Scam "Buyers"

[dbs944]

I'm selling my Class A - have an ad on RVTrader and the local Craigslist. I am getting a bunch of obvious scam attempts - simple questions, they accept the answers, agree to pay full price and then ask for PAYPAL account info. Once I tell them I have a lien with USAA they disappear.

Is there anywhere to report these or are they just an acceptable nuisance and part of the selling process?

What do they do with the paypal information?

[Ranger_Smith]

Tom N wrote:
What would you report them for???

The check is always counterfeit. You deposit it and then take out the $$$ to give the shipper. Shipper arrives you give him the $$$. You are out the $$$ and your vehicle because the check is a forgery. They try to do this within a couple days of you getting the check in the mail.

[Duck]

I have mine up for sale and for the first week the scammers were texting me. Told them that the only way I accept payment is to wire transfer money to my bank. This was the suggestion of my bank. Never heard back from them.
Don

[lj2654]

I had a guy on Ebay wanting to buy my Harley real bad...He emailed me and asked if his Dad could look at it as he was in Daytona Beach. He was in Indiana. I said sure, it's at the Harley Dealer in Ocala having a new rear tire put on and looking it over for me.

His dad went, talked to the service manager, looked at the bike. Then his son called me as I was riding the bike home the next day from the shop. He said I don't want to bid and lose it, I want to click the buy it now price!

But he was afraid of a scam. I still had a lien on it at the local Credit Union!
I had the lady at the credit union call him, gave him a number to call back so he would hear the Credit Union answer the phone and asked for her. She handled it all with him, called me back and told me he just clicked the buy it now, and was going to send $500 PayPal for deposit. he wired the money to the Credit Union, hopped on a plane 4 days later. Had to wait to get the title ready. Picked him up at airport, went to Credit Union, signed title over, took him to my house and away he went! very safe for us both, and best way to handle it!

[Escargot]

I've bought and sold all of my RVs on Craigslist. When selling, I post the maximum number of photos allowed (24 on CL). My description of my RVs have been detailed and honest. At the end of the description I add a NOTE: Please, no commercial brokers, etc.

They email me via CL's anonymous address which is then forwarded to my own email address. Usually serious private buyers will email their phone number and ask me to all them, which I do.

We then arrange a place to meet. I never give them my residential address. I usually arrange our meeting in a public / active parking lot... bank, city park, etc.

Usually after meeting a potential buyer, one usually gets a Spidey sense of who they, what they're up to, but, either way, I play it safe as a sort of relief for myself, and it usually relieves the buyer as well.

If they're still interested, I arrange to meet them at my bank where the teller can validate their account and if the amount of purchase is available in their account, etc.

[frankdamp]

To avoid scammers altogether, put your rig with a reputable consignment dealer. We've just done that. The dealer charges a flat fee of $595 regardless of the price it sells for and will do necessary minor repairs while on their lot, with quotes ahead of time for approval. He waits until it sells, then deducts the overall cost of repairs from what he sold it for. I have approval power over any offer.

We anticipated getting maybe $20,000 for ours in a private sale. The dealer thinks he can get $6000 more.

We had a scammer show up at the house asking if we were considering selling. I said yes, and he inspected the rig carefully. He then offered $12,500! Not even knowing what the consignment guy thought about it, I told the scammer to get stuffed.

[Community Alumni]

If you don't want to be bothered by the scammers, don't list a reply email address with your ads, just your phone number. Serious buyers will call you, the flakes and scammers won't. Good luck!

[ol_Bombero-JC]

dbs944 wrote:
I'm selling my Class A - have an ad on RVTrader and the local Craigslist. I am getting a bunch of obvious scam attempts - simple questions, they accept the answers, agree to pay full price and then ask for PAYPAL account info. Once I tell them I have a lien with USAA they disappear.

Is there anywhere to report these or are they just an acceptable nuisance and part of the selling process?

What do they do with the paypal information?

Selling anything expensive =
Tell buyer you will be happy to....
"Meet me at *my* bank with *your* deposit or purchase money, and you will have the sale or deposit agreement notarized for *their* protection!"
Real buyers = happy. - Bogus buyers = no thanks!

Always use disposable e-mail address - just to keep your normal e-mail un-clutteed.

Always use a voice mail (only) number for phone calls, ask callers
to leave name and number - and you will return their calls.
Bonus = no need to answer calls at dinner time, 6AM or 11PM..;)

Most VM services will accept pretty long outgoing message - so you can include more details about the RV.
Don't bother to return obvious BS calls.

When (if) you return calls - block caller ID on *Your* phone - or they now have your *real* phone number.
Another way to handle that is with a Tracfone (cell phone).
Cheap - toss it when you're done.

Ditto the voice mail number.

BTW - who to report them to????? C'mon, get real !!..:R

~

[Tom_N]

What would you report them for???

[shakyjay]

Pretty much figure that anyone responding and agreeing to such a purchase sight unseen is running some type of scam. As far as how here is a pretty good rundown Paypal Scams

[dbs944]

I'm rather amused at the attempts and play along for a little while.

My question is, does anyone really care and is it worth reporting to authorities? Maybe just not worth the effort to catch and prosecute the scammers - although I believe if they started going to jail, there'd be a lot less of them.

[Ranger_Smith]

If you keep going with the scam they will say they are sending a check and adding $3000 or what ever to give to the shipper that is picking up the RV. I usually tell them OK and have the sheriff waiting when the shipper arrives. Happened once with me with a boat I was selling. It is amazing how so many people who wanted to buy it are in the merchant marines out to sea and it is a gift for their father.

[amandasgramma]

The obvious ones, I just sent back an email that said something like "get a life"....only not as nice.

At the bottom of your CL, put in a disclaimer type of line ....one that tells them you won't accept scams. Look at other CL listings and you'll see what I mean. It stopped all of the scammers for us!!!!!

[coolbreeze01]

dbs944 wrote:
I'm selling my Class A - have an ad on RVTrader and the local Craigslist. I am getting a bunch of obvious scam attempts - simple questions, they accept the answers, agree to pay full price and then ask for PAYPAL account info. Once I tell them I have a lien with USAA they disappear.

Is there anywhere to report these or are they just an acceptable nuisance and part of the selling process?

What do they do with the paypal information?

Bunch of thieves. Be careful.

[dbs944]

A 40' motor home isn't something you can ship through the mail, never seeing it again as the paypal payment bounces. There has to be a delivery, signing of the title etc. Are they just wasting time or is there a real threat here?

[Executive45]

What kind of PAYPAL info are you giving them? All they need is your email addy to send you money....:h.....Dennis