It's probably the most common crime here in Whyville, yet none of us really know it. Street-selling is not the fun, bargain-shopping we all think it is.
The other day I, Merchant, was relaxing in the Square. A person comes in with a plain face, but with lips across one row, hair across another. I'd seen people like this before, and I knew that they were selling stuff to people. Like a street vendor. I saw these really nice purple glossy lips, which I knew were sold out in Akbar's. I asked the girl how much they were, and she said 15 clams. Decent price, yep. I accepted the offer, and sent the ClamGram over.
I waited for about fifteen minutes, and checked my mail. Nothing. So I shot a y-mail over to the girl, demanding my stuff. The lips never came.
One of the bad things about all this street-selling is that Whyville can not help you. As in, you can't 911-report someone for not giving you the things you bought.
This is Flirt11 talking with commentary on all this. First, never buy from a street vendor. Even if they seem legitimate. Go to the Trading Post, which is a safe bargain place.
You can still e-mail City Management and report the person. I wouldn't advise a 911-report, because that is for harassment, mostly. Anyway, maybe City Management can get your situation under control somehow.
The last word: never buy from a street vendor. Okay? Be sure to y-mail us if you have had past problems with vendors!
Signing off....Merchant and Flirt11
Note from City Hall:
Good points, Merchant and Flirt11. Unfortunately, there's very little we can do about this type of scamming. It would take us hours and hours to hunt down what really happened in every case, and there's so much better things you'd rather have us doing, I promise. The best bet is, as you say, to not buy from "street vendors", at least not just on the street.
The Trading Post gives you a perfect way of making sure that anyone selling face parts is being honest. If you meet a street vendor with something you really want, ask them to put up their face parts at the Post. Then you can be sure you're getting the part you want and they can be sure they're getting the price they want! Look at the Trading Post as Whyville's very own Ebay. ;-)
City Hall
