Warning about seller scam

[GotSmart]

I listed my van here and on CL.

Today I got a robocall that went directly to voice mail.  

ONCE DRIVEN is a scam organization that charges you $175 to "list" your vehicle.  They get your phone number from Craig's List.  Even though you click the box indicating you do not want any solicitations.  

Do not respond to them.

 

[Headache]

All my CL ads are email only first and require they give me their phone numbers. I also include a dumb thing like require them to put a certain word in the subject line I weed out the people that can follow directions, delete the rest and contact those who are serious about buying whatever it is I'm selling. This usually also weeds out potential malicious people as well or leaves an electronic trail that can be traced.

 

[DannyB1954]

Funny, as a buyer I am reluctant to respond to adds that don't have a phone number. Why would one want to give their number to somebody that can't be traced?

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I too only respond to ads that leave a number 99% of the time. When placing ads I only leave my number, I don't leave an email because i've learned serious buyers will call and tire kickers like to waste my time with stupid offers and a never ending chain of emails. I don't mind the occasional scammer calling to offer their service I don't want or need. Why do they think I'll pay them to sell my vehicle when I can do it on Craigslist for free? They need to come up with a better scam.

Here's a little craigslist tip I learned over the years: I've done a lot of selling and buying on craigslist. I've noticed that when I start a for sale posting on Monday I always have a lot more interest in it.....I figure that's when everyone is back to work and wasting time looking for stuff to buy online instead of working. So, now whenever I have things to sell I wait til Monday to post it. As newer posts get the most attention and Mondays seem to have the most people looking.

 

[rvpopeye]

Good plan !
1/2 a Kit Kat bar for sharing!

 

[GotSmart]

I went to check the ad last night.  It had been flagged.   

I wonder if there was a connection to my telling them to stop calling me with bogus sales offers.

 

[urbanhermit70]

Seller and buyer CL tip:

Never use your cellphone number

only use throwaway phone number OR get a internet phone number

 

[GotSmart]

This is moot, as I pissed off someone there, and am completely blocked from posting on CL because of my asking a question about being blocked.  

My ad for the van has made someone angry.   :huh:

I wish Cindy was a moderator there.

 

[ArtW]

Funny, as a buyer I am reluctant to respond to adds that don't have a phone number. Why would one want to give their number to somebody that can't be traced?

you respond via email and, once you've established neither of you is a bot or scammer, exchange info
I just bought a trailer in just this fashion

 

[DannyB1954]

you respond via email and, once you've established neither of you is a bot or scammer, exchange info
I just bought a trailer in just this fashion

When you respond you go through Craigslists mail system. The person you email is still anonymous. Probably 99.9% of the time it works out. but you may still be giving your info to someone or even a bot that is collecting and selling your phone number. I just feel a whole lot better about the transaction taking place if they give me a local phone number to begin with.

 

[highdesertranger]

I always make them give me their phone number first. highdesertranger

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

There are a few other ways to determine if an ad is bogus. Broken English is the big tip off, 2nd is they use weird prices for stuff......a car will be listed as $5402, which no private seller would ever use a number like that. And the best way is to right click one of the pictures in the ads and scroll down to "Search Google for Image" Google will find if that image has been posted somewhere else on the internet. Lots of time I'll think I found a really good deal, do the search image and I'll find the real ad and real price on another site like RVTrader that the scammer steals the picture from. If google can't find any other copies of the image than you have a 99.9% chance it's a real ad.