Foo - Buying through escrow...

Trying to order something through Bensbike. They want to do the transaction/shipping through FPS Express Shipping (http://www.fps-expressshipping.com). After a little research, I dug this up (http://escrow-fraud.com/fraud_data.php?id=1820). A common page layout isn't quite enough for me to want to ditch this so I'm wondering if anyone here has had any experience with this escrow agency.

I'm getting ready to spend a decent chunk of change and I don't see Bensbike screwing me over. I've bought from them before and had no problem.

What do you folks think? I'm not too big on escrow since my credit card is already protected against fraud.

Anyway...

Even if you have bought from them before, by what means was the purchase made. Personally I would not be buying with any escrowe service. My friend got screwed by one. Then again, that's jsut my/my friends experience with it...

Even if you have bought from them before, by what means was the purchase made. Personally I would not be buying with any escrowe service. My friend got screwed by one. Then again, that's jsut my/my friends experience with it...
I bought some pretty small-ticket items from them through Paypal.

I think I might email them back and ask if I can just pay w/ credit card. I'd still like to hear from more people about their experiences with escrow before I do anything, though.

There are two entries for FPS over at http://escrow-fraud.com/index.html

Use the info on their site, but according to their info it looks shady. They are using a cookie cutter site, that resembles a bunch of other fraud Escrow sites.

There are two entries for FPS over at http://escrow-fraud.com/index.html

Use the info on their site, but according to their info it looks shady. They are using a cookie cutter site, that resembles a bunch of other fraud Escrow sites.
Yeah, that's the site I had found some info on. I couldn't make out how or why they were listed on the site, though. Maybe I just didn't see it. Do people report a bad transaction to that site or is it any escrow site, period?

Here's some more information:

Store site: http://www.bensbicycle.com/

Turns out it's not Ben's Cycle and Fitness

And then I found this when I googled the toll free number: Ebay forums topic about this scam (http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=2000170758&tstart=40&mod=1153465728645)

And then I looked closer at the Whois info and saw that the site was created on July 25th.

Oh well. Just another chip to add to the "too good to be true" pile.

I hope nobody on this forum falls for this.

It was marked because the site layout was a generic template, similar to MANY of the other scam escrow sites.

Generic template buisinesses are in general to be avoided.

I for one, would never use Escrow for any transaction. I would be all for each of us running background check on each other. I'm very good at verifying if someone is legit, and I do find out more than they know I do, and I WILL show up at their door if they stiff me....

I've done that once, and the end result was pretty funny. Turned out the seller never had the item...so to keep me from getitng them tied up with the FBI for interstate fraud, and various other charges, they offered to bribe me....I was so close to playing the bastard, taking my money back (in cash I may add), and then reporting them...but I decided instead to just get my money back, plus travel expenses.....14 hours of driving round trip is NOT cheap.

Here's some more information:

Store site: http://www.bensbicycle.com/
Them AGAIN?!?!?

That same guy with that same site (and the same stolen images from Perf and The Bicycle Place (http://www.thebicycleplace.com/gallery/index.html)) has been hanging around under at least four other domain names in the past < 1 yr.

I keep hoping the sucker gets locked up, but he keeps coming back, like a bad rash.

Here's another one of his: Vince cycles (http://www.vincecyclesshop.com/)

Learn about the various seller cert programs (like square trade), so you know how to spot a faker....ben's bikes was one of the worst fakes ever.

-Page looks like something geocities pagebuilder crapped out

-Square trade icons aren't properly linked

-They stock too many brands

-Many of those brands do not allow web sales

-Their physical address does not check out

Scammers rely on people thinking they are reputable. Best way to not get ripped off is to be a skeptic, and verify who you are buying from.

Looks like ben's bikes is ran by elves, since it's up in a tree: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&Lon=-79.97449800&Lat=32.76330000&Alon=-79.97449800&Alat=32.76330000&w=1&opt=0&addr=1700+Maybank+Hwy%2c+Charleston%2c+SC+29412-2107&qs=1700+maybank+hwy%7ccharleston%7csc%7c