I put a WTD ad on
qth.com and let my enthusiasm overcome my wariness. Response was from someone who’d hijacked a ham name/call for an email address and I sent PayPal. Alas, no Boehme Morse ink recorder ever showed up here.
He was a crook and I was a stupid.
Later, reading the QTH bulletin board I found out this was a common scam. Luckily it wasn’t too expensive a lesson for me.
But yes, over the years I have bought a number of things on line from people I didn’t know - without a problem. Usually I was contacted by someone seeing a WTD post on an email list or on my web site. Overall, I’d say it pays to advertise if you are looking for something rare/oddball. Use caution. YMMV.
Of course finding treasures at a hamfest is a heck of a lot better and more fun!
Just curious, how many are accustom to or regularly buy gear from people you never know beyond online ? So much of this sounds like the old Nigerian prince scam, or 419 Fraud. Or is this people who are contacted for “wanted” information
they have posted on line? Where are people posting this stuff and is there a correlation between where they post and scammers? Would like to know just to avoid that avenue.
This is why I deal with people I know or at Hamfest and other get togethers, or at least within the confines of existing groups.
Ray F/KA3EKH