Julia
In Memoriam
- Joined
- 10 May 2005
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Of course they are. However, it also goes to credibility.
If you want to sell your house and a RE agent comes in and oohs and ahs over your so gorgeous property, says stuff like "I wish I could get more of this quality and exceptional taste to sell" etc., then regales you with what may or may not be true stories about the prices he obtained on other inferior properties in your neighbourhood, and then assures you a price at least 20% over what you'd expected is obtainable, chances are many people will believe him. Especially if they've failed to do their own research on sale prices, not asking prices.
If, on the other hand, you suddenly find in your email inbox an offer from someone in Nigeria or any other far off country whom you have never heard of, telling you that you have inherited ten million dollars from someone else you have never heard of, and all you have to do to have this windfall paid into your bank account is immediately send $5000 (or whatever amount), along with your bank account details and your date of birth, driver's licence, etc to validate your identity, to the following address, to cover 'transfer fees' , is that really credible? Surely not. Yet apparently people still do it, despite all the publicity and all the warnings.
Yet, there seems to be a strong feeling in this discussion that the person responding to the Nigerian scam bears no responsibility for being fleeced. Beats me.
Here's an example I had myself recently. I'd bought the block of land and given go ahead for final plans on house for a new house. The decision was made on a comparison of cost estimate and standard inclusions on similar plan given to seven builders. The builder chosen included several items in his Standard Inclusions that the others didn't. The specifications and contract were supposed to be made available at least a week before the 30 April, that being when the $10,000 Qld Building Boost ended. They didn't arrive until late on the day before and included more than fifty pages. Accompanying email said ' All as discussed. Please initial each page of the specifications and sign final page'. There was a temptation to assume all was OK and just sign.
I didn't, and ploughed through it all, to find that many of the items included in the original Standard Inclusions had been left out of the final specifications, with no downward adjustment of price.
So was this an illegal act by the builder? Could he have been considered guilty of fraud?