Is this a legitimate buyer?
 

Couldn’t figure out which topic to choose. Hope someone can give me some advice. I posted our trailer for sale a few hours ago. I am getting text messages from someone named Rowland with a New York area code who asked questions that were answered in my ad. Now he wants my PayPal account and will send me $$ before the freight company picks it up. I am skeptical. Should I be?
Thanks

Yes. It’s a scam. A kind of common scam unfortunately.

Part of it will be that he will send “extra money” for you to pay the freight company.....

Yes, be skeptical. I recommend you ignore this scammer. No one should be willing to pay more than a deposit sight-unseen, very few buyers are going to have a "freight company" come by and pick up the trailer, etc. This is likely to be a paypal scam.

Definitely a scam. He is going to over pay you, and then ask that you send him back a smaller amount of money to reimburse the overpay. Then he will disappear and you'll be out your cash.

p.s. If you're the type who likes to take it up a notch, you could take his payment but then NOT refund his ”overpay." ;-) He may then try to submit a claim to PayPal for payment on goods not received, but since he's running a scam (and likely multiples), you could possibly come out on the winning side. It is a risk though.

This is a TERRIBLE suggestion, there's no real upside for participating. The "buyer" likely is using a stolen or otherwise fraudulent paypal account to begin with, and once either the scammer or the rightful owner of the paypal account report it to paypal, THEY will come after "your" money.

I agree, in all likelihood this is a scam. Your commonsense is telling you to be skeptical, I'd listen to it!

Ignore this one; I would not escalate the interaction. Be patient, you will get legitimate inquiries.

Yesterday I advertised my trailer for sale in the classified part of the forum and I have already been approached by someone claiming to act on behalf of a buyer who buys and ships Airstreams overseas. He claims to be willing to pay cash and send a freight company to pickup the trailer without ever coming to inspect. He seemed unable to understand my skepticism and unwillingness to engage in his envisaged transaction. This approach came from a Houston area cell phone.

It’s likely a scam. Run, Forest, run...
brick

Anybody that is willing to give you exactly what you want for your trailer, sight unseen, without even trying to bargain your price down; and has a freight company coming to pick up your trailer, is a scammer.

Never accept monies from someone you will never see in person.

The scammer doesn't want your trailer, all they want is the frieght charge that they will try and get you to send to the "freight company". People are usually too embarrassed to tell others they got scammed for $1,500 or so dollars.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

Scam..check it out ..pay pal or e Bay doesn’t do this..phony.

Ignore this scam, and also ignore Post #6.

:blink:

I got another text, similar to the first, from a number in South Dakota. Did not appreciate the timing: 1:30 a.m. I ignored it. Would like to sell to someone who knows and appreciates the uniqueness of Airstreams. Thanks to everyone for the responses.

Yep roland contacted me on our classified almost within minutes of it being posted asking first if it was still availabe and if so what was my best price plus some other nonsence. New instantly it was a scam and to confirm he can be found in a google search.
messed with him untill he got tired of it.:D

I also just received a text message from the South Dakota area. Same scheme. Wants to do this via PayPal "because its the most secure way to make or received payment online". LOL. Hmmmm. How about a cashiers check at time of pickup....after a DEPOSIT (via cashiers check) to hold it prior to inspection/sale?

I have more 'stuff' than a junkyard... with taste. I am selling through a number of options open to me on the Internet.

I ignore emails, when I provide a telephone number. Once I have a name and telephone number... I go to work on the Internet to discover whom I am dealing with. I can then take their address to Zillow and see their home and value in less than 60 seconds. You can contact a neighbor, if you really get detailed.

Never be too anxious to sell and trust an unknown buyer.

I include two emails on a $2450.00 transaction that was so obvious, my dogs could do better. I even scanned and contacted the College the check was from and they even said it was... fake.

There are decent folk out there. They will CALL you and you get the information needed. Deal through their or your bank... directly.

They know who you are...

I had a possible apartment renter. I required references. One was a church pastor. I called... He said 'I would not rent to him'. That took care of that.

When I have sold my AS's in the past, I have negotiated with the buyer over the phone, asked for a fedex check deposit be sent to my home address which I would cash and send receipt via email. I then arrange for a visit with the buyer to see my trailer, ask them to bring a certified check along for balance. We then drive over to my local bank, deposit, verify monies in his account/check is good. I then sign over the titles. Worked for me in the past 3 AS's....

In your case, it may have worked, but certified bank checks are no longer secure. Also, I can wire money into your account and then have it withdrawn as an error. $25 fee for this at my bank.

If it sounds too good to be true, it is a scam. I had the same thing happen to me just after I posted. Girl from Martha's Vineyard with a Los Angeles cell number. Wouldn't leave me alone. Pay full price and a shipping company involved.

My payment was a 'Certified Bank Check' from a College account in San Francisco, CA 90210. The Fed Ex overnight was from Alexandria, VA 22314. The 'Orphanage' the books were to be was in Bradenton, FL 34207.

I Googled name, telephone numbers and checked sourcing of funds. There were pages of SCAM reports connected to the names, locations and phone numbers.

Money transfer from their Bank to my Bank... works.
Money transfer from their Bank to my investment bank... works.

My contacts... were all women. Surely, that made it all fair and reasonable...?

And the Orphanage... technical geochemistry, mining and structural geology... is great bedtime reading. It is for... me.