Ckrc scam? Or just horrible customer service?

[UnlimitedJDB]

I'm 90% sure CKRC is trying to scam me... Here is the story.

I just made a substantial parts order on CKRC, and I opted for the more expensive shipping to get the part before next weekend. The next day I get a email from them saying this:

"Comments:
Hello, We have had a recent string of fraudulent orders from international customers. We now have a 7 day hold on all first time international orders. When the holding period is up we will begin processing your order. If you can send us some proof of residency at your billing address (drivers license with your photo and address and a photo of yourself) we may be able to reduce this holding time substantially. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. Thanks, Steve

Your current order status is:
Processing


Please reply to this email if you have any questions."

Who in their right mind would send their photo ID with a driver's license number over the internet to a company that has their credit card info? That's asking for identity theft.

I responded saying that I used paypal, and they have verified my identity, so CKRC doesn't have to. I then called the CS line, and got an answering machine and left a detailed message and they have yet to call me back.

They wrote me back:

Comments:
Hello , We just need to verify residency at the billing address. You could black out everything on your license except the name, address and photo. I know this request is kind of odd. All the bunk orders we received were through paypal and looked legit. They were purchased with stolen credit cards, which a couple weeks after the transactions were made were then refunded. The biggest problem is that when we ship an international package the USPS cannot put a stop shipment on it. The parts were delivered and we were out the money. Thanks, Steve

Your current order status is:
Processing


Please reply to this email if you have any questions."

The worst part is the order payment wasn't even on a CC, it was out of a verified bank account, PLUS it has already gone through, so they have my money.

Am I over reacting or does this seem fishy to you guys?

I guess I should have listened to the 90000 complaints I read about them and stayed away :(

Edit: I should add that for all I know the email could have came from a hacker or someone other than CKRC because it was on a zen cart header.

Anyways, they have "started to process my order" now so I guess I made a big enough stink to let them know I'm not a scammer.

Suffice it to say that making a customer feel like a criminal is not good business and I will not be shipping with them again. If anyone from CkRC reads this, in the future, if you ae going to inforce some hold policy you should state it BEFORE taking the customers money.

[boosted4lyf]

shoulda gone with RPP.........

[UnlimitedJDB]

I would have but they didn't have all the parts I needed. Being in Canada it's way cheaper to go bulk orders cause the shipping is the same under 4 pounds (or something like that).

[CantonAreaCrawler]

Originally Posted by UnlimitedJDB

I'm 90% sure CKRC is trying to scam me... Here is the story.

I just made a substantial parts order on CKRC, and I opted for the more expensive shipping to get the part before next weekend. The next day I get a email from them saying this:

"Comments:
Hello, We have had a recent string of fraudulent orders from international customers. We now have a 7 day hold on all first time international orders. When the holding period is up we will begin processing your order. If you can send us some proof of residency at your billing address (drivers license with your photo and address and a photo of yourself) we may be able to reduce this holding time substantially. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. Thanks, Steve

Your current order status is:
Processing


Please reply to this email if you have any questions."

Who in their right mind would send their photo ID with a driver's license number over the internet to a company that has their credit card info? That's asking for identity theft.

I responded saying that I used paypal, and they have verified my identity, so CKRC doesn't have to. I then called the CS line, and got an answering machine and left a detailed message and they have yet to call me back.

They wrote me back:

Comments:
Hello , We just need to verify residency at the billing address. You could black out everything on your license except the name, address and photo. I know this request is kind of odd. All the bunk orders we received were through paypal and looked legit. They were purchased with stolen credit cards, which a couple weeks after the transactions were made were then refunded. The biggest problem is that when we ship an international package the USPS cannot put a stop shipment on it. The parts were delivered and we were out the money. Thanks, Steve

Your current order status is:
Processing


Please reply to this email if you have any questions."

The worst part is the order payment wasn't even on a CC, it was out of a verified bank account, PLUS it has already gone through, so they have my money.

Am I over reacting or does this seem fishy to you guys?

I guess I should have listened to the 90000 complaints I read about them and stayed away :(

I used to work at Pizza Hut and we took CC over the phone for deliverys. But Pizza Hut was getting ALOT of stolen CC numbers so when we made the delivery we had to make an impression of the CC on the recipt to prove they had the actually had the CC and not just a number. I can not tell you how many times they did not have the CC so I had to bring the order back. Its a shame that people cant just work for there money.

[Hoosierdady]

First off, RPP ROCKS.

Second off, Ive used CKRC several times. Ive NEVER had one issue. The parts always arrived very fast, and were exactly what I ordered. If Jake needs to verify your info via a copy of your license due to a rise in scams, then send it to him. He has the money already, what have you got to lose? He's protecting his business/investment/family by doing so. I dont see where the harm is in that.

[siuvinson]

Regardless of who the request came from, I don't blame you for being suspicious. Its not something that I would expect to be asked for when dealing with an online vendor; especially when being paid via paypal.

I also see where ckrc is coming from, being a small business and getting screwed out of revenue in the end. He needs to do whats necessary for him/his business.

Maybe ask him if there is any other way to ease his concerns of your identity? Something as simple as a personal phone conversation between the 2 of you may be enough. Just an idea.

[natskiboy]

I have ordered from ckrc before and never had any issues. I hope you get it resolved. I am sure something can be worked out in the end.

[hbj069]

It just boils down to whether you want his product or not, If so then honor the request, if not then cancel and move on

[Armistice]

Originally Posted by siuvinson

Maybe ask him if there is any other way to ease his concerns of your identity? Something as simple as a personal phone conversation between the 2 of you may be enough. Just an idea.

A phone convo really doesn't prove anything. You could say you're Cpt America and no one could tell

I'd say take a photo of your license and black out all info except your name and address. That's pretty easy

Sucks that happened to you. I've bought 2 things from there and had no problems

[siuvinson]

Originally Posted by Armistice

A phone convo really doesn't prove anything. You could say you're Cpt America and no one could tell

I think it proves quite a bit actually. Think about it, if I'm trying to buy a bunch of merchandise online using a stolen credit card, I'm surely not going to call the owner up and try and convince him I'm "Judy Smith" or whoever is missing their credit card. If I'm the thief and the people I'm buying from are getting suspicious enough to request to speak to me directly, I'm more than likely going to back off.

A message like, "please call our customer service hotline to confirm your personal information" would go a lot farther than "please send me a picture of your personal identification card or driver's license."

Maybe that's just me though.

[Kylar]

I think its a bit premature and uncalled for to call a company a scam, simply because you are outside of the country, and they are asking for more info because of recent c/c fraud....

I have ordered from them several times without any issues, its a legit company thats been around for awhile.

Its not a fake company that doesnt really exist, that just takes your money and runs. That would be a REAL scam.

[SunShine]

I have ordered a few things from them as well and never had an issue. Asking for a copy of your id is kinda weird being a internet transaction but at the same time arnt you asked to show your id when using a cc a any retail store? So if your in a hurry cover up what you don't want him to see as far as dl # and what not and go that route to speed up the process. Doesn't he already have your name and address for shipping reasons? If you used pay pal he doesn't have your cc number or any personal info other than name and address which he's just asking to see on a legal. Form of id. Which in reality if anyone ended up with someones wallet and have their id and cc they could still end up screwing him. Its just a way to verify a name and shipping address.

Fat fingered from the phone- Corey

[vonclod]

Originally Posted by Hoosierdady

First off, RPP ROCKS.

He has the money already, what have you got to lose? He's protecting his business/investment/family by doing so. I dont see where the harm is in that.

if he already has the money who is being protected/ and from what..he has the money already..not nitpicking..asking a serious question..i would not be sending pictures of any of my id blacked out or not ..that would be a "thanxs i,ll take my money(that you already have) back"..im not calling it a scam at al but it would far exceed my comfort level..jmo

[Tonysmini]

The problem is PayPal. I've had it a couple of times where people have got stuff from me, and a few weeks later, PayPal discovered the cards used were stolen and take the money back off of you, leaving you out of picket and item less. Usually the address you send the stuff to is dodgy, overseas or a drop off point people use.

A call should do it usually.

[Hoosierdady]

Originally Posted by vonclod

if he already has the money who is being protected/ and from what..he has the money already..not nitpicking..asking a serious question..i would not be sending pictures of any of my id blacked out or not ..that would be a "thanxs i,ll take my money(that you already have) back"..im not calling it a scam at al but it would far exceed my comfort level..jmo

No worries bro.
The problem is, that people can purchase a item, wait until its been marked shipped and cancel the transaction. Same thing with bank drafts. We wont accept them at our dealership for that very reason. Now if you read thru a few threads on here youll find a couple more that mention HobbyPartz (I think) that had ALOT of CC fraud and for that reason, they really tightened things up. For a mom n pop business, a fw $1,000 transactions gone bad will leave you in the soup line in a hurry. I myself, would have no issues doing that if I were a out of country buyer trying to make the purchase. The fact that it was a "substantial purchase" and he opted for the "expensive shipping" to get it fast lends even more reason for CKRC to throw up a red flag. Think about it. Every time Ive read a story of one of these online stores getting taken, its been for large amounts of money. A thief isnt going to waste his time with a $10 part, they'll go for the gold everytime. In closing, give him the copy of the license. I understand you being on alert (as I would be too) But if you arent trying to scam CKRC, there should be no issue with it. Just my $0.03

[saniel68]

Originally Posted by UnlimitedJDB

I'm 90% sure CKRC is trying to scam me... Here is the story.

I just made a substantial parts order on CKRC, and I opted for the more expensive shipping to get the part before next weekend. The next day I get a email from them saying this:

"Comments:
Hello, We have had a recent string of fraudulent orders from international customers. We now have a 7 day hold on all first time international orders. When the holding period is up we will begin processing your order. If you can send us some proof of residency at your billing address (drivers license with your photo and address and a photo of yourself) we may be able to reduce this holding time substantially. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. Thanks, Steve

Your current order status is:
Processing


Please reply to this email if you have any questions."

Who in their right mind would send their photo ID with a driver's license number over the internet to a company that has their credit card info? That's asking for identity theft.

I responded saying that I used paypal, and they have verified my identity, so CKRC doesn't have to. I then called the CS line, and got an answering machine and left a detailed message and they have yet to call me back.

They wrote me back:

Comments:
Hello , We just need to verify residency at the billing address. You could black out everything on your license except the name, address and photo. I know this request is kind of odd. All the bunk orders we received were through paypal and looked legit. They were purchased with stolen credit cards, which a couple weeks after the transactions were made were then refunded. The biggest problem is that when we ship an international package the USPS cannot put a stop shipment on it. The parts were delivered and we were out the money. Thanks, Steve

Your current order status is:
Processing


Please reply to this email if you have any questions."

The worst part is the order payment wasn't even on a CC, it was out of a verified bank account, PLUS it has already gone through, so they have my money.

Am I over reacting or does this seem fishy to you guys?

I guess I should have listened to the 90000 complaints I read about them and stayed away :(

I shop with CKRC and have never had an issue. Jake and the crew are not in it to rip off your personal info. You'll get your parts.

[Bogncrawl]

I've ordered lots of parts form ckrc and never had any issues but I'm not international

[tom@vp]

In his defense, it is true about the scams.

We have been talking with several of the top sellers including CKRC and RPP and several others, and all have confirmed this.

We have all been seeing a increase as of just recently.

[RPP Hobby]

Originally Posted by UnlimitedJDB

I'm 90% sure CKRC is trying to scam me... Here is the story.

I just made a substantial parts order on CKRC, and I opted for the more expensive shipping to get the part before next weekend. The next day I get a email from them saying this:

"Comments:
Hello, We have had a recent string of fraudulent orders from international customers. We now have a 7 day hold on all first time international orders. When the holding period is up we will begin processing your order. If you can send us some proof of residency at your billing address (drivers license with your photo and address and a photo of yourself) we may be able to reduce this holding time substantially. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. Thanks, Steve

Your current order status is:
Processing


Please reply to this email if you have any questions."

Who in their right mind would send their photo ID with a driver's license number over the internet to a company that has their credit card info? That's asking for identity theft.

I responded saying that I used paypal, and they have verified my identity, so CKRC doesn't have to. I then called the CS line, and got an answering machine and left a detailed message and they have yet to call me back.

They wrote me back:

Comments:
Hello , We just need to verify residency at the billing address. You could black out everything on your license except the name, address and photo. I know this request is kind of odd. All the bunk orders we received were through paypal and looked legit. They were purchased with stolen credit cards, which a couple weeks after the transactions were made were then refunded. The biggest problem is that when we ship an international package the USPS cannot put a stop shipment on it. The parts were delivered and we were out the money. Thanks, Steve

Your current order status is:
Processing


Please reply to this email if you have any questions."

The worst part is the order payment wasn't even on a CC, it was out of a verified bank account, PLUS it has already gone through, so they have my money.

Am I over reacting or does this seem fishy to you guys?

I guess I should have listened to the 90000 complaints I read about them and stayed away :(

I am pretty sure CKRC is not trying to scam on this. Unfortunately I believe many of us USA sellers shipping overseas are seeing lots of fraud occurring.
What CKRC is asking for is something we have talked about for credit card payments but have not implemented because it does raise some concerns for customers security. We thought about asking for this info to be faxed, but with myself, I do not have a fax at home nor the desire to buy a program for my PC so not to likely a customer would either. International pay pal buyers are much easier to work with for us in regards to these issues. All in all I understand what CKRC is doing and think you are safe, just the wait is not fun.

I would suggest editing your thread title here out of courtesy to CKRC so it is not damaging to them. Maybe say "CKRC question about held order, need opinion"

[vonclod]

Originally Posted by Hoosierdady

No worries bro.
The problem is, that people can purchase a item, wait until its been marked shipped and cancel the transaction. Same thing with bank drafts. We wont accept them at our dealership for that very reason. Now if you read thru a few threads on here youll find a couple more that mention HobbyPartz (I think) that had ALOT of CC fraud and for that reason, they really tightened things up. For a mom n pop business, a fw $1,000 transactions gone bad will leave you in the soup line in a hurry. I myself, would have no issues doing that if I were a out of country buyer trying to make the purchase. The fact that it was a "substantial purchase" and he opted for the "expensive shipping" to get it fast lends even more reason for CKRC to throw up a red flag. Think about it. Every time Ive read a story of one of these online stores getting taken, its been for large amounts of money. A thief isnt going to waste his time with a $10 part, they'll go for the gold everytime. In closing, give him the copy of the license. I understand you being on alert (as I would be too) But if you arent trying to scam CKRC, there should be no issue with it. Just my $0.03

ya i can understand that..its a shame that it has come to this..i work in a small business and know its a fine line at times

"The problem is, that people can purchase a item, wait until its been marked shipped and cancel the transaction. Same thing with bank drafts".

this should not be allowed to happen..a seller shouldnt get screwed..if something has been shipped there should be no chance to cancel..i would think too bad you bought it unless it arrives damaged