they only recovered 95ks and took a hit for the rest.
Have you no recourse through your bank?
Thank you for your post and alert.
It is good to know these sites and be aware.
I am sorry for your loss and wish you get your money back soon.
Regards
Good morning, Pete, money transfer was on monday, he get money on wednesday in ING Holland, I was in the bank on friday and on police too. Bank officer said they have many such cases, policeman said four cases a week in our town only. Another modern looting:-)
Last case was: one family ordered and payed accommodation in Amsterdam for four people and for week via internet. They came on address which does not exist!
Todays reality.