Pretty certain that Alexa (@FoilAlexa) is a scammer just trying to muddy the water. I just realized also that when a user’s profile is hidden, then you can’t search for other posts they’ve made. I don’t know if it’s complicated to do, but I think limiting the Buy/Sell tag to those with public profiles would cut down on some of this.
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In my opinion, a robust buy/sell section is a must. We are a ragtag bunch of folks interested in esoteric hobby. Like it or not, this forum right now is the town center for the sport. Yes, there are lots of other small gatherings on facebook, instagram and whatsapp, but mostly those are smaller groups of people who’ve created their own network which is closed to those not in the know.
Avoiding scammers doesn’t have to be a difficult thing. It has always been a problem in online sales. At this point, you have to be living under a rock not to realize this. As a buyer, do just a little diligence before sending money over the internet. It really is that simple. And shame on anyone for falling for stuff like this at this point.
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totally agree…unfortunately there are scammers in all Buy/Sell sites including Craigslist, eBay, Facebook, etc , so we as honest sellers/buyers need to beware “caveat emptor”, and call out the suspicious listings … no need to shutdown the section.
I feel like this is really a problem only for newbs/efoil dweebs. I buy/sell surf foil and wing gear all the time and it’s almost always someone I have history with. I grab their phone number in the DMs and my iPhone has a whole other conversation from the last time I got gear from them!
Maybe it helps that I’m a poor and I’m only interested in used cut rate gear and those scammers are focused on a better demographic and the efoil stuff is a high dollar consumer electronics thing and that’s a language they speak.
Being a foiler on the cheap isn’t for new foilers. I tell new ppl all the time - I can put together a cheap high performance setup but those skills - including how to buy used gear and the relationships to do so - take a lot of time.
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I’ve got a few nice things from nice foilers on here. Just talk foils for a bit and you’ll know if you’re talking with a foiler or a scammer. Don’t let anyone push you to do anything, and don’t buy anything you’re not comfortable with. Scamming foilers seems like real hard work because most foilers are smart and super into foiling.
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