July 15 2006
Update: Trade Me Death
posted by Ana Samways at 11:14 amLast month I stumbled upon a Trade Me seller who hadn’t fronted with the paid-for goods. The buyers were getting tetchy.
This response came a few days later: “This person was my sister she was involved in a car accident on the 7th of June and passed away on the 8th. Please be assured if u can get back to me with details of shoes I will be sure to send them. Please allow sufficient time she also has a young baby…”
A tragedy… Or so I thought. Yesterday Trade Me’s Jessi Morgan confirmed Tarns36 is alive (but obvious not too well, in the head I’d say) and that the reason for her faking her own death was inexplicable. The amount involved was under $100.
“Maybe she just couldn’t be bothered posting the goods,” says Morgan.
Trade Me must have a few more ‘resources’ at their disposal to find the truth because at the time I gave it a damn good crack.
I scanned the death notices for a week after the date of the alleged accident using the information from her profile (Tarns36 from Helensville), I contacted the Helensville Community Constable – he had no recollection and thought he’d remember if a local had died even if the accident was out of the area. I spoke to Waikato Police about a fatal in their patch on the 7th. They confirmed the victim was male (but that a passenger was seriously injured). I also used a personal contact from the area who runs the Montessori school, and therefore would know the communities mothers’, but no- one had heard of a mother from the area being killed in a car accident.
Which make me think (especially after seeing Friday’s Campbell Live about Trade Me renegers) the Safe Trader option, whereby the cash is stored by Trade Me until the goods arrive, is a mighty fine idea.
July 15th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
Wow! She really did want those handbags.
July 15th, 2006 at 7:54 pm
Safetrader would be fine however few are bothered to use it as trademe send the money via cheque once the goods are deemed to acceptable by the buyer. Another thought is go and check out scambusters to find the real level of dodgy dealings on tm and receive heaps of help and practical assistance when things do go wrong!