ok, so i posted up an add in the classifieds for an 03-05 sunfire fiberglass bomex style front bumper.
i immediatly got a response from a guy named "Fred Anarous". he seemed VERY interested in the bumper and was willing to send payment right away. i said fine... i'll go with a money order for $140 shipped. he then gave me the run around saying that he wasnt the buyer but that he was just the middle man making the deal.
he then stated that he didnt want me to ship it, that he wanted a shipping company of his choice to come pick it up, ok thats all fine and dandy, i didnt care-makes life easier for me.
then he went on about "well, im going to send you extra money for the bumper, then you have to cash the cashier's check and wire transfer via western union me the difference back so i get my cut out of the deal" he didnt use so many words, he was very vauge about it and didnt seem to have a very good english vocabulary.
i told him i was weary about doing the money wiring thing, he really didnt care and told me thats the way it would go down. so i decided, fine... since nobody else seemed interested in the bumper, and i really wanted to ditch it asap... i agreed.
now here comes the really tricky part... he said he had sent the money, ok... fine. today i got the cashier's check and it was for $3000, YES I SAID THAT RIGHT, THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!!
much to my amazement im thinking to myself "WHAT THE F?!!?" enclosed in the envelope are instructions to take the check to my bank, cash it... deduct the $75 for my payment, and wire the shipping comany the rest of the money, he gave the email address etc etc etc. the check LOOKS legit, its all typed out and looks professional and everything.
the envelope had no return address, but im assuming since the address he wants me to wire the money to is in the united kindom with a london address that it to had came from the UK.
so what you guys think i should do here? tell the guy i dont want to deal with his wire transfer BS and if he wants the bumper to send the amount that was originally ironed out. or go ahead and follow the instructions?
im very confused here... $3000?? what the fu<k? seems like some sort of a scam to me.
Yes, its a scam
When you cash the MO, you send him your part and the better part of $3k. Later the bank finds out the money is bogus, they take the $3k back out of your account. So now your account is overdrawn $3k and you've sent the person free money and a car part they'll probably throw away.
4cyltuner.com - Information Source For 4 Cylinder Tuners
Buy stuff from CarCustoms Ebay! Won't be disappointed!
ok, thats all i needed to hear. what should i do with the check? tear it up? offer to send it back?
thanks a lot ron.
holy crap that just freaks me out. ive gotten scammed TWICE now in less than a month! thank god i got $68 of $85 back from a sour deal that went down last week. MONEY GRAM MONEY ORDERS FTW!
is there really anything else other than say paypal we can do here to be more safe when buying or selling from the classifieds?
jeas, ive spent so much money buying parts off ppl on the classifieds... all not even worrying about getting scammed, and i never did get scammed for over 3 years of buying parts until just recently. what a drag
you can always wipe ur ass with it...bout its all good for. Best thing to do is to play games with him and say the governor is after him and he and he will be deaded soon
Tell them you take cash payments when they come to pick it up.
Rob
Sold 2/2/05
z yaaaa wrote:holy crap that just freaks me out. ive gotten scammed TWICE now in less than a month! thank god i got $68 of $85 back from a sour deal that went down last week. MONEY GRAM MONEY ORDERS FTW!
is there really anything else other than say paypal we can do here to be more safe when buying or selling from the classifieds?
jeas, ive spent so much money buying parts off ppl on the classifieds... all not even worrying about getting scammed, and i never did get scammed for over 3 years of buying parts until just recently. what a drag
1. Only buy/sell to/from members that actively post.
2. Require payment before sending goods. In turn, always pay before sending goods. If you pay through money order, keep a copy for yourself and request the service where you can see that the MO has been cashed, and by who. Usually this service is available through your bank. Otherwise use Paypal, which isn't completely safe, but it is safer.
3. Search the forums for their name in all forums, see if there is any mention of people dealing with him/her.
4. Post in the regional forum where that member is and ask for references if none can be found.
5. Watch for grammar in the emails. Poor grammar or strange sentances is a clue. They will also very rarely refer to the thing you are selling as your "subs" or the "cams", etc, it will always either be "item" or the full listing title.
6. If they ask you to send it out of the continent, its a scam. There are maybe 2-4 active modding members here that are outside the US/Canada, and #1 should help find if its them.
7. Never accept payment for over the amount you agree upon.
8. Nobody buys J body car parts through brokers. If they reference anything to "my client" or the like, and they are dealing for somebody else, its a scam.
9. If it sounds too good to be true, it is ($5000 for your 88 rusted out non-running 2.0 sunbird isn't happening)
10. Nobody is going to ship your cavalier overseas, the fees alone would be more than the car is worth.
and most of all...
11. Use your brain, think it through rationally...
4cyltuner.com - Information Source For 4 Cylinder Tuners
Buy stuff from CarCustoms Ebay! Won't be disappointed!
Send him a picture of the bumper and some monopoly money for the amount left over. Leave a note saying when he's ready to give you the real thing, you'll do business with him.
muffin wrote:Send him a picture of the bumper and some monopoly money for the amount left over. Leave a note saying when he's ready to give you the real thing, you'll do business with him.
my vote goes to this response.....I like it!
Go Premium, it builds character!
muffin wrote:Send him a picture of the bumper and some monopoly money for the amount left over. Leave a note saying when he's ready to give you the real thing, you'll do business with him.
lmfao, nice... too bad i already told him to take his $3000 check and shove it up his arse.
its amazing what reading does it if you read before you post your item
Ad Editor wrote:Warning to Sellers
If you receive a message advising you that someone would like to purchase your item from overseas, please be extremely cautious. This is a common scam, and the scammers target this site often. The message will state that you will be paid by check for more then your advertised amount, and you will return the extra amount with your shipment. THIS IS A SCAM! Remember to take any and all necessary precautions to protect yourself against fraud. If in doubt, search through the forums on this site, many fraud topics have already been covered in the past.
if you have to ask it probably is...
z yaaaa wrote:ok, thats all i needed to hear. what should i do with the check? tear it up? offer to send it back?
thanks a lot ron.
You could consider it a guaranteed $3000 "loan" from the bank lol. Yes, they're gonna take that money back in a few months, which is why I call it a "loan."
I've never heard of this "part throttle" before. Does it just bolt on?
Bastardking3000 wrote:z yaaaa wrote:ok, thats all i needed to hear. what should i do with the check? tear it up? offer to send it back?
thanks a lot ron.
You could consider it a guaranteed $3000 "loan" from the bank lol. Yes, they're gonna take that money back in a few months, which is why I call it a "loan."
Except that the bank almost always charges a fee, and with some banks that fee could be quite high.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about
the former." - Albert Einstein
