Man'
This is tough that you were made a victim. That makes me angry that so many crooks and thieves have invaded drag racing.
It is however unfair to blame Racing Junk becuase a crook posts an ad here. Racing Juk is doing hwat little they can legally do to try to prevent this. That is why this forum you are on now exists is to warn and make aware to prespective buyers about reported issues with sellers.
If you buy something from a newspaper ad or buy something from a eBay ad, do you blame them if the supposed to be seller is a crook?
Any listing service that you pay for or that is free just can not screen and give lie detector tests to everyone who tries to sell something through an ad.
When buyng like this, all a prospective buyer can do is their best to fully check out the seller. Puncch their names into serach engines and look for mentions of wrong doing. Check theier local Better Business Burea and find out if thee are negatives against them. That can all be done by phone and by internet. It may not tell you all, but it will tell you something.
For example if you were to check on me, you will find many pages of information. If anyone hsas posted bad information, like one guy did, that report will show up if you dig to search it out. If you contacted my local BBB you would get a respone of *Can't Identify* That means they have never had one complaint against me period. If they had a complaint that was then adjusted or reached a settlement about it would list me and would list that I had one resolved complaint, meaning he complaint was withdrawn by the complainer. The fact that they can not identify me except for how long I have been officially in busines means I have never been complained about by anyone.
IT is relly really said but now all buyers over the internet, or off od magazine ads, or Natinal Dragster ads, have to be aware they may be dealling with a crook. I remember the days when you could trust another racer at their word. Not today.
Again, I am really sorry to read about this. It is usually the guys that saved and saved to get something nice that this happens to.
Ed