Tractor online sales scams

[stumblinhorse]

Just putting out a warning for people looking at purchasing a tractor or heavy equipment. Be so careful of buying a tractor on the internet, like Craigslist or even a dealer not in your local area. It is easy to fall prey to a scammer, and they are very good at what they do. The sites look very legit. If prices look too good to be true or looks like a good deal it is maybe a scam and needs to be investigated very thoroughly.

If We could use this site to help identify and help each other to verify sites or listings that are not on the up and up? Maybe that could save someone a lot of heart ache or financial loss. I don’t know how to post sites that are suspicious without drawing unwanted attention to an individual from people that can destroy your life with hacks or identity theft? But I am open to help come up with a solution.

Most of this goes without saying. But in todays world it is not unusual to transact over the phone and get something delivered. If you are thinking of doing that please be very sure you‘re dealing with a legit business. Maybe we could also post some ideas on how buyers can verify a legit dealer/seller. Seems that nothing is safe and now tractor sales are being scammed.

I am posting this because I came across this a while back and called them on it and it disappeared. Now I see what looks like the same scammers out there again. With how sophisticated they are it worries me to post the info here for fear of retaliation from them. But want to make sure we help each other buy real tractors from real sellers.

 

[bmaverick]

There are scammers loaded on FB Market place too. Or the price swap-a-roo on FB Market place. Where it's bided up and up and up.

CL is easy to spot a scammer and report. They lowball very badly and 99% of the time only post 1 pix.

 

[stumblinhorse]

There are scammers loaded on FB Market place too. Or the price swap-a-roo on FB Market place. Where it's bided up and up and up.

CL is easy to spot a scammer and report. They lowball very badly and 99% of the time only post 1 pix.

These are not easy to spot. They have an impressive set up. Even a dealer site with multiple listings with dozens of photos…

 

[stumblinhorse]

A best practice I have learned when purchasing anything is asking for a picture from their phone texted directly to you. Use that picture and look at the geo location of the tractor/implement from the picture. Have them take a pic of the serial number or something and look at the info from the photo. Should be current and the location should be where you think it is…. If not walk away.

 

[stumblinhorse]

Getting pictures of tractors is easy with all the online auctions sites. So googling the make and model and something specific might help you to find where a tractor was duplicated from an auction site to a scam site.

Pictures from real dealers have other tractors or the dealer lots in them generally. Look closely at the pictures.

 

[JasperFrank]

These days I would have no problem if a potential buyer asked for a verification photo. That can be anything, like a pic of the local newspaper, a head shot with the tractor in the background or if I was asked to show a particular area of the tractor. These very simple things would eliminate 99% of the scams. Scammers use the photos of other tractors they find online. They are not going to find a description matching tractor to create an original photo or short Vid. And if they show a stock photo with no background, you know its a scam. If they will not allow a local agent to at least look at the tractor, for a distant buyer, then they are also a scam.
I would not be comfortable with posting a straight out pic of the serial number to a general public post, cause you could get jammed up if they use that number to re-vin a stolen tractor.

Everyone has a digial camera of some sort. So if they say they can't take original pics, cause they are some old widow that just can't figure that out, you also know its a scam.

 

[scootr]

Lots resellers with 8-10 tractors for sale calling themselves dealers out there too. Lucky I found my tractor local after searching nationwide. I got to see the machine and shake hands before and after plunking down my hard earned dough. Took delivery the same day. Buy local.

 

[stumblinhorse]

Lots resellers with 8-10 tractors for sale calling themselves dealers out there too. Lucky I found my tractor local after searching nationwide. I got to see the machine and shake hands before and after plunking down my hard earned dough. Took delivery the same day. Buy local.

That is where I ended up. I paid extra to go be able to write a check and pick up a tractor 4 hours away instead of in another state where the costs are lower.

 

[scootr]

That is where I ended up. I paid extra to go be able to write a check and pick up a tractor 4 hours away instead of in another state where the costs are lower.

I really wanted a Tractor in TX. Shipping to CA was about $2k but, the price was still right. When I started asking questions about the machine the seller couldn't give me any history. I asked for a video and he kept putting me off. Finally telling me they were rebuilding the injector pump.etc. And they would send a video when they got it running. I got cold feet and went back to CL. Found my Kubota MX less than 10 miles away with 150 hrs on it! Sometimes you just get lucky. It took a few months to find a deal but I used that time to educate myself. I hadn't tractor shopped in 15 years. Lots has changed.

A buddy told me the most expensive tractor you will ever own is the cheapest one you can buy.

 

[stumblinhorse]

I want to stay away from posting specifics, but anyone see any scams on their local Craigslist? Or dealers that are suspect? Because I don’t want to slander a real seller by accident.