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Wenzeled
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Being Wenzeled means to be taken advantage off by unscrupulous Internet commerce, most commonly on an internet forum's classified board. Wenzeled has become synonymous with being "ripped off" by the denizens of internet forums, and there is even a page dedicated to the protection of internet buyers.
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Etymology/Origin
The term "Wenzeled" began in October 2005 with an ill-fated sale of a $100 set of gears on the www.pirate4x4.com forum. Apparently, the seller, 19 year old California college student Charlie Wenzel, attempted to raise the price of the gears by $25, having already cashed the buyer's lower cheque.
The offended party reported the bad deal on the site's feedback forum. Wenzel attempted to justify the price increase on the forum and his posts became abusive, prompting abusive posts back.... and from there, the entire affair took on an otherworldly dimension.
The bad deal struck a chord with many people who have been ripped off at one time or another. Members of that site began using the resources of the Internet to gather intelligence on the seller to aid the victim in getting his money back. Yearbook photos, licence plate numbers, his parent's identities and employers, his mobile number, the contact details of his place of work and prospective place of employment; all information that could be gleaned from the Internet was gathered. The community then placed several thousand phone calls to his mobile phone, before switching to text messages, each of which cost him $0.25. His exploits were detailed to his parents, friends, colleagues, indeed anyone with whom such information would cause him damage. Photos of him were chopped into new (insulting) graphics.
To receive this kind of treatment online is to be owned or pwned.
Before long, the "Wenzel" affair became an internet phenomenon. The thread was posted on various other boards that the Pirate4x4 members also frequented, and became distributed to all kinds of other forums, blogs and general websites.
The "Wenzel thread" has over 1.5 million hits on the Pirate4x4 site alone.
Soon, "Wenzeled" was suggested as being the term to use for any internet deal gone bad. This appelation took its inspiration from the Farrelly Brother's movie "Kingpin," in which losers were said to have "pulled a Munson," after the lead character played by Woody Harrelson who was a known "choker" in moments of stress.
Some of the key players in the Wenzel saga have established a website dedicated to preventing (and punishing) internet scam artists www.wenzeled.com
As for the actual transaction, Wenzel has refunded the money and posted his apologies... but his name lives on.
