How do you know sellers on Classifieds are legit?

[marcapra]

A couple days ago, I posted a Want Ad on the Classifieds for a 46-48 DeSoto right inner door panel.  I guy responded asking "if  you still need the part , text me".   I looked up the seller and found that he just joined the forum and has no posts.  Could he be some guy sitting in prison somewhere saying "Yeah, I have all those parts.  Send money" ?   Back in the 80s or 90s, I put a Want Ad in a magazine for parts and guy from England responded saying he had all those DeSoto parts.  When I asked for pics, he never responded again.  I thought at the time, 1948 Desoto parts in England?  Probably unlikely.  Marc.

[mercer09]

well, one has to use due diligence.

 

I wtd to buy an old harley in England at a great price, 2 days ago.

 

Seller will only take a bank wire, so I am out. If he took paypal, I would have paid the extra fees.

 

Not worth the loss...........

[Frantz]

If its cl they ought to be local. I mean who scrolls the nation looking for prople who want to buy door panels? Also the text wording seems vague with "part". Ask for pics and then a specific pic not attainable by just zooming in.

Edit... sorry I was tired this morning and for some reason read "craigslist" rather than "classified"... definitely a scam.

Edited September 21, 2018 by Frantz (see edit history)

[8E45E]

5 hours ago, marcapra said:

I thought at the time, 1948 Desoto parts in England?  Probably unlikely.

If there are, chances are they will be from a RHD Plymouth-based DeSoto Diplomat.  Unlikely they would fit your DeSoto even if they actually were available.

 

Craig

 

[MCHinson]

If you post a wanted ad on this site and you receive a reply by private message from a new member with 0 posts on ths forum there is a approximately a 99.99% chance that the person is attempting to scam you out of your money. Only deal with users with a history of on topic posts on the forum demonstrating that they are legitimate antique car hobbyists. If you receive a private message from someone with zero posts, please hit the report button on the private message so that the suspicious message will be sent to the moderators so we can identify and ban the scammers. If you post your email address in an ad and receive an email from someone who is not a registered user on the forum, there is nothing that we can do to help protect you from scammers. If it looks too good to be true, it is too good to be true, so don't waste your money on a scam.

[cxgvd]

In a related matter, I have a car for sale on these forums.  I have received three phone text messages from a different numbers each time with the exact same words " still available,  Call me". I did not respond, has to be a scam just don't know how or why?

 

Regards, Gary

[John_S_in_Penna]

11 minutes ago, cxgvd said:

In a related matter, I have a car for sale on these forums.  I have received three phone text messages...

 

Gary, I haven't heard of scammers who call sellers of cars,

though they're possible.  Maybe others could tell you more.

 

I have heard, however, of some brokers or third-party sellers

who can be pests and nuisances, calling you up and

asking to sell your car for you.  As our forum has discussed previously,

some illegitimate sites will even re-post your photos without your

authorization--and who knows what they do when buyers contact them?

 

In contrast, isn't it great to know some fine, honest people in the AACA?

[John_S_in_Penna]

6 hours ago, marcapra said:

A guy responded asking "if  you still need the part , text me".  ... Could he be some guy sitting in prison somewhere... 

 

Maybe not prison, but probably in some run-down

apartment in a lawless, backward nation.

I agree that it was almost certainly a fraud.

 

If you get a legitimate-sounding response, ask for pictures.

And to make sure that no one can simply copy someone

else's pictures from the internet, be very specific, such as:

"Take the picture with the parts on a table with today's newspaper."

Or with the latest Hemmings magazine.

Edited September 21, 2018 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[R Walling]

 If you see it in Graigs list, it should be nearby you in order to drive over and inspect the part/car. (preferably in a public area)

 Only problem is, you should take a friend (preferably a muscle  man) to prevent someone from stealing your money.

[mercer09]

meet at a public location for CL

 

this way you are not shot, murdered or robbed.

[60FlatTop]

The safest way, especially if someone entices you into an old barn, is to always bring your camera crew for backup. Sometimes it looks like they aren't there, but even the guy in total desperation can get a sandwich or a pistol from one of the cameramen.

Edited September 21, 2018 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[keiser31]

As stated....ask the seller for a specific view or angle of the part you need. If he cannot supply that "in this age of cell phones", he is a scammer.