Visit our Popular Forums

nursematt · 03-26-2015, 06:45 AM

just wanted to share my experience with my fellow streamers to hopefully help someone else not fall into the trap. my airstream was for sale in the early part of the year. no longer for sale. had a buyer call and ask and was a little pushy, no problem. the buyer came to look at the unit and was satisfied, then the buyer left a deposit of a personal check "first clue". frequent conversations with the buyer and frequent request from the buyer. "asking for delivery" , etc. still no problem. then the buyers stopped payment on the deposit check. Deal canceled. I just wanted to let any unsuspecting seller that if your gut tells you to get out then run like crazy. my guy was telling me that during the talks and i did not listen. i just hope this doesn't happen to anyone else.
Happy Streaming,

AWCHIEF · 03-26-2015, 06:53 AM

Deal in cash!

Rich W · 03-26-2015, 07:40 AM

Sounds like somebody got cold feet or a better deal. Next time tell the buyer that you'll hold the trailer for them once their check has cleared and put a time limit on it.

I paid my deposit with a check but I would have gone to the bank with the guy and paid him cash if he had asked. I didn't pick up the trailer for a couple weeks so he had time to cash it. I paid with a cashier's check when I picked up the trailer.

I wouldn't let the trailer go until the check had cleared, cash or certified funds. I'd also tell them they had to arrange their own transportation, no delivery service.

Msmoto · 03-26-2015, 07:44 AM

From my perspective, having a personal check for a deposit is fine as long as it can be verified and payment guaranteed by my bank. I would not hold something for more than a few days based upon this, but if it is just ernest money, no problem.

People do change their mind, and that is about life. I think all communications need to be in writing and signed, as a letter of intent, if personal contact is made prior to final delivery. Also, my policy is to always do the final delivery at my bank, and the buyer's certified check will be confirmed as genuine by my bank prior to delivery. There are many counterfeit cashier's checks out their and the only way to verify a check is to call the phone number on the bank's website, not the phone number on the check.

I fully agree about the "buyer beware" as I have seen many scams attempted in my selling big ticket items.

cwf · 03-26-2015, 08:41 AM

Certified check. You can call the issuing bank to verify it is good. Can also have them work through your bank for a legal deposit.

**moosetags** · 03-26-2015, 09:55 AM

I agree. I would want cash for a deposit or it isn't off the market until the check clears. I would also prefer cash for the balance, but might accept a bank check if the buyer would accompany me to my bank to have the check certified by my bank calling the issuer to guaranty the amount.

Brian

**Kevin245** · 03-26-2015, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nursematt

just wanted to share my experience with my fellow streamers to hopefully help someone else not fall into the trap. my airstream was for sale in the early part of the year. no longer for sale. had a buyer call and ask and was a little pushy, no problem. the buyer came to look at the unit and was satisfied, then the buyer left a deposit of a personal check "first clue". frequent conversations with the buyer and frequent request from the buyer. "asking for delivery" , etc. still no problem. then the buyers stopped payment on the deposit check. Deal canceled. I just wanted to let any unsuspecting seller that if your gut tells you to get out then run like crazy. my guy was telling me that during the talks and i did not listen. i just hope this doesn't happen to anyone else.
Happy Streaming,

How much time passed from the date the deposit check was handed over until they asked for delivery? Did you deposit the check immediately upon receipt? A personal is no problem, but it needs to clear the bank before my transaction would proceed.

We bought a 5er a few years ago. It was 500 miles away and the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I made sure the the Seller had a clear title in hand and I carried cash for the deal, a photo copy of my drivers license, and a bill of sale for us to complete at the transaction time.

paiceman · 03-26-2015, 10:24 AM

We have sold literally hundreds of items via the internet and every deal was and will be cash or PayPal - period. Deposit are all in cash/PayPal as well. Sometimes people get a little upset etc, but too bad someone will buy within our terms.

JConsroe · 03-26-2015, 11:35 AM

I recently traveled all the way to Florida to buy our AS. The thought of taking $18k in cash seems awful risky. I used pay pal. Considering people getting shot & robbed while trying to buy a $3K car on craigslist, buying an AS in cash seems dangerous!

xrvr · 03-26-2015, 11:39 AM

What would you have done if the seller insisted on cash? Jim

thesignlady · 03-26-2015, 12:06 PM

I can't imagine dealing with cash when one is selling a product that may be $20,000. I can't imagine buyer or seller would feel safe walking around with that in their pocket. There is escrow.com out there, its a service that acts as the cash middleman. It sounds particularly inviting to me when one may have to ship their rig off to a buyer and hope they are properly paid. I can imagine how nauseous I would feel if someone cancelled payment of a check after I shipped something...or vice vera...having to send money in advance and pray an item shows up if I were the buyer.

lahrfarm · 03-26-2015, 02:18 PM

If you pay someone cash, and it $10001 or more, that person has to have proof of the origin of the money for their bank. I will and have sold vehicles, campers, and other large ticket items accepting a personal check. I give the buyer a bill of sale and hold the title. When the check clears I notorize and send the title. If the check is bad, call police to report stolen and call insurance for payment. Either way, its gone and I have my money. I will not take a deposit, buyer either has the money or they dont.I would'nt pay cash, to much danger carrying that with you. If you want cashiers check, meet at their bank. Cashiers checks are as easy to fake as any other check. This was all told to me by a bank President, so I've always done it this way.

**Stefrobrts** · 03-26-2015, 03:03 PM

I agree, anyone serious will be willing to meet at the bank and make it happen, all on the up-n-up. The last time I bought something big with cash was a car that was just under $2k. Even that amount I don't like having in my pocket to go meet strangers. Anyone who says they want to see cash before you can test drive, forget about it.

WendyW. · 03-26-2015, 03:04 PM

I would not take it off the market or pull the ads until the purchase were complete. I would accept no less than $100, nonrefundable, for the right of first refusal. If anyone else shows up with money, I would require the first party to come and get it or give up her/his right to refuse. And so forth. Thanks for the warning!

AWCHIEF · 03-26-2015, 03:16 PM

Bought mine in Michigan. Drove up from South Mississippi with cash in hand. Fellow that bought my old trailer drove from Dallas with cash in hand. I told him cash only, he had no problem with that. Within reason I would not do it any other way.

featherbedder · 03-26-2015, 03:26 PM

I pur. pu from local farmer gave $5000 earnest money on Fri. told him would pick next week w/cash. He drove pu that weekend over 500 miles. I went Mon. to pick up truck we met at bank as teller was getting cash ready he made remark to teller does he have enough money in act. to pay. This a total slap in face such as driving miles and making remark about my finances, plus I pd. top $ for truck, I should have walked away as there were other issues with, such as cutting wiring harness out & keeping some things then outright lying about it, and some derogatory remarks after title handed over, so buyer beware of these kind of so called honest people.

adonh · 03-26-2015, 03:29 PM

I ask the question in earnest if you are selling the trailer yourself no dealer or 3rd party, what does the deposit do? Cask, check whatever. So you take a deposit and few days or a week later he backs out. In this time someone else wants to buy and they have the funds to complete the deal, what do you do.

Personally I would not take a deposit, the first person with the funds to close the deal is the new owner. My thoughts.

Bobu · 03-26-2015, 03:57 PM

If you are going with cash.....beware! Recent transation for 20k was satisfied with counterfeit money. Lesson, meet at a bank and have them certifie the cash...

sb55 · 03-26-2015, 04:06 PM

Not everybody is "shady". We found an AS we wanted 1000 miles away in November. I talked to the seller many times and felt comfortable to send him the full payment after using this forum to find an inspector. We got the title as soon as our check cleared and registered it before picking it up months later. (no rv needed in Vermont in the winter&#128515

. You can do well to talk to somebody on the phone and not rely on email.

JustSomeGuy · 04-07-2015, 01:01 AM

I bought my Airstream from a dealer (Can Am, which I found out later is a very well respected dealer and has customers from all across Canada and the US). But, I think buying from an RV dealer, especially an Airstream RV dealer is a safe bet. Of course, sometimes there might be a good deal or just the right year and model you are looking for from a private seller.

For my own peace of mind, and to make sure the seller's mind is at ease, I would offer to go to the bank with him or her and get cash, or certified check/cashier's check in the bank, or if they also have an account there, the money can be transferred to their account. I've done this once. Another time I sold my old Toyota Land Cruiser to a guy from Alabama, when I was living in Montreal. I figured if he came from that far away, he must be serious but I still called his bank to verify the cashier's check was good.

As for leaving the vehicle or trailer for sale when you have a deposit... I don't know. If I were the buyer, I'd be pretty upset if I left a deposit and came back a day or two later with the balance of the money or a cashier's check and found the seller sold to someone else. Maybe keep advertising it, and if someone else calls, say there's a deposit on it, but if it falls through, you are the next one in line. Once I had an SUV for sale. A guy really wanted to buy it. I think I was asking $5000 for it and wanted a $500 deposit. He only had $200 cash, so I took that for a deposit, turning away potential buyers. It was at a car show, so a good crowd to sell to. After the car show, he changed his mind. I told him I'm keeping his $200 deposit and he did not even argue about it. I would have rather he completed the sale, because, although I eventually sold the SUV a few weeks later, I was only able to get about $4000 for it. I forget the exact amount, but it was less than what I would have got originally, and the deposit I kept from the first guy did not cover the shortfall.