WARNING! - Edi Vichien (?) from Agustus Collection - money embezzlement!

[Charlotta]

You are right Masik and I don't blame you one bit. I was mearly thinking about the snarly mess of international laws. I have bought with the friends and family option some times, only with one seller though. Probably woun't use that again. And I am not going to buy anything else from agustus-collection and have not since you posted your tread. There are several etsy shops that sells pearl jewelry assembled with carved "things" from agustus-collection. Maybe those shops should also refraim from doing so.

[CortezPearls]

Charlotta, CortezPearls, Pearl Dreams, pearlsence,
Guys, you are all right and yes, "caveat emptor", it is my own fault, etc....

The thing is I didn't find this guy under the rock - he was mentioned on this platform as a reputable seller, some of P-G-ers met him in person - on Bali, in HK, etc. I've dealt with him via eBay, I sent him $9K+ on transactions before last and everything was fine - he shipped quickly, shipped the right product, he answered his whatsapp messages.... UNTIL HE DIDN'T.
I won't name names as I have no permission for it - but he tried to stiff somebody - VERY reputable on this forum! - out of paying off what he owed by saying "he was robbed", but that person was having none it and had a sway over him (reputation!), so Edi paid back. But he tried using sob stories before when he owed money, I was not his first. I wish I knew that earlier...

BTW, here, on this forum are other really wonderful sellers we all know, whom I (and I am sure some of you!) paid the same way as I did with Edi.

I know exactly who you talk about there Masik. I know. So, this is actually a bigger issue than what it seems by a seemingly "random fraud on a single person", but we can't just lay it out there due to the risk of being accused of slander.
That is why I said he was slowly laying a trap and becoming a "trusted figure" just as you state, using all sorts of "smaller traps" (that you have clearly pointed out) to do so.
Anyway, you know you have our full support here and PLEASE let us know if there is anyway we can help.

[KarinK]

Trust is something that is built over time - based on our interactions with a specific part, others experiences, our experiences from the past. If it lands in a place where our trust is betrayed, it's often easy afterwards to see the signs but while in it, it isn't. I've trusted people with a lot less evidence that what you had here, Masik. Including sending money with Friend option on Paypal. I would have felt I could trust this person too.

- Karin