Student life was a really good time for me, and it really helped me realize how strong I am. Despite handling academics pretty well, I was able to do some side hustles that helped me to be independent to some extent.
I barely bothered my parents for money, except if it was very necessary. I sold perfume and underwear, and I also did lots of catering work. My cakes made me famous because they were very affordable for students, and I made cool cash.
My perfume business was struggling back then because of competition, but backing out wasn't an option for me. I love challenges and won't give up, especially when I know that there is a chance of success, even if it's little.
While roaming about hostels with my goods, I met a lady who was also a student but older than me. She wanted to patronize me but claimed that my products were too expensive.
"It's not expensive, and the difference between my buying and selling price is very little. You won't believe it." I tried persuading her to buy from me, but she insisted that there are students who sell these perfumes at a cheaper price.
I became worried because it wasn't the first time someone told me the same thing.
"Could my vendor be cheating me?" I thought about this several times and mustered the courage to approach one of the students who sells perfume in another department.
We spoke for a while, and I shared my struggles with her, hoping that she would help me by sharing her vendor contact/information, but that wasn't the case. She didn't say anything, and I tried keeping up with her for a while just to find a solution to my problem.
Weeks passed and this lady didn't give me a hint or clue, so I gave up on her, but it wasn't the end of me seeking a solution to my price problem.
I have come across different perfume sellers online, so I thought of chatting them up to ask for their prices to see the difference.
"Good evening, please I want to make inquiries about the wholesale prices of your perfumes." I texted multiple perfume sellers, hoping to get a response from at least one of them, and it finally came.
"Good evening; this is Abundance perfume. We deal in different kinds of perfume... How may I help you?" I got a response and went on discussing the price challenge I was facing.
"We have helped many perfume sellers resolve this same problem, and there are things people don't understand. You vendors might not be importers, which means he or she buys from an importer and will have to inflate the price just to make a profit," the contact replied.
That simple explanation made a whole lot of sense to me, and that must have been the case.
"How do I get a vendor that imports?" I asked.
"That's what we do at our company; we import large quantities every two weeks and give products at a cheaper price to people who paid before we made our orders abroad," the contact replied.
"You mean I have to pay before delivery?" I asked curiously.
"It's not necessary, but that's the best option if you want the best price," the contact replied.
We talked more about it, and I was convinced that the account was legit. I started gathering money for the next two weeks and was confident of getting more customers since the perfumes would come at a cheaper price. Although I didn't have all the money, my roommate lent me some money since I would have done the same for them.
"Bee, what's up about the vendor? Have you verified her source?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, I have verified. She is reliable," I replied, but it was a lie. I didn't verify anything because I was convinced enough that it couldn't be a scam, plus she's a lady like me.
"Are there female scammers?" I asked myself several times and just put the thoughts away.
The new vendor never bothered me about the payment until a day before she wanted to place another order, as she claimed. I requested her account number and sent the money to her.
Unfortunately, there was network issues with most banks that day, but the transaction went through on my end.
"Okay, I will confirm your payment and let you know when your goods will be ready for pickup. Thanks for your patronage." This was the last message I got from the lady, and my next message didn't deliver.
I waited patiently, hoping to get a response, but nothing came, and I became very worried. I immediately put a call through, but the number wasn't going through. I borrowed a phone to try the number; probably I was blocked, but it didn't go through.
I broke down into tears and immediately reached out to my bank to explain my situation. They told me that due network issues there are high chances of the transaction failing, but they will work on it as well.
Hours passed and nothing happened, so I started informing people because I couldn't hold myself together. My roommate assured me that things would work in my favor, but those were just mere words of comfort.
We checked the Facebook ad, and it was gone. I knew it was a scam at that point.
I was lost in thought when my phone beeped. Everything on my mind was the vendor's response, but it was the transaction reversal. I was speechless, and tears didn't stop flowing.
I couldn't scream because a lot was playing in my head earlier, and I was drained both physically and emotionally. I gathered the strength to inform my friends, and they were happy for me. I immediately refunded everyone's money and made up my mind to quit the perfume business.
I didn't know how it happened, but I narrowly escaped from the grip of the scammer by the skin of my teeth, all thanks to the network issues that struck that day.
To be sure of why the vendor didn't reply or pick up my call, I didn't stop calling or sending messages, but every effort was futile.
