I answered a Craigslist ad concerning a Mercedes part from a guy in Palo Alto CA on Feb. 9th. We discussed details, shipping, costs (it is a lot), and made a deal through TONS of e-mails. He provided his name, address, phone number as well as his mother's name and address. I sent out a money order to his mother's address in NV because he would be there for the next week. He got the money, confirmed via e-mail, and said he would ship out the next day via UPS and send me the tracking number through e-mail. Days go by and I don't hear anything. I send e-mails and he finally gets back to me saying there was a "family emergency" back in CA and he had to shoot back to deal with it. Promises to send out the part the next day and apologizes. That was February 26th. I have yet to see the bumpers, recieve a tracking number, recieve an e-mail, or get a phone call back as I have left three messages at the number he gave me. I search his name online and it checks out with his address and his mothers address as well as his phone. I also find out he's a Shop Forum member, last active last year, user name autobahnfahrer. I PM him as well as send an e-mail to him through the site. Nothing back yet.
Should I be panicing? Should I alert the authorities? Can they do anything? I have his name and address but removed it from the post, I guess because I shouldn't be posting his name address and phone number. But I don't really care about posting it if he really ripped me off.
Sound familiar? What the heck should I do? It's shipping from California to Upstate New York. Have I given it ample time to arrive UPS ground? I'm freaking out and getting angry. I told him I might have to start calling his family to find out how to get ahold of him. With the time zone difference it will be very easy for me to call him in the middle of the night CA time as I'm at work at 6 AM NY time. Family emergency = B.S. or will I be harassing him in a time of need? Any ideas?
