New (To Me) Craigslist Scam

[highfigh]

That's a really good idea, the 'designated area'. I'll have to mention it to sarge, up the street. I use the police parking lot anyway for transactions, since they have camera's all over the building.

Nothing personal but I'm glad I didn't go into the housing rental market. I've had my chances and a couple friends wanted to go into partnership but I nixed the idea. I'd heard, and still do, too many horror stories of the 'renters from hell' or the deadbeats. Same goes for vacation rental properties.

My one buddy complains all the time that he's had to put a lawyer on retainer, just for the deadbeats and the pigs who trash the place, beyond the 3 month escrow he insists upon signing. He's making a profit but seems miserable about it. I can do without the agita (Italian heartburn) and I don't react very well to getting stiffed.

No thanks.

I don't think I would want to go into a partnership with friends- better to keep them as friends and not go through the problems when money is involved.

I have been lucky- three renters, all paid on time although the second one didn't seem to know how to pick up a sponge or scrubber because the place was dirty afterward and it had been freshly cleaned, painted and some repairs made after the first renter left. I found a web site for creating leases and because of the way they left it, when I clicked on 'Print', it showed "Printing page 1 of 26". so I decided to trim it down. When the next applicants came through (some were recommended by people I knew), the credit checks showed a series of train wrecks and I had red lights & sirens going in my mind when I met some of them.

I was relieved when the one I picked showed up- she was in her mid-40s and her mom was with her. I didn't get the impression that she would be a problem and didn't even bother with the credit check. She had to move out because her mom had to go into assisted living and the house needed someone to live in it.

 

[highfigh]

Wow that was a generous compromise of him IMO, I personally ONLY accept cash, I would never trust a Paypal or Venmo or whatever. After the deal they tell them the right scammer story somehow exploiting the user terms and they WILL steal your money from your account and there's nothing you'll be able to do about it.

I see Paypal as a necessary evil when using eBay but I'd never ever use it if not absolutely necessary, most especially if I'm the seller. When I sell something (in person) I need to be sure the deal is 100% done at the transfer of goods, and that is simply never the case when you involve Paypal/Venmo/checks/etc.

I use PayPal for creating invoices, quotes and estimates- they're numbered, saved in a convenient way and I can save for later, e-mail them or print them. They have the Pay Here button, but I usually collect a check- I have a group of repeat customers and this works well. For Craig's List, I always take cash but don't sell anything expensive (so far). The one expensive thing I bought was a van, from someone in Phoenix- I have friends out there and one worked for GM in V8 Powertrain Development and had his own service shop, so he volunteered to check it out and handle the payment & picking it up. I sent a cashier's check to him and he handed it over.

 

[highfigh]

I don't think I would want to go into a partnership with friends- better to keep them as friends and not go through the problems when money is involved.

I have been lucky- three renters, all paid on time although the second one didn't seem to know how to pick up a sponge or scrubber because the place was dirty afterward and it had been freshly cleaned, painted and some repairs made after the first renter left. I found a web site for creating leases and because of the way they left it, when I clicked on 'Print', it showed "Printing page 1 of 26". so I decided to trim it down. When the next applicants came through (some were recommended by people I knew), the credit checks showed a series of train wrecks and I had red lights & sirens going in my mind when I met some of them.

I was relieved when the one I picked showed up- she was in her mid-40s and her mom was with her. I didn't get the impression that she would be a problem and didn't even bother with the credit check. She had to move out because her mom had to go into assisted living and the house needed someone to live in it.

Not sure it's local only, but a company called 'Renter's Warehouse' manages properties for people who don't want to deal with everything- I think they charge 10% of the rent and with rent being as high as it is, I think it would be a good way to not have to deal with any of the BS. Obviously, it would be better with a larger building with more than a couple of rental units, but it could still work.

 

[justhavingfun]

This same thing happend to me on my Craigslist items. I sold few items on the Craigslist before without any problems. But this type of scam tactic was first time for me and I actually responded with 6 digit code, how stupid of me. As soon as I sent the code with puzzle look on my face and quickly realized this was scam.
I spent next 30 minutes doing potential damaging control with quick search in the web. This was few months ago. I really hate these scammers out there.

In another story, I received actual "fax" from some Canadian law firm to my work office saying that I have an inheritance waiting for me from my "long lost uncle" LOL. Who uses fax these days anyway?

 

[Verdinut]

I just got a suspicious email asking me to text them if they're still available because he "doesn't check craigslist emails"...

Then didn't include a phone number, but another email address. Ask me to text you, then give me an email address and no phone number. truck off. Are there any people who actually buy stuff on CL or are they all running some kinda scam??

So many tells. Starting with his wording. "I actually saw your post. That's right for me. Is this your last price? I don't check the email for Craig's List,so, If it is still available then text me at-" followed by an email address. That's it, that's the entire email. No mention of what "it" is or anything else. The way that reply is worded can be recycled and used to inquire about ANYTHING. Weird start to an inquiry too.. "I actually saw your post"...

Well so far, all inquiries about my ad have been some attempt at a scam...

That's why I only deal through eBay. Their fees are costly but you are guaranteed of security if you only deal with someone through eBay's site and always use PayPal for transactions. As the saying goes, there is a cost for good things and peace of mind!

 

[mtrycrafts]

...

I have been lucky- three renters, all paid on time although the second one didn't seem to know how to pick up a sponge or scrubber because the place was dirty afterward and it had been freshly cleaned, painted and some repairs made after the first renter left....

I had to rent a place for a short time as house sold quicker than thought but had to stay in city.
Good thing I took copious notes and had them sign it as when I left and wanted my deposit back they stated it was a mess. I sent them a copy of the list they signed and still took forever to get the deposit back while they were making some good interest off of the deposit, not me.

 

[ParleyW]

Sumbitches...

No, they didn't get me but if I wasn't cautious they might have! I got an inquiry on my speakers already. I'm thinking "wow, that didn't take long...". Then he says he sent me a 6 digit code to verify I'm not a scammer and a legit seller. Huh. Never heard about that one. So I did a quick Google search.

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It's a scam. They set up accounts using your phone number, you get a verification code, which they ask for to "prove you're for real" then they use your number for fake CL accounts and scams. Pricks. He stopped replying when I asked when he wanted to meet. I haven't heard of this scam before so I'm sharing it with you guys to spread the word. Oh, the speakers are still for sale...

Sadly, not just Craig’s list. Our local classified sale site, KSL.com has been so overrun with these little &&”&@ “paying with cashiers check and movers will pick it up” Type of garbage. It used to be fun.

 

[highfigh]

I had to rent a place for a short time as house sold quicker than thought but had to stay in city.
Good thing I took copious notes and had them sign it as when I left and wanted my deposit back they stated it was a mess. I sent them a copy of the list they signed and still took forever to get the deposit back while they were making some good interest off of the deposit, not me.

I don't know about where you lived, but in Wisconsin, if a property owner makes interest on the deposit, they have to give it to the renter.

 

[KEW]

If I am the buyer and it is expensive and they want cash, I will usually meet at my bank.
Banks usually have a place where there are cameras, I don't have the cash on me until I check out the goods, then go inside to make the withdrawal.

 

[tealcomp]

I just got a suspicious email asking me to text them if they're still available because he "doesn't check craigslist emails"...

Then didn't include a phone number, but another email address. Ask me to text you, then give me an email address and no phone number. truck off. Are there any people who actually buy stuff on CL or are they all running some kinda scam??

So many tells. Starting with his wording. "I actually saw your post. That's right for me. Is this your last price? I don't check the email for Craig's List,so, If it is still available then text me at-" followed by an email address. That's it, that's the entire email. No mention of what "it" is or anything else. The way that reply is worded can be recycled and used to inquire about ANYTHING. Weird start to an inquiry too.. "I actually saw your post"...

Well so far, all inquiries about my ad have been some attempt at a scam...

That's so obnoxious. I have never used CL and these kind of reports reaffirm my decision not to. Good luck with your sale though; hopefully a legit buyer will come around.

 

[Pogre]

If I am the buyer and it is expensive and they want cash, I will usually meet at my bank.
Banks usually have a place where there are cameras, I don't have the cash on me until I check out the goods, then go inside to make the withdrawal.

Only problem there is how do you demo speakers?

 

[Verdinut]

Only problem there is how do you demo speakers?

If you don't know the guy, then don't offer to come over to hear your speakers. IMO, for Craig List or Audio Mart listings, I would only sell speakers to people who know and have already heard the product before, so a demo should not be necessary.
That's why I only sell through eBay. Their fees are high but you're guaranteed full protection. If there's a conflict after sale, they are willing to help you resolve the problem. I don't allow buyers to come to my apartment. I usually meet them at a shopping center parking nearby.

 

[KEW]

If you don't know the guy, then don't offer to come over to hear your speakers. IMO, for Craig List or Audio Mart listings, I would only sell speakers to people who know and have already heard the product before, so a demo should not be necessary.
That's why I only sell though eBay. Their fees are high but you're guaranteed full protection. If there's a conflict after sale, they are willing to help you resolve the problem. I don't allow buyers to come to my apartment. I usually meet them at a shopping center parking nearby.

I think his concern is that while it may be a great speaker, some of the drivers might be blown or something you could not tell without auditioning the speaker.

 

[KEW]

Only problem there is how do you demo speakers?

I have an old boombox with standard leads out to the speakers. It won't crank them on batteries, but at least I know the drivers work fine at medium volume!

One time, I made arrangements with the seller that we audition at his house and if everything was good we'd put the speakers in his car and he would follow me to my bank. Of course you can't do this when the bank is closed unless the amount was available through ATM withdrawal.
In my case, by the time I finished my audition at his house, I felt comfortable enough with him to reveal that I had the cash stashed in my car so we could be lazy and just load them straight into my car. If my "spidey sense" was tingling, I would have stuck with the bank transfer.
I don't mean to say I am any special judge of character, but if they give a good reason for selling what they have and have a kid running around and are straightforward about everything, I feel comfortable taking the risk.

 

[Ponzio]

I have an old boombox with standard leads out to the speakers. It won't crank them on batteries, but at least I know the drivers work fine at medium volume!

One time, I made arrangements with the seller that we audition at his house and if everything was good we'd put the speakers in his car and he would follow me to my bank. Of course you can't do this when the bank is closed unless the amount was available through ATM withdrawal.
In my case, by the time I finished my audition at his house, I felt comfortable enough with him to reveal that I had the cash stashed in my car so we could be lazy and just load them straight into my car. If my "spidey sense" was tingling, I would have stuck with the bank transfer.
I don't mean to say I am any special judge of character, but if they give a good reason for selling what they have and have a kid running around and are straightforward about everything, I feel comfortable taking the risk.

Hit the nail on the head, about the 'spidey sense'.

I've been blessed, not much brain power, but Paw passed on his common sense DNA.

When in doubt, BAIL!, BAIL!, BAIL!

 

[Trell]

... I've been blessed, not much brain power...

You said it kiddo

I'll show myself out the door, if you could kindly point out the way, in detail, as my data processing power is quite limited.

Edit: Forgot that we have some kind of pandemic going around, so breadcrumbs leading to the door works fine, especially if I'm hungry, in that case make those crumbs not too small!

 

[Verdinut]

I think his concern is that while it may be a great speaker, some of the drivers might be blown or something you could not tell without auditioning the speaker.

How about amplifiers and AVRs? It's the same question. The AVR or the amp may be defective. It's a question of mutual trust. But with eBay, don't try to screw a seller or a buyer, eBay will try to help resolve the conflict in the honest person's favor. I know cause I've had problems with a few buyers and one seller who was a defrauder.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I don't know about where you lived, but in Wisconsin, if a property owner makes interest on the deposit, they have to give it to the renter.

Same here. May also have been the case back then but, since I dared to complain and mention the delay so they could make the interest, they threatened with a libel suit.

 

[highfigh]

Same here. May also have been the case back then but, since I dared to complain and mention the delay so they could make the interest, they threatened with a libel suit.

If your claim was truthful,. they had no way to win that suit.

 

[mtrycrafts]

If your claim was truthful,. they had no way to win that suit.

Of course but the hassle and me moving to Hawaii made that difficult.