To save speculation is probably best to post the events that took place up to me finding out this guy had a 16 year old business partner.
I got an email from a webmaster saying he was interested in my banner space, but would I consider doing a 3 month option. He’d (no mention of anyone else) just started a couple of sites and was lean on cash. Thinking I’d be giving the guy a break I agreed. Stating it was $150US for 3 months.
He then comes back say’s I only got $125 will you accept that? Which I did. Then it’s oh, I only got $85 on me now I’ll give you $40 next week. By this stage the other two parties that were interested in the spot I’d told it had been sold. So I accepted.
However, I discovered that it just wasn’t this guy, he also had a partner. The other site had been running for 6 months. It also looked like is was bring in its fair share of dollars too. So I sent him an email asking wtf is going on? At that point I felt my good nature had been taken advantage of.
That’s when the webmaster (18 year old) came out and told me the whole story and informed me that his partner was 16 years old. After being told this I pulled the banner ad.
I looked at the moral/ethical stand point. that is I wouldn’t want my 16 year old son involved in an activity I think is justifiably reserved for adults.
Admittedly this is another issue
Digging deeper the 16 year old openly discusses playing at poker rooms and offers poker advice too. Maybe this is just BS bravado and attempts to talk the talk, but, I have to take it for what it is and assume he’s actively playing poker online.
What I don’t need is some gung ho legal eagle jumping all over my ass purporting that I’m indirectly assisting a minor to promote poker rooms. Which after getting some (lets guard my ass) legal advice was a scenario brought into conversation.
Now I’m pretty sure some of you wont agree with the stance I’ve now taken, but, in retrospect and imo, this 18 year old has tried to play me for a moron since day one. Due to his obvious it’s all about me attitude (f#ck anyone else) I’ve lost not one but two people that wanted that banner space. (unfortunately both have found other positions now).
As I’ve said to him, He’ll get his $125US back to Neteller when that banner ad gets filled and not before. I can tell you he’s not real happy about it, but, if he was up front with me from the start then all of this wouldn’t have happened.
I did receive an email from him yesterday stating that his 16 year old partner is no longer associated with the business or the sites. He requested that I re-instate the banner ad.
So I do a simple whois on the domains only to find that the 16 year old still owns both domains. I think to myself this guy must really think I’m an imbecile :banger:
The short of all this is I don’t trust this guy. He’s BS’d me too many times and has confused a good nature with being a sucker!
As far as the refund, to stop all his BS it’s probably best to just give him his $125 back and wipe my hands of this pr#ck!
Though it means I’ll be out of pocket $60 to get money to Neteller. As it stands I’ve just closed a CC account and am waiting a new one to be issued. My Neteller account is zeroed out and to get funds to it I have to send a bank wire which costs me $60 all up. Unfortunately I get double dipped (my bank and an intermediate bank both charge fees). Plus this month I’ve got a bit of a cash flow problem.
F#ck it, I’ll go to the bank tomorrow and get this piss ant paid.