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Scams involved with selling a bike online?

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hncreature

· Back at it and LOVIN' it!
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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Anybody have any experience with scams that can happen with selling a bike online?

Craig's List mentions a few:
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping

Shipping?

Thanks folks! :thumbsup:
 
#2 ·
If you're selling a bike, the most common scam is that someone says they are going to pay you with a cashiers check, they want you to send all your personal info for the check.

Then they send you the check for a lot more over the the asking price. They usually say they are overseas and want you to send the bike and extra money to a friend or agent, who needs the extra money for shipping. The agent is usually another sucker being scammed on a Work From Home scheme.

What ends up is after some time the bank determines the check is fake and you are out both money and your bike.

One thing I have noticed about scam e-mails. If the person uses the word "kindly", then it's most likely a scam. Most scam artists are not in the US, and I guess they figure Americans say that word alot when we don't.
 
#3 ·
poor written english skills is a indicator.
if it involves a 3rd party or alternate shipping address.
Asking for your personal info.
a throwaway email account. yahoo, gmail, etc.
all potential scams.

once I was trying to sell a ring, had one bozo ask if the laptop was still available???
OK that one was deleted.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Some other dead give-aways (among others listed above-)...
-They ask for pictures when there are several listed in the ad.
-They ask for a price when one is clearly listed.
-They ask for the condition of said item when you have a whole paragraph describing it.
-They volunteer to pay more than what you'd asked.
- +1 on the use of the word "kindly"
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
Well how about that!!! Thank you oldskoolbiker / highdelll / Whacked!!! :thumbsup:

"Then they send you the check for a lot more over the the asking price. They usually say they are overseas and want you to send the bike and extra money to a friend or agent, who needs the extra money for shipping. The agent is usually another sucker being scammed on a Work From Home scheme."

Here's his latest email...

"Thanks for getting back to me and i live in uk and i want to buy this for my
client pls let me know if you will sell it for me and i will offer you $1,500
and he is ready to pay with local certified cashier check pls let me know if
that is fine and i will be the one that will handle the shippment because i
still have some goods that i will help him to purchase again because i am an
agent and i will appreaciate if you can let me get it pls get back to me as soon
as possible to know if you will sell it for me."

Thanks.

"poor written english skills is a indicator."
"They ask for pictures when there are several listed in the ad"
"a throwaway email account. yahoo, gmail, etc"

Heres another one...

I saw your AD while i was going through the internet.......could you let me know if the following item is still available for sale and present picture if any?????....thanks

...and his latest reply...

Thanks for the mailing..........I go the picture of the bike....and am
perfectly ok with the description of the bike......am interested in
buying the bike......Am using this opportunity to tell you that i will
be buying the bike and i want you to get back to me so that we can
discuss on the pickingup of the bike....Hope to hear from you soon....

Regard..........

Both seem to fit the criteria

Thanks again folks...you've been a HUGE help
 
#8 ·
I've found a lot of scam ads in the free online classifieds, the bike description and photos are usually copied from ebay ads. The bikes are usually expensive models that are being sold for about half the cost of what they'd normally be sold for. When the scammer is contacted they'll reply by telling you that they are currently working overseas and they'll post or ship the bike to you for free. These scammers always use a dodgy payment method such as Western Union.
 
#10 ·
When I was looking for a used bike on Kijiji (same as Craigslist), I would ask all the usual info about a used bike and the serial number. A lot of non-responses...I would estimate in my area on Kijiji 1/2 the bikes are stolen and have bad serial #'s. I went and checked out a few bikes, a few had smashed in serial numbers and a few others had the serial number flagged by police. I was tempted to say that it was my bike and either I'm taking it or reporting them to the police...but I always left empty handed and then reported them...

Happened to me a lot this summer, tempting getting a super nice bike for dirt cheap...but I didn't cave because I know what it's like to have a bike stolen. My reward was going to a police bike auction and snagging these two bikes:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=463891
 
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