posted on December 12, 2000 03:37:00 AM
Lady buys an item and is happy. Lady's husband starts sending abusive emails. He wants a refund for his own reasons (doesnt like the fact his wife paid that much, whatever, not sure why). The item was exactly as described. He says he is going to pay me a 'visit' to get his money back. I tell him that sounded like a threat. He responds "take it any way you want, fat boy." Should I be afraid? Anyone else dealt with a psycho like this before?
posted on December 12, 2000 03:55:22 AM
trs64...YIKES!! First of all, if you feel a a threat here, send all emails to safeharbor. IMO, I don't care how high this auction went, I would not want this customer. Please report this person, and let us know what happens.
posted on December 12, 2000 04:04:43 AM
This nut is sending me bizarre emails. I think he's trying to create a phony 'paper trail' or something. I keep getting emails saying things like "stop emailing my wife" and "why did you say you are keeping our money and not sending our item?", just crazy stuff that I never said or did.
posted on December 12, 2000 04:15:25 AM
I'd report him to SafeHarbor, and put TIME SENSITIVE in the subject line. And I would also report him to his ISP - you will need to send copies of his emails, including all headers.
posted on December 12, 2000 04:23:10 AM
trs64 -
Send the emails (with headers) to the man's ISP ([email protected]) and ask them to get their user under control. And then ignore the emails.
eBay will not "get involved" in email hassles between users .... I had a series of abusive, obscenity-filled emails from an eBay user and safeharbor told me "tough #*!@!". the sender's ISP, on the other hand, said they would take care of it and the emails stopped immediately. I think the account was cancelled.
posted on December 12, 2000 04:33:10 AM
I've been told by eBay before that they dont get involved in email correspondence between members. The ISP is AOL so I dont hold much faith that they will do anything about it. They dont even accept email at '[email protected]'.
posted on December 12, 2000 04:37:22 AM
Do you still have his home address where you shipped the item to his wife? You might think about contacting the police in his home town. Make sure you keep all the emails he's sending.
posted on December 12, 2000 04:37:56 AM
Well, you have their mailing address, so contact the Police in their town about his threats. While they might not do anything, you can send one final notice to him that you are going to report him. If their town is small enough, it might cause the authorities to pay him a visit.
Do send the offending emails to AOL. At the very least they will warn him which might be enough to get him to back off.
posted on December 12, 2000 05:11:46 AM
If my having BTDT is any indication you need to contact the police in YOUR home town first; apparently the idea is that the crime (making threats) occured where YOU are since you read them at your computer in Niceville, rather than where they were sent over in Nastyton. Once you've done that, you can contact the Nastyton cops, tell them you've contacted your police, etc. etc. Remember too that unless he makes an actual threat of harm (describes what he'll do on his "visit", nobody may be able to act yet, since it's generlaly only a direct threat that triggers police action. This is what the LAPD and our county cops told me when the seller of "Yellow Roses" started sending me, uh, "love notes".
Make sure you get copies of complete headers on his emails.
posted on December 12, 2000 05:56:56 AM
What about the FCC? I know it's mostly fraud protection but I'm not so sure that saying someone took your money and didn't send the goods isn't an attempt to defraud.
posted on December 12, 2000 06:00:57 AM
It isn't legal to "threaten" someone via the Internet.....remember the teenager in Florida who threatened a bomb in a school?
A doctor just won a law suit for $600,000 plus for lies sent through the internet about him by another doctor.
About 4 years ago I encountered a cyber stalker. Cyber stalking was rather new then, and initially I just counted him a "nut." But he continued with threats about an item he purchased, which I told him I'd give him a refund on BUT he had to return the item, which he refused to do. His e-mails intensified, and got nastier, with threats of doing this and that to me. I was thankful that he was 900 miles away, but I also knew he had the money to show up on my door step anytime he chose. FINALLY, I sent copies of his e-mails to the police in his town, AND contacted the President of Northwestern University WHERE THE MAN WAS A PROFESSOR. The police moved in, and that ended the problem. Apparently the University had one heck of a talk with him, and I never heard from him again.
All this is to say - REPORT THE GUY THREATENING YOU to HIS local police department, YOUR police department, his ISP, YOUR ISP, and anyone else possible. The longer you wait the longer it appears that you may be egging him on with the supposed "e-mails" he infers you wrote.
Reporting this to SafeHarbor is FAR from enough - tell the police, regardless if they seem to know what to do - get it in a record that you have been threatened.
I hope you aren't responding to his stupidity - that is what he wants - cyber stalkers are like obscene phone callers, they get their kicks by getting you to respond.
Call & e-mail the police in your city and his. IF he is writing you from his office, that is if you are getting e-mails from him in the middle of the day when “most” men are at work, contacting his ISP, which may well be his company’s ISP is a good idea.
posted on December 12, 2000 06:09:13 AM
If it is an AOl Address Send to [email protected] . You use this address for abusive threating e amils, spam goes to [email protected]
posted on December 12, 2000 06:34:34 AM
First off don't be afraid, If someone was going to "Pay you a visit", He would of done it already, and probably would not of anounced it. More than likely you are dealing with a 100 pound geek, or a 20 yr old kid.
Do Not respond to his emails, He is working off an intimidation factor, If you ignore him he will tire of the game and go away more than likely.
Do foward any threatening Emails to his ISP, complete with headers, usually abuse@his isp.com will do the trick.
If the ISP doesnt handle the problem contact your local police, they will know how to handle it.
posted on December 12, 2000 01:47:13 PM
Thanks for all of your responses and helpful information. I've already told the person that I will not respond to any other emails and that I'm reporting them to the police. Of course they responded in true nut fashion..."go ahead, you stole our money, I'm coming to get my refund, I'm sueing you.." blah blah blah. I'm hoping they are all talk, but you never know.
, nobody may be able to act yet, since it's generlaly only a direct threat that triggers police action. This is what the LAPD and our county cops told me when the seller of "Yellow Roses" started sending me, uh, "love notes".
