Purchase Advise

I am trying to sell an expensive item locally on Craigs List... the scam artists are very adept

Back to the question....get the individule selling to communicate on the phone and tell him or her exactly what you posted here...If the sale is real, and the seller wants paid, and the buyer wants the item-- communication is key. There are solutions to protect both parties

NEVER use western Union!!!!!

Sometimes its just a "leap of faith", been there,done that. I find people in modeling and collecting to be very trustworthy and honest.
I don't think I would feel that way if I was buying rims and gold teeth.

crankbndr wrote:Sometimes its just a "leap of faith", been there,done that. I find people in modeling and collecting to be very trustworthy and honest.
I don't think I would feel that way if I was buying rims and gold teeth.

Well, not to start a mud slingin contest here but that's just bad advise. Trust someone you have never met and just write a cheque for $500 and send it, without worry, under the pre-conceived notion that modellers/collectors are trustworthy?? That's just crazy and if you adopt that type of practice throughout your transactions on the internet, it's just a matter of time before you get burned. I will contact my bank about it, maybe put the cheque on hold until I recieve the product? Then the seller gets mad and think your scamming him!! This is why PayPal has become more popular over the years but I also have read of people getting burned using PayPal!! Hands Down, without a doubt, during internet transactions the buyer is at a dis-advantage.

If he is asking for a check then he is the one taking the risk. If you are worried about the information contained on the check then just send him a Postal Money Order. Or a cashiers check.

What do mean Ron that he is assuming the risk? He's going to wait for the cheque to clear and recieve payment prior to releasing his item for mailing. How is that a risk on his part? You feeling better Ron, I guess it was just a 24 hr Flu Bug...lots of people getting sick!

Any chance you have a friend in the seller's area who could do the transaction, cash for goods, face to face? 500 bucks is pretty far outside my comfort zone...

No..I thought of that as well..Im in Canada..Product is in California.

No one ever heard of escrow?

If you are not comfortable with the deal then walk. It is the excitement of the deal that usually get people in trouble when they want something and their judgment is off.

I have walked from deals when I did not like the terms. For a purchase that big PayPal is the only way. You get buyer protection and the seller gets his money minus a fee. If the seller doesn't come through you file a claim before 45 days.

Jason

John Goddard wrote:No one ever heard of escrow?

Explain Please???

Escrow dot com
Was big in the early days of eBay for the above reasons.
You'd both sign up.
You'd send them the dough
Vendor sends you the goods
If you're happy escrow send him the dough
If he doesn't send goods you get the money back from escrow.

ZACATTACK wrote:What do mean Ron that he is assuming the risk? He's going to wait for the cheque to clear and recieve payment prior to releasing his item for mailing. How is that a risk on his part? You feeling better Ron, I guess it was just a 24 hr Flu Bug...lots of people getting sick!

I am a bit better. I kept down some chicken broth today lol.

What I meant was if your'e sending a personal cheque he is trusting that it's not going to bounce.

There is a risk on your end too as he may not send the item. If he is asking for a personal cheque then my guess is he obviously trusts you.

Perhaps you can call and talk to get a warm fuzzy? My guess is there isn't too many scam artists in the Cox collector world.

Ron

Scammers are in every nich hobby. I see scams on RC Groups happen. Usually it's a high demand item for a really good price. The dead give away is 0 posts and 0 feedback. Poor or no pictures and only accepts MO or PayPal gift payments.

Jason_WI wrote:Scammers are in every nich hobby. I see scams on RC Groups happen. Usually it's a high demand item for a really good price. The dead give away is 0 posts and 0 feedback. Poor or no pictures and only accepts MO or PayPal gift payments.

Good to know Jason, I guess I have been lucky, although I usually talk with people over the phone.

I buy stuff all the time on CL using Paypal USPS money order or personal check and have yet to get burned. I always size up the seller on the phone first to see if he knows his stuff. In most cases they are selling from an estate and I have to use my gut feeling. Try asking to use a USPS money order. They can only be cashed at the post office with ID and can verify that it's good and have cash in hand before he ships.