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There is a guy named Kyle Black who is going around the pipe sites, setting up trades and then not sending his end. He is a known thief so please be very careful. He was outted at 2 other sites, but not before he burned people. He may have already set up an account here and is posting to get to the required 50 so he can start trading, so if you are contacted please let us know.
Someone really wants their free baccy, ouch!
Thanks for the heads up!
Man, that's just pathetic.
That sounds terrible, you guys can all send me your pipes for safe keeping so no one can take them 
All jokes aside though i hate people like that. soon your going to need an online deposit to trade things because of crooks like this.
Thanks for the heads up Cigrmaster.
Thanks for the heads up. Its a shame that these type of people are out there.
I think I'd give up the hobby before ripping people off to get free tobacco. What a POS!
Thanks for the heads-up! That is pathetic.
He has ripped people off for some expensive pipes, not sure about tobacco. I know we don't have a pipe sale page but he could see someone talking about a pipe they would like, contact you and say he has one and then reel someone in. He could also be after tobacco which is another reason he would try and set up shop here.
That's really unfortunate. I've found the pipe smoking community to be so helpful and supportive. And very willing to trade or even share samples just out of enthusiasm for the hobby.
This is the sort of thing that shouldn't be tolerated or my name isn't Kyle Black!
Thanks cigrmaster—good to know...
Al mentioned something about this Kyle Black person a few days ago -- but only said something about a transaction going sour and intimated this Kyle guy was less than reputable.
Apparently, this Kyle person lives in the Houston area, IIRC.
Thanks Harris for the information. I appreciate the information.
Good to know.. Thanks Harris... Will definantly keep an eye out for this guy...
He lives in Webster Texas, I have his full address, but I am not sure if I should post it here.
My pleasure guys, I think we all need to look out for each other and when we hear of a bad apple, the word needs to go out. This is the first time I have heard of a pipe smoker doing this since I came back to my pipes in May so I think as a community pipe smokers are an honest bunch. Unfortunately this goes on in the cigar community on a regular basis which is unfortunate.
Kyle is at it again? He ran afoul at another place a couple of years ago. Frankly, I'm surprised he's still going under the same name - even more surprised that nobody at the affected site knew of him. He showed up here, and I chased him off (and I think Kevin politely chewed my ass for swearing, or something).
... and I would have gotten away with it too if it hadn't of been for that meddling cigrmaster!
He's smartened up and was operating under another name at SF - "Moose" I think. Anyway, he's a piece of work for sure.
sad to see, most here would give their shirt.
Wow....does that happen often around here?
It's VERY unusual.
WOW... well thanks for the heads up Harris... what a shame that there are people like that in this world. 
Oh dear. perhaps your outting of him will bring him back into the fold of gentlemanly conduct unspokenly expected of our merry band.
Junior Member of the Black BloodsI hope he burns his tongue!!
Thanks for the heads up!!!
... and I would have gotten away with it too if it hadn't of been for that meddling cigrmaster!
Love it...
But seriously, thanks for the heads up. I haven't done many trades but am happy that you are keeping us informed.
Thank you for the warning!
Unfortunate. This is as honest and decent a community of like minded people as may be found on the internet. Someone should find a way to rid us of this immoral rascal. (Sounds like a cat I used to know.)
A member on this forum got burned recently. I was hoping for a positive update from him as he was supposed to receive his pipe back on Tuesday. He was going to post a warning but I haven't seen it or heard back from him yet. I am really surprised why a Sea Bass or Smokey hasn't taken a guy like this out yet. He will get what he has coming to him eventually. Thanks Harris
As Cap'n Jack would say "The deepest circle of Hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers".
If his address is known then can't someone inform the police or something? Is this because no $$ changes hands? Seems if this info is available then he should expect a "visit"....
If his address is known then can't someone inform the police or something? Is this because no $$ changes hands? Seems if this info is available then he should expect a "visit"....
Well a lot of these trades end up being informal -- the equivalent of a handshake and trust. So when there's a misunderstanding or someone takes advantage, it can be a "he said, she said" thing that can and sometimes does develop into a pissing contest. Not much police can do about that.
Most puffers are great folks. They're friendly, trusting, bomb stuff to people they don't even know to be kind, etc. A few people -- that 1% -- are devious and in it for themselves; their intent is to take advantage of puffers' generosity to steal from them. A box pass disappears. A pipe sold via PMs where the pipe (allegedly) never arrives.
Here on PM Forums, we can't trade pipes, just tobacco. And if you check most of these tobacco trades here, from what I've seen anyway, it's usually an ounce of this, or a couple tin of that. Not exactly a big risk/big ticket item. We have BriarBid for secure pipe trades and sales.
I think caveat emptor applies. Even if we think we know someone, deciding on a private sale or purchase with someone we never met, by internet PM/Email agreement, can be risky. Have I done it? Yes. And I will probably do it again as long as I feel comfortable about doing so.
Thank you Harris. I haven't run into this guy yet, but he'll get what he deserves sooner or later.
Everyone I have talked to on here has been nothing if not nice and helpful. Hopefully this piece of trash doesn't make an appearance and screw anyone over.
-PM
Solution to this: This will make Kevin Happy.
Use BriarBid.com they have a trade option and the listed pipe shouldn't ship out until the trade comes in from the buyer. Kevin has Provided us the tools to enjoy our hobby safely the least we can do is use them IMO.
**rothnh beat me to it**
Thanks for the heads up. What a creep.
I sent a bunch of samples to a new guy today just to keep the balance of karma positive in the forum 
I sent a bunch of samples to a new guy today just to keep the balance of karma positive in the forum
Hey, me too! As I was boxing up the tins -- for a guy I've never met and from whom I'm asking nothing -- I kept asking myself why I was doing this. . . sending tins of stuff I liked to someone I didn't know, simply because he's a fellow pipesmoker.
My answer? Because I had the chance to share stuff I liked with a fellow pipesmoker!
The idea that someone would abuse that kind of relationship in the pipesmoking community simply baffles me. In my experience, it's completely alien.
Bob
I too am shipping out a tobacco trade from my end today. All I can say is the odds are very much in my favor that I will get my tobacco trade in return. 99.99% of us on this forum to me seem to be a great group of people always willing to lend advice and help to fellow pipers. That .01% should be very wary of messing up our honest and admirable values. 
After reading all your posts it validates my belief that there is much more good in this world than bad. It's just the bad get all the press.
Thanks for being part of the good willed and meaning people in the world. Makes the bowl that much sweeter.
Cheers and happy puffing!
Guys:
I was the member who nearly lost a nice Tinsky pipe to Kyle Black. He approached me on the Smokers forum with an offer on a trade for a GBD I was looking to add. So, he preyed on my emotion and I didnt do my homework checking this guy out. I sent and he rec'd my pipe and a tin of OGS, my end of the deal. A few weeks went by and no GBD. He promised to send me tracking, which turned out to be a lie. I had recognized the background of a few of the photos he had sent me. When I started to get a queasy feeling, i contacted that vendor (who I've used before). The vendor was kind enough to let me know that Kyle had committed to buy the pipe, but had never made payment. Indeed that pipe is now currently back on auction at Ebay. After I learned of Kyles deception, I continued to speak to him by phone and ask him to return my Tinsky. At that point, I was sure the pipe was lost. He committed to returning it to me twice, and on the second time it was delivered. I did treat him civilly throughout the process and he must at least have a shred of decency.
He used his screen name and L. Francis with a Houston address. Hopefully he does not end up here.
I was the member who nearly lost a nice Tinsky pipe to Kyle Black.
Thanks Al for this update - very good to know.
When it appeared that I had lost my pipe, I thought a lot about how to make a trade safe with a little known member. The bottom line is you are truly at their mercy since no funds were exchanged. Two thoughts:
- each trader sends the other a nominal Paypal payment to establish a cash trail
- I would want to see the pipe pictured on a dated newspaper from the traders hometown (old ranson movie trick)
- I would ask for the traders business/work info, address and phone.
Of course trading with a trusted member with a good track record eliminates most of the risk.
Kyle really did his homework and reading of my posts, he knew exactly which pipe would attract my attention. Thieves are like that.
Thanks for this heads up Harris !
Well the Briarbid website eliminates this issue. We are allowed to link our auctions from that to this community, instead of linking Ebay (which is not allowed). The only thing you can really rip off now is pipe tobacco and that is done in fairly small amounts with low value. If we start getting ripped off there, then people may start only trading to the long established accounts (people who been here for over a year). There really is no good way to do it since no online broker will trade in pipe tobacco such as ebay or briarbid and paypal I believe actually will freeze your account if your caught trading in it, so asking for help from them may not be a great idea... At least tobacco trading has gotten paypal accounts banned/frozen in the past. This may be the reason Briarbid does not do it. Paypal may have changed it's policies though, I haven't heard about that for years... Just food for thought, something to discuss.
I'm glad you got your pipe back, Al. It's scary that he's still at it. I don't know what drives people like that.
Does BriarBid have a section for pipe trading tho??
Chris knows where the real thieves are... they work at USPS.
I think perhaps he is a bit delusional and had really hoped to somehow acquire the GBD to trade. The first tracking number he sent was never shipped but the second did show an insured package leaving Texas. At that point, i had nothing to lose and confronted him by phone on what I had discovered. On that call, he still clung to that he really did have the pipe to trade. He did offer to Paypal me some cash for the tin of OGS that was part of the deal. I told him to keep and enjoy that and hoped it would help make him honest in the future. He did go thru lots of PM's and phone calls in this ruse, to little ultimate gain, which is a real puzzler.
Al maybe its the thrill of the attempt or something
Eric true...
Perhaps the moderator or owner of the site that banned the guy can tell Kevin his Internet information. That way Kevin can ban him from our site.
It is sad when a bad person ruins good things for others.
Chris knows where the real thieves are... they work at USPS.
It's always a good idea to spend a buck or three and buy insurance. I've only had to place a few claims over the years, and of course one has to have some proof as to value, but the USPS paid every claim I submitted.
This is why, for private transactions, repairing pipes and the like, I much prefer USPS over UPS or FedEx. It's been my experience that unless dealing with a B&M or retail vendor who chose one of the latter two as the shipper and correctly maintains responsibility for non-delivery, theft, etc., dealing with either of UPS or FedEx on a claim can be a major hassle.
Thank You Cigrmaster, and Thank You Al, for providing this useful information. It's good to know that we have great folks here watching our backs.
Thieves piss me off to no end! I work in retail and Loss prevention is a constant hassle. Granted it feels great to prevent or even catch someone in the act, but the fact that someone wants to take from my business at the expense of the company just blows me away. The schemes that people come up with for thievery never cease to amaze me. This is only
amplified when its a one on one deal and something is stolen. Thieves are among the lowest of the low in my book. It's really a shame to see it in the pipe community as I've had nothing but fantastic personal experiences on this forum and believe we have possibly the largest group of generous hearts on the web right here.
You guys are more than welcome. I hate people like this and hopefully now that he has been outted, no one else will have to deal with him. Kevin has all his info and email addresses used so he is on it.
The real shame is that the site he was just at and where he got Al and another guy I know was warned that he was a thief when he signed up. That site chose to ignore the evidence presented to them and decided he should be given a chance because he did not rip off people from that site. They are the ones to blame for Al's troubles and my friends. Kevin didn't think twice when I asked him to post this warning,he asked for his info so he could protect the people here.
I really want to out the site that let this happen but don't know if that is against the rules here so I will refrain for now. One thing is for sure, I will not be going to that site ever again, in my opinion they are guilty as hell for allowing this thief to continue to prey on people.
the other sites may well have been concerned about slander or libel issues. but then there is this great mental image of Kevin
At least jerks like him are rare in the pipe world.
Thieves & Liars, same to me.
This is the kind of thing that makes it hard for a person like me( low amount of posts and nobody knows me) to eventually try and make a trade and befriend fellow pipe smokers. Ive only ever asked peoples advice and feedback and have appreciated every thing that everyone has helped me with. People that STEAL from someone that they have never even met deserve to be in a pit in the darkest part of hell with a bowl of Balkan Sobraine and no way to light it.
Thanks for the warning!
Thanks for looking out and keeping us aware Harris !
Someone needs to whip his ass, The old cajun
I think we should throw a party for this guy.
A "Blanket Party" that is...................
I think it should be ok to post his username and the site after all a lot of us frequent several sites.
Well, I mentioned the SmokersForums, he was member "Moose". He has been removed there, so I'm not sure how helpful that is now.
Good Day All
I have read all the above and am now very confused. Of course that is the normal state for my little blonde brain.
To begin with we were speaking of a fellow named Kyle Black, and that has now progressed to an SF user ( rmoved ) using the name Moose with another name of L. Francis, living in Houston. K Black in Webster TX.
I have never dealt with anyone in Webster TX, but have recently had a transaction with the fellow Moose / L. Francis. Payment has not arrived as yet and I sent him an email yesterday. Within minutes there was a return email, letting me know he is checking into the sending of his money order and a few minutes later a phone call to make sure I got the email.
I do not know how this will turn out, but anyone that will send a quick reply and make the effort to make a very long distance call, may be on the up and up. After all his call left me his phone number on my call display.
So before we all jump to conclusions, let's try and verify if these two people are actualy one in the same.
Thievery used to be very rare in the pipe world, but over the past few years there has been an increase. Pipes at shows that mysteriously leave tables, blatant false descriptions on items being sold, deals going sour etc.
However it is still quite rare compared to many other hobby's.
Regards
BB
Mike: i can confirm that L. Francis, Moose on the SmokersForums and Kyle Black all have the identical mailing address in Houston TX. I you dont lose your pipe.
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