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Craigslist Scam?
Gork
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
In attempting to sell my couch on Craigslist, I have encountered a somewhat sketchy situation. Having never sold anything on Craigslist before, some outside advice would be appreciated. After posting my ad, I receive an email asking if the item is still available. Here is my response:
Absolutely.
If you'd like to come take a look at it, I'm available from 2pm-6pm tomorrow and all day Wednesday.
Let me know if there's a time that works for you and I'll send you my address.
The response I get from the buyer is what has me slightly mistrustful:
Thanks for your mail.I want you to consider that you have already sell
it now..So i will like to make payment to you by certified check
bank/Money Order and send it to you Via ups or fedex,its overnight
delivery and for the pick my shipper will come for the pick up once
you have the Money Order..So i will like you to get back to me with
your details.
Name to be on the payment
Address:State,city and Zip-code
Phone#
Thanks
So, it seems kind of strange that he doesn't want to come look at it and he doesn't want to negotiate price. On the other hand, he can't really scam me with just my address and phone number, right?
Absolutely.
If you'd like to come take a look at it, I'm available from 2pm-6pm tomorrow and all day Wednesday.
Let me know if there's a time that works for you and I'll send you my address.
The response I get from the buyer is what has me slightly mistrustful:
Thanks for your mail.I want you to consider that you have already sell
it now..So i will like to make payment to you by certified check
bank/Money Order and send it to you Via ups or fedex,its overnight
delivery and for the pick my shipper will come for the pick up once
you have the Money Order..So i will like you to get back to me with
your details.
Name to be on the payment
Address:State,city and Zip-code
Phone#
Thanks
So, it seems kind of strange that he doesn't want to come look at it and he doesn't want to negotiate price. On the other hand, he can't really scam me with just my address and phone number, right?
Gork on
0
Posts
He's going to give you a bad cashier's check, then pick up the furniture and vanish.
Currently painting: Slowly [flickr]
Local Police Department? I'm sure they could use a chuckle. (No don't do this. Officers are serious people!)
Paypal sides with the buyer in a conflict nearly 100% of the time. Even if the buyer is an obvious scammer.
Wouldn't that just send the UPS guy to the middle of nowhere for no reason?
It's funny how you guys say never to accept a money order or cashier's check on craigslist because that's the only way I've ever paid for stuff on craigslist. I guess the guy was just lucky I was not a scammer.
It you think it might be a scam, it probably is. If you feel uneasy dealing with a person, don't deal with them.
This. CL's is essentially a small-scale garage sale. They come look at the item, they pay you cash. I've sold a few big items (bed frame, TV), and you will get some crazy replies but you can weed out the real ones pretty easy.
If their email is not, "Saw your couch, would you take $100?/is it in good shape?" then don't reply.
Two outcomes there:
1) You give the scammer the item thinking the payment was made (Or ship it, which is most often the case)
2) You click the link in the email to check out your account and confirm the payment. Why not? You're smart. You're not gonna get scammed. You enter your login details.. oh wait... that was a fake page too and now the scammer has your login info.
DEAL LOCALLY AND DEAL IN CASH.
Craigslist is goddamn notorious for this crap. Let me give you a reeeeally good example:
Last year I was looking for an apartment in Edmonton, Alberta. I came across a listing for basically the most perfect place ever - minutes from the University, a well-appointed and furinished apartment for cheap. Smelling a rat, I sent an e-mail anyway.
What came back was an e-mail that hit all the 419 scam buttons. The owner of the place was a "Doctor" working in "Madagascar" for the "greater glory and good of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." They had nobody in town with keys, so they couldn't show me the apartment. But if I were to send a "Deposit" through "Western Union" they'd "Mail" me the "Keys."
If you're not going to deal in person, don't deal. If you're not bringing cash-in-hand, don't deal.
The 419ers are the most obvious, but there are all kinds of situations that just don't feel right.
Thank you, Rubacava!