A Sign Of The Times ?????

[magnumpi]

After reading Clem's original post on the stolen tractors in Michigan, I remembered a conversation I had with another guy in Michigan several years ago. He had advertised some parts 4 sale on YT. Nothing ever came of the talk, but in recent readings of buyer/seller feedback on YT, I realized his name came up quite often (and not in a positive fashion) !! His name is Ray Koroleski and the number listed is 989-313-1841. I'm posting this info as he currently has a bunch of Cub parts 4 sale on YT photo ads. It's unclear to me as to his intent (he may be old and senile for all I know) but it is clear that lots of folks have lost money and obviously not happy. The irony is several people had no problems with him and got what was promised. I guess the bottom line is do your due diligence if buying from unknown individuals. The real tag line should be why not buy from site sponsors all other things being equal. The tougher the economic times; the more the deadbeats come to the surface !! Craig

http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi ... ck&th=3540
http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi ... ck&th=3613

[ToddW]

Sounds like trouble to me from reading those comments on YT!!

[magnumpi]

Todd: I forgot to mention that he's on his second town (went from Standish to Auburn, MI) and at least his 3rd phone number. Good luck to him. Craig

[challenger]

In these times of wrecked economy, the risks are even higher. I recently had a friend who, worked during the day and had her home in the country broken into when she was at work. Her hand gun and jewelry were gone. The local sheriff, through pawn shop checks, located the gun. It turned out the crook had a legal road job where he traveled through the countrysides and noted when people were not at home. On weekends, the guy worked for a jewelry retailer, which was a convenient place to fence the jewelry and the jeweler turned out to be part of the criminal conspiracy.

Stolen tractors are likely broken down and sold for parts like the car chop shops do. Y-Tube is likely an unwitting new age accomplice and facilitator to this crime. There are ways to nab these crooks, but it requires work. Setting up decoy tractors in areas where tractors have been stolen and installing GPS bird dog tracking systems on them is a way to track these crooks to their lair. Once you hit the cache, it is hard to tell what stuff you may find. Otherwise, taking complete pictures of your tractors, stamping personal markings on tractor castings, and recording serial numbers and other major mfr. casting numbers will prove invaluble if you are so unlucky as to become a victim.

[Buzzard Wing]

The one advantage of ebay is the feedback system weeds out the bad ones and there are 'guarantees' in place. Craigslist is a crapshoot.... very hard to protect yourself.

I bought some truck stuff once and it dawned on me during the drive that I was going alone to someone's house with $$ (not a lot) and not a soul in the world would even know where to start looking if I went missing. Cellphone records would be the only clue. The same caution is even more applicable to a seller.... You have no idea who will show up at your place.

It makes sense to be careful at all times.... turns out the guy I got the truck parts from was a great guy and it worked out very well.

[Smiley]

Whenever I go with $$ on a purchase mission to an unknown, I always try to have someone with me and some type of arm available. On small hi $$ items, buying or selling, I insist on meeting in a public place.
We were caught in a couple sticky situations without backup and didn't like it at all. About 2 years ago in Canada where equalizers aren't allowed, we were confronted by some unsavory types in a rest area and to be politically correct I won't go into detail, but we made it through when some strangers walked in and the perpetrators quickly exited. Since that time, we try to be sure that help or an equalizer is available, even there. We have since learned that wasp and hornet killer shoot 20 ft and is almost as good as mace and it hasn't been banned in Canada, Mass or Jersey, YET.
I also learned the hard way last year, to get and don't lose your receipt. Bought a 30 year old plow truck that turned out to not be paid for and couldn't find the receipt. Wound up in court but I came out OK.

[Clem]

He had some items for sale a summer ago that I was interested in. He instructed me to sned payment to hold the item, and when I told him I would be over to pick them up that same day and hand him cash our line was disconnected and I could never reconnect. I would try to call him over the next couple days with no response. I always wondered what happened until now. Thanks for the post!