Question on selling Airstream

[allenkelley]

I am in the process of selling my Airstream that I advertised through Craigslist. The buyer is about 500 miles away and will bring a cashiers check. Question: is this the preferred method of payment with people who have done a similar deal and has anyone heard of a bogus scam with a cashiers check. Thanks in advance for your input!

[mopariac]

No. Have the buyer run up to the bank when he or she gets there and cash it and bring the cash back to you. Do not exchange the cash and title/bill of sale until you are signing the transaction at a notary. You take a big chance taking anything but cash...I wouldn't do it. Just my opinion. Now-a-days banks won't cash some money orders or cashier's checks. I bought mine off CraigsList 3 years ago and I brought cash (I had to travel 550 miles to look at and then to pick up mine too.

[soldiermedic]

Originally Posted by allenkelley

I am in the process of selling my Airstream that I advertised through Craigslist. The buyer is about 500 miles away and will bring a cashiers check. Question: is this the preferred method of payment with people who have done a similar deal and has anyone heard of a bogus scam with a cashiers check. Thanks in advance for your input!

I have heard of cashier check scams from C.L. I would advise cash, or a bank draft check...even a wire would be safe.

Steve

[idroba]

Lots of stories about bad cashiers checks. As moparic says, best advice is for cash only. Yes, difficult to not show trust in them, but there are far too many scams going on. Once they have the title you are no longer in control of the trailer. Cashiers checks can be bogus, and then your bank comes back to you for the money, even if they cashed it.

Don't do the transaction on a weekend either, when the banks are closed. You want to be able to put the cash money directly into your bank account and not have it hanging around your house for a couple of days.

There are several threads on the subject in the forums here.

[Wingeezer]

When I sold my last trailer, my bank advised me against accepting cashiers cheques or money orders. What they suggested was to have the fellow bring travelers cheques (I am in Canada, buyer was coming from US).

They suggested that the two of us to come into my bank with the cheques. When we did, then my bank called American Express to verify the cheques while we were both present before they would cash the cheques and give him the money to pass over to me!

I felt a bit embarrassed about the whole thing as it wasn't a huge amount of money, about $8k, and he seemed a very decent guy - and turned out to be so, we have exchanged visits since!

At least he did understand and wasn't insulted!

I had first suggested that he bring cash because it wasn't that much money, but even so, he said he didn't feel comfortable carrying the cash with him.

I had also suggested at one point that he have his bank transfer the $$ to my bank.

He was agreeable and checked with his bank, but they and told him they couldn't do it because since 9-11, there were all kinds of restrictions about sending larger amounts of money out of the US. (supporting terrorists?) Seemed odd, but that's what he was apparently told.

It may have been going to extremes, but it did work out fine!

Brian

[scrazyp]

Hard to believe, but cashier's checks are not quite as acceptable as they once were. Home Depot is remodeling my kitchen and I had a cashier's check cut by BOA for $10,000 and they wouldn't take it. I told them that I would be cancelling the job and they could just give me my $5,000 deposit back. After much going back and forth on the phone, they decided that they would take a chance and take the check. Taking cash is the best way to go when you sell anything big--a big hassle but at least you won't be scammed.

[Splitrock]

Cash

[Becky B.]

I phoned my bank with this same question. They said you could accept a cashier's check & bring it to the bank to verify that the funds are there by phoning the bank it is drawn from. They said NOT to wire the money, because then you would be giving them all of your account numbers (which they said is bad). My bank is very close to my house, so it wouldn't be a big deal. They did say that if you didn't want to go to the bank with the buyer, you could call the bank that the check is drawn from yourself to make sure the funds are there, but I'd be afraid to do that.....I'd want the bank to make sure!

[CanoeStream]

A bank that accepts the cashiers check passes it through the system for payment. That can take up to two weeks. Your Airstream will be long gone if the check was bad.

Like beckybillrae, I always advise people to show the check to your bank. Take the payer with you too. Do this on a day that they are open. Period.

[mefly2]

Cashiers checks are no longer safe ... get the cash before signing it over to the buyer.

[Friday]

I did a $30K Canada to US wire transfer... anything over $10K gets reported... big deal... no one ever called me to check out what it was for...

The seller was leary about wire transfers, but after I sent a $5K deposit she got the hang of it. We used an Airstream dealer as escrow to deal with the final payment and pick-up of the trailer. They charged me a whopping $8 a day storage.

[wxbuoy]

We used a wire transfer on the advise of our bank. Both parties set up a new accounts at their banks. We transferred the money from our new account to theirs. Then closed the account. They did the same. If you do it at thier bank who has a notary they can verify the money is there, move it to their original account and notarize the bill of sale. Than we went to the DMV with them and had everything done to register it, change the title over.

They will understand the precautions when you explain the reasons. If they don't they are either up to something or so lax in their personal security that you dont want to deal with them.

We still communicate with the previous owners of ours.

[AWCHIEF]

I paid for mine with a bank check, not sure if that is the same as a cashiers check. The PO had no problem taking it and I know it went thru fine and he had his money quickly. Also no Notary involved. He had a title and signed it over to me. I took the title to my local tax collectors office and they issued a new title and tag in my name. All very simple.

[polarlyse]

When we bought our first AS the seller was able to keep the trailer at my request for a few weeks. I paid them with a personal check and they had time to deposit it and wait for it to clear. I had sent them a deposit using paypal. Paypal is safe and secure but they do charge the buyer a 4% service charge so when it came to paying the balance I suggested this way in order for them to avoid the service charges. They were not familiar with paypal and how it works. I agree with all of the above warnings and suggestions but in my case this worked out good for all involved.

[ZoominC6]

Meet at your bank to do the deal....at the very least; however, nothing like green cash! Good luck.

[Splitrock]

Everybody knows better than the cash seller . . . until they get flipped.

It amuses me to see people doing fund transfer gymnastics, with risk attached, all in order to avoid having to handle "cash". It's like there's a "cash-phobia". Ya get sick if ya touch it. :-)

I'm amused more at the banker warning against a wire transfer because the sender has access to all the bank account numbers. That's funny! Every check I write has all my bank account numbers printed right on it. What am I missing here?

In my experience, bankers are one step below a used car salesman. I once had a vice president at a national bank tell me he didn't have to accept a check drawn on his bank for payment. I asked him if he'd like me to call the OCC and verify that. He paid on the check.

I've had banks remove wire transfer funds from my account after the funds were sent, posted, and showed up on my account balance. Several times. I had a cashier's check issued on the closing of one of my houses issued by a title insurance company bounce. Local bank, local title insurance company . . . bad cashier's check. All legal too! No fraud charges, nobody did a day in jail for that. These guys are all sitting at the Mayor's breakfast and officers in the Chamber of Commerce . . . but they're crooks.

I've never had a banker walk up to me and take cash out of my hand. I have had them bounce checks, pull funds, and lie to my face.

I never heard a seller say: "Dang! I wish I hadn't sold that for cash!".

`

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

Everybody knows better than the cash seller . . . until they get flipped.

It amuses me to see people doing fund transfer gymnastics, with risk attached, all in order to avoid having to handle "cash". It's like there's a "cash-phobia". Ya get sick if ya touch it. :-)

I'm amused more at the banker warning against a wire transfer because the sender has access to all the bank account numbers. That's funny! Every check I write has all my bank account numbers printed right on it. What am I missing here?

In my experience, bankers are one step below a used car salesman. I once had a vice president at a national bank tell me he didn't have to accept a check drawn on his bank for payment. I asked him if he'd like me to call the OCC and verify that. He paid on the check.

I've had banks remove wire transfer funds from my account after the funds were sent, posted, and showed up on my account balance. Several times. I had a cashier's check issued on the closing of one of my houses issued by a title insurance company bounce. Local bank, local title insurance company . . . bad cashier's check. All legal too! No fraud charges, nobody did a day in jail for that. These guys are all sitting at the Mayor's breakfast and officers in the Chamber of Commerce . . . but they're crooks.

I've never had a banker walk up to me and take cash out of my hand. I have had them bounce checks, pull funds, and lie to my face.

I never heard a seller say: "Dang! I wish I hadn't sold that for cash!".

`

I agree that cash is "King". That said, I would be VERY uncomfortable if I were purchasing a $20,000 trailer (or even more) and had to travel across the country with that kind of cash in my pocket or hidden in my vehicle. Just sayin'

[Splitrock]

Secure funds is not a buyer risk, it's a seller risk. Buyers have other risks.

How many buyers check the VIN on the title to see if it matches the VIN on the vehicle? I bet not many . . . but that's smart buying 101. When I buy, it's with cash, in exchange for vehicle with clean title. When I sell, it's for cash in exchange for vehicle with clean title.

I'm not afraid to carry cash. I've bought and sold equipment for years and it's always been with cash. Try to get a stranger to sell a piece of equipment in Chicago on a Sunday night for a check. It'll never happen.

I've known people so afraid of cash that they won't even carry $50. They do everything with credit card or check. When I was 21 years old I figured out that if I carried cash, I didn't have to balance a check book:-)

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

Secure funds is not a buyer risk, it's a seller risk. Buyers have other risks.

How many buyers check the VIN on the title to see if it matches the VIN on the vehicle? I bet not many . . . but that's smart buying 101. When I buy, it's with cash, in exchange for vehicle with clean title. When I sell, it's for cash in exchange for vehicle with clean title.

I'm not afraid to carry cash. I've bought and sold equipment for years and it's always been with cash. Try to get a stranger to sell a piece of equipment in Chicago on a Sunday night for a check. It'll never happen.

I've known people so afraid of cash that they won't even carry $50. They do everything with credit card or check. When I was 21 years old I figured out that if I carried cash, I didn't have to balance a check book:-)

You must be tuffer than me....

[Denis4x4]

Originally Posted by wxbuoy

We used a wire transfer on the advise of our bank. Both parties set up a new accounts at their banks. We transferred the money from our new account to theirs. Then closed the account. They did the same. If you do it at thier bank who has a notary they can verify the money is there, move it to their original account and notarize the bill of sale. Than we went to the DMV with them and had everything done to register it, change the title over.

They will understand the precautions when you explain the reasons. If they don't they are either up to something or so lax in their personal security that you dont want to deal with them.

We still communicate with the previous owners of ours.

Of all of the posts here, this is the only one that got it right. This is generally the way high dollar car transactions are handled.