Well everyone, I am embarrassed to post this but if someone can learn from my mistake it will be worth it.

A little Background:

As some of you know, I am starting to gather the items to start my home theater. I have had my eyes on a Epson 1080UB that retails for $2800.00 for a year now. I was browsing craiglist and found one NIB for $1400.00 right in my area (LA) so I had to bite. I was a little scepticale, was it stolen, a scam or just someone down on his luck so as a little insurance I brought a real big friend with me.
After work this morning we went to the bank and picked up $1450.00 and off to the address we went. I called the seller and he said he would meet me out front of his apartment, that was about the fifth warning sign that it was a scam.
Anyway everything seemed fine, we were following him to "his" apartment then he turned and I had a pistol trained on my stomach. He said give me the money. My freind was still about 10 feet behind me so I figured he would be OK so with my quick thinking I was like "Duh what money" He got pissed and I was about to dirty my pants (it was a big GUN" Looked like a Baretta 40 cal).

I told him the money was in my truck. He called my friend over to him while he sent me to get money, by this time we were working our way back to the street. I went to the truck and flipped my wallet under the seat. I wanted to make a run for it but he had my friend.
I grabbed a few singles and a fifty, crumpled it up in my hand and as started back towards them, my friend started slowly to the truck, I handed him the cash and started to walk backwards to the truck, he looked down at the money and we broke for the truck. By the time he said "that aint all of it" we were squealing tires out of there....

All we could do was laugh (nerves I think) and thank our lucky stars we weren't killed. For the small price of $53.00 we learned a big lesson today. I could have lost all the money or worse, our lives.

Thank you God and thank you Kharma although you did take a little bite out of my Butt....

Well, that's the story and I guess I will just continue to save up for my home theater equipment. I will never attempt buy from someone I dont know, Never again....

man I am still shaking.
Jim