After several days of no response to my forwarded email chain with his offer to me, and an elaborate screenshot filled post on the Unity forum, I was contacted and given access and asked to edit the post if I could.
What I got me results was threatening to file a complaint with http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx with the quoted message from a link on that webpage which states:
An interesting point about fraud is that it is a crime in which you decide on whether to participate. Hanging up the phone or not responding to shady mailings or emails makes it difficult for the scammer to commit fraud. But con artists are very persuasive, using all types of excuses, explanations, and offers to lead you — and your money — away from common sense.[/quote]
Which did the trick.....
What I learned from the situation:
- Only deal with people who have a legit business via email unless you can afford to lose what's being traded
- Save the emails
- If they don't honor the email threaten to file with the internet crime complaint center
- Link relevant definitions of fraud, false advertisement, etc to your specific situation
*********Original Problem************************
I always figured since email is written that it's = to faxing and filling out a document.
A year ago I bought a couple models off a guy's site, he emailed me back offering a lifetime package for a price, I said well I don't have the money, he said you can make payments, I ended up getting the money and buying it in 2 payments over a 1 week period. (had to deposit a check and wait for it to clear)
I just emailed him to ask a couple questions about models that he has on his site that weren't on the ftp part (mostly the low poly models) and he says actually, I gave you a different deal, it's $150 extra if you want that deal.
I just forwarded him our conversation chain of emails, but seriously....it was a good deal at the time, lower than he normally charges, and I didn't have the extra money to spend at the time, but I did because it was such an amazing deal. Now he charges a lot more for the same stuff, and said it was another $250 for what I wanted but he'd give it to me for $150.
This was his initial offer to me via email after I'd purchased some models off his site:
Thank you for your orders today. As a thank you i would like to offer you a huge discount on LIFETIME membership to CompanyName and CompanyNameSounds. You can download for LIFE all content you see on these sites, now and in the FUTURE.
Also on Monday im releasing a Medieval NPC pack plus another NPC pack later in the week. Also a dungeon pack tomorrow.
[/quote]
So now I'm wondering what I should do, should I print out my emails showing the date/time somehow, what do I need to do to preserve them so that in the future, if I use this guy's stuff, he doesn't come back and say, "Well, actually" again...
Also, how would you feel in this situation, I purchased the stuff last June, so almost a year ago.
This is what he said in his email I just received from him:
Also, everyhing is included in the lifetime deal, except for the base character packs - at the time i did email you when you first asked about the memebrship, but as it was another $250 more and i didnt hear from you, i just went with the first deal i offered as i didnt want to seem too pushy[/quote]
NOTES: I didn't ask him about a membership, he approached me with the offer. I let him know the following day I would do it but needed to scrounge up the money which I got to him within the week.