OT rant-I think I was scammed

[mrsbornkuntry]

I am so angry! I was on browsing craigslist this morning and noticed that alot of the posts were by the same person and in her listing she says "search for my other items by blahblahblah" so I did a search and she has listed things that I gave her for free!!

Okay, at the beginning of Feb. someone listed that they were having trouble making ends meet, needed money for food and their car payment, also needed toys, games, activities, videos, and blankets for their sons. I have alot of those things so I responded and told her what I have. I also gave her $30. I was skeptical because she said in her listing that they had already gotten an AER loan (an interest free, need based, military loan) a few months ago so they couldn't do it again, but I've been in her shoes, struggling financially I overlooked it. It should've been a red flag since you have to get financial counseling when they give you the loan.

Now I know I gave her those items and they're now hers to do what she wants to with, but it really ticks me off that she's selling things I gave her for her boys, and I KNOW they were mine, some of them were unique. I gave her nice toys, too, like a leapfrog alphabet pal and hardcover books. I also gave her some new sidewalk chalk that she's selling . My kids had gone through their things to find items to give away to help them. If she didn't want them she could've said no. She's selling other items, too, not just mine, with the attitude that she's spring cleaning and just "wants them gone."

I feel sorry for anyone who thought they were helping out a poor military family.

 

[toesmom]

My advice in this situation is to post under the section where she is selling them with a re: whatever the item is.... she got them for free with sob story...

CL users normally read those re posts and will offer her little to nothing for the items she is now selling that she got for free.

And btw, I don't believe anything I read on CL about people needing things for free or giving cheaper price because of family problems. This is exactly what happened to me and I posted about the lady and a lot of people responded badly to her. I made her feel quite shamed about what she did.

But after that, I don't believe anybody's sob story. After this, I doubt you will either.


anyhow, post what happened where she is selling the items... that way she can't make lots of money off the gift you gave her.

 

[Schachteles]

Kudos to you for helping...shame on her for doing that!! That is just wrong.

I had a dear friend who is a single mom ask to borrow a bunch of our baby stuff...I had no problems with it because at the time I wasn't sure if I would have more kids...well we decided that we were done...and because of that she took it upon herself SELL my items. Ok, so I really didn't need them back, but to make money off of MY stuff is wrong.

 

[toesmom]

Let me know which city the CL is under and which items she's selling. I'll offer full asking price through CL and tell her to hold it for me until next week. And then I just won't show!!!! After all, I live in Canada.

 

[ang]

WOW. I feel bad for you. Here, you tried to do good and that person used you...
My daughter-in-law done that several times to me...now I don't give her anything. To me, I expect them to do the good deed too. I guess, I am to nice or stupid.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

oh no that stinks! I agree with posting on the same page with a RE: sidewalk chalk or whatever

and inside post about her sob story.

People should know what she does to get free stuff to sell

I wouldn't buy anything from someone that did that, and i buy Craigslist alot!

 

[ceecee]

That's really sad! She should have just told you if she didn't need the items. I would do what everyone else adviced so people know!

 

[ceecee]

Let me know which city the CL is under and which items she's selling. I'll offer full asking price through CL and tell her to hold it for me until next week. And then I just won't show!!!! After all, I live in Canada.

Tell her you did a "Mapquest" and it was a little too far to drive....

 

[mommyoftwinfants]

Tell her you did a "Mapquest" and it was a little too far to drive....

Sorry just couldn't control myself on that one.

To the OP atleast you tried to do the right thing, remember everything comes back 10 fold.

 

[mjbaby]

She actually sounds mentally ill to me - the kind of manic gathering and then equally crazed purging. I've known a few people in my life who go through this kind of cycle, and its attendant money woes (from the "gathering" phase). OP, please don't let this kind of thing keep you from helping people - there are many more people in the world who genuinely need people who have more to share their bounty than those who will lie to get it.

 

[TreslovesWDW]

That is horrible. It really messed it up for people who need things for real. A few years ago I had posted in need of baby items, it was to help out a friend who really needed things. Nobody ever answered and I think it is because of people like that.

 

[Plantlady]

Your kids still did a wonderful thing. Even if she is selling them, it doesn't take away the wonderful thing that your kids did.

I have my kids purge their stuff every December, before Christmas. It is a good thing, for kids to learn that not everyone is as lucky as them, which is what I am trying to teach my children.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

wow thats stinks
I was giving stuff away on free cycle and then saw it on ebay
i stopped and just gave the rest to charity

 

[StephMK]

That is just WRONG. I believe in karma & she will take a big hit for that. To give her the benefit of the doubt, maybe they are really, really struggling & she needed to sell the items for cash. Long shot but trying to find the possible good. In any case, I don't believe in selling things that were given for free by CL or other sites.

I've bought & sold a lot on CL & never sell for more than I originally paid. I give things away if they were given to me, even if $ has been tight & I know I could sell them. It's just not something my morals would allow & it's a shame more people nowadays have no sense of right/wrong.

In any case, you did the right thing by helping & I'm sorry she took advantage of your good heart.

 

[writersblock42]

That is interesting the gathering and purging idea. The other idea might be that she really needs to sell stuff now to make bills meet especially if she really is in a financial tight spot. Still it is wrong to except a bunch of stuff for free then turn around and sell them on the same website.

 

[writersblock42]

I wanted to add that I would be really careful about giving cash to somebody on a website, but don't let it taint you forever from giving people things.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Thanks for the support, I thought I was overreacting a little by being angry, after all I did give her the items, but come on, if she needed them a month ago wouldn't she still need them? I'm just glad I didn't give her more money, I would have though if my budget had allowed it at the time. I'm not going to tell my kids, they felt good about giving their things to someone that needed them, I don't want to turn them off of giving.

I'm hopping over to CL now to post a response about her, I didn't know I could do that.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I wanted to add that I would be really careful about giving cash to somebody on a website, but don't let it taint you forever from giving people things.

Normally I would be more cautious, but since they're military and so are we, we live on the same base, actually I know this person's full name and housing area now so I felt more comfortable and generally this situation comes up alot in the military so I believed her story.

 

[LuvsEpcot]

That's really sad! She should have just told you if she didn't need the items. I would do what everyone else adviced so people know!

I don't think this was about "needing" the items, this was a true scam. People who deliberately prey on others feelings are sad and pathetic. It's just like the people who pull all of the coupons from the grocery stores and then sell them on ebay...it's disgusting. It's wrong and it's stealing from others.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I don't know what army post ya'll live but is there a free or nearly free store there? We have a "boutique" here that is part lending closet part consignment store part goodwill. I donate all my stuff to the store.

Whenever a new family comes to town, they can come to the boutique to set up their house/apt until their stuff comes from their last place or until they have bought new stuff to replace the gently used.

You were doing a good thing and looks like it came to bite you on the butt. Good for you for even caring, I also have a very soft spot for army families and have seen it absued time and again. I haven't given up yet though.