Visa for Travel From Ukraine to Paris...Something Seems Odd...

[catzenmouse]

Steve,

 Understand your frustration but for your own sake and sanity it would be best to forget the revenge part and mark it down as a somewhat expensive learned. Just think how much more it would have cost you had she shown up and continued to play nice while she raked your wallet clean.

Ken

[BC]

Steve,

I could tell you some stories about women (not RW related) that could make you cry even after your Paris experience.

You've come away lightly and learned.

That's the point.. believe me.

[Infoman]

Understood, Ken.   And I have thought about that, believe me.  It's best that I just cut my losses, as I started to when I first arrived.

But, understandly, I am angry, as anyone would be in my situation.  It seems that the consensus is that there is no help, no recourse available...even with name, address, and phone number?  I have a real hard time with the "no revenge" thing - she's taken time away from my life, and I want to get something for that.  Why "no revenge"?  Waste of time?  Or what?

Thanks...

Steve

[Infoman]

Thanks, BC.  "Come away lightly" is how I'm looking at it.  I'm sure there are bigger horror stories than mine - MUCH bigger.

I just have a real hard time letting her get away with this, scott-free.  I can't believe there is NO RECOURSE whatsoever....????


Thanks...

Steve

[jb]

Steve,

In all likelyhood she has already changed or dropped the e-mail address she used with you, so expect a bounced e-mail on the old address.  The phone number may still be working, but if she has caller ID working, she won't take your calls.  Her physical mailing address is prolly a bogus one, and frankly, I wouldn't make book on any of the things you were led to believe about this woman was real. 

I'd just chalk it up to a learning experience and forget it, the only person who will suffer if you go for the revenge trip, is you.  She ain't worth the grief.

[Infoman]

JB...

Very sensible.   I understand, and I think you're right.  E-mail hasn't bounced yet - but hasn't been replied to, either.  The phone thing...I just can't get through to Ukraine cell phones very easy, something that has been happening since the beginning.  For the hell of it, I just want to see in the next day or day if I can get through or if I get a message of disconnection or something like that.  As far as the revenge thing goes, obviously, it must be next to impossible - or DEFINITELY impossible - to even think about getting the money back.  To be honest, yeah, the money pisses me off, but more than that, it's the f'ng time and energy and emotion wasted - and on what?  Some F'NG PIECE OF SH*T SCAMMING "C"????  I just want this bitch to fry in hell - like I hope ALL these scammers will.

Thanks, JB!!

Steve

[BC]

Steve,

It will take a few days.

Just look at the title of this thread and humour yourself.  Deep down inside you it knew from the beginning.

We're not laughing at you, we're laughing with you.

Cheers!

[Infoman]

Point well taken, BC!   

Steve

[Shadow]

Steve,

As a well-known scammer psychic I feel that you are about to receive an e-mail from her, her mother or her colleague.
While on the road to the airport she had an accident and is now in the hospital. Things are bad. She needs surgery and needs to pay the doctors bill to live. While she is in life danger, all her thoughts are of you as her big love she might never meet in this life. Please send $2000 for the surgery.

Next time if you let an RW travel get a non-refundable ticket to her by mail.

Like the others I think there is little chance of getting even. And I agree with you that Paris does not live up to its romantic name, especially when you visit alone. By the way, what did you think of the size of the Mona Lisa 

[Infoman]

Shadow...

Yeah...I "should have" done the ticket thing myself.  STUPID, STUPID, STUPID.

As far as the Mona Lisa, surprisingly much smaller than I thought.  The whole Louvre builds you up to seeing it, going through massive halls of gigantic Rennaissance art and sculptures I have never seen...then, finally, in some room (with other stuff in it), there it is...behind two plates of glass, two guards, no films or video, and a separate line of about 50 people just to get within about 3 feet of it to gawk at it.  I didn't get in this line...saw it fine from about 10 feet away...thought..."ok, I've seen it in print and on TV my whole life, now here it is" - just as I thought about the Eiffel Tower, and then thought "OK...checked off my "things I've officially done in my life" list"...and left.

Steve

[BillyB]

Steve,

Thanks for your honesty. I hope you stick around to tell your story to others who may have the same idea. I see no benefit taking a first date to Paris except for a better chance in getting laid. There are cheaper ways to accomplish that goal. Save the romantic vacations for the fiancee/wife, not the girlfriends. At the minimum, submit her photos, letters and e-mail address to anti acam sites with your story here. You may stop her from scamming under that name and save another man's dollars who's on the verge of sending it. Don't let paranoia destroy ya.

[Sohkay]

Hey Steve,

Consider this your tuition money/energy/time.

And to think outside of your woe for a minute, which is no doubt considerable, maybe you've saved another guy from doing what you did. That's the good karma you can realize from this.

Now, this is up to you, but it might be a service to the men out here involved in the process to see a photo of this woman. Who knows, maybe you'll learn even more.

Whatever the case, hang in there. If you persist, and work smarter, good things will come to you.

[jb]

I would hope that a few guys, the cheerleaders, (you know who you are), will go back and re-read this thread from the beginning and admit, to themselves at least, that they haven't a clue as to what they are talking about.  I certainly don't expect an apology for the unkind things that was said to me. like;

"jb, do you have any value to add? Or are you just bitter and cynical like this all of the time? What purpose do you serve this forum?"

I just don't think pointing out a scam is being bitter and cynical.  If the man had listened to me, he'd be several hundred dollars richer, even more if you considered he wasted the airfare to and back from Paris, not to mention the lost vacation days he could have spent with a decent woman if he would give up on scammers from Ukraine. 

Russia is where you find real RWs.

[Infoman]

As far as reporting her to anti scam sites, I know of stop-scammers.com and anti-scam.org.  I've heard that uaprofiler.com is not legit, but I don't know that for sure.  Before I do anything, do I at least have this right?

Steve

[BillyB]

  Before I do anything, do I at least have this right?

Give the anti-scam sites a link to this thread so they can see how it unfolded and they can decide if she's worth putting on their list. Jimslist is another anti scam site and you can google "anti scam" or "blacklist" for other minor sites.

As a favor to the readers here, if she e-mails you an excuse, can you let us know what it is?

[PeeWee]

Shadow...

Yeah...I "should have" done the ticket thing myself.  STUPID, STUPID, STUPID.

As far as the Mona Lisa, surprisingly much smaller than I thought.  The whole Louvre builds you up to seeing it, going through massive halls of gigantic Rennaissance art and sculptures I have never seen...then, finally, in some room (with other stuff in it), there it is...behind two plates of glass, two guards, no films or video, and a separate line of about 50 people just to get within about 3 feet of it to gawk at it.  I didn't get in this line...saw it fine from about 10 feet away...thought..."ok, I've seen it in print and on TV my whole life, now here it is" - just as I thought about the Eiffel Tower, and then thought "OK...checked off my "things I've officially done in my life" list"...and left.

Steve

I have bought tickets before for ladies but I have always paid for them using my credit card. As you know the ticket is non refundable except back to the card. If I recall you sent her $200.00.  It does not seem like a lot of money to me.

I am going to meet a lady this summer in China. I will pay for her ticket as mentioned above. My son and I believe his girlfriend are going so if she does not show then the three of us will have a good time. I won't miss a thing, other than her, but that will be her loss and not mine.

Good luck to you, Steve. In the long run you may have gotten off light. It will be interesting to know if she will try a second attempt by coming back with a tale of woe as someone else suggested. What was the discussion of why you need a prenup? Oh, yeah. In case she gets beyond missing the trip to Paris and actually lands here with a whole different agenda in mind.

Peewee

[Infoman]

Guys...

I will definitely update this thread as soon as I hear anything from her...IF I hear anything, which I highly doubt.  Yes, monetarily, I suppose it could have been worse.  What is pissing me off is all the time and emotion spent...but hey, guys are getting divorced every day that have a LOT more invested than I have in this little "thing".

Thanks for all the comments and help and suggestions 'n stuff!

Steve

[andrewfi]

At first I was a little surprised, but then I realised that our hero has been and returned from France. Had I known the date of travel I would have said that this was a scam. There simply was not enough time to get a visa turned round through an agency.

However, for those who have yet to leave the land of the brave and the free for lands that require a passport, Paris is a beautiful city, there are many convenience stores and plenty of fast food places (sadly); although why a traveller would want these things seems a tad strange. Why would one want a uniform blandness to ones life and travels?

Info about McDonalds in paris: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/France/Ile_de_France/Paris-99080/Restaurants-Paris-McDonalds-BR-1.html

But, it is hard to imagine how any place would seem romantic when one has just been duped. Some of my most magically romantic moments have been in Paris, kisses at the top of the Eiffel Tower, driving around the Arc de Triomphe in a green 2CV, small restaurants in Les Halles and top floor apartments in the seventh. Falling in love and saying goodbye - and then doing it again!

Alone and disconsolate, one might as well be in downtown Des Moines...

[Infoman]

Thanks for the pick-me-up, Andrew.  I thought I felt bad enough, but you proved me wrong.

And BTW, with rain pouring the whole time I was there, I just wanted a little food to have in the hotel, that's all - I'm not a convenience store / fast-food "freak".

Again, regardless of being duped, I just see Paris differently than you.  To each their own.

I really do want to thank you.  I didn't realize I was a hero of some morbid plot to a movie; this is real life, and I'm happy that I was able to entertain you.  I now realize that I had been too trusting and perhaps naive, and yes, had been taken, but it took you to make me realize just how completely empty and worthless I am.  And for that, I thank you.

Steve

[catzenmouse]

Steve,

 There are a ton of them out there if you want to do a google search. One of the better ones (IMO) is Russian Tea Room (http://russiantearoom.net/index2.php).

 Keep the faith and don't let the anger turn inward. Use it as a tool for your future and then do your best to let it go.

Ken

As far as reporting her to anti scam sites, I know of stop-scammers.com and anti-scam.org.  I've heard that uaprofiler.com is not legit, but I don't know that for sure.  Before I do anything, do I at least have this right?

Steve

[coco]

At first I was a little surprised, but then I realised that our hero has been and returned from France. Had I known the date of travel I would have said that this was a scam. There simply was not enough time to get a visa turned round through an agency.

However, for those who have yet to leave the land of the brave and the free for lands that require a passport, Paris is a beautiful city, there are many convenience stores and plenty of fast food places (sadly); although why a traveller would want these things seems a tad strange. Why would one want a uniform blandness to ones life and travels?

Info about McDonalds in paris: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/France/Ile_de_France/Paris-99080/Restaurants-Paris-McDonalds-BR-1.html

But, it is hard to imagine how any place would seem romantic when one has just been duped. Some of my most magically romantic moments have been in Paris, kisses at the top of the Eiffel Tower, driving around the Arc de Triomphe in a green 2CV, small restaurants in Les Halles and top floor apartments in the seventh. Falling in love and saying goodbye - and then doing it again!

Alone and disconsolate, one might as well be in downtown Des Moines...
[/quoteMy 2CV was blue...

[Infoman]

Ken...

I hear ya....thanks.  And I wish I had the presence of mind to check that out beforehand, but I didn't think it would be an issue.  And there were no internet cafes in my area.

To be honest, I'm pretty much over this episode.  I've brewed for a few days, did some soul-searching, and that's enough.  Onward and upward for the things that really matter, as I am and have been taking to a number of lovely, beautiful, sincere RW that keeps me confident that I will find the one for me very soon.  On THIS one, I just thought it would be fun to get away for a few days to meet in this manner, and that didn't pan out.  Lesson learned.

Steve

[BC]

Oh I remember those 2CV's quite well.. Seats were like lawn chairs with rubber bands for support.  The windshield wipers driven with the speedometer cable.. (got faster or slower depending on speed driven). High/low beams were switched mechanically by a lever, gearshift sorta like a golf umbrella handle sticking out of the dash.  Suspension great for jumping potholes the size of the grand canyon.  Can be completely disassembled and reassembled with one flat screwdriver and I believe a 13mm wrench.

Lovely, practical, comfy vehicles. All the beautiful girls drove em'! (and still do).  I think I would buy one today as a 2nd car.

2CV and Vespa.. just can't beat em.

Totally off topic.. but what the heck, these romantic Parisian thoughts overtake me.

[coco]

Well yes I have been driving an 2CV.All the way up to Norway where i meet a girl from Paris...

Still driving a Citröen now C5 waiting for the C6...

[Leslie]

Steve,

I did not post earlier because JB was reflecting my views.  You should trust your gut instinct's more.  You were uncertain enough of the situation to start a discussion thread here.  Next time you get that feeling you KNOW the answer !

Your primary problem was the lack of a back up plan.  RWD Commandment 2 - Always have a back up plan

If you are travelling to meet just one woman then it is imperative you have a back up plan. 

In your case some research on what to do in Paris as a tourist would have been sufficient.  The Moulin Rouge is exciting whether the sun shines or not!  If you are interested in history or culture a trip to Versailles is unforgettable.  I could go on and on.

You sat disconsulate in your hotel room because you had not planned what you would do if things didn't work out !  As it was you were scammed out of a couple of hundred bucks - No big deal.  What would you have done if she had turned up but you HATED each other?  Did you have an exit strategy?

Don't waste time posting vengeance threads on the scammer sites - you only advertise your own stupidity!  Whining on the world wide web will do just that.  Any sensible guy reading your story will think "This Moron paid a woman to meet him in Paris.  He travels half way around the world and of course she stands him up.  What a dork - LMAO"    The ONLY guys who post on the anti-scam sites are sad losers.  You don't strike me as that type of guy.

Life has just taught you a hard lesson.  Learn from it and move on.  Please do not take my comments personally they are more for the gallery than they are for you. I reckon you have learned from this experience.  Plan your next trip with care. I wish you the best of luck. 

PS - TO ALL NEWCOMERS.  ALWAYS HAVE A BACK UP PLAN !