I once sent a fair amount of money to a certain small firearm manufacturer in FL. Everybody knows this guys name, but I wont mention it. Months went by and the products never arrived. His advertisements had all kinds of bluster about dont bother him, he's too busy making your order, and if you want to know the status send, $XX dollars to get the update.
so I contacted the BBB. They were no help. I contacted the FL department of commerce. No help. Finally I was put in touch with some kind of county official who investigated fraud complaints. That guy compiled a list of 20-some customers who were being robbed by this guy, got a warrant, raided his business, and low and behold suddenly my refund arrived. It only took 3 or 4 years.
Moral of the story is, it's not just here on this website. Even a long-established business can screw you over. Some people are dishonest scumbags who spend their time looking for any way to rob others. I'm always initially shocked with how shameless some of these people are with their scams. So, live and learn ..... and maybe start a network on here where feedback is more easily accessed and verified.