eBay/Craigslist Another EBAY SCAM - - -

Roper14 · Jun 26, 2008

I know that there have been a couple of these threads before - but here goes

Found a JD 5400 4X4 FEL 1800 hrs on ebay ...after evaluating the auction...(it even had the phone # of the seller in the description) i decided to watch the auction and contact the seller...talked to him for about 10 minutes and he convinced me it was a good tractor...never discussed $$...we left it at the point where I would just "watch" the auction.
Got a call the next morning and he seemed a little excited...I had mentioned before what kind of $$ he was expecting out of the auction and he did not have an answer...now he did $14k...good deal in my mind - maybe too good.
after 3-4 more phone calls (deal starting to seem more legit) we agreed upon some terms and a price...yet he was always insistent on CASH...did not even consider my proposal of our two banks contacting each other to confirm a cashiers check...CASH ONLY...
I then asked for a serial # for insurance purposes and haven't heard from him since - where only hours before he would answer the phone immediately - now it only goes to voice mail...(3-4 attempts)

I know this goes on every day...but just another example...this guy seemed pretty convincing for a while...( and who knows, he may have disappeared somewhere - but i doubt it)
so back to tractor shopping i go

Ductape · Jun 26, 2008

Now, i'm not saying the person you talked to is not a scam artist........ but in the past year i've sold two of my tractors. I expected cash as payment on both. Does this make me a scam artist? Not that i know of. Last i checked, it was the only legal form of US currency. Perhaps the seller is not bothering with all the phone calls because he already sold it to someone else?

Just sme food for thought........

Roper14 · Jun 26, 2008

to avoid getting in a CASH is king argument...a valid cashiers check or money order is almighty close...a reply of.."how do you determine it is valid"---very easy...you would just have to work with the buyer/seller

back to my situation...cash was not the main concern...and I was "guaranteed" the tractor at 13.3 no matter how the auction ended up---that threw up a small red flag---he made over half of the phone calls---and told me to call him back to arrange a pick up time...until I started talking about insurance this and serial number that...and clearing it with the bank...

just b/c you are "honest" and only want cash for some reason does not mean that ever seller/buyer is.....the whole intent of the post was caveat emptor....and maybe ask a few extra questions if you are unsure
(if someone was going to give me 13 grr in cash - i wouldn't mind a phone call or two) but that is just me....

ok everyone else who deals in cash only - doesn't return phone calls (maybe we could IM back and forth) - and apparently can't find a serial # ---start land blasting away

yippee

Bird · Jun 26, 2008

I, too, sold my last tractor for cash ($15,000) but the buyer came to look at it and all the paperwork, etc.

Cashier's checks used to be a safe way to go, but not anymore. Too many of them are forgeries.

Farmwithjunk · Jun 26, 2008

I routinely buy and sell used tractors. I keep records. Last winter, in a fit of boredom, I went through the record book and counted how many I've sold. Since 1972 I've moved 97 tractors. ALL but 3 sold for cash ONLY. The 3 that didn't sold to relatives. One of those, I SHOULD have demanded cash

"Cash only" is absolutely NOT a red flag as far as I'm concerned.

barneyrb · Jun 26, 2008

When you started asking for serial numbers to be put into a LARGE insurance data base he run.....sorta indicates to me the tractor might be a little warm to the touch. Wanted cash and carry, was the tractor out of state?

gemini5362 · Jun 26, 2008

As a buyer if someone demands cash payment I get worried. If they want to let me wait until I get there and see the merchandise and the paperwork with it before they get their cash I have no problem with that. But if someone asks me to send them cash up front or if I get there they have nothing but a hand written bill of sale that is not notorized for proof of ownership I would not give them a penny. I have bought a used tractor but the guy I bought it from was a well known individual in town. I had no reason to believe that he was selling stolen goods. I had a lot of reason to believe that he wouldnt be selling them. If you are thinking about buying a tractor for cash then you do what the original poster did you ask for the serial number. Then take it to your bank and have them run a (universal commercial code ) check on it. That should tell you more about the status of the tractor. For one thing it will tell you if it has a loan against it.

canzipper · Jun 26, 2008

In the Used Tractor World - CASH IS KING !

Counterfiet Bank Drafts and phoney Certified Cheques are common scams on internet sales sites.

shownuff · Jun 26, 2008

prolly should have done a phone trace, maybe dealin from a cell phone another red flag

RollingsFarms · Jun 26, 2008

man, ya'll are scaring me! i've been trying to sell a truck locally and haven't had any luck. i don't think i want too much for it either($1,000 LESS then KBB and NADA). i have it parked out in front of the old seed warehouse, as well as listed in the local trader paper. i will take cash only, or either meet me at your bank or mine if you need to finance it and have them cut you a check(assuming you get approved for the loan), then have the person at the bank put it in my hand. i only have my cell phone as my contact number as i dont wan't anyone calling my house at some weird time of the night wanting to talk about the truck. you have a better chance of catching me on my cell anyways. i am deffinatley not a scammer, just trying to get rid of a truck we have no more use for on the farm. it seems noone is coming off of any money these days, no matter how much you discount something though.

MikeD74T · Jun 27, 2008

I occasionally sell foam insulation on Craig's List. Each time I get calls that aren't worth my time to return. Example,when I list a 20 sheet minimum I don't answer requests for 3 sheets. I sell to buyers that know what the product is, recognize a good deal, & bring cash. My end is legit & their cash is also. I don't care to know their name, address, or intended use of the insulation.
Scammers are on boths ends of EBAY. Since, despite your interest, you didn't bid so maybe he thought you were a scammer. Feedbacks on EBAY are a pretty good indicator of honesty. Without your bid he couldn't evaluate your honesty.Was the tractor too far away to go look at? I wouldn't commit $14K without looking, maybe your seller wouldn't either. He seemed anxious to sell, you seemed reluctant to buy. My guess - he found another buyer. MikeD74T

Charlesaf3 · Jun 27, 2008

I think barney may have gotten it above - real tractor, real price, not necessarily owned by the seller.

The cellphone thing wouldn't be a biggie. Lots of people, including me, only have cellphones now. Cash wouldn't be a biggie either - lots of forgeries out there, though there are ways around that - meet at the bank, wire transfer, etc. Failure to give serial number - that's a biggie.

Roper14 · Jun 27, 2008

I don't have the answer as I have moved on...back to searching...
-the guy was out of state (maybe no big deal)
-was a cell phone (did a reverse search on the net and it came up as such - and it was located in the area he said he was from) I know several people who only have cell phones also...
- as mentioned earlier I had no problem giving him cash - it was just the trickle down effect of everything else ---anyway good luck to everyone else---

Roper14 · Jun 27, 2008

I missed the one reply above - I've been a member of ebay since 1998 (only 21 transactions - but simple 100% feedback) -- he has been a member since June 23, 2008 with no feedback---and yes it is my guess either there was no tractor at all or I was used as a pawn to get a higher price ---yet I was also told "the the tractor was considered sold"...so i be the gullible one and take peeps at their word---what I get for living in the south

dgl24087 · Jun 27, 2008

I believe I looked at the auction you were talking about, checked the completed listings and it said the auction was "ended early by the seller because the tractor was no longer available".

vansimplement · Jun 27, 2008

Ebay is one of those things that goes from a love to hate relationship (and vice versa) pretty quickly. I manage to do just fine selling small, low-dollar things with them, which gets rid of stuff that would never go locally. On the other hand, scams start right up when I try selling an ATV (or similar)... gets kind of frustrating at times.
I just play it safe and sell stuff that very few people will ever notice

jasperab · Jun 30, 2008

My son-in-law ran into the same type of scam on E-Bay with a Harley Davidson motorcycle. I told him to back off and notify E-Bay. He did and the ad was pulled the next day.
However, I did buy my last car, a Suburu Forester, on E-Bay. I got it from a dealer in Nashville and flew down with a cashiers check and drove it back. Great vehicle, especially with the gas prices. I get 27mpg with an SUV.

gemini5362 · Jun 30, 2008

jasperab said:
My son-in-law ran into the same type of scam on E-Bay with a Harley Davidson motorcycle. I told him to back off and notify E-Bay. He did and the ad was pulled the next day.
However, I did buy my last car, a Suburu Forester, on E-Bay. I got it from a dealer in Nashville and flew down with a cashiers check and drove it back. Great vehicle, especially with the gas prices. I get 27mpg with an SUV.

I bought one of my vehicles a 1998 chevrolet tracker on Ebay. It was in wisconsin and I had a friend of mine go and check it out for me. The company that owned it had some relatives near me that offered to drive it down for 300.00 so I had them do it. After the car got here I found out that wisconsin has some used car laws that protect buyers. Basically there was a checklist of things that had to be checked before it could sell. Antifreeze, brakes, tires etc. I also found out that If i had not aproved of the car I could tell them I did not want it and get all of my money back except for the shipping fee. I would recommend that anyone who is thinking about buying something like a car look at the buyer protection laws in the state that the car is located in.

Haoleguy · Jul 1, 2008

Roper14 - It's always good to be a cautious purchaser even if it means that you lose a good deal now and again. Just one point about cell phones. I'm not sure how you tracked the cell phone location to the area but I know many folks who have different area codes. I myself have a San Diego area code and live in Connecticut. The reason for this is that I use a SIM card for an unlocked phone and the reason it is San Diego is that is where the company is that I bought the SIM card from.......Cheers