selling iPad- am i being scammed?

[ctucci]

Shipping to the PRC

listed my ipad on CL.
bounced 2-3 emails with this individual and here is their last email to me.
i'm not entertaining the idea of selling and shipping to china but do you think they are trying to scam me?
have no idea where they are from. no names have been exchanged. and out of the blue he wants it shipped.

<snip>Lastly, will you guaranty me on buying it?

Smells a bit off to me. The guarantee would be a nonstarter, because his kid could drop it on day one, then he's going to scream you sold him a bad ipad. You could, of course, tell him to buzz off, it was working upon shipment. But...

I would provide him a video proof that it works, just a short clip showing the serial number, and the functions working. Then make him agree that if it arrives broken, he agrees to take the matter up with the shipper.

We ship a bit overseas, and we check USPS info lists for the target country before we ship. I'll link the USPS china page here: http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/ce_009.htm#ep1400280

But to summarize, the PRC prohibits the shipment of (among quite a few other things):
----------
Manuscripts, printed matter, photographic negatives, gramophone records, films, magnetic tapes, video tapes, etc., which could do political, economical, cultural, or moral harm to the People’s Republic of China.

An ipad could have just about all of those already in storage.

...
Radio receivers, transmitters or receivers of all kinds, walkie-talkies and parts thereof; valves, antennae, etc.

Ipad has several receiver/transmitters/antennae.
----------------------

So, there's an outside chance your shipment could get hung up in Customs. We've seen this happen with many overseas shipments.

Just my .02

 

[mobilehaathi]

No, no, no. This is clearly a scam. It is a stereotypical set up. Thinking about it at this level of detail simply proves that it still works (no offense).

Smells a bit off to me. The guarantee would be a nonstarter, because his kid could drop it on day one, then he's going to scream you sold him a bad ipad. You could, of course, tell him to buzz off, it was working upon shipment. But...

I would provide him a video proof that it works, just a short clip showing the serial number, and the functions working. Then make him agree that if it arrives broken, he agrees to take the matter up with the shipper.

We ship a bit overseas, and we check USPS info lists for the target country before we ship. I'll link the USPS china page here: http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/ce_009.htm#ep1400280

But to summarize, the PRC prohibits the shipment of (among quite a few other things):
----------
Manuscripts, printed matter, photographic negatives, gramophone records, films, magnetic tapes, video tapes, etc., which could do political, economical, cultural, or moral harm to the People’s Republic of China.

An ipad could have just about all of those already in storage.

...
Radio receivers, transmitters or receivers of all kinds, walkie-talkies and parts thereof; valves, antennae, etc.

Ipad has several receiver/transmitters/antennae.
----------------------

So, there's an outside chance your shipment could get hung up in Customs. We've seen this happen with many overseas shipments.

Just my .02

 

[thekev]

Doesn't CL actually have warnings about this kind of thing? It really is designed for cash/local transactions. Overall I find it less irritating than ebay.

 

[nepalisherpa]

It's a scam. I always get numerous emails (in similar format..where somebody's always away for a business trip and need to buy it for someone else) whenever I post big-ticket items on CL.

 

[iTunes-Luv]

If he pays for the item, you ship it with insurance and tracking, and he complains to PayPal, you have PayPal Seller Protection to back you up. Just look at the criteria for qualifiaction and make sure you meet it. Then, as long as you're legit, if crazy **** goes down, PayPal will give you the money back.

I think al2o3cr is right though that it's US only. So I'll reiterate, I wouldn't do it.

The protection for the sellers only if you shipped to a CONFIRMED address (inside Paypal they will tell you). So it's only for US, UK and probably 1 or 2 more countries but definitely not China.

When they receive your iPad, they can easily claim that it's not as advertised (not working) and get the money back. Paypal will do nothing to protect you (thought they may make you think so in their emails) and you can do nothing.

 

[RetiredInFl]

I'm selling my dining room furniture and thought I had somebody interested until they wanted to pay with Paypal. They said that is the most secure way to do it. I told them cash at time of pickup was the only way I would do it. I hate scammers.

I think you gave away a sale on that one. The chance of them scamming you on a dining room set that they have to come to your home to be picked up and carried out is pretty slim. PayPal is a secure way to purchase and other than their fees, which can be avoided, and especially when they have to actually come to your home, is pretty safe.

Of course they could be serial killers or plan on hog tieing and robbing you but that could happen with cash (which could also be counterfeit). I have been using PayPal mostly on eBay for over 13 years and never had a problem. A little caution and common sense is needed but in your specific case I think you may have lost a sale without reason.

Unless of course you were planning on shipping your dining room set to China.

 

[Jedi5]

alright, so i said earlier, in all my years on eBay, i never got anything remotely close to the email i received earlier today. then i list on CL and got hit two times now. the first one i posted and now this one:

Hi,

Thanks for your reply concerning my inquiry and I am quite comfortable with the condition of the item ,I would mine adding extra $40 to your asking price for keeping it in my favor. I am paying you by check at this moment please bear with me and it will take 4 to 6 days for payment to get to you. I would have loved to come take a look at it but I am presently on my vacation trip but i will have my Secretary handle the payment on my behalf. As per pick-up,You don't need to worry about that I will make arrange for the pick-up myself after payment has been received and cashed by you. Kindly reply with your details on where the Payment should be send to. I will let you know how i intend to pick it up immediately you receive the payment.

Here is the information needed to issued out the payment below:

Full Name:
Home mailing Address not P.O.BOX PLEASE:
City :
States :
Zip/Postal Code :
Phone number : (Home or Office and Cell)

NOTE:
I would appreciate it if you can take the posting off CRAIGSLIST today and consider it sold to me.

Thank you and Have a Nice Day.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

[RKO]

Lol - "item" = scam

 

[Consultant]

OP, Craigslist mentioned these things:
http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

There are also plenty of scammers on eBay who target high value electronics.

I think you gave away a sale on that one. The chance of them scamming you on a dining room set that they have to come to your home to be picked up and carried out is pretty slim. PayPal is a secure way to purchase and other than their fees, which can be avoided, and especially when they have to actually come to your home, is pretty safe.
...

NO. There are plenty of ways to scam someone even if someone picks up. Examples:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_confidence_tricks

 

[ScottW1]

This second scam goes one of two ways:

1) He sends you the check (or money order), and it is for an amount several hundred dollars larger than the agreed purchase price. He asks you to cash it, keep the ipad price plus another $150 for your trouble, and wire the excess to him via Western Union. Nobody ever shows up to get the iPad, and 10 days later your bank tells you the check (or money order) was phony and they come after you for the money. Meanwhile, he got "real money" via Western Union and you can't get that back. But you still have your iPad.

and/or

2) Same as #1 above, but he actually places an advertisement for the item and sells it to someone in your city (collecting money via wire transfer), then sends them to your house to pick it up! Here the scammer gets money from you (wire transfer), and money from the second person (who actually ends up with your ipad). Again, 10 days later you have the bank coming after you for the money, plus your iPad is gone as well.

It is a sad commentary on fellow human beings (or at least some of them), but it is by far the best policy to sell locally, take a friend with you and meet in a public place -- accepting CASH only for the sale.

 

[Invincibilizer]

And this is why I don't buy or sell items online.

 

[RetiredInFl]

OP, Craigslist mentioned these things:
http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

There are also plenty of scammers on eBay who target high value electronics.



NO. There are plenty of ways to scam someone even if someone picks up. Examples:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_confidence_tricks

Of course there are plenty of ways to scam off C.L. but the guy I was quoting/replying to was selling a DINING ROOM SET, you know, a big heavy table and 4-6 chairs that had to be picked up with a truck at his home and not "high value electronics." The chances of getting PayPal scammed selling a DINING ROOM SET that the buyer has to pick up are slim to none. There is as much chance of a PayPal scam for a DINING ROOM SET as there is for getting counterfeit money for a cash purchase ..... probably less.

Aside from that, personally, I'd never sell anything on C.L. even for cash. The guy you meet could have a gun and hold you up for your cash or item you are selling in broad daylight in the middle of a busy mall parking lot: http://news.yahoo.com/florida-marine-veteran-shot-craigslist-robbery-used-fingers-172856828.html

 

[SBA]

Come on, what are the fundamental rules of craigslist?

- cash only
- meet locally

If you want to deal through paypal, then sell on ebay.

I listed an iphone on craigslist last month (also Chicago, oddly enough) and got at least a handful of the same type of emails from people telling me they are in the UK or on vacation and need to ship it to a relative in S. Africa or somewhere.

This is always BS! Ignore, move on, and try to sell to someone that will actually meet you in a public place.

 

[miamialley]

I don't like it, and I wouldn't do it. However, PayPal does have decent seller protection now. So you never know.

Paypal has decent seller protection?! Exact opposite.

None of us know if this is a scam, but we can all agree it easily could be done. Therefore, don't do it.

And this:

Come on, what are the fundamental rules of craigslist?

- cash only
- meet locally

 

[donnaw]

We recently listed a piano on CL. We had a guy want to buy it. Said he was out of town and would send a check for the full amount plus $250 for shipping. The 'shippers' would pick the piano up at our house, would we please pay them the $250 at the time of pickup. Haha. No way. Seen these before.

I actually call the police and they confirmed it was probably a scam and for a while thought they would do a sting but decided not to. We sold it to a local musician.

Same advice as everyone else, local, cash only. Scammers are getting more and more tricky.

 

[phpmaven]

Smells a bit off to me. The guarantee would be a nonstarter, because his kid could drop it on day one, then he's going to scream you sold him a bad ipad. You could, of course, tell him to buzz off, it was working upon shipment. But...

I would provide him a video proof that it works, just a short clip showing the serial number, and the functions working. Then make him agree that if it arrives broken, he agrees to take the matter up with the shipper.

We ship a bit overseas, and we check USPS info lists for the target country before we ship. I'll link the USPS china page here: http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/ce_009.htm#ep1400280

But to summarize, the PRC prohibits the shipment of (among quite a few other things):
----------
Manuscripts, printed matter, photographic negatives, gramophone records, films, magnetic tapes, video tapes, etc., which could do political, economical, cultural, or moral harm to the People’s Republic of China.

An ipad could have just about all of those already in storage.

...
Radio receivers, transmitters or receivers of all kinds, walkie-talkies and parts thereof; valves, antennae, etc.

Ipad has several receiver/transmitters/antennae.
----------------------

So, there's an outside chance your shipment could get hung up in Customs. We've seen this happen with many overseas shipments.

Just my .02

Smells a "bit" off?

The only way this could have been more obviously a scam is if the email started with "this is a scam, but I just wanted to see if you were dumb enough to fall for it"

 

[matttye]

I would ship only to somebody in your own country and wait until the money is in your bank account (not just PayPal) before you send it.

 

[marc55]

It is the typical narrative for a SCAM, and I've receives similar when posting things on Craigslist. Scammers also use CL to get your information, i.e., email, paypal account, address, etc., so I don't even respond to scam type responses.

What I always put in my CL posts is something to the tune of: NOTE: SCAMMERS, please don't waste your time or my time responding; I am not new to craigslist and am aware of your stupid scams.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

The nice thing about CL is that if you make terms of deal "Meet in public place, cash only" you are almost guaranteed not to get scammed. I even insist on meeting in our public library as there are metal detectors at the door and so I know they aren't carrying anything to try and mug me (its happened to a friend of mine).

Sure, you may narrow your list of potential buyers, but I don't care as long as it eliminates all the scammers.

 

[Apple OC]

I even insist on meeting in our public library as there are metal detectors at the door and so I know they aren't carrying anything to try and mug me

those "metal detectors" are probably not what you think ... they are likely for tracking stolen books

Libraries usually have very low crime rates ... mostly just non violent studying going on there

 

[kdarling]

Whenever you get an email like that on CL, just Google part of it to see if others have gotten the same scam.

In this case, sure enough, if you Google the first sentence, you will find tons of references.

SCAM.

 

[Meanee]

However, PayPal does have decent seller protection now.

PayPal seller protection is a complete joke.

PayPal version of seller protection is to treat all sellers like thieving scum. Buyer will ALWAYS win a case. No matter what. PayPal may ask buyer to mail the item back, and include tracking number. But they don't care if you send back a brick. In their eyes, transaction is complete, and buyer gets their money back.

I sell a lot of lower priced items on eBay and typically once a month someone tries to abuse that PayPal policy. And they typically get away with it, since I have to file a police report, call PayPal, etc. Simply not worth my time.

 

[tizzl10]

sending an ipad to a buyer in china is like sending a gallon of gasoline to a buyer in saudi arabia. scam.

 

[wordoflife]

I generally judge people online based on how they can write. Looks pretty half assed.

 

[DrNoellyG]

In short: scam.
Long answer: this message is fairly common. They change the words every now and again but the content is the same. Don't waste your time thinking about it, ignore it.