Hello;
I noticed that ThePeppermintTree is one of EE team members and I wanted to warn you about this buyer and seller. I do not want for her to take advantage of other Etsy buyers and sellers on your team.
This particular individual used to be a buyer on Etsy by the name of BrenBooneDesigns. She is now operating under a new username: ThePeppermintTree.
On February 13, she purchased one of my items for almost $50. On February 2011, she wrote positive feedback for me that she had received this item and was very happy with it. Soon afterwards, I wrote positive feedback for her because she had paid for this item in a timely manner and had written what seemed to be genuine positive feedback. I strongly regret giving her positive feedback now, but unfortunately it is too late.
On April 2011, I received an email from PayPal saying that this buyer claimed that she had never made this purchase and that someone was using her credit card in fraud for this item. Soon afterwards, I received an email from PayPal saying that the buyer's credit card company had reversed the charges and that I was being withheld the $50.I tried contacting her 3 different times regarding this problem and never got a reply. I noticed shortly after receiving the PayPal emails that she no longer had a shop under the user name of BrenBooneDesigns. I have 3 pieces of evidence against her:
1. I have a copy of the original transaction
2. I have a copy of the postal receipt
3. I have her positive feedback as part of my feedback history in my store.
PayPal said that it could take up to 75 days for the buyer's credit card company to make a final decision whether to rule in her or my favor.
Today, May 20, I received an email from PayPal saying that the credit card company decided to rule in her favor, despite all the evidence that I had produced against her.
She has a Facebook page under Bren Boone Designs:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bren-Boone-Designs/108984765808666
on this page, she has linked it to her new Etsy shop that she just opened on May 13, 2011: ThePeppermintTree.
I can't help but wonder why her original account, BrenBooneDesigns, was suddenly removed from Etsy. I have now noticed that her new shop, ThePeppermintTree, is "on vacation." It seems suspect to me that if she just opened this shop on May 13, that she would be putting her shop on hold this soon afterwards. It also makes me wonder because her last sold item was on May 19, 9 days ago.
I would be happy to send you copies of the transaction, the original positive feedback, etc as evidence. I also have the various PayPal emails saved.
If she did this to me, I'm pretty sure that she has probably tried doing this to other Etsy sellers as well.
Beware of this person!
Please contact me with any questions or additional information that you might have regarding this individual.
I simply feel like this person has probably gotten away with her unethical practices too many times.
I actually did call PayPal and spoke to someone very nice. But he told me that PP was not the one to make the final decision...it is up to the buyer's credit card company. They said they didn't want to become "involved" in this incident, yet was going to charge me a $20 fee just for intervening. Fortunately the guy must have felt somewhat sorry for me because he waived that fee (since the total amount was only about $50). But I was less than happy with the way PP dealt with this.
I have tried contacting Etsy several times about this buyer but never get a reply other than their generic email saying that a "real person" will contact me asap. Not so!
I have a feeling that she is a real con artist. Often times people who suddenly disappear from Etsy and then come back with a different user name are suspect. And that is exactly what she did.
I have not mentioned her name in any of my FB pages, blog, etc. And I don't want to get in trouble with Etsy for "calling out" and possible retaliation from this particular individual.
But I'm very glad to hear that you have taken this seriously, because Etsy and PayPal certainly have not.
I've tried contacting Etsy several times regarding this person but have not gotten anywhere with them. My first email to them was over a week ago. I sent them another one a few days ago and absolutely nothing.
I find that all these comment on her FB page about welcoming her to the EE team were strange and suspect.
Interestingly enough, when I search for her under "seller search" on Etsy, nothing comes up. I've only been able to link to her Etsy site via her FB fan page. Something very fishy is going on here.
This is VERY strange. Because earlier tonight she was a part of your team. Now she isn't. This is really bizarre.
Now this is really strange ...I found just about all of the comments from other EE team members welcoming her have just been deleted! We both saw all the comments, but now they are gone (at least I can't see them).
Something very strange is going on here.
Yes, she used to have another shop on Etsy by the name of BrenBooneDesigns. That one is no longer in existence. I noticed that she quit that shop soon after she filed that false claim to me via PayPal.
She also has a personal FB page:
http://www.facebook.com/btaylorboone
I didn't find much info here (unless you become a friend, I think most of it is hidden). But that is her personal site and she also has a blog.
**Anonymous** The victim have asked not to have her name or etsy id exposed due to fear of retaliation from the con artist.
If you have been a victim of an online scam yourself, please write to us and we will post here:
Online Scams- Protect Yourself
June 2015 Update
8 years ago
The con artist was formerly a member of EE Team, but after this evidence has surfaced, she is no longer a member of our team. We DO NOT support con artists and scammers.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the warning. I'm sorry this happened to you, and if this person really IS a fraud, I hope Karma pays her a nice little visit.
ReplyDeleteI've also had a similar problem with a buyer on etsy. She "paid" for the item and then opened a claim against me. I've tried contacting her to tell her as of right now she hasn't paid for the item she received, but of course she isn't going to contact me back and rectify this.
ReplyDeleteShe purchased a $55 bracelet from me on the 17th and by the 21st PayPal reversed the transaction. I'm still working to see what can be done about this.
The "buyer's" name is Laura Borncamp and her "username" is loryadina.
Just thought I'd let you guys know incase you come across this "buyer."
I wouldn't want her to do the same to anyone else!
Thanks so much for sharing. Will make sure to steer clear of this person. Hope you can get this resolved with PP.
ReplyDeleteEtsy should have a page for sellers only notifying everyone about these scam artists.
ReplyDeleteWhen someone gets cut with anyone like this they could report it to Etsy and Etsy could post it to warn everyone else.
how can we protect ourselves from people doingt this scam???? Etsy and paypal need to do something...I think having the postage receipt should be enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the warning and I am very sorry that you have to deal with something like that!
ReplyDeleteI HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS PERSON!Several months ago and I posted it on the forums. I also notified Etsy(this was around early March), she(he)did the same thing, gave me positive feedback. Paypal never refunded me the money because I did not get a delivery confirmation. Then an odd thing happended, about 3 weeks ago she paid the money into my Paypal account and told me someone had stolen her credit card. Sorry this happend to you.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly why it is SO important to report scammers like this! Because they are bound to have cheated many customers and just keep getting away with it! Thanks to Christine for her message.
ReplyDeleteI had the opposite happen. I purchased an item and before the seller sent it to me, they closed their shop with no notice to me. It's the most frustrating thing ever. And since I purchased a voucher through Heartsy, I don't think PayPal will give me a refund. So it goes both ways...not just bad buyers but bad sellers as well.
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience. I purchased an outfit for my son's baptism and was scammed. it was on SEASHOREKIDS she and the store are now shut down. I'm not out a ton of money but it was very frustrating. I have claims with both ETSY and Paypal. I just want these people to be stopped!
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