Is this a scam??

[LJowdy]

Originally Posted by Interblog

Is it a real problem now with fake cashiers checks, or a theoretical problem? My husband and I bought our rig that way, out of state. Brought one cashiers check apiece to the closing table, which was in a hotel continental breakfast room, not a bank (omitting details but the two checks were due to Texas community property laws) and the seller did not object. The seller was a flipper so he presumably knew the lay of the land. But that was almost 3 years ago so perhaps things have changed.

In the recent past, if someone payed for an item with a Cashier's check or "Bank Check" all was great.. You, as the seller, accepted the check knowing that the funds were backed by the bank. After All, it's a "Cashiers Check"

Scammers got wise and forged these kinds of checks.

So, you sell a high dollar item, accept a Cashier's check and the buyer leaves with your high dollar item. You march proudly to your bank, deposit the check and in about 3 or 4 days you get a notice from the bank that the funds never arrived as the check was a forgery. That has given the thief a huge head start and more than time enough to dispose of your former high dollar item.

[ahicks]

Cashier's checks are a bad plan. There have been quite a few well documented cases where fraudulent checks were passed.

I recently sold a bike (kind of a collector's bike) to the high bidder located in Brazil in an Ebay auction - despite the fact I had advertised it as US sales only. To top that, he was working through an agent in Miami. The agent contacted me at the close of the auction, telling me the bike would be picked up at my location, transported to Miami, then loaded in a container for the final leg of the trip to Brazil! His question was how would I like to be payed?

This whole thing smelled really bad, but the bike had sold for top dollar so I thought I would see how it all panned out. Even the agent sensed my misgivings and understood totally.

A call to my bank landed a plan that worked fairly well (they thought it smelled bad too!). A business check drawn on the agents bank, who had offices local to me (BOA), was cut and mailed to me. I took the check to the local (BOA) office and cashed it. Then I took that cash and deposited it in my own bank. When I got home I called the agent and told him the bike was available for pick up at his convenience. 2 days later it was gone... No risk transaction completed - to a dealer in Brazil, using an agent in Miami!

[nehog]

Originally Posted by scubastevee

...
He wants to purchase it "as is" and register it in Illinois. I find this very unusual that someone would do this and purchase any RV "as is" simply based on the photos I posted. ...

Technically in the US (and probably in Canada) any private motor vehicle sale is 'as-is'. As for someone buying an RV sight unseen, that seems unusual but not unheard of.

I'd go with a bank-to-bank wire transfer.

[gklugie]

I have purchased things in the past using U.S. Post Office money orders. No vehicles though. The Post Office money orders have always been accepted. I do not know if there is an amount limit on these though.

[vsheetz]

Scam. Tell them sure. Only If face to face sale and green cash payment.

[Roy1]

If he is paying cash and the bills are not counterfeit you should be good. I sold my GMC last year the guy called and said he liked the pictures of my coach and improvements and it would take 2 days for him to drive from another state to pay cash for my 40 year old coach . No questions just I'm coming and don't need your street address till I get in your town?! I thought it maybe a scam and I had another buyer that wanted to fly in right then for a look see I told him too wait a day. The quiet guy called 2 days later asked my address when he was 10 miles from my house walked around the coach drove it a block came back and counted out $20,000 in $100 bills. I guess he liked what he saw cause he sure didn't say much. He called a few months later an said he drove the coach 8500 miles on vacation and it ran well .

[unclejay]

A.Hicks I cant believe you weren't scammed. Sure, the bank cashed the check, but based on what ? They would come after you in a minute if the 'agent' bank account was suddenly withdrawn and closed. A company backed check is worth nothing.

In some states it is a crime to participate as a victim, you are wasting law enforcement time due to lack of due diligence.

All the posters recommending cash are also taking a huge risk. Ill bet one in ten of those result in a hold up, vehicle theft, or murder.

[powercat_ras]

Cash is a problem for other reasons, too. You can't deposit more than $ 9999.99 without your bank immediately reporting the transaction to the federal government. If the government decides the cash you received was sourced from criminal activity, then they can seize the money. All of this without any due process. So, beware of any purchaser who wants to give you $ 10,000 or more in cash to buy anything.

[Superslif]

When I posted my RV for sale back a few months ago on Craigslist, I had all kinds of scams, almost daily. Most would say they were sending a certified check for my full amount, and once check "clears" will send their "shipper" to to pick it up.

Plus some brokers ( same company, different people) out of Las Vegas every other day would call to say they have a buyer for my RV and I need to spend $399 to advertise it nation wide.

[Cooperhawk]

Originally Posted by Superslif

When I posted my RV for sale back a few months ago on Craigslist, I had all kinds of scams, almost daily. Most would say they were sending a certified check for my full amount, and once check "clears" will send their "shipper" to to pick it up.

Plus some brokers ( same company, different people) out of Las Vegas every other day would call to say they have a buyer for my RV and I need to spend $399 to advertise it nation wide.

I basically had the same experience. I even had one guy who would call from Missouri every day just to see if it sold yet. I think he was just lonely and loved to BS.

[TXTiger]

Originally Posted by nehog

Technically in the US (and probably in Canada) any private motor vehicle sale is 'as-is'. As for someone buying an RV sight unseen, that seems unusual but not unheard of.

I'd go with a bank-to-bank wire transfer.

Not true. Unless the sales agreement says as is. Also even if the sales agreements say as is and if the seller knows or should have know of a material defect and does not disclose it to the buyer the sell is liable for fraud.

[KHBama]

Originally Posted by unclejay

A.Hicks I cant believe you weren't scammed. Sure, the bank cashed the check, but based on what ? They would come after you in a minute if the 'agent' bank account was suddenly withdrawn and closed. A company backed check is worth nothing.

In some states it is a crime to participate as a victim, you are wasting law enforcement time due to lack of due diligence.

All the posters recommending cash are also taking a huge risk. Ill bet one in ten of those result in a hold up, vehicle theft, or murder.

He took it to the Agent's bank and cashed the check. The funds had to be there for him to be able to cash the check. At that point, he's free and clear

[Fkrel]

When I sold my last motorhome the people that wanted it lived in the next town, they looked at it 3 times and called every week for a month while looking at other rvs and then finially came over to talk sale after we settled on a price put down pmt on it and went to his credit union for a check for the rest out of savings. He called from the credit union (caller id ) and asked for exact name for the credit union check cashiers check. and paid for the MH 30 min later sale was complete. I took the down pmt and the check to my bank and deposited in my account. a couple days later looked at my bank at my account and see the check has a hold on it so I made a trip to my bank wanting to know what was the problem they claimed they hold for 7 days to make sure that the check was good because they claim cashiers checks go to the federal deposit then back to the bank and they dont want to take a chance of getting burned. Of course I had purchased another rv and was wanting the money for pmt on the new rv. So I called BS to the bank manager and told him to call the credit union in the next town to verifiy the check they told me that was not thier problem and I will have to wait, I told them If they didnt give me my cash I was thru with 35 years of banking there was over. They said no! I withdrew my savings and paid for the rv and moved the rest to the credit union across the street that I had an account for the last 15yrs also and started to transfer all of my checking the manager said the threat of moving my accounts didnt bother him, when the bank released the credit union check I took the rest in cash the manager came out and tried to talk me into staying but I was done with them. Taking a check from out of state or out of country is a big risk but a local check can be verified with a phone call.

[Jim.B1]

I was selling a 42' boat last year.
It was advertised on Kijiji in Toronto and I received several offers to purchase immediately, sight unseen, from all over North America, with their "representatives" picking it up, or wanting me to ship it!
I didn't just fall off the turnip truck, it was obviously a scam, and your story sounds similar.
Offer it "as is", let them view it, and deal in "CASH".