Garr255/Werner - Auction shilling

[erk]

He will probably just roll another account and continue on.

When you can essentially be anonymous,  not much motivation to repent?

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[Garr255]

coinsquirrel: I have built up relationships with a good number of people outside this forum, yes in real life, that still trust me just as much after having read this, and have vocally said so.

I'm really disappointed that you see me so lowly, because that's not who I am. Josh did force that apology, and I've been scared shitless for the past two days that either he was going to cancel my orders or I was going to lose my respect here, so that is why I tried to delay this inevitable outcome. Again, I apologize for what I've done and I know it was wrong. Good people make mistakes, I believe I am proof of that.

[coinsquirrel]

My logic is, reward those who are honest and punish those who are not.  The difference between a scammer and someone who makes a mistake is the person making a mistake got caught.

Fixed it for you. Do you think Garr would have come forward if Inaba (of all people) hadn't called him out?

[Garr255]

i support this stance as well. Garr has shown that other than these few instances of shill bidding to be a competent addition to the forum and a pretty honest individual. 9/10 people would have lied there ass off. I respect him for admitting it and promising to make it right. I'm sure his two victtims in the shill bid will respect him for making it right and apologizing as well.

Thank you for understanding my situation; I hope most people agree with your point of view.

[r3wt]

My logic is, reward those who are honest and punish those who are not.  The difference between a scammer and someone who makes a mistake is the person making a mistake got caught.

Fixed it for you. Do you think Garr would have come forward if Inaba (of all people) hadn't called him out?

probably not, but at the same time most people would have just denied it. especially with an established reputation such as Garr's

[Garr255]

My logic is, reward those who are honest and punish those who are not.  The difference between a scammer and someone who makes a mistake is the person making a mistake got caught.

Fixed it for you. Do you think Garr would have come forward if Inaba (of all people) hadn't called him out?

I can answer that for you: No, I wouldn't have. I will also tell you this: Ever since falsely bidding up that auction I've felt dirty. I hate that feeling, and from that point of view, I am glad I got caught and fessed up. It's a feeling I never wish to return to.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Quick aside: How was Garr planning on hosting miners for others when he's planning on attending college this fall? If he lives on campus, he'll be breaking code regulations by operating miners that won't have UL tags.

Real question is, why is Garr planning on attending college this fall anyway? After this thread is done, any employer doing a background check on Garrett Ian McDonald is going to come across this site and know that the little shit is untrustworthy. Unless North Idaho is a farmer's college, I'd say use that tuition money to make everyone on here hole and spend the rest on a good, solid name change. May I suggest Ian Garrett McLovin?

Many people trust me with more money than most people my age can fathom. That's not in the least of my concerns. It truly saddens me that you think me bidding up those auctions deserves a lifetime of flipping burgers.

And to respond to Phinnaeus (Who I respect a good deal BTW): I will be leasing a portion of a facility staffed by DC techs who will be able to manage the physical aspect of the operation. I will be able to do everything I need to remotely.

Now, this really pisses me off, Garr. How the hell am I suppose to continue when you're being kind to me?

Depending on your course of study in college, you may not have to work for a traditional employer, probably working for yourself.

Sadly for you, there's still others still sticking it up you butt over this unfortunate episode. I'll only add fuel to the fire if I see a bonfire.

BTW, this is all Josh's fault  , but you're in no position to concur. No need for Josh, either, to weigh in on this comment. He did do the right thing.

As far as for a scammer tag, I feel that there is no way you should get one. Reason being is that it's been stipulated that that aspect has been abolished. In fact, it was mainly that reason that I kinda reneged on my $200 USD donation to Josh/BFL, having no fear of getting tagged. I have since re-reversed that decision and will be honoring it, but it'll be on my terms. But I digress.

Later, bud.

PS: I came damn near to tearing your apology to pieces, but now can't, you fuckin' lucky bastard.  

[BFL_Shill]

Hi all,

First, I apologize for taking too long to attempt to resolve this situation. I've been extremely frustrated with myself all day. I have been regretting what I have done since the moment I did it.

I hereby confess to bidding up my own auctions using the "Werner" forum handle. This is despicable, I know. I did this out of pure greed. Scamming anyone was not the priority, getting a few extra measly bitcoins for Cognitive's auction was my goal. I have always acted in the best interest of Cognitive, because I know, believe, and practice my fiduciary duty which comes as a result of handling others' assets. I want everyone to know that I will continue doing my best to run the company, the same as I always have. My track record on the forum has been flawless before this incident, and that's what hurts me most. I'm disgusted with myself when people are questioning whether they can trust me now.

Although some may view this as a petty offence (as I did previously), I do not any longer. As an attempt to at least partially make up for my wrongdoing, I am offering each of the participants in the auction, starsoccer9 and Vezunchik, BTC5 of my own personal funds, which more than makes up for the financial loss due false bids in the auction. I realize that what I have done is unacceptable, and I do deeply regret it.

Being an optimist, I can't help but try to take something positive away from a given situation. I believe that because of this incident I will make an effort to be that much better of a person. Everyone who I have interacted with aside from these auction participants, and Josh Zerlan (Inaba), would agree with me when I tell you: I strive to be a person of high moral conduct.

I apologize to everyone for letting greed get in my way. I know trust takes ages to build, and a few posts to destroy. I hope that everyone will acknowledge my past, and see that I have never acted in an externally malicious way, and have always been transparent, friendly, and courteous in all of my dealings with fellow forum members. Know that I am a man of my word: when I say I will do something, I do it. I regret bidding up the auction greatly. Please know that I have never scammed anyone nor have I stolen anything. I have done tons (probably well over 100) transactions of physical items with users of this forum and not one has gone sour. In most of them the other party was the one who had to trust me.

Again, I sincerely regret what I have done and I apologize for doing it. The small sum of bitcoins I gained from this (until I pay the auction bidders back) was certainly not worth the tarnished reputation. Never again will I allow myself to do something so crooked.

Sincerely,
Garrett

Respect to garr, you did the right thing.

[malevolent]

Many people trust me with more money than most people my age can fathom. That's not in the least of my concerns. It truly saddens me that you think me bidding up those auctions deserves a lifetime of flipping burgers.

Quite honestly, it is quite impressive what you've been able to do for your age - but that's a double sided sword. You'be built up a pretty solid operation, but it's also shocking that someone your age would have already developed the self-serving business practices that you've shown. It's not just about bidding up those auctions. You've displayed a hypocritical attitude the whole time you were dealing with BFL, and you've outright lied and misled this entire forum by denying your actions and insinuating that Josh had your hands tied. The coverup is much worse than the actual offense (from my POV, but it's not my coins that you scammed). You came out and admitted your mistakes (congratulations) but you've had plenty of opportunities so far to do so (how about during your first "appology"?). Would anyone here hire you to flip burgers if that meant you would even have a line of sight to the cash register? "I only emptied the tip jar to supplement the dividends I need to pay to Cognitive!!!"

On the bright side, you've probably impressed BFL quite a bit - maybe you could hit them up for a summer internship?

I must agree with most of your post... I don't think I will ever place any bids on Garr's auctions from now on, wouldn't be surprised if he prepared better for the next time (e.g. separate device with a separate Internet connection so it would be difficult to link the two accounts, etc.).

He did come and admitted to his wrongdoings and wants to make it up for the people that overpaid by bidding in his auctions and that is a good thing.
But he still should have done it the first time and he shouldn't have tried to cover it up.

I think he can still be trusted but to a lesser extent than in the past. The other side of a transaction should be a bit more careful in situations where the outcome of a transaction would heavily rely on trusting Garr and very careful with participating in his auctions.

@Garr

There is nothing wrong with greed but there is a hell of a lot of wrong in being dishonest.

[jhansen858]

My logic is, reward those who are honest and punish those who are not.  The difference between a scammer and someone who makes a mistake is the person making a mistake got caught.

Fixed it for you. Do you think Garr would have come forward if Inaba (of all people) hadn't called him out?

No, I don't.   And I'm not suggesting we let people get away with things with no repercussions.  I support a permanent record system would be a sufficient deterrent to this type of behavior.  However, making someone walk the plank for any infraction with no possibility for redemption even after admitting your mistake and offering to make it right sets a bad precedent and isn't representative of what I feel the community should be about.  

[Garr255]

@Garr

There is nothing wrong with greed but there is a hell of a lot of wrong in being dishonest.

I concur 100%. Honesty is something that I, and most people (I would hope) value over everything else. You have no idea how disappointed I am in myself for proving that I can be dishonest.

[r3wt]

My logic is, reward those who are honest and punish those who are not.  The difference between a scammer and someone who makes a mistake is the person making a mistake got caught.

Fixed it for you. Do you think Garr would have come forward if Inaba (of all people) hadn't called him out?

No, I don't.   And I'm not suggesting we let people get away with things with no repercussions.  I support a permanent record system would be a sufficient deterrent to this type of behavior.  However, making someone walk the plank for any infraction with no possibility for redemption even after admitting your mistake and offering to make it right sets a bad precedent and isn't representative of what I feel the community should be about.  

i like the way you think jhansen858

[Garr255]

Quick aside: How was Garr planning on hosting miners for others when he's planning on attending college this fall? If he lives on campus, he'll be breaking code regulations by operating miners that won't have UL tags.

Real question is, why is Garr planning on attending college this fall anyway? After this thread is done, any employer doing a background check on Garrett Ian McDonald is going to come across this site and know that the little shit is untrustworthy. Unless North Idaho is a farmer's college, I'd say use that tuition money to make everyone on here hole and spend the rest on a good, solid name change. May I suggest Ian Garrett McLovin?

Many people trust me with more money than most people my age can fathom. That's not in the least of my concerns. It truly saddens me that you think me bidding up those auctions deserves a lifetime of flipping burgers.

And to respond to Phinnaeus (Who I respect a good deal BTW): I will be leasing a portion of a facility staffed by DC techs who will be able to manage the physical aspect of the operation. I will be able to do everything I need to remotely.

Now, this really pisses me off, Garr. How the hell am I suppose to continue when you're being kind to me?

Depending on your course of study in college, you may not have to work for a traditional employer, probably working for yourself.

Sadly for you, there's still others still sticking it up you butt over this unfortunate episode. I'll only add fuel to the fire if I see a bonfire.

BTW, this is all Josh's fault  , but you're in no position to concur. No need for Josh, either, to weigh in on this comment. He did do the right thing.

As far as for a scammer tag, I feel that there is no way you should get one. Reason being is that it's been stipulated that that aspect has been abolished. In fact, it was mainly that reason that I kinda reneged on my $200 USD donation to Josh/BFL, having no fear of getting tagged. I have since re-reversed that decision and will be honoring it, but it'll be on my terms. But I digress.

Later, bud.

PS: I came damn near to tearing your apology to pieces, but now can't, you fuckin' lucky bastard.  

I always aim to work for myself I had a job at a diemaking (ultra-precise machining) shop, where I learned a ton, and operated machines that if I screwed up would cost tens of thousands to repair. Then my time became more valuable to myself than the wage they were paying, so I phased myself out. I never plan to receive a paycheck again (unless it's from an entity that I own )

Love you too, Phinn. (you know, in a semi-sarcastic, friendly, and certainly nowhere even remotely close to gay way.)

[coinsquirrel]

coinsquirrel: I have built up relationships with a good number of people outside this forum, yes in real life, that still trust me just as much after having read this, and have vocally said so.

I'm really disappointed that you see me so lowly, because that's not who I am. Josh did force that apology, and I've been scared shitless for the past two days that either he was going to cancel my orders or I was going to lose my respect here, so that is why I tried to delay this inevitable outcome. Again, I apologize for what I've done and I know it was wrong. Good people make mistakes, I believe I am proof of that.

Just for some perspective, Bernie Madoff made these quotes to New York Magazine in 2011:

“I made a lot of money for my clients”
“I’m not the kind of person I’m being portrayed as.”
“Does anybody want to hear that I had a successful business and did all these wonderful things for the industry? And got all these awards? And so did my family? I did all of this during the legitimate years. No. You don’t read any of that.”
“[The fraud] was a nightmare for me. It was only a nightmare for me. It’s horrible. When I say nightmare, imagine carrying this secret. Look, imagine going home every night not being able to tell your wife, living with this ax over your head, not telling your sons, my brother, seeing them every day in the business and not being able to confide in them.”
“I was always able to rationalize [the fraud]… Look, I tried to give moneys back to my individual clients when I realized it was impossible to get myself out. I tried to return funds to my friends, moneys to the smaller clients. They wouldn’t take it back … "

[Rampion]

Garr255: I respect your apology, it's indeed a first step towards redeeming yourself.

Nevertheless, in my opinion Garr255 still deserves a scammer tag. Otherwise, it seems that everybody can just create bidding sockpuppet accounts, and if they get caught, they can just apologize and give the money back, and their reputation will still be intact. That's so wrong towards all the community and especially for many that received a scammer tag... Tom from bASIC is also paying back, right? And Matthew too. But still, they cheated on the community, and they got their scammer tag because of this.

I think this is a public forum, and public interest should be protected. We need a clear set of rules. Is shill bidding a scam? If it is (it surely is in my book), when somebody is caught needs to be tagged as a scammer, because you need to protect public interest. If the scammer is friend of the mods and a long time member of the community and he gets "spared" because of this, then it's not more about public interest, it's about of a group of close friends protecting each other's interests.

If then the scammer apologizes and makes the scammed people whole, that's a point in his favor, but doesn't erase past facts. For example, I've decided that I'm trusting both Matt and Tom, despite of their tags, because I believe they did a mistake and are trying to make the people they cheated whole. But those scammer tags were indeed fairly placed, as a tag on Garr255 would also be fair.

Just my 0.02BTC

[PrintMule]

Wow, I never thought this forum of all other would have such attitude towards auction shilling.

Please explain to me - why the hell not? If I want to buy something, I know the price I'm willing to pay and that's it. If it goes up beyond that for a tiniest bit, in fair or fixed way - I will never buy it.

I admit, I'm new too this marketplace/economics atmosphere, but this seems logical enough for me.

[jhansen858]

Wow, I never thought this forum of all other would have such attitude towards auction shilling.

Please explain to me - why the hell not? If I want to buy something, I know the price I'm willing to pay and that's it. If it goes up beyond that for a tiniest bit, in fair or fixed way - I will never buy it.

I admit, I'm new too this marketplace/economics atmosphere, but this seems logical enough for me.

Why do an auction if your not going to let the best bid win? if your not happy with the price then next time just set an honest price you would like to get and stick to it.

[coinsquirrel]

Wow, I never thought this forum of all other would have such attitude towards auction shilling.

Please explain to me - why the hell not? If I want to buy something, I know the price I'm willing to pay and that's it. If it goes up beyond that for a tiniest bit, in fair or fixed way - I will never buy it.

I admit, I'm new too this marketplace/economics atmosphere, but this seems logical enough for me.

The whole premise is that it didn't go above anyone's maximum. Let's pretend that StarSoccer was willing to bid BTC65. He was winning at BTC61. Garr comes along when there were no other bidders and bids BTC62, forcing StarSoccer to bid BTC63 (a difference of BTC2, had Garr not interfered).

[PrintMule]

Why do an auction if your not going to let the best bid win? if your not happy with the price then next time just set an honest price you would like to get and stick to it.

For example eBay, while delivering greatest exposure, has quite flawed auction mechanics.
But selling at fixed price imposes harsher fees. Although when I think about it - I can just set higher price to cover those fees. That's something to think about.

The whole premise is that it didn't go above anyone's maximum. Let's pretend that StarSoccer was willing to bid BTC65. He was winning at BTC61. Garr comes along when there were no other bidders and bids BTC62, forcing StarSoccer to bid BTC63 (a difference of BTC2, had Garr not interfered).

And then StarSoccer says - "screw you guys, I'm going home" in a Cartman's voice
And if all had stuck to that principle - Garr would have to PM StarSoccer with some lie like this "that last guy never paid, you interested" or in a direct way "i shilled, will you buy at your price -10 %?"

[Rampion]

@Garr

There is nothing wrong with greed but there is a hell of a lot of wrong in being dishonest.

I concur 100%. Honesty is something that I, and most people (I would hope) value over everything else. You have no idea how disappointed I am in myself for proving that I can be dishonest.

Garr, I'm sorry, but didn't you know you were being dishonest while using you sockpuppet to pump up your auctions? So you are disappointed because "you proved" of being dishonest by being caught?

Frankly, I respect your apology, but what you are writing right now is not helping you at all.

Making a sockpuppet account to pump an auction is extremely easy. You register it, you connect through a VPN or Tor, and mods can't do sh*t about it. The only thing stopping people to do that is principles, honor and honesty. When you think about that kind of situation, you can feel in two ways: a) happy for being "so smart" to be able to scam people some money, or b) feel bad for cheating people. I think you really felt great using Werner, as you used it continuosly and without any remorse until you got caught.... You even used it to troll Josh and praise yourself just a few moments before being caught:

I am laughing hysterically... This obscene adult is being shown up by a seventeen year old who runs his business flawlessly!!!

Frankly Garr, I gave up having faith on your honor and principles when you publicly humiliated yourself to get your miners. And now I gave up on your honesty too.

Of course people can change: you are extremely young, and I guess you will learn a lot from this. But the real lesson is that things have real consequences.