First, I must concede that I acted monumentally stupidly in this sad (expensive) story...arguably it's entirely my fault for being so unqualifiedly trusting. Since trust is a huge element in rent/transfer transactions, I thought it might help others to hear my painful experience...
Just yesterday, I impulsively jumped on an R/T board offer to rent 160 BCW points (I've talked to our mods, who are WONDERFUL...very sympathetic!--and they remind me I must not "name names")...I PM'ed the poster who offered the points, providing my phone number and email address.
The poster (a "she") called me almost immediately (within 10 minutes); I explained what I wanted and we agreed a rental of points would be hard to work out (I wanted them for 13 months from now, and ressies can't be made til the 11-month-out mark)...so we discussed doing a points transfer instead.
We agreed to that, and we agreed to a price. We discussed "trust" and how best to protect both of us. The poster wanted me to wire half the money ($800) via Western Union...I suggested alternatives, mostly because I've never used Western Union before and didn't know how to do it (turns out it's remarkably easy, but I didn't know that then.) First (of many) mistakes...someone insisting on the use of Western Union is a red flag, I now know...
I spent the next hour running around...first I found the closest Western Union spot, went there to learn how to use the system...they require cash, so I had to run to the bank to get the money...at each step I called (by prearrangement) the seller/poster, to let her know my progress...due to my work schedule, we had to finish up within 90 minutes, or defer further activity til after 3 yesterday afternoon...we both wanted (I thought) to complete the transaction (first half the money from me to her, then a joint call to MS to transfer the points, then a transfer of the other half of the money from me to her).
(Pause for one small brief moment of sanity: I almost wired the whole amount--to save myself a trip later on to wire the rest...fortunately, I stopped myself from that "convenient" course of action!)...
I called after I had successfully wired the $800 to tell her the money was on its way...she told me she'd just discovered she'd lost her wallet, which contained her ID, and needed more info from me to claim the money w/out an ID...Second mistake. I should have stopped things right then (if I had, I'd have been out only the cost of the wire transfer--which was significant--almost $70, and a "refund fee"--much less than the $870 I actually lost)...anyway, I didn't give her any of my transaction or personal info (which is another small consolation), but I did agree to call Western Union to do a "test question" so she could claim the money w/out an ID...
I did this via my cell phone, while I was on the phone w/her (and she was at the Western Union station on her end, in NY)...Western Union told me she'd gotten the money before we got off the phone.
She told me she'd call me back w/in 5 minutes to do the Disney call (at this point, I had about 20 minutes left before I had to leave)...
She didn't call back. I worried a bit, but not all that much...we'd agreed that we'd do the Disney call at 3 yesterday afternoon if the Western Union/bank business took longer than the amount of time I had yesterday morning. I specifically asked if she'd be available then and she said yes. I called her as I was leaving to tell her I'd call her around 3 to complete our transaction...the first of many "no answers" from her from that point forward...
I called her again at 2:45, no answer. And again at 3. No answer. And then again at 15-30 minute intervals til MS closed at 5. And then one more time yesterday evening. No response. I sent her a PM. No answer.
I've checked her post...several people have responded to her offer, saying they've PM'ed her. Several did so after my dealings with her. As far as I can tell (no confirmation of having received my PM), she hasn't checked back on the R/T board since yesterday morning.
In all fairness, I guess it's possible something happened to her within 5 minutes of picking up the money I wired and that she will call me ... but somehow it doesn't seem likely at this point.
Another mistake: I want these points for November, 2007...now that I'm taking time to think this through, I can see a problem with this, too...I guess I could bank current year points to use in November 2007, but she told me, when I questioned her about timing, that she'd transfer next-year-points. I accepted that. But now that I think about it, how can someone transfer "next year" points? More evidence of my own stupidity in this. And another red flag.
And yet another mistake: I never looked at her post count til later...it's very, very low (I'm afraid to say how low for fear I will inadvertently break Disboards rules about not naming names...I don't want to post so much that I ID the person, contrary to the rules, by mistake)...
So, the lesson (which cost me $870 to learn!): Yes, we must trust each other...but pay attention to "warning signs" and take more than a couple of minutes of friendly conversation before handing over cash.
I'm certainly not holding this against anyone (other than myself and the person who took my money!)...the Disboards folks have been very sympathetic (and "authorized"/encouraged me to post this story in the hopes it might help someone else who might be teetering on an impulse buy as I did)...
Fortunately, the loss won't break my personal bank...it hurts and it'll mean some extra tuna fish over steak for a while...but at least I didn't "bet the mortgage!"
Sure hope this doesn't happen to anyone else!
Just yesterday, I impulsively jumped on an R/T board offer to rent 160 BCW points (I've talked to our mods, who are WONDERFUL...very sympathetic!--and they remind me I must not "name names")...I PM'ed the poster who offered the points, providing my phone number and email address.
The poster (a "she") called me almost immediately (within 10 minutes); I explained what I wanted and we agreed a rental of points would be hard to work out (I wanted them for 13 months from now, and ressies can't be made til the 11-month-out mark)...so we discussed doing a points transfer instead.
We agreed to that, and we agreed to a price. We discussed "trust" and how best to protect both of us. The poster wanted me to wire half the money ($800) via Western Union...I suggested alternatives, mostly because I've never used Western Union before and didn't know how to do it (turns out it's remarkably easy, but I didn't know that then.) First (of many) mistakes...someone insisting on the use of Western Union is a red flag, I now know...
I spent the next hour running around...first I found the closest Western Union spot, went there to learn how to use the system...they require cash, so I had to run to the bank to get the money...at each step I called (by prearrangement) the seller/poster, to let her know my progress...due to my work schedule, we had to finish up within 90 minutes, or defer further activity til after 3 yesterday afternoon...we both wanted (I thought) to complete the transaction (first half the money from me to her, then a joint call to MS to transfer the points, then a transfer of the other half of the money from me to her).
(Pause for one small brief moment of sanity: I almost wired the whole amount--to save myself a trip later on to wire the rest...fortunately, I stopped myself from that "convenient" course of action!)...
I called after I had successfully wired the $800 to tell her the money was on its way...she told me she'd just discovered she'd lost her wallet, which contained her ID, and needed more info from me to claim the money w/out an ID...Second mistake. I should have stopped things right then (if I had, I'd have been out only the cost of the wire transfer--which was significant--almost $70, and a "refund fee"--much less than the $870 I actually lost)...anyway, I didn't give her any of my transaction or personal info (which is another small consolation), but I did agree to call Western Union to do a "test question" so she could claim the money w/out an ID...
I did this via my cell phone, while I was on the phone w/her (and she was at the Western Union station on her end, in NY)...Western Union told me she'd gotten the money before we got off the phone.
She told me she'd call me back w/in 5 minutes to do the Disney call (at this point, I had about 20 minutes left before I had to leave)...
She didn't call back. I worried a bit, but not all that much...we'd agreed that we'd do the Disney call at 3 yesterday afternoon if the Western Union/bank business took longer than the amount of time I had yesterday morning. I specifically asked if she'd be available then and she said yes. I called her as I was leaving to tell her I'd call her around 3 to complete our transaction...the first of many "no answers" from her from that point forward...
I called her again at 2:45, no answer. And again at 3. No answer. And then again at 15-30 minute intervals til MS closed at 5. And then one more time yesterday evening. No response. I sent her a PM. No answer.
I've checked her post...several people have responded to her offer, saying they've PM'ed her. Several did so after my dealings with her. As far as I can tell (no confirmation of having received my PM), she hasn't checked back on the R/T board since yesterday morning.
In all fairness, I guess it's possible something happened to her within 5 minutes of picking up the money I wired and that she will call me ... but somehow it doesn't seem likely at this point.
Another mistake: I want these points for November, 2007...now that I'm taking time to think this through, I can see a problem with this, too...I guess I could bank current year points to use in November 2007, but she told me, when I questioned her about timing, that she'd transfer next-year-points. I accepted that. But now that I think about it, how can someone transfer "next year" points? More evidence of my own stupidity in this. And another red flag.
And yet another mistake: I never looked at her post count til later...it's very, very low (I'm afraid to say how low for fear I will inadvertently break Disboards rules about not naming names...I don't want to post so much that I ID the person, contrary to the rules, by mistake)...
So, the lesson (which cost me $870 to learn!): Yes, we must trust each other...but pay attention to "warning signs" and take more than a couple of minutes of friendly conversation before handing over cash.
I'm certainly not holding this against anyone (other than myself and the person who took my money!)...the Disboards folks have been very sympathetic (and "authorized"/encouraged me to post this story in the hopes it might help someone else who might be teetering on an impulse buy as I did)...
Fortunately, the loss won't break my personal bank...it hurts and it'll mean some extra tuna fish over steak for a while...but at least I didn't "bet the mortgage!"
Sure hope this doesn't happen to anyone else!
Wow, you are a good person, I would be so angry! I admire your restraint and humbleness. I hope nothing major has happened with the OP and that it was all a big mistake and she will get back to you soon to straighten this out. 
I hope things work out for you! Good luck!
