jim_wilson
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2004
- Messages
- 1,781
- Location
- Northeast MA
- Tractor
- Kubota B3200 w/ BH77 & 12", 18" & 24" buckets, Kubota B50 SSQA w/ 54" & 60" buckets, LandPride FDR1660, Artillian Fork frame, Extreme 3pt rake, Concrete Mixer, MyTractorTools grapple adapter
In one of the local newspapers last week there was an ad for a Bobcat excavator - which based on the model number, was great deal. The ad had an email address so I sent off an email looking for more info.
I do cruise some of the construction equipment auction sites like MachineryTrader.com and Ironplanet so I had a rough idea of what this excavator would go for on auction. And the price this person is looking for is about half of a decent auction price.
The person responded to me a day or so later - saying that if I was really interested they would send pictures and a description. I responded that I was - and a couple of days later I got another email back with some pics of the alleged excavator (the pics look good) - along with a pic of the serial number plate, and the hours. There was also the obligatory sob story about how the brother had fallen off a horse so they now had to sell the farm and so on.
All of this could be true - or it could be a scam.
I guess what I am trying to figure out is how I can further deduce whether this is some type of scam or not. Since I have the serial number is there some place I can look up whether that is a stolen piece of equipment?
The person said they wanted to use Yahoo finance to do the transaction . There must be an escrow service they offer.
Somebody has also told me to look into whether there is a lien on the unit - the person could be on the verge of a repo on it and might be trying to do an out of state liquidation sale for less than the unit's value. I am not quite sure what the implications of all that might be or how I can really go check this out - other than taking a ride down to Tennessee ( I am up in MA)
I do cruise some of the construction equipment auction sites like MachineryTrader.com and Ironplanet so I had a rough idea of what this excavator would go for on auction. And the price this person is looking for is about half of a decent auction price.
The person responded to me a day or so later - saying that if I was really interested they would send pictures and a description. I responded that I was - and a couple of days later I got another email back with some pics of the alleged excavator (the pics look good) - along with a pic of the serial number plate, and the hours. There was also the obligatory sob story about how the brother had fallen off a horse so they now had to sell the farm and so on.
All of this could be true - or it could be a scam.
I guess what I am trying to figure out is how I can further deduce whether this is some type of scam or not. Since I have the serial number is there some place I can look up whether that is a stolen piece of equipment?
The person said they wanted to use Yahoo finance to do the transaction . There must be an escrow service they offer.
Somebody has also told me to look into whether there is a lien on the unit - the person could be on the verge of a repo on it and might be trying to do an out of state liquidation sale for less than the unit's value. I am not quite sure what the implications of all that might be or how I can really go check this out - other than taking a ride down to Tennessee ( I am up in MA)