Lei
-- Sent from my Palm Pre
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Making new friend eric and old friend ronan
Lei
No wonder she is so tall
-- Sent from my Palm Pre
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Mygym activities
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx_oFvdKlfM - Balance beam challenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bigh3ETOok4 - Climbing around
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bigh3ETOok4 - Climbing around
-- Sent from my Palm Pre
Isabel can front roll
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkT1VEpxVow - Isabel can front roll
Lei
Lei
-- Sent from my Palm Pre
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
I got scammed on Craigslist - alaska airline gift card
To cut down on flight cost, I have been buying airline gift cards on craigslist. so far, I bought an American airline gift certificate and two different United Airline ones and had no problem. Each time, I make sure I email the person and have them call me.
Once they are on the phone, I get their full name and also ask them for the gift card or certificate # to use before I pay them. Keeping them on the phone, I would book the tickets with them. Once it goes through, I would paypal them the discounted amount. I would save $50-$80 on a $300 gift card.
Well, Jaime and I are going to a wedding in Maui in August. His high school friend Don is getting married and all his best high school friends (5 families total) are going. The tickets are expensive - almost $700 a person right now. Well, I thought I will just get gift cards like last time. as long as I be careful, it should be good.
After searching a few days, I came across an ad on craigslist from Berkeley $500 for $310 non-negotiable. The price is not too low to be suspicious. Most $500 gift card are around $300-$350 it seems from past ads. I emailed the person and got a call from a guy named Mike. He said he doesn't have paypal but will meet up with me in my office in SF. Once I purchase, I can pay him in cash. All sounds good right?
He showed up on time. Looks in his mid-20's didn't smell and was polite. He sat there while I ordered the tickets. He told me he bought it on eBay for $400 awhile back and just won't use it. That should have been a red flag already since these cards don't expire, but I was too busy booking to think about it. It went through just fine and I paid him cash. Just when he was leaving, I decided to ask for his full name just in case. He said Michael Shults. I thought about asking for ID but the transaction went through already and he seemed nice.
Well, this morning, I got a call from Alaska Air and they told me that the gift card was purchased at 2:30pm yesterday with a stolen credit card (I bought it at 3pm) and the credit card owners contested the charges. They will not honor the gift card. I called "Mike" back and left two message with no response. Well, lesson learned.
1. Don't pay for craigslist items in cash - the fact he doesn't have paypal is a red flag
2. If I am going to meet him in person, get his drivers license # and name and take a picture of him even and probably write a check
3. Just because a gift card goes through doesn't mean it will be honored. So always protect myself by paying it through paypal or credit card.
Well, luckily this lesson didn't cost me $310. It cost me $10, as I was able to buy two legitimate $500 gift cards on craigslist for $700 and still kept our tickets. A good lesson to learn for everyone! I am debating whether to report him to the police or not. Will they ever find him? Is it worth my time? I will talk to Jaime and ask his police friends to search for Mike Shults. If he was stupid enough to give his correct name, I will have him arrested.
Happy travels and be careful of scams!
- Lei
Once they are on the phone, I get their full name and also ask them for the gift card or certificate # to use before I pay them. Keeping them on the phone, I would book the tickets with them. Once it goes through, I would paypal them the discounted amount. I would save $50-$80 on a $300 gift card.
Well, Jaime and I are going to a wedding in Maui in August. His high school friend Don is getting married and all his best high school friends (5 families total) are going. The tickets are expensive - almost $700 a person right now. Well, I thought I will just get gift cards like last time. as long as I be careful, it should be good.
After searching a few days, I came across an ad on craigslist from Berkeley $500 for $310 non-negotiable. The price is not too low to be suspicious. Most $500 gift card are around $300-$350 it seems from past ads. I emailed the person and got a call from a guy named Mike. He said he doesn't have paypal but will meet up with me in my office in SF. Once I purchase, I can pay him in cash. All sounds good right?
He showed up on time. Looks in his mid-20's didn't smell and was polite. He sat there while I ordered the tickets. He told me he bought it on eBay for $400 awhile back and just won't use it. That should have been a red flag already since these cards don't expire, but I was too busy booking to think about it. It went through just fine and I paid him cash. Just when he was leaving, I decided to ask for his full name just in case. He said Michael Shults. I thought about asking for ID but the transaction went through already and he seemed nice.
Well, this morning, I got a call from Alaska Air and they told me that the gift card was purchased at 2:30pm yesterday with a stolen credit card (I bought it at 3pm) and the credit card owners contested the charges. They will not honor the gift card. I called "Mike" back and left two message with no response. Well, lesson learned.
1. Don't pay for craigslist items in cash - the fact he doesn't have paypal is a red flag
2. If I am going to meet him in person, get his drivers license # and name and take a picture of him even and probably write a check
3. Just because a gift card goes through doesn't mean it will be honored. So always protect myself by paying it through paypal or credit card.
Well, luckily this lesson didn't cost me $310. It cost me $10, as I was able to buy two legitimate $500 gift cards on craigslist for $700 and still kept our tickets. A good lesson to learn for everyone! I am debating whether to report him to the police or not. Will they ever find him? Is it worth my time? I will talk to Jaime and ask his police friends to search for Mike Shults. If he was stupid enough to give his correct name, I will have him arrested.
Happy travels and be careful of scams!
- Lei
Mygym friend Sydney
Isabel made a new friend sydney at mygym. She is two months younger and has really cool parents - Tonia and Jay. They just moved her from LA last October.
Lei
-- Sent from my Palm Pre
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Isabel and mommy time at starbucks
Now that I am doing my own business and be a mom, I try to start out my day by first spending an hour or so with isabel. Sometimes we go to the park, sometimes see the seagulls at the bay.
Today, she wants to go to starbucks two blocks away and do her puzzles. We bring two puzzles and share a chicken panini. Starbucks also plays jazz which she loves. She is dancing to it now while eating the last of the panini. She already completed both of her puzzles
Life is good for mommy and meimei
Lei
Today, she wants to go to starbucks two blocks away and do her puzzles. We bring two puzzles and share a chicken panini. Starbucks also plays jazz which she loves. She is dancing to it now while eating the last of the panini. She already completed both of her puzzles
Life is good for mommy and meimei
Lei
-- Sent from my Palm Pre
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
