Ashbeck gave me permission to post the private message and so I shall (in full and unedited) for full disclosure. I am now keeping out of this discussion because I have my print and frankly no longer care who is guilty or not. The situation is now for the police to resolve.

"let me clarify certain things because i am slowly becoming the victim.
i messaged you with a difference item for sale which later got sold prior to us agreeing on a price.
j0ker had messaged me several weeks prior to the purchase was even made with several items for sale and i know of three other members he also messaged. being that not too long ago another member on here sold several works and then disappeared with the payment, i wasn't too keen on dealing with a new member who couldn't/ wouldn't transact via face to face as such i suggested if he was willing to send me the print, after i had received and certain it wasn't a fake, i would wire the funds which unbelievably he agreed. i also asked for an identificaction which he honoured by supplying a copy of his passport. up to this point, i believed i had done my due diligence and was protecting my money.

now where the story got interesting, he claimed he would send the print to his contact in the uk (a gallery) who would unframe,package and redirect to me. he asked for my number as its needed by the courier company.

i had his passport, i hadn't sent a penny off my money and pest control confirmed the print was intact authentic and registered to the name he supplied.

please point out out any red flags i had missed. joker said he needed cash and was currently in the states and as such he couldn't honour my request for a face to face deal.

fast forward couple of days and the print arrived, funnily addressed to him but i assumed the gallery thought he was forwarding it to himself in the uk. i checked the print again with coa at hand and again pc confirmed its legitimate. at this point i honoured our agreement by sending him his payment.

now several questions i wish to raise, can you confirm at any point met art actually called that number and spoke to joker. did they ever receive any calls from my number? or was the number only ever provided.

also can you please confirm if they actually accepted any proof of id for the delivery address.

galleries do it all the time, you send them your work, they receive, inspect then pay. i was at all times protecting myself from being scammed.

if i had known it was dodgy, why would i have suggested refunding you your payment while a take it up with met art before you pointed out the fact that would mean we are both knowingly handling stolen goods.

i have nothing to hide and as such i am more than happy to be interviewed by the police.

till this moment joker hasn't signed back on here nor has he replied. yet i am supposedly joker. i doubt i would have used my home as the delivery address of a stolen merchandise or offered to refund you.

anyways i am glad it got resolved in your favour . i am now left to somehow clear my self of all wrong doing."

Unica ... I believe balboa was being rhetorical …

DAPPY, please explain to me why its rhetorical?

He very simply says and I quote.

"I am now keeping out of this discussion because I have my print and frankly no longer care who is guilty or not. The situation is now for the police to resolve."

I can't see why this is rhetorical and why he shouldn't be challenged on this statement, being that many people expressed concern about his situation and now he doesn't give a S##T who ripped him off, when two weeks ago he was beside himself. I would think it would be beneficial to the forum to out the scammers and thieves so no one else is ripped off. Think of it as a civic duty for the good of the community.