Is this a scam? :(

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Sorry to hear about your loss and hope you get back on your feet but if I'm understanding your plight correctly, you have a Porsche worth at least if not more than 10,000 white chocolate mocha's from Starbucks which is about the value you need to resurrect your shop.

One question for you, why are you begging for money in such a shameless way instead of posting up a car for sale ad in the for sale section? I'm sure your eldest son is old enough to know this is the right thing to do and would be totally understanding.

By valuing your car above your 100 employees and their families this tells me enough about the principles you live by to say you won't be getting one dime out of me and anyone who does give you money is being scammed.

[wildthing]

I've no reason to doubt your story. I was trying to be subtle by asking if you were selling anything. Because they are right. If you have nothing and want to start over, why keep the Porsche? Doesn't make sense.

I have another friend who had a plastics business in the Philippines. Lost everything because of cheap goods from China. They sold everything including cars. Lived in a makeshift room above their factory. Sent their kids to public schools (and if you're from there, you know that many public schools are crap). Had to start over with a new business. They're doing fine now, but not as good as what they had before.

There are also pawnshops that will take your car title without taking the car.

[gtc]

Ironically, if this guy's 911 had burned instead of his business, these same Pelicans would probably be chipping in thousands of dollars to buy him another car (like the insurance-lapsed 930 fire a few years ago).
Pretty pathetic of us.

Originally Posted by vash

i've seen some grand gestures here..

we ponied up cash to help someone that wrecked his benz.. right?

either way, i cant help here..i can only wish you luck OP. i wouldnt put your hopes and dreams in a public donation..i'd like to think you have a plan B and C in the background.


on a side note..totally unrelated: i have good friends that wont go visit their families back in the Philippines because they said, "they have to bring back too many gifts and cash".

i'd love to go with some of them.

[MMMickey]

My car's title burned down in the blaze, guys. For now, I cannot sell it as the former owner whose name still appears on the title has left the country. Here in the Philippines, it's virtually impossible to reconstruct papers for property, not without connections. Perhaps if I fully explained the situation, you guys would appreciate the situation some more. I welcome all the comments and criticisms. I just don't appreciate being called a conman. So easy to do that from behind a keyboard.

[MMMickey]

Some pics of our rings...

I hope to make some more of them, and soon.

[MMMickey]

Some good news, at last! This morning we've finished setting up work stations for 12 guys. That's 6 polishing motors with spindles on each side for a total of 12 guys.




To my Filipino brothers in this community... TRABAHO! TRABAHO!!

[wildthing]

I think you're on the right track. The thing is, a business, when rebuilt, can grow many times over. So people are not as willing to "donate". A business is an investment. It's got to be either equity or a loan. When someone loses a car or a loved one, and that person has nothing, that's viewed differently.

[motion]

Originally Posted by MMMickey

Some good news, at last! This morning we've finished setting up work stations for 12 guys. That's 6 polishing motors with spindles on each side for a total of 12 guys.




To my Filipino brothers in this community... TRABAHO! TRABAHO!!

Well, I guess you didn't lose everything, after all. Sorry about your misfortune, but I am just flabbergasted that you can beg for money from fellow humans, all of whom are strangers, just because some of us own Porsches. I've never been given a red cent by anyone in my entire life, and never had a handout from anyone. Never once. The thought of asking people for money turns my stomach. I'd rather crawl in a hole and die. That being said, when my family asks for money, I don't think twice about it. Same goes for close friends. Family has always paid me back (well, almost always), which is a nice surprise. My friends never have. They're still my friends, though.

You're providing a very questionable example to your children. I suggest you look long and deep in the mirror and think of a better way out of this. Just my 0.02.

[MMMickey]

Very much appreciated, motion. I guess what we're seeing here is a cultural divide. We Filipinos like to give. It's in our culture.

[Por_sha911]

"I've lost everything. Please give me money so I don't have to sell my Porsche"

[wayner]

Originally Posted by MMMickey

Very much appreciated, motion. I guess what we're seeing here is a cultural divide. We Filipinos like to give. It's in our culture.

That may be true.

In America, people like to invest.

That's why things like kickstarter campaigns are so popular.
People get to help by betting on a winner.

[dewolf]

I'll give you US$50K for a 50% share in your business.

[berettafan]

Originally Posted by MMMickey

Very much appreciated, motion. I guess what we're seeing here is a cultural divide. We Filipinos like to give. It's in our culture.

bull****. you like to take.

and you tried to take using a half assed perception of crowd funding nonsense based on horrible tragedies we've seen in our country. Most of us see the murders in Orlando and think 'how awful!'. You look at it, hear about money dontated, and see a way to get money from stupid Americans.


You sir, are a bull****ter. A bull****ter looking to take advantage of what you see in the news. You watched the news say $$$ was raised via crowd funding for such and such victim and you thought 'aha, i'll just tell my story and get crowd funding!'.

You are completely out of touch with American sensibilities. We aren't all willing to sell our souls for a few bucks. Don't blame your sleazy morals on culture. That's an insult to the people around you.


http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Chotchkie

[JavaBrewer]

Wow $17K already collected...

[john70t]

Originally Posted by MMMickey

I guess what we're seeing here is a cultural divide. We Filipinos like to give. It's in our culture.

And therein lies the solution.
You must be surrounded by literally hundreds of local givers at this time.
Givers.
Not like us selfish complete strangers across the ocean, unaffected by guilt.

I've watched a three card monte game once and the key was getting the money flow going:
Once people got comfortable with handing over their pocket change, hyped in the excitement of the game, the numbers on the bills didn't matter to them anymore.
Start small and bump it up.
"Here's my dollar show me your dollar"
"Here's my twenty show me your twenty"
"Here's my fifty show my your fifty"
I was standing around watching the game and the guy randomly hands me a fifty...I almost walked away...thx buddy...

So what do you have to offer us?
The first sign of a desperate salesman is pulling out photos of cute pets and kids.
There are plenty of those on the internet.

How about a coffee certificate?

[911 Rod]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Wow $17K already collected...

I guess he got the last laugh.

[Rodsrsr]

Originally Posted by gtc

Ironically, if this guy's 911 had burned instead of his business, these same Pelicans would probably be chipping in thousands of dollars to buy him another car (like the insurance-lapsed 930 fire a few years ago).
Pretty pathetic of us.

I think the difference is, that guy was a well know contributor to the forum and simply shared his story not asking for a dime. This is a story designed and crafted to pull at heart strings from a new member with no history on the forum. It is the classic sob story complete with vacation pictures.

[Rodsrsr]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

I guess he got the last laugh.

Possibly, one can be indited for that if the story is indeed false. its called fraud.....

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by berettafan

bull****. you like to take.
and you tried to take using a half assed perception of crowd funding nonsense based on horrible tragedies we've seen in our country. Most of us see the murders in Orlando and think 'how awful!'. You look at it, hear about money dontated, and see a way to get money from stupid Americans.
You sir, are a bull****ter. A bull****ter looking to take advantage of what you see in the news. You watched the news say $$$ was raised via crowd funding for such and such victim and you thought 'aha, i'll just tell my story and get crowd funding!'.
You are completely out of touch with American sensibilities. We aren't all willing to sell our souls for a few bucks. Don't blame your sleazy morals on culture. That's an insult to the people around you.
Urban Dictionary: Chotchkie

Wow. Don't hold back. Tell us what you really think.

Yeah I think he's a scammer too. His miscalculation was bringing up the claim he owns a Porsche. Probably thought it would endear him to our sense of brotherhood. He forgot that we actually think and realized IF he owns a Porsche then he needs to sell it instead of beg for handouts.

A word to our scamming friend:
If your people love to give then, GO ASK YOUR PEOPLE FOR MONEY.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Wow $17K already collected...

Unless that's like a bartender seeding the tip jars. I suspect people are more likely to give if they think other folks have given.

This whole thing may be real, but to me, it has the ring of a well thought out con. The story seems to change to suit the comments that are directed at it.