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Anyone ever been through a "service scam"
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Posted by: Buckeye1

Hey guys,
Anyone ever been through a service scam or dealt with a service scammer and what it entails??
The reason I ask is that I realize I may have possibly have gone through this and would like some more info. I will give more details when and if needed.
My story in a nutshell...
I met a RW last Nov, corresponded with her, went to see her in her hometown, corresponded after I got back...several months later she said she met someone else, asked that we not write anymore ( I know this all seems pretty normal right now). In going to visit her in her hometown, she had me correspond with a girl, in the business she worked at, to help arrange travel details (the girl sets up arrangements for the companies foreign business clients), a private apartment to stay in and a business visa. Now that things between me and my RW are over, the girlfriend has contacted me (after I contacted her to pass on my good wishes to my RW since she asked me not to write anymore) and has basically said that she was willing to help me and meet either some of her single gfs or my RW's gfs or other girls to kind of play matchmaker for me. It seems she is already wanting me to plan another trip back to their home city....what do you think????

Confused....Buckeye1

Posted by: EZE

There are types of scams under the general header "Translation and other agency fees" scams. I am not sure one way or the other if that is the case here. I can see from her point of view it is a good business deal for her, and it is pretty easy to set someone up on a date with friends.

Avoiding these situations is why you make your own arrangements through an agency you trust. Of course a good RW would try to assist you in your arrangements. But it gets confusing if an accompliss, I mean um friend, is making money off the deal.

How did you find the first girl? What did you pay her friend for each of the services? If the fees are in line with the competition it is not a scam (but still a great deal of income for the agent, the foreign tourist markups for apartments seem like a bargin for us, but the agent is making a killing).

So now this lady is suddenly a marriage agency? Who will take care of the translation and correspondence cost? Another friend?

She may be perfectly legit, but why would you find someone through her? Find the girl on your own, if it happens she is in the same vicinity you might use her services again, but the chances are pretty low.

Also not sure why you went on a business visa. I know it is better for multiple entries, but I would hate to say something wrong going through customs. Just use a tourist visa next time.

Personally I used an agency that I trusted. I personally met with a group of 10 guys that were having a sort of reunion and they had all used the same agency. Once you find the 1, or 5 that you want to meet, make your own arrangements through a travel agency, of your choosing, not hers.

Otherwise, even if everything is legit, you will still have some doubts, like the ones you are having now.

Posted by: Cheburashka

Buckeye, maybe she just thinks you are a pretty cool guy and wants to help you be happy. Of course she will make a commission, that's what she does. And I can't blame anyone for wanting to drum up some business. She deserves to be paid for her all-inclusive services. But I'm not sure if there is a "scam" in this scenerio. Everyone I deal with in Russia always wants the team to come back. Good customers are hard to find.

Posted by: ham

Girl A probably made a penny booking your stay, whatever.
Once she was out of the picture, she thought that girl B might help you out, while still making a penny.
I understand you now doubt how important "making a penny" is in the big picture...well, you'll never know.
The only alternative is arranging your travel & stays on your own and letting third parties know beforehand (so those who are interested mainly in making a penny won't bother ).

SCAM: UNLESS you paid rates, which are SIGNIFICANTLY higher than market value, then you can not say it's a scam.

Posted by: Buckeye1

Hey guys,
Here's some more info....

EZE- I met the girl through freepersonals.ru, I responded to her ad and she wrote me back, thats how the correspondence started. We corresponded on and off (mostly on) from the end of last Nov until I went to see her in May and then after I got back until about a month ago when she sent me a letter telling me she had met her love in Australia, wished me luck and asked that we not write anymore.
When we talked about my visiting her, then thats when her friend entered the picture. Her friend is the business manager at the company they both work at. The company my RW works for had private apartments she said I could stay at ($80 USD per night). I had asked my RW if she knew of any hotels near her. They set me up with a business visa through their company ($100 USD for everything), car and driver for the week ($120 USD), although we didnt use the car and driver that much as the apartment I was staying at was pretty close to my RW's family flat and her work, and gave me a list of excursions me and my RW could go on while I was there (ranging from $100 USD-$300 USD). Before, during and after the trip, my RWs gf and I became friends (she's married and made me feel like she really wanted things to work out between my RW and myself) and she said if I ever wanted to do something for my RW, she would help me if needed. At the time I just thought my RW was using connections with her job to help me out and make the trip smoother for me, now I'm not sure if that really was the case or not.
When things were over between my RW and me, I sent the friend a nice brief letter to say thanks for her help and to pass on good wishes to my RW through her since I wanted to respect my RW and not write directly to her anymore. That's when she sent me a letter and basically told me she would be willing to help me by setting me up with maybe one of her (or my RW's) girlfriends, and said she was happy to help me with any arrangements (the same as I had before when I went to meet my RW). She is already wanting me to start planning my next trip to their hometown, even though the 2 girls work at the same place and I would more than likely run into my former RW if I would go there again.
If this sounds like a service scam, I just want to be able to alert guys out there about it. Or maybe, its just a matter of what Cheb had to say and the friend thinks I'm a great guy and wants to help me out.

Buckeye1
BTW- I made my own flight arrangements. As far as the excursions they offered, we only went on a guided tour of her city with an interpreter.
Although, my RW's friend did try to encourage me to take advantage of the other excursions they offered me so we would have a nicer time together and I could see more of their country/culture.

Posted by: EZE

Doesn't sound like you were scammed and everything looks ok except...

The two girls work in the same place? Should I assume you mean in the same building or something? Another matter if they work for the same company.

If the two of you really did become friends then you do have a BIG asset above starting from scratch. If she provided the arrangements etc other services at a fair price in your opinion then of course you could trust this for the next visit. You are going to have to trust your gut feel about if her fixing you up with friends is out of sincerity or if it is just money to her. No one else on this board met her, so its up to you to decide.

Posted by: Buckeye1

EZE-
They both work for the same company, the friend is the business manager and my former RW is an office/personnel manager. It is a modeling agency (in case you wanted to know what kind of business). That is also why I'm not sure if this would be a good idea or not...will I wind up running into my former RW? Will it be awkward for me, her, both of us? Will she think I'm "using" her friend to check up on her, etc...
I actually ran into a guy on here that had been corresponding with my RW supposedly before and after I went to visit her. He got a farewell letter and never got to visit her. According to him, she told him that she did not want to see him when he refused to stay in the apartment. This all happened after I had made my trip to visit her. He supplied me with emails that had offered him the same accomodations I had, that had brought up some concern. He was convinced she was a service scammer but when I told him I didnt care and was still going to continue corresponding with her, thats the last I heard from him. He hasnt been on the forum since (that I know of at least). He contacted me by PM after he saw some of my trip posts with the information that made him realize we were talking to the same girl. He also had contacted her through the same personals site about the same time I originally did. She pulled her ad down in December after we had started corresponding for several weeks. The only info I got from from the guy was that he corresponded the first time about the same time as me initially (November) then he didnt talk to her again until May and June before she told him goodbye.

Buckeye1

Posted by: EZE

This last bit of information changes the equation for me quite a bit.

Is there a little voice in your head that is now screaming "RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY".

I get in the most trouble when I ignore the little voice. Seems just too weird. Maybe there is a chance things are on the up and up and the guy corresponding with you was mistaken (or yanking your chain for some bizarre reason), but it all is starting to sound too strange for myself. Again, just my opinion, and I don't know the ladies involved.

Go see another city! Enjoy the journey!

Posted by: EasyTarget

Buckeye:
It may be a sincere offer to help you...it may not. Who cares?
Go back to the freepersonals.ru and meet someone else, small chance that the person would live in the same town as the former girls.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

Yep, time to fly. Find someone else. To many weird senarios here. If you continue to do it, do it to have a good time ... not to find a wife.

Posted by: sidney

It should be easy enough to see if it's a service scam. Offer to provide your own apartment, transportation and etc.
Sid

Posted by: ham

Quote:

I actually ran into a guy on here that had been corresponding with my RW supposedly before and after I went to visit her.

Quote:

she told him that she did not want to see him when he refused to stay in the apartment.

one penny from Barney, one from Leroy...

now it might not be a "scam", if rates are around market value, but it is sort of fraud nonetheless, as it seems these women are just service operators booking men's travel using their bust size & female charms to lure them there.
As i said first, now you know that probably "making a penny on Barney" is all that matters to them.

Posted by: Revan

Buckeye,

What area did you visit? I can't find your trip report.

Posted by: Buckeye1

Revan,

Yekaterinburg is where I went to visit. You can look up my previous posts under my old handle smoke20

Buckeye1