Selling a tractor on Craigs....weird reply, opinions needed!

[renegade_xs11g]

So I'm selling a Riding Tractor on craigslist....

Got a really weird reply, heres what happened

his first reply was to my ad on craigslist
"do you still have it for sale"
for some reason, his reply was in my spam box

I replyed
'Yes, I still have it for sale,
for some reason your message was in my spam box ?????

Thanks, John
517 ***-****'

here's the weird part---

His next:
Hello..
Thanks for your mail.I want you to consider that you have alreadysell
it now..So i will like to make payment to you certified check and send
it to you Via ups overnight delivery and for the pick my shipper will
come for the pick up once you have the check..So i will like you to
get back to me with your details.
Name to be on the check
Address:State,city and Zip-code
Phone#
Thanks

At first I'm thinking: wow i sold it, $600 full asking price..........
and typed in my info........but then, WHOA I think...he's not seen it, heard it run, riden it....

So I held delete, and then sent this

'My name is John,
before we go any further...you want to buy this without seeing it first?'

Wait, since I started typing this it's gotten a little weirder

his last

'Hello
how are you doing?....I want to see it but am not in the state right now so that is why i can not come and look it,And i want you to know that i realy need the item so get back to me with your full information so i will issue the payment as soon as i get your infortion

Have a nice day'



SO, how weird is this??????????

[DGXSER]

Very!!
My opinion, Tell him to contact you when he is around and come see it and deal with you.

Most people I know who have delt with Craigslist say that 95% of the people that contact them either make appointments and never show, or ask questions and never call or email back after they are answered. Basically very rude.

This sounds like someone trying a new way to scam personal info for ID theft or somethin. Might be nice to sell a $600 tractor, but this has the tone of "meet my buddy Ben...Mr. Dover". Either that or his check is worth maybe the paper it is written on.

[BigDick]

I gotta agree with DGSXER, don't buy it without better confirmation that this isn't a scam. Worst case you p!$$ someone off and don't sell it to them and a bit later someone else buys it. Better safe than sorry.

[blue giant]

That's got scam written all over it! That is one of the oldest tricks going. Just ignore him or you'll be out 600 bucks and a lawn tractor too!
Paul

[Ken Talbot]

Next, the CC he sends you will be enough to cover the selling price plus some other amount to pay the shipper who needs to be paid when he picks up you tractor. You give the shipper your tractor and cash/cheque for the shipping, he takes your tractor away, then his CC cheque bounces. There will probably be some bit about the shipper will only be in your area for this extra low deal on shipping for a short period so this has to happen fast - ie faster that his CC will clear!

Therre are lots of reference sites that give a good run down on this scam

[wa407mpp]

scam scam scam scam

This is one of the oldest scams in the book, he can't come look at it because he is in Nigeria, waiting for some sucker to sent him their banking information so he can send them $155,000,000 that he can't get out of the contry by himself.

[renegade_xs11g]

You know those times when the hair on the back of your neck stand up?

This is one of em'

My last to him, was
'I'm not in the habit of sending my personal info over the internet, to someone I don't know, haven't spoke with, or met '

this was before I read and of your answers.....

My wife wants me to mess with him a little bit!

[DiverRay]

Go ahead and mess with him!! Just DO NOT give him ANY information, and make sure you have the local police department on your side as you type! If he IS someplace in the USA, they MAY be able to "intercept" the pick-up driver, and have HIM meet Mr. Ben Dover!

[xsilerating]

Next, the CC he sends you will be enough to cover the selling price plus some other amount to pay the shipper who needs to be paid when he picks up you tractor. You give the shipper your tractor and cash/cheque for the shipping, he takes your tractor away, then his CC cheque bounces. There will probably be some bit about the shipper will only be in your area for this extra low deal on shipping for a short period so this has to happen fast - ie faster that his CC will clear!

Therre are lots of reference sites that give a good run down on this scam

Yup, that's it in a nutshell.

My advice, completely ignore his and, any message like his. Appears he's just trying to get any and all personal information from you that he can... best to not let him succeed in any way!

[oseaghdha]

Google up "Craigslist scam", it will begin to sound familiar.

Probably the one where his secretary makes a mistake and the check is for $6000 and would you cash it and return the overage. He don't want your lawnmower.

I would yank his chain, but you have to be careful with your info.
I use a throw away gmail account for craigslist.

There's some funny stuff here: http://www.419eater.com/

I started dikkin with some guy who was from "The United Nations Relief Fund", wanted to give me lots of money. But it got tedious after a while.

[red bandit]

I had a guy offer me more than full price one time, gave me his credit card # right off the bat. I told him I wasn't set up for credit card, he asked if I would send it COD. I said SURE it's on the way. Yeh right!

[xs11lover]

You know it's a scam as well as we all do, the only sure sale is cash in hand. Even a money order can have a stop payment, no shipping until the check clears is rule #1. If you want to play with him, give him a PO box number.

[egleaves]

That is a textbook Craigslist scam! There is a warning at the top of almost every page on CL against exactly that type of scam. Terminate contact with that "person" and find someone who will meet you face to face and hand you CASH.

[Varnae]

It's basically a 419 scam. These are incredibly common. There's a website http://www.419eater.com/ where they scam the scammer. It's classic stuff. If you want to mess with him, do some of the stuff they say on that site, if you just want him to stop contacting you just tell him to send you a check but you won't turn the tractor over to the person picking it up until the check has cleared. He'll leave you alone at that point.

[madmax-im]

Scam scam scam!!!!

You are quite right to suspect this buyer and quite right NOT to give him/her you personal info...Local sale only in person cash in hand is the ONLY thing I'd trust. I have read of this scenario quite a few times but never happened to me personally...