I've had good success selling stuff on Craigslist, most recently my exercise bike that helped me recover from knee surgery a few years ago. Have also sold some guitar-related gear as well.
As some of you know, I've had my nice Alvarez 12-string for sale locally in the DC area, and have been posting it on Craigslist as I've been too lazy to go find a shipping box for ebay. My ad clearly describes the condition of the guitar and the price. I also clearly specified that payment is to be made by cash or paypal only.
Last night I got an email from "tony walker" which seemed a bit strange:
Dear seller,
How are you doing today?,am highly intrested in purchasing this item of your kindly get back to me with its present condition and the final price you are willing to let it go. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.
Regard
Tony
Of course, I have set up a "dummy" email address to use for internet transactions such as these, so I'm not too worried about getting spam and junk there - it's just going to happen. But, on the very slight chance that "tony" is simply grammatically challenged and perhaps has genuine interest in my "item," I sent him the following short reply:
Condition and price are both listed in the item's description.
Thanks for your interest!
Today he responded with a real gem:
On 1/12/07, tony walker <[email protected]> wrote:
Hello ,
Thanks very much for your email,and am okay with the price and the
coniftion,i want you to reserve (Maple 12-String Jumbo Acoustic ) and I am
sending you this email is to make confirmation of the (Maple 12-String Jumbo
Acoustic ) and that payment will be by cashier check. with this I want you
to email me your information that may be needed to send the check, as I
might not want it gets into the wrong hands.
Regarding the shipping, I have a company that takes care of the pick up of
my consignments for me and ship to my destination in the U.S.A, you do not
worry about shipping, the company will send down a representative to arrange
the sales documentation and the pick up from your end for onward transfer to
my destination.
I also want you to know that you will be recieving the check in the amount
of $3,000 and you will deduct the cost of your (Maple 12-String Jumbo
Acoustic) is $325 and send the remaining balance to the which it will cover
the shipment to my destination which will be paid to the company that will
take care of the pickup and the documentation with you. So please, as soon
as you receive the check, go and cash them,deduct your money with the
Western Union charge send the balance to the Head Office my shipping
company that will handles the shipment in US via the nearest Western Union
agent in your area immediately .
The check will be in your name to make it easier for you to cash, deduct
your balance with the Western Union charge and send the balance via Western
Union as regards my earlier direction,and I will give you the details of the
shipping company in US once I get a reply and agreement to my offer Once
the money is received by the agent in Kent US, you will contacted for
arrangement of the documentation as well as the pick up immediately. So in
view of the above, here are some of the details I will need for final
issuance of the check to you.
(1) Full Name
(2) Your contact address
(3) Your zipcode,state and country
(3) Your direct telephone numbers Your direct
Telephone Numbers(Home and Office and Cell)
Once you get back to me with all the above, the check will be issued out
immediately and it will be sent to you .Hope to hear from you immediately
Regards, NB;
I will add extra $100 for you to reserve the ITEM
Wow, what a cool guy! He must really want my (Maple 12-String Jumbo
Acoustic). He also must really like parentheses.
So I'm really excited about this! :lol: :lol: :lol:
I just responded:
Tony,
Thank you for your continued interest in my (Maple 12-String Jumbo Acoustic ).
As I'm sure you are aware, Craigslist advises its users to be wary of transactions involving cashiers checks and money transfers such as Western Union. Indeed, as I specified in my advertisement, I strongly prefer cash or paypal.
But, since you insist on using a cashiers check - oh, wait, it's a money order - or is it? You said both, for some reason. Bit of a cut-and-paste problem, eh? Well, anyway, since you seemingly want to commit fraud via the US Postal System, a felony offense, I ask that you contact the following persons for approval of this transaction:
Joseph Persichini, Jr
Assistant Director in Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington Metropolitan Field Office
601 4th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20535-0002
You should be able to reach "Joe" at:
(202) 278-2000
Thanks again! I look forward to hearing from you!
XOXO
And now I'm off to report him to the FBI's internet fraud group. :twisted:
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
craigslist is just teeming with scammers and spammers like no other site I've ever seen. It's unbelievable. It's more unbelievable (and sad) that there are people who fall for it.
Yeah, my son had one very similar when he was trying to sell a car on Gumtree the other year.
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
I bought my Seagull acoustic and a T.V. on craigslist, both with no trouble.
But (especially the TV), I had to wade through countless pseudo scams, inflated prices and posts you could barely make sense of.
So the other day I was GASsing for a PodXT, wandered into the local music shop and found a used one for 250 CAN with a 30 day money back guarantee.
Came home, later logged onto craigslist and saw one posted for 300.
Posted a very polite note saying I'd bought one from a retail shop that day on much better terms, a lower price and the seller might want to adjust their price. I thought I was doing the seller a favour.
Boom! Within hours, my post is down from the site. Flagged as unacceptable...I've seen it countless times...warnings about bogus goods or pricing tend to get removed from that site fast.
craigslist and ebay are both buyer beware territory. If you don't know really what you're bidding on, don't bid.
Don
It's important to remember that the principle "customers" of auction sites are the sellers, not the buyers. Sellers pay the fees!
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Had a similar thing happen to me a couple of years ago, step-son wanted to sell his car - I put it up a a (supposedly) reputable site, had a couple of people wanted to do the same thing - give me a lot more money than the selling price, take my cut - plus an extra percentage - and send them the difference. When the cheque arrived, it was drawn on a company account, not the would-be buyer's name....so I sent it back to him, he was obviously scamming the company, and skimming from their accounts....never heard from him again.
So watch out for anyone who does this - offers to send you a cheque for a much larger amount than you're asking - ask yourself why they're doing it? Why would they risk such a large amount? Probably because it isn't the would-be buyer's money!!!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Funny,
I just learned from one of my dummy accounts that I have a relation who died in Lagos, Nigeria and the appointed Barrister needs me to claim my "inheritance" of "2.4 millons of dalares". Just respond "a enclose number".
I feel so heartbroken that I missed my "Opurtinity" of a life time! :lol:
Do you think I should turn this in to my local FBI office or just ignore it? :?:
When I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather, not screaming......
like the passengers in his car.
I just learned from one of my dummy accounts that I have a relation who died in Lagos, Nigeria
My condolences, racetruck. :cry:
I just learned from one of my dummy accounts that I have a relation who died in Lagos, Nigeria and the appointed Barrister needs me to claim my "inheritance" of "2.4 millons of dalares". Just respond "a enclose number".
Hey I'm apparently related to him too! Howdy cuzzin!
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
You guys must have big families.
Mine was 8.5 mill. :P
Bish
"I play live as playing dead is harder than it sounds!"
Haveyou had the Nigerian Government Officer's wife yet? Aparently he discovered $20 million hanging around which nobody had ever claimed but died before he could ship it out and she wants your bank account details and promises you a percentage
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Vic: usually it's even worse: the check will get rebound a few days after you send the rest back so you end up without your item and with less money. They are stealing you twice.
By the way, am I the only one related to an Ehtiopean prince who fled and needs my account to get hos money to safety?
Slej - You're much too nice. I would have just given him Joe's contact info (without the FBI reference) and let him send off the check.
Slej - You're much too nice. I would have just given him Joe's contact info (without the FBI reference) and let him send off the check.
Ohhhhh that would just rock! :lol:
LOL, that's a good idea ... and since I just got ANOTHER one this morning, I'm going to do just that!
Unfortunately, scammer "Mrs Mary" ( [email protected] in case any trolling spambots want to bombard her mailbox ) only offered to pay me 80 dollars extra for my "item." And she wants to pay via CHEQUE (I don't know why you have to type it with all caps, but apparently it's a rule.)
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
