Have you ever been ripped off?

[paperunicorn]

I think the title speaks for itself...I feel like we have all had those times when we go into a purchase of some kind without all the information we might have had, and end up paying too much for something, or making a questionable investment. ESPECIALLY those of us who own our own businesses. Would you share some tales of bad financial decisions, and what you learned from them?

 

[bludiva]

yes ripped off by a shady contractor a few years ago - lesson learned to always cross-check multiple sources for references including angies list, yelp, etc. he was listed in good standing with the bbb (which i found out later after filing a complaint w/ the bbb was because they don't do anything if a member ignores their inquiries)

 

[HappyNewLife]

my wife had a best friend for 4 years who ripped her off. He groomed her for years before he asked her to invest in his company ($20K). He was the best man in our wedding. I knew instantly when I met him that he was a shady MFer, but kept my mouth shut. Turns out he took the money and ran.

 

[facetgirl]

I have 2 completely separate situations where I ultimately learned the same lesson.

First was someone I hired who stirred up alot of disruption within the team. I sensed something was off but didn't listen to my gut because on paper, they had all of the credentials and requirements we were looking for. This person's actions resulted in a lot of unnecessary conflict that took us away from what we needed to do.

The other was a diamond I purchased as a VS2 that after set, clearly had a carbon spot. I was a newbie, the diamond did not come with a cert. I thought I asked all the right questions.

What I learned..... you can have something look great on paper but when it performs in real life might not be what you need or are looking for.

 

[cmd2014]

I bought jewelry on a cruise (what can I say...too many free champagnes and not enough cynicism). I do love the pieces and wear them often (I still think they are beautiful after all these years), but I also realize that they are valued at nowhere near what I paid for them. I was a little sick after we got home and I googled what I had bought... (DH helped by saying, "but you love them, and you wear them, so why worry about it - it's not like you're ever going to sell them, so what does it matter?")

 

[facetgirl]

I have 2 completely separate situations where I ultimately learned the same lesson.

First was someone I hired who stirred up alot of disruption within the team. I sensed something was off but didn't listen to my gut because on paper, they had all of the credentials and requirements we were looking for. This person's actions resulted in a lot of unnecessary conflict that took us away from what we needed to do.

The other was a diamond I purchased as a VS2 that after set, clearly had a carbon spot. I was a newbie, the diamond did not come with a cert. I thought I asked all the right questions.

What I learned..... you can have something look great on paper but when it performs in real life might not be what you need or are looking for.

ETA... just realizing I misread the question (which is a really good one!) and the first example is not about getting ripped off but more so about a questionable decision/investment on my part. The second one though, yes, I felt like I was deceived/taken advantage of. Great example why you need to do your homework. Not a great feeling.

 

[tkyasx78]

yep, a little over a decade ago I purchased some diamonds. ( smaller all under .50 of a carat)
When I took them to my jeweler to get set, they louped them and found that several were chipped ( not disclosed from the buyer )

I was upset that they thought I would spend that kind of money and not have them checked when they came??? I mean really people! Anyway, I returned them and learned to never buy diamonds that I haven't seen in person first!

 

[paperunicorn]

yes ripped off by a shady contractor a few years ago - lesson learned to always cross-check multiple sources for references including angies list, yelp, etc. he was listed in good standing with the bbb (which i found out later after filing a complaint w/ the bbb was because they don't do anything if a member ignores their inquiries)

My good friend and her husband recently bought a house that needed a lot of work and went through a similar situation... I'm so sorry for the stress! Seems like there are a LOT of shady contractors out there.

 

[paperunicorn]

my wife had a best friend for 4 years who ripped her off. He groomed her for years before he asked her to invest in his company ($20K). He was the best man in our wedding. I knew instantly when I met him that he was a shady MFer, but kept my mouth shut. Turns out he took the money and ran.

D: !!! What a hard situation, especially when it's someone your SO is close with where you have to be delicate and respect their feelings. I'm sorry that happened to you folks.

 

[paperunicorn]

I bought jewelry on a cruise (what can I say...too many free champagnes and not enough cynicism). I do love the pieces and wear them often (I still think they are beautiful after all these years), but I also realize that they are valued at nowhere near what I paid for them. I was a little sick after we got home and I googled what I had bought... (DH helped by saying, "but you love them, and you wear them, so why worry about it - it's not like you're ever going to sell them, so what does it matter?")

Vacations and souvenirs are just the WORST for getting you right in the sentimental place where you feel ready to spend money!! I'm glad you still like your jewelry. Sometimes sentimental value is worth more than monetary value.

 

[paperunicorn]

ETA... just realizing I misread the question (which is a really good one!) and the first example is not about getting ripped off but more so about a questionable decision/investment on my part. The second one though, yes, I felt like I was deceived/taken advantage of. Great example why you need to do your homework. Not a great feeling.

I think your answers still qualify, some of my "ripped off" situations have definitely been a lack of knowledge on my part. Either way it's not a good feeling, especially when you KNOW in hindsight you could have been better prepared.

 

[paperunicorn]

yep, a little over a decade ago I purchased some diamonds. ( smaller all under .50 of a carat)
When I took them to my jeweler to get set, they louped them and found that several were chipped ( not disclosed from the buyer )

I was upset that they thought I would spend that kind of money and not have them checked when they came??? I mean really people! Anyway, I returned them and learned to never buy diamonds that I haven't seen in person first!

I'm glad you were able to return them! The "never buy a diamond you haven't seen in person first" seems to be a great adage too...my only exception would be buying from a PSer because I know we all know quality here.

 

[strawrose]

Haha speaking of cruise buys, “gold by the inch.” They did not disclose that it was gold plated.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Almost. Funny story. DH and I had a friend (a writer, hippy type) who swore by this psychic who owned a new age store with crystals, herbs, candles and such. She talked us into going to see him so we did. DH and I came up with this idea that we would imply that something tragic in our life had happened. Very subtle, but we just wanted to see if he would take the bait. He did. He told us we had a curse put on us and he could remove it for $1700 cash, but we would need to come back in two hours exactly after he had time to prepare to do whatever it was that he needed to do to remove the curse. We agreed of course. Got in the car and laughed our butts off and gave the man credit for giving us just enough time to get the money, but not enough time to ponder the foolishness of it. Laughed even harder when the time arrived for us to show and of course we didn't.

 

[paperunicorn]

Almost. Funny story. DH and I had a friend (a writer, hippy type) who swore by this psychic who owned a new age store with crystals, herbs, candles and such. She talked us into going to see him so we did. DH and I came up with this idea that we would imply that something tragic in our life had happened. Very subtle, but we just wanted to see if he would take the bait. He did. He told us we had a curse put on us and he could remove it for $1700 cash, but we would need to come back in two hours exactly after he had time to prepare to do whatever it was that he needed to do to remove the curse. We agreed of course. Got in the car and laughed our butts off and gave the man credit for giving us just enough time to get the money, but not enough time to ponder the foolishness of it. Laughed even harder when the time arrived for us to show and of course we didn't.

OMG

 

[Bron357]

I “ripped” someone off - a car salesman no less !
Years ago I wanted to buy a near new Citroen Pluriel - cute little hatch car with a sliding cloth roof. I wanted a cream one.
Found one online, it was listed as a demonstrator $31,000 drive away. Nice.
So in I went to the car dealership and found said car in “prime window position” and fell in love.
It had two tone black and cream leather seats - tre chic.
I’d already test driven one elsewhere so I was ready to buy.
Guy comes over, you like? Very much I say.
He says - $36,999 plus on road costs.
I say - Er, no. $31,000 drive away demonstrator.
He says - No, brand new, top of the line, rare colour combination with the black and cream leather seats and trim. $36,999 plus on road costs (stamp duty rego another $2,000 odd)
I say - No, advertised on line for $31,000 drive away. Show guy a print out I had done clearly showing that cream car as being $31,000.
He says - oh, there’s been a mistake, the blue car is the demonstrator that’s $31,000 not this cream one. Someone mixed the prices around.
I say - this sounds like “bait and switch advertising” - you get me in here and then tell me I have to pay more. That’s illegal, you could lose your trader license for that.
He says - I have to ring management,
He comes back, ok, he says if you buy the car now, you can have it for $31,000
Sure I say - what’s the deposit, I’ll bring a bank Cheque tomorrow.
$5,000.
Great, I’ll put that on American Express (3% fee for the car dealership)
Him -you’re killing me,
Me -

 

[paperunicorn]

I “ripped” someone off - a car salesman no less !
Years ago I wanted to buy a near new Citroen Pluriel - cute little hatch car with a sliding cloth roof. I wanted a cream one.

omg this STORY is killing me! I love it! and the car is SOO cute. Supposedly I get to trade in the Jeep Patriot I'm driving (partner's choice, not mine) for something small and adorable soon. I told him as long as it's smaller than the Jeep and gets over 35mpg, whatever is fine.

I don't think you ripped the salesman off, either! I'm sure he still made a hefty commission. You just drove a hard bargain

 

[missy]

Yes we have. In Rome back in 2004 we were visiting a jewelry store and I fell in love with an aquamarine and diamond ring. I had no knowledge about aquamarines or diamonds at that time and we overpaid for this ring by a lot. But I chalk it up to a learning experience and I still enjoy the ring despite overpaying.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Dh bought tickets for the Olympic games closing ceremony in Beijing on the internet. He diligently checked everything (I'm not the expert, for stuff like that in our marriage, he is,. . But he checked customer websites, web protocols etc etc.), Paid by VISA. We buy tickets, and book hotels etc... Ticketing site turns out to be a fake... 3600$ ouch. Still a nice holiday....
We still don't understand, how VISA didn't cover this, since they had the verified by Visa sign on the site and all.. Could have been worse, though (identity theft etc...)

 

[Calliecake]

Yes we have. In Rome back in 2004 we were visiting a jewelry store and I fell in love with an aquamarine and diamond ring. I had no knowledge about aquamarines or diamonds at that time and we overpaid for this ring by a lot. But I chalk it up to a learning experience and I still enjoy the ring despite overpaying.

You didn’t get ripped off even if you did pay too much. You got a beautiful ring, a wonderful memory with your husband in Rome, and the stone is your favorite color BLUE. I’d call this a win / win. I love this ring!!!

If you feel ripped off @missy, you have a friend who would be more than happy to wear it for you and make sure it’s loved. wink wink LOL.

 

[Calliecake]

To answer your question @paperunicorn , Yes I have probably been ripped off many times in my life. The only one that hurt was when it was my dad who was trying to rip me off. It feels terrible to know you are being ripped off by someone you love. My dad and his wife got what they wanted. The sad thing was had he chose to be honest, I still would have helped him.

 

[missy]

To answer your question @paperunicorn , Yes I have probably been ripped off many times in my life. The only one that hurt was when it was my dad who was trying to rip me off. It feels terrible to know you are being ripped off by someone you love. My dad and his wife got what they wanted. The sad thing was had he chose to be honest, I still would have helped him.

Callie, your dad and step mom are the one who lost out. You remained true to who you are and did not let that change your behavior and good for you. Your dad and how wife might have gotten what they wanted but truly they lost so much more by not appreciating and valuing you.

You didn’t get ripped off even if you did pay too much. You got a beautiful ring, a wonderful memory with your husband in Rome, and the stone is your favorite color BLUE. I’d call this a win / win. I love this ring!!!

If you feel ripped off @missy, you have a friend who would be more than happy to wear it for you and make sure it’s loved. wink wink LOL.

Aww, thanks Callie. You're right. And if you ever want to wear my ring you know you are more than welcome to it. That's what bling sisters are for.

 

[lyra]

I can't recall anything about being ripped off. I'm ultra super paranoid about everything, so I usually just opt out of anything that gives me even slight pause. I can talk myself out of anything. I research stuff to death. I bet my DH has been ripped off, but I can't remember any of his follies.

 

[Gussie]

One time I started yoga classes at a Dahn yoga center. It was a bit weird in that they required this karate type uniform and really pressured you to participate in tea after the classes. But I enjoyed the yoga so I joined and paid upfront $1000 joining fee. Well, I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later and stopped going because of morning sickness. They called me about 3 times daily to ask why I wasn't there. It was so creepy. Now, I admit I am a bit naive and very trusting and should have gone with my gut instinct that this place was weird. After a quick Google search, Dahn yoga is kind of like a cult and has had multiple lawsuits against them. The hardest part was telling my husband that I think I joined a cult for a grand! Oops!

 

[gregchang35]

yes- 2 events that come to mind... I am sure there are many in my life... and most probably have forgotten about them. With jewellery, possibly paid too much early on in my quest.. but realise that they were for my education.. I still love them and that is the most important thing.
1) when i just got my drivers (many moon ago), i was asked by my dad to change the valve in the tyre/wheel at the store down the road. I was given $10. I got it fixed and he charged me $10. to be fair, I had no idea......when i told dad, he was a little furious. And,to rub salt into the wound, i didn't ask for a receipt... so, there was no chance for a recourse! Poop!!!
2) bought land near the marina thinking it was a good investment Things were going quite well and then the GFC hit!!!! So... many years later, i sold it at HUGE loss!!!!!!! Guess, it technically wasn't ripped off by someone, as it was the GFC... but I still felt like i was ripped off .....by the economy! LOL.

 

[bludiva]

One time I started yoga classes at a Dahn yoga center. It was a bit weird in that they required this karate type uniform and really pressured you to participate in tea after the classes. But I enjoyed the yoga so I joined and paid upfront $1000 joining fee. Well, I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later and stopped going because of morning sickness. They called me about 3 times daily to ask why I wasn't there. It was so creepy. Now, I admit I am a bit naive and very trusting and should have gone with my gut instinct that this place was weird. After a quick Google search, Dahn yoga is kind of like a cult and has had multiple lawsuits against them. The hardest part was telling my husband that I think I joined a cult for a grand! Oops!

Omg i have heard of dahn yoga...my friend had gone and told me she thought it was weird. I was really into yoga at the time sso i researched it and was appalled at what i found out. Totally culty. What's even worse are the "breatharians" bogus BS philosophy that has resulted in lots of tragedy and the founder was exposed as a phony.

Ok threadjack over. Glad you got away from them ....!

 

[Tekate]

I too had a cruise story, bought a 4,500K tennis bracelet on a cruise, got home clasp didn't close right and had it appraised, turned out most stones were I3's and was worth not even 1/2 of what I paid. Live and learn, not long after that I started to read PS.

I was totally and unequivocably ripped off by a 'pool' contractor and I did check his reference and considered the plaster company a reference since they referred me to him and it turned into a Kafkaesque nightmare.. staright out of the book no lie.

Live and learn.

 

[Calliecake]

One time I started yoga classes at a Dahn yoga center. It was a bit weird in that they required this karate type uniform and really pressured you to participate in tea after the classes. But I enjoyed the yoga so I joined and paid upfront $1000 joining fee. Well, I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later and stopped going because of morning sickness. They called me about 3 times daily to ask why I wasn't there. It was so creepy. Now, I admit I am a bit naive and very trusting and should have gone with my gut instinct that this place was weird. After a quick Google search, Dahn yoga is kind of like a cult and has had multiple lawsuits against them. The hardest part was telling my husband that I think I joined a cult for a grand! Oops!

OMG freaking scary. It sounds like they were stalkers.

I’m sure I have paid to much for pieces of jewelry. I only buy things that I love so at the end of the day it doesn’t bother me. If it brings me joy, it’s all good.

 

[LinSF]

I was ripped off by my ex husband... I learned not to marry (and stay married for 10+ years) a lazy person in CA who doesn't want to work.

Rip off of a lifetime, trust me that the amount would take your breath away.

 

[strawrose]

One time I started yoga classes at a Dahn yoga center. It was a bit weird in that they required this karate type uniform and really pressured you to participate in tea after the classes. But I enjoyed the yoga so I joined and paid upfront $1000 joining fee. Well, I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later and stopped going because of morning sickness. They called me about 3 times daily to ask why I wasn't there. It was so creepy. Now, I admit I am a bit naive and very trusting and should have gone with my gut instinct that this place was weird. After a quick Google search, Dahn yoga is kind of like a cult and has had multiple lawsuits against them. The hardest part was telling my husband that I think I joined a cult for a grand! Oops!

Yeeeeep. Run for it.