Should I be worried... (craigslist)

[Super Intendo]

I'm trying to sell my macbook on craigslist (I'd love to sell it here, but apparently I'm not qualified...) and I've gotten an offer. I know the general rule of thumb is 'if you have to ask, then its probably a scam' but with this one i'm just not sure, so I figured i'd ask here.

Here are the first and second emails i recieved (the only ones so far):
Hello seller,i just want to confirm whether you still have the item i saw the advert on craigslist.

Hello seller thanks for your quick response i will like to buy this item so pls do withdraw the advert from Craigslist. I will also like you to know that i will be paying through paypal due to the distance as i am located in Australia right now due to official duty and i want the item for my nephew that is in a mission school in Nigeria so if you agree with this transaction i would like you to know that you will assist me in shipping the item to him in Nigeria through USPS Priority mail so all i need you to do is calculate the cost of the item and shipping cost for the neccessary payment.I will need you to provide me with your paypal information to enable me make the payment to you immediately,your immediate response will highly be appreciated,thanks

I just dont know... it doesnt seem too shady, but i figured i should get some opinions first.

[swiftaw]

Scam, Scam, Scam, Scam, Scam!!!!

[ktbubster]

NIGERIA?!

I don't mean to be stereotyping but.... 99% of the time (well i have yet to see a real honest transaction actually so 100% right now)

ANYONE telling you to ship to Nigeria is scamming you. Period.

[Super Intendo]

i thought so as well, the only reason i think it might be okay is that hes saying he'll pay through pay pal, not like some weird money transfer system.

[TwinCities Dan]

$ upfront.

Sounds fair, good deal. :rolleyes: :)

[TSE]

If you calculate the cost to ship (add 10 bucks to the shipping costs :p) and he pays via paypal, you get your money, you send the item, why not?

[ChemiosMurphy]

Nigeria = scam. They can sell you all the sob stories they want.

And the whole customs thing. They have anti-exportation laws and crap, so you might me held accountable.

I wouldn't do it, just try to find another buyer. You prolly spent one thousand dollars or more on the device. Imagine all that money in one dollar bills. Now imagine that AND your macbook in the scammers hand.

[stealthninja]

be careful of buyers saying they'll pay you though paypal, because i have received numerous emails that are fake paypal payment confirmations (exact quote:
payment has been deducted from the buyer's account and has been "APPROVED"but will not be credited to your account until the shipment reference/tracking number is sent to us for shipment verification so as to secure both the buyer and the seller.)
you should log in to your paypal account to check that the money is indeed there.

[Super Intendo]

Nigeria = scam. They can sell you all the sob stories they want.

And the whole customs thing. They have anti-exportation laws and crap, so you might me held accountable.

I wouldn't do it, just try to find another buyer. You prolly spent one thousand dollars or more on the device. Imagine all that money in one dollar bills. Now imagine that AND your macbook in the scammers hand.

thats probably true... hmph.

well only 68 more posts till I can post in the market place :rolleyes:

[SchneiderMan]

lol im to trying to sell and today i got this from a guy:
"Hello,
I appreciate your promptness I'm really interested in the Item but i'm so sorry as i won't be able to come for a look as i'm the busy type. Well, i'll keep in touch with my financier to mail a Check for the amount you're requesting for the Item and will have a shipping company to come for the pick up as soon as you confirm to me that you receive the check and it clears your bank. If this arrangement is acceptable, pls get back to me with your name as it will appear on the check and your contact address that the check will be mail to alongwith your cell #. Get back as soon as possible.
Thanks."

hahahaha yeah right, i told him only cash and i never got his reply

[hoangcong]

i heard a lot of bad stories about people being able to recall the money they sent through paypal!!
Be careful!
Someone tried to scam me with western union + fedex last year (sent a fake western union transaction and wanted to send fedex to fetch item asap!)

[Super Intendo]

i heard a lot of bad stories about people being able to recall the money they sent through paypal!!
Be careful!
Someone tried to scam me with western union + fedex last year (sent a fake western union transaction and wanted to send fedex to fetch item asap!)

craigslist is a shady place :(

[macintosh tech]

craigslist is a shady place :(

This is nonsense. A correct statement is "There are shady people on craigslist." On the plus side those are easy to pick out, not to mention even if you do think it is real and you fire off an email. The reply will surely raise the flag. Here are some frequent ones from around my parts:

Hi,
Thank you for your email. I still have it for sale. Right now i am in Canada at my parents ranch with my son but i hope that`s not going to be a problem because i can still handle the transaction. When i left for Canada, i left the item along with several other items in the custody of The Online Outpost because i wanted to sell them on eBay when i return, but something came up back home and i decided to sell this one before i get back but not on ebay because i need to sell it faster. So if you are still interested let me know because i can make the transaction immediately.
There will also be a 10 days return policy on the unit .Just let me know and i will explain all the details of the transaction...
Thanks
Rich


Hello,

I still have the macbook pro.
My name is Timothy Dalton and I am now in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
I hope you are still interested and we can make the deal happen right away.
Obviously we need a safe way to complete this deal that will allow us to make sure we receive what
we are after.
I have found a way for us to complete the deal fast (3 days) and easy. The solution is a
worldwide delivery company called Royalmail. Royalmail is similar to FedEx, DHL or UPS and they will provide assistance in handling the payment and delivery of the macbook pro. With this procedure you will be able to check the macbook pro before I receive the payment.
Like I said, I will pay for a 2 days delivery so you will receive the macbook pro right away.
Let me know what you think.

Thank you!
Tim

[arn]

more info on the scam

http://www.whoisandrewwee.com/ebay-auctions/ebay-nigeria-scam-exposed/

[Super Intendo]

more info on the scam

http://www.whoisandrewwee.com/ebay-auctions/ebay-nigeria-scam-exposed/

thank you macrumors god.

if i pray to you can you grant me access to post in the market place where i know there arent scams? :)

[MacSyn]

Very simple.... sell only to locals.

This is what I did when I put my ad to sell my Mac on CL: buyer came over to my place, he could look at it and play with it as long as he wanted. Negotiate the price, gave me his cash and I gave him my Mac. I never consider to ship it to any place including within the US. Simple as that.

[queshy]

be careful of buyers saying they'll pay you though paypal, because i have received numerous emails that are fake paypal payment confirmations (exact quote:
)
you should log in to your paypal account to check that the money is indeed there.

Wow, never thought of that, thanks a LOT for the heads up on that one...

Anyways 100000% scam. I've gotten the old nigeria scam e-mailed to me countless numbers of times regarding my CL ads.

Whatever you do - try and do the transaction at the bank. Safest place. GL and find another buyer! Keep posting on MR then you can sell in the marketplace. The MR marketplace is built on trust - it's more comforting selling to members who have been around a while as they are technically less likely to scam. It looks suspicious when someone just signs up to MR to sell something!!

[CanadaRAM]

MR Guides : Buying Online (http://guides.macrumors.com/Buying_Online_-_Is_This_Company_Legitimate%3F) (also has a section on Craigslist)

Short version: Use craigslist ONLY for face to face local transactions.

[queshy]

thank you macrumors god.

if i pray to you can you grant me access to post in the market place where i know there arent scams? :)

Lmao...just keep posting and before you know it you will have full MR privelages from the MacRumors God!

Very simple.... sell only to locals.

This is what I did when I put my ad to sell my Mac on CL: buyer came over to my place, he could look at it and play with it as long as he wanted. Negotiate the price, gave me his cash and I gave him my Mac. I never consider to ship it to any place including within the US. Simple as that.

Good POV. I used to think the same way - but when i sold on CL I was reading about all kinds of scams so I decided to only do transactions at the bank. When I sold my MBP, the buyer met up w/ me at a bank, we checked over hte laptop together and as soon as he agreed it was in flawless condition (the same condition in which it was described!) he went over to the teller and withdrew the money. That way, I knew the money was real since it came from a bank!

I've dealt with 2 buyers on MR and didn't get scammed. They got their item, and I got my money. Everybody wins!

[gazfocus]

Same as all the other recommendations...stay away from anyone asking you to send to their 'nephew', 'uncle', 'best friend', etc...especially to Nigeria.

I sold a mobile phone once on eBay and got quite a good price for it...The buyer paid through PayPal, (I didn't send the item because it was a weekend), 2 days after the buyer paid, PayPal took the money out of my account and emailed me saying the transaction was fraudulant. If I had sent the item immediately like I usually do, I would have been stuffed. So just be careful :)

[ipodtouchy333]

be careful of buyers saying they'll pay you though paypal, because i have received numerous emails that are fake paypal payment confirmations (exact quote:
)
you should log in to your paypal account to check that the money is indeed there.

This exact thing happened to me about a month ago, and I fell for it. I was selling my ipod touch and actually sent it to Nigeria (yes, I'm stupid I know.) But the whole tracking number thing, what they do is send you a fake email that looks like it is from paypal but really not. If they want you to send the tracking number and THEN you'll receive the payment, DON'T DO IT!!!!

[kevlvm]

Another suspicious one from craigslist, I looked up the dudes name from hist email and he is from where the craigslist post came from-Detroit/Metro. THoughts?

Thank you for your email. I still have it for sale but before i answer to any of your questions i have to let you know that i am in Canada right now visiting my parents ranch. That`s not a problem because i can still handle the transaction. When i left in Canada, i left the item along with several other items in the iSOLD It custody because i wanted to sell them on eBay when i return, but something came up back home and i decided to sell this one before i get back but not on ebay because i need to sell it faster. If you are serious and still interested let me know because i can make the transaction immediately and i will explain all the details of the transaction .
Thanks
Lance

[Consultant]

The funny thing is that if you post in Europe, then the scammer would say they are from the US and Nigeria.

Lesson: read. Craigslist has posted plenty of info on these scams.

This exact thing happened to me about a month ago, and I fell for it. I was selling my ipod touch and actually sent it to Nigeria (yes, I'm stupid I know.) But the whole tracking number thing, what they do is send you a fake email that looks like it is from paypal but really not. If they want you to send the tracking number and THEN you'll receive the payment, DON'T DO IT!!!!

In addition, some people even click on the links, AND login to the fake site, giving the scammer a legit account to drain their funds.

[dwl017]

Dear OP

All these replies are not needed, there are two rules I use when buying or selling on CL.

CASH AND CARRY ONLY

NEVER LET ANYONE IN YOUR HOME YOU DO NOT TRUST

If you allow someone in your home make sure to have a buddy there with you and I make it a rule to never let a CL buyer in my home if my wife and kid are at home.

The buyer should put cash in your hand or don't do it, also try to meet in a safe public place like your local coffee house etc. use your home as a last resort, if the buyer is serious he or she should have no problem with a coffee house transaction.

Last but not least if at any time during the transaction you feel weird take your item and walk away! if you feel the need dial 911. Some might think this is a bit extreme but CL is a very scary place!

[mBurns]

Sounds sketchy. When I do Craigslist transactions, I always meet the people at Starbucks or such. A nice, safe public place!

[kevlvm]

Im skeptical, but had NO intention of doing anything but a face to face, I've sent an email back saying I would pay him cash on the spot, after seeing the items. We'll see if I get a reply

[kevlvm]

I did get a reply...heres what it says

Alright, i`m glad you are still interested. Yes the price is $1150. As i said in my first email i will explain how iSOLD It works because i want you to be clear on every aspect of this transaction. They are the best eBay selling services. You simply drop an item to one of their stores or they pick it up from your home, you find a buyer and they will take care of the rest. When i left in Canada i left 4 items for sale in their custody, they picked them up from my home so don`t ask at what store, or where the item is exactly because i don`t know, all i know is that they are holding them in one of their warehouses, but as long as they are handling the shipping and handling i don`t care where they are. I forgot to mention that the shipping is included in the price of sale. They offered me a discount on shipping because i am selling a large number of items and i can afford that. To make things clear the item is in US and only I am in Canada.

So basically they have the item insured and ready for shipping. As soon as i will have your shipping details i will send it to them and they will start the transaction. They will email you with an invoice and payment instructions. You will have to send the payment to one of their agents by following the payment instructions. Then you will send the payment details to them, they will validate the transaction and will start the shipping ASAP. If you will have questions you can ask them directly.

Unfortunately the pick up is not possible because this is an urgent sale (like i said before i intended to sell this on eBay when i should have returned from Canada but due to some recent problems back home i am forced to sell it now). iSOLD It suggested to offer a return policy because my offers would substantially increase so i am offering a 10 day guarantee. This eliminates the pick up option but you will have the time to inspect it and decide if you want it or not. If for any reason you decide not to keep it, they will give you a full refund and will return the item on my expense.

So if you agree with this terms and decide to proceed, then i will need your full name and shipping address in order to start the transaction.

As soon as i receive this details from you i will forward them to iSOLD It exactly as you sent them.

Thank you

Lance

All I could say is wow- I find it hard to believe that someone would go through with something like this...the whole deal was a little too good to be true when I first saw it but said what the heck, email wont hurt.

[kjwarren]

I got almost that exact same response to an eBay ad for an ipod once. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but didn't ship until I got paid. Of course, he tried to convince me to send it first. I told on them and all was well.

[kevlvm]

As this ad was for a 10" telescope, mount and other stuff, for $1200 NO way would I do this without seeing it first, too paranoid I guess.

[pletopia]

i got 2 very similar msg's about a month ago when i was trying to sell my psp

[airjuggernaut]

This Calls for a little game of Scam Baiting :rolleyes:

[taylorwilsdon]

How exactly does that look "kinda okay"

Are you friggin' serious? If you're not meeting face to face with cash on craigslist, its a scam. No exceptions.

[cheeseadiddle]

When it comes to CL, I do business one way... Mine.

It's in person, it's paid with cash. And I take my little pen and swipe every frickin bill right in front of them. And when they ask if I don't trust them, I confirm that I don't. I put the money in my pocket, they take the item home. Done deal.

[liquidh2o]

When it comes to CL, I do business one way... Mine.

It's in person, it's paid with cash. And I take my little pen and swipe every frickin bill right in front of them. And when they ask if I don't trust them, I confirm that I don't. I put the money in my pocket, they take the item home. Done deal.

Pretty much the only way to do business on CL. Couldn't have said it better myself

[hipvamore]

yeh i woudlnt do it. too much stuff could go wrong. i met up with a guy at starbucks to sell my mb the other day. i probably ran into like seven scammers before i found a real buyer.

[SFgadgetman]

Seriously. There is something the buyer isn't telling you and you'll have already shipped the mac. Do not trust this person. Unless he is willing to give you cash in person.

Count the number of people on here who are telling you NIGERIA IS A SCAM.

Don't do it.

[Snide]

When it comes to CL, I do business one way... Mine.

It's in person, it's paid with cash. And I take my little pen and swipe every frickin bill right in front of them. And when they ask if I don't trust them, I confirm that I don't. I put the money in my pocket, they take the item home. Done deal.

LOL!

You should put that in all of your CL ads - would save a lot of hassle/wasted time...

I've had nothing but pleasant experiences in my CL transactions, always meeting
face to face in a busy coffee shop or such, dealing with good old fashioned CASH.

[ben.mcmahan]

search the forum,
search the google,
search the internets..

i used to wonder how some of these ridiculous scams kept going - but then i read posts by people saying....
'hmmm, what could go wrong'
or
'what could it hurt to give them my paypal info'
etc etc etc.

unfortunately, trust noone until they prove you wrong over and again.
much better than
trusting everyone until they prove you wrong (over and again)

@cheeseadiddle - where'd you get the little counterfeit checker pen...?

[mac jones]

What's wrong with Ebay? (besides the fees)

I've done about a thousand Ebay deals many of which are big ticket items and I haven't yet had a problem.(knock on wood)

The CL doesn't have the registration aspect so I would think it would be a bit more risky.

Good for real estate though.

[Super Intendo]

I'm still trying to sell mine, i've gotten 3 scam responses :(