Community Forums

ltfishin · 07-09-2013, 09:57 AM

Private owner, face to face! Shopped 3 yrs, found 96 -34 ft Winnie Brave, 6 miles from home, Ladies husband had heart

ltfishin · 07-09-2013, 10:11 AM

Did not get to finish, pup jumped on keyboard, husband passed just after lots done to MH. New tires, exhaust include, Y pipe, tune up, wires, cap, new front shocks, sway bar, air bags, same tune up for Onan, 460hrs, Spotless inside, stored inside, 26,000 miles. She put in writing could bring back in 30 days if not happy! We love it, 8,000miles later, No problems! 12,500.00 , best deal I've ever gotten!

Brockx · 07-09-2013, 10:53 AM

E-Bay is a much safer marketplace and there are arbitration methods and recourses through E-Bay and Paypal, I have been a member for about 10 years, got cheated once on description of item, less than $50, was not worth chasing.

Craig's List is not E-Bay, TRUST NO ONE, no recourse if you get taken.

Brockx · 07-09-2013, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred1609

Scary stuff...but you know what? These frauds must be working to a degree because they are still out there....

I live in SW Florida (aka: God's waiting room), always a story on TV or newspaper about some trusting old soul getting hosed by scams that most of us would not believe for a minute.

SW Florida biker bar

Mr_D · 07-09-2013, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ltfishin

Did not get to finish, pup jumped on keyboard, husband passed just after lots done to MH. New tires, exhaust include, Y p

You have one hour to edit your post once it's posted.

sirpurrcival · 07-09-2013, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by begete

Some follow up:

After having Ebay confirm it was a scam, I "answered" the Craig's list ad again, after the poor divorcee had already "sold" the RV to me, from another e-mail account. Sure enough, I got the same boilerplate, "personalized" reply from the "Seller." Additionally, one of my neighbors is a retired techie and he looked at the "invoice" as could not distinguish it from a genuine EBay invoice except that Ebay always uses PayPal, and we both know that EBay never acts as any type of escrow agent.

Later yesterday a similar motorhome was again listed on Craig's list for a similar price...btw - usually something strange like $13, 407 - I think they are converting a round number of Euros? - with a philosophical "sales pitch" such as explore the "beauties of nature".... or "now that you are retired".....and the seller's screen name is a gmail or Yahoo account.

Ebay has very good instructions for avoiding fraud online. Everyone should read them.

In the meantime, other than EBay, Craig's list and here, can anyone suggest other sources to purchase a used RV other than dealers?

We have something up here called the AutoTrader, there is also an RV equivalent. Some dealers, some private sales, that is usually a source I look at from time to time. Also post on boards like this. This is an RV site, everyone here has or is looking for an RV. Consequently, some may be thinking of selling too. Post what you are looking for, see what comes up. RV's know RV's as well. Even if they are not selling, they may know someone who is.

TwelveVolt · 07-09-2013, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo

Any time you see a Craigslist ad for an RV with a price that seems to be an amazing bargain, assume it is a scam - because it almost always is...

Not just CL, but also eBay and any other advertising channel. The amazing price seems to be the key to every variation of the scam. As the OP points out, he fell in love with the perfect RV at a fantastic price despite his experience investigating fraud. Tell someone they can be driving a $200,000 vehicle on a $50,000 budget and you have their attention. Never mind the date codes on the tires or the hours on the generator or the condition of the carpet; where do I sign before someone else does?

In this state of excitement, we also mentally turn off a lot of other questions, like "Why is the price so low?", and "Why is it so difficult to arrange a viewing?", and "Why are we still emailing a week later on a deal that should have been snapped up immediately by somebody with a fist full of cash?". We know it can't be true, but we want to make it real through sheer force of positive thinking. Despite all the signs to the contrary, what if this one "happens" to be the real deal?

Whether we label it 'positive thinking' or 'greed' or anything else, it is a very real human emotion that the scammers use to their advantage.

An aside FYI:
In reading the eBay policy, I came across an item that says eBay users can get an AutoCheck.com report (competitor of CarFax) at a discounted rate of $10 instead of $25.

glarnold · 07-09-2013, 01:57 PM

Just a side note, about craigslist - only three weeks ago, here in Omaha, a young man had advertised his car on craigslist. Had a buyer respond. Being savvy and careful, he arranged to meet the buyer at a Mall parking lot - public place, right?

As he was waiting, three men pulled up in a car, showed a handgun, and took his wallet and car.

I'm sure he felt violated.

GL Arnold

begete · 07-10-2013, 11:31 AM

Just want to mention that the OP for thread, who used to prosecute fraud cases, is a "she" not a "he", and shortly after the original post, we bought a Canadian made Bigfoot with which we are quite happy, even though we bought it through a dealer in Seattle and paid more than we had wanted to spend.

Whatnobeer · 07-10-2013, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwelveVolt

Not just CL, but also eBay and any other advertising channel. The amazing price seems to be the key to every variation of the scam. As the OP points out, he fell in love with the perfect RV at a fantastic price despite his experience investigating fraud. Tell someone they can be driving a $200,000 vehicle on a $50,000 budget and you have their attention. Never mind the date codes on the tires or the hours on the generator or the condition of the carpet; where do I sign before someone else does?

In this state of excitement, we also mentally turn off a lot of other questions, like "Why is the price so low?", and "Why is it so difficult to arrange a viewing?", and "Why are we still emailing a week later on a deal that should have been snapped up immediately by somebody with a fist full of cash?". We know it can't be true, but we want to make it real through sheer force of positive thinking. Despite all the signs to the contrary, what if this one "happens" to be the real deal?

Whether we label it 'positive thinking' or 'greed' or anything else, it is a very real human emotion that the scammers use to their advantage.

An aside FYI:
In reading the eBay policy, I came across an item that says eBay users can get an AutoCheck.com report (competitor of CarFax) at a discounted rate of $10 instead of $25.

Twelve Volt hit this on the head. The term for this is "Social Engineering". It's been going on for years, even before the internet. But as 12V so eloquantly stated, they prey on your emotions and good spirits. I work for the DoD and we see this all the time with Social websites (Facebook, Twitter, etc...) fishing for information that people aren't supposed to get their hands on, but people being who they are, give it up. So if it's too good to be true, then it is. Amen to all of you that had the guts to tell them off or string them along.

My Nigerian rich uncle wants to talk to your Romanian RV Dealer.

TwelveVolt · 07-11-2013, 07:01 AM

Sorry Begete. Guess I'm just one of the guys who couldn't figure out the riddle about the doctor who said "I can't operate on this patient; he is my son".

Watched an X-Files episode last night. What we are talking about here is well summed up by the caption on agent Mulder's Roswell poster that reads "I want to believe".