Am I gonna get scammed?

bfm612 · #1 06-23-2021, 01:40 PM

So, I'm selling a guitar on Craigslist. I received the following reply:

I want to buy it.
Due to the pandemic I am working from home.So,I am free most of the time.
I want to meet you in person.
Today or tomorrow at 11am- or 2pm is okay for you?
I have no problem paying in cash.Or paypal is better if you have.
Please Let me know by email which time will work better for you.
👉 [email protected]
Thanks.

(Obviously, I omitted the email address.)

So, I'm selling this guitar in person, and was going to tell the person were I to move forward with the appointment that I'd prefer cash. No questions about the guitar, though, and the reply smells fishy. Am I being too paranoid? It just doesn't feel right, but I'm not sure what the risk is other than maybe getting held up when they come to my house.

What do you people think?

B

Goat Mick · #2 06-23-2021, 01:46 PM

It looks perfectly legit to me. I would request cash and set up to meet in a public place like the parking lot at the police station. Wouldn't slow me down in the least. BTW I'm working from home full time now as are a lot of people I know.

RP · #3 06-23-2021, 01:49 PM

The thing of concern to me is that in the body of the reply there's no mention of the exact item that you're selling. I expect to see some mention or a question that directly addresses the exact item and not merely refer to the guitar as "it." This reply could be used for any item for sale on Craigslist. Could be fishing for email addresses...

TheGITM · #4 06-23-2021, 01:49 PM

Always meet somewhere public. Police station is great, but any high traffic area should work fine (grocery store parking lot, Quick Trip, etc).

Matts67 · #5 06-23-2021, 01:53 PM

If he's offering to meet you in person and pay via multiple payment methods of your choice, it's likely not a scam. If you agree and he changes his story, then it could get interesting. But as is, I wouldn't be too concerned.

stokes1971 · #6 06-23-2021, 01:57 PM

If the buyer is less than scrupulous they will likely decline meeting at a police station parking lot.Best bet.

pagedr · #7 06-23-2021, 01:58 PM

Sans the offering to pay in cash portion, that comes off as every scammy message I've received via Craigslist. Reads as though it was run through a translator. I'd proceed with caution, and would recommend only replying to the Craigslist listing email, not to the email address they provided you with.

3fingers · #8 06-23-2021, 01:59 PM

Probably a scam. He/She wants you to reply to their email account directly and they never mention the specific item being purchased. I have sold a lot on craigslist and would ignore this type of message.

bfm612 · #9 06-23-2021, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RP

The thing of concern to me is that in the body of the reply there's no mention of the exact item that you're selling. I expect to see some mention or a question that directly addresses the exact item and not merely refer to the guitar as "it." This reply could be used for any item for sale on Craigslist. Could be fishing for email addresses...

That's exactly what I was thinking! There was nothing on the reply that showed any specificity to the item, which makes it feel like (to paranoid me, at least) it's a mass email that is applicable to anything that's for sale. And no haggling, about which I should be glad, but in this case I feel like a merchant in a bazaar in Marrakesh, totally confused as to why this customer's not negotiating.

Transacting in a public place seems smart enough, but I'll continue to give it some thought.

Ghostpicker · #10 06-23-2021, 02:02 PM

I've sold guitars on Craigslist without incident but I tend to be overly cautious about the process because there are a LOT of flakey individuals looking to pull a good scam.

1. If the "interested party" sounds suspect - pass (The email you received didn't sound too out of line. If you have reservations or questions, tell them. If it doesn't feel right - pass. If they keep giving excuses for missing a meet up or changing dates and times - pass.)
2. I never meet at my home. I always meet in a public place with active security cameras. My local Police Department has a meeting area that they allow to be used. Anyone not willing to meet at the PD, - pass
3. When talking about (big??) money I have requested the user meet at his bank so the money comes from a teller not from a monopoly set.
4. I've never felt that I NEED to sell so if it doesn't feel right, I walk away.
5. Other than contact information (usually to a throw away email address or tracfone) I give no personal information to prospective buyers.
6. Not every Craigslist user is a flake. I've meet and dealt with some good folks.

I'm sure I've forgotten a dozen other things but the overall message is...if it don't feel right, walk away. YMMV

bfm612 · #11 06-23-2021, 02:26 PM

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Like @Ghostpicker, I've sold on Craigslist a few times and also have passed on potential buyers who seemed suspicious, so despite all the sound recommendations from the group on how to stay safe, I think I'll pass on this one. It's not an urgent sale, so I'm more than happy to sit it out and wait for a buyer with whom I'm more comfortable.

Much appreciated, AGF.

Mr. Paul · #12 06-23-2021, 02:46 PM

Replying from Craigslist, "Hi, sounds great. Please provide your phone # and I'll call you to work out the time and place to meet. Thanks"

If then you smell a rat from either 1. the response you can bail, or from 2. the phone call you can block the phone number. That's how I would do it.

Jim85IROC · #13 06-23-2021, 03:08 PM

I've generally found it difficult to get scammed if we agree to make an in-person cash transaction.

lowrider · #14 06-23-2021, 03:33 PM

Cash, always cash, and only cash!

I sell a lot on CL. I just sold a bicycle to a who I met at my local library like I always do and he took security one step further. He arrived without the money, checked out the bike then we went about 2 miles to the bank where he got the money and finished the deal.

You have to be careful on both sides. If you don't feel comfortable with the buyer, cancel the deal. There will be another buyer.

gibpicker · #15 06-23-2021, 03:42 PM

Why didn't he ask if you are firm on the price, or mention the guitar for that matter? I've listed quite a few items on CL in the past with the potential buyer(s) not mentioning the actual items, and just dismissed them as probably our fine friends from Somalia etc. If you don't hear back from them you will know.