It was a tough lesson to learn, but Beverly Ann Chislett will be more careful the next time she decides to buy something from someone online.
Chislett is an 18-year-old student living in Corner Brook. In need of a car, she started saving through the summer while looking for something cheap, but reliable.
She thought she found just that when she saw an advertisement on a Facebook classifieds page for a 2007 Elantra.
The ad said the car had low mileage and had been lady driven. To her it was a great starter car.
The car was in the area, so she and her parents drove by to see it and she contacted the seller, who offered to set up a payment plan.
Over the next while she made payments of $200-$500 at a time and by November, $1,400 later, she had the car paid off.
Chislett thought all she had to do was pick it up.
The seller told her he’d already put the car in her name, but wouldn’t provide proof of that.
While on the way to get the car, the seller contacted her and said his mom had had the car towed.
Chislett wanted her money back, but that hasn’t happened.
“That was a lot of money to me,” she said on Thursday. “I know it was bad judgment on my part. I’m not going to say it wasn’t, because it really was.
“It’s a hard lesson.”
The last time she heard from the seller was on Jan. 20.
On Wednesday, Chislett had enough of waiting and, hoping to get a reaction from the man, posted her story on Facebook, including in some classified groups.
It worked and the man contacted her.
First, she said, he was angry and then told her that he would make it right.
She’s giving him the benefit of the doubt to pay her back today. If not, she plans to go to the police.
Age isn’t a factor when it comes to being duped, online or otherwise.
Claudette Young is trying to help her elderly mom and step-dad recover $700 they had taken from them.
The Gander woman’s parents, who prefer not to be named, live in Corner Brook.
In late December, they had a leak in their roof and started to look for someone to fix it.
Her brother suggested a man who had done some work for his in-laws. He had supervised the work and everything had gone well.
The man visited her parents’ home and agreed to do the work. He was given $500 to get supplies, even though the thought was it would not cost that much, and went back the next day and said he needed another $200.
That was a month ago and the work has not been done.
Young’s brother tried to contact him, but was unsuccessful.
Out of frustration, she decided enough was enough and she and her nephew started posting the story on Facebook sites.
“This is $700, the job is not done. It’s been a month and he’s dropped off planet Earth.”
The posts seem to have worked, as the man, who they learned was using an alias, contacted them.
Young said they offered to go pick up whatever supplies he purchased and the money, but the man was evasive. She doesn’t think there is any money left.
Still, they’ve given him until today to repay. If not, she hopes the publicity means other people won’t hire him.
Young’s parents did contact the police, but no formal complaint was filed. Filing a small claims action against him may be an option that they’ll pursue.
Thankfully for her parents, another contractor has offered to do the work for free.
When it comes to reports of fraud, Const. Shawna Park, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary’s media relations officer in Corner Brook, said how they are dealt with varies, as each fraud is different.
Park said that when people call the police to ask what they should they do, they could be told to come in and make a complaint or go to small claims court.
“What they should do is come in and make a report to the police station and have a file generated so that the officers can investigate.”
She said officers have a number of investigative methods to determine if something is a fraud.
“Some do come down to small claims court, others are legitimate frauds where we investigate and we’re able to lay charges.”
