Scams, rip offs & stupid mistakes - Share yours so we can all learn

[me&thegals]

I was raised by skeptics, so I think I've avoided most of this stuff so far Knocking on wood, like FarmerChick.

As for education, I find that generalization a bit much. I've gotten a boatload of helpful information from college-educated people on this forum. And as a college-educated person myself I like to think I have a brain cell or 3 left. But, I'm overtired and perhaps touchy. Really, though, it's not "okay" to call uneducated people dumb, but it's okay to do the same for educated people? How limiting.

 

[chickenone]

As for education, I find that generalization a bit much. I've gotten a boatload of helpful information from college-educated people on this forum. And as a college-educated person myself I like to think I have a brain cell or 3 left. But, I'm overtired and perhaps touchy. Really, though, it's not "okay" to call uneducated people dumb, but it's okay to do the same for educated people? How limiting.

And unfair. As a college-educated person myself, I was a tad insulted by the statement.

 

[MsPony]

Ithink that comment was over generalized

My coworker was honor society, awards up the yahoo...she can't even spell rabbit...and we work in a pet store!!

I barely made it through high school, but I'm smart as a whip and am going nutso with said coworkers lack of smartness.

But I don't think every educated person is dumb

 

[chickenone]

I just think some people are smart and some are not. It has nothing to do with how many semesters you have completed.

 

[savingdogs]

This is a cool thread, lets not get off topic about college educations. I think we need to stick to our scam, rip off and stupid mistake theme here.

I can think of another time I was scammed. While I lived in CA in my 20s, it was actually raining (yes, it does happen) and I saw a woman whose car was broken down by the side of the highway, thumbing a ride. I had two other passengers in my car so was not afraid to pick up someone while I had so many people with me and while I could see why she was hitchhiking, her car had broken down. She seemed real appreciative, esp when she learned we were going very near her home. But she did not have me drop her off at her actual house (she said) and didn't say why, but insisted that a corner was "close enough" and jumped out.

Well, she had quietly taken all the money from my PURSE! It had slid between the driver seat and the floor and she reached down and emptied it (despite my friend sitting next to her in the car!) of my cash, which was only 20 dollars, but I was driving somewhere to USE the 20 dollars and didn't discover it was gone until making my purchase.

I have never ever picked up a hitchhiker again.

 

[freemotion]

I was leaving a conference years ago and I saw a nicely dressed man, in nice shorts and a button down shirt, approaching various people. When he approached me and my group, he asked for $5 for gas as he was traveling through the state with his family on his way home from a vacation and they ran out of gas on the highway and the gas station would not take his out of state check. My friends were ready to reach for their wallets (as many others before them had done) but I said I would be happy to go to the gas station, get a can of gas, go to his car and put it in, and he could be on his way. He said "nevermind" and walked away. Harrumph.

OK, I didn't get scammed, but I was taught that by my parents when I was quite young.

 

[savingdogs]

Yup!

In L.A., a panhandler asked me as I was leaving a market for "money for food." I looked down at my cart where I had gotten a two-for-one deal on bread and only really needed one loaf, so as I was feeling generous I smiled and offered her the loaf of bread.

She answered, "What do I want that for, I want MONEY!"

I had to remind her that she had told me she wanted money for food.

 

[MsPony]

LOL! One time I was driving away from a store, saw a homeless man w/ a dog on the corner. The car in front of me ran over his stuff,so I pulled over. I had gotten in n out, explained to him that I had already started to eat the fries but gave him my drink, burger (sans meat) and fries. I winked and told him to share w/ his dog. He was soo kind and thankful.

Never lease a horse w/o meeting horse and owner.

Never trust anyone when it comes to ownership of a horse. I paid almost as much for my tb who had to be retired months later, as they claimed him for 13 years ago. Roar.

 

[kimlove2]

One day at home my phone rang. It was some guy I didn't know telling me I had 'won' a free trip to Gatlinberg. Only I knew I had never signed up for a free trip. I told him I wasn't interested and he got really mad! Needless to say, I didn't go to Gatlinberg!

Also I have learned that the 'extended warranty' is usually just a ripoff!

 

[dragonlaurel]

When I was getting ready to leave the ex- I found a house for sale that I loved, for a great price. Well . . . I didn't buy it cause it was just down the street from the apartment "we" already were living in, and I wanted to be further away from him.

I didn't think of buying it and renting it out for a while till too late. He ended up moving out from that apartment soon, but the house had sold to some other lucky person.

Home prices went up a lot there about 6 years later. I could have almost doubled my money by selling it then. :/