Where's the hook?

[knottybuoyz]

If something sounds too good to be true it usually is. As most of you know we tested the waters and listed our boat for sale on a few bulletin boards and Craigslist. Now I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday but I've got one guy who wants to send me a cheque for the full asking price, sight unseen. Scam right? Yup, I'm sure of it.

Where's the hook? I get the cheque, cash it, a week later it bounces and my account gets nailed for that and the NSF charges. So where's the boat? There's no way in hell it's leaving my dooryard until I know the funds are legit, right? I'd like to tell him to GFYS but on the very slim chance he's legit it'd be nice to get full asking price now.

[Connemara]

As long as you didn't transfer ownership, yer fine, I'd think.

Next time, ask for the cheque to be certified. I bet that'll keep the scam artists away.

But too bad. Sorry you didn't see the boat.

Connemara

[FrankZ]

If he is using a bank that is readily available to you then you can take the check there, they will be able to cash and clear it on the spot, then get a cashier's check or cash and take it to your bank.. I would suggest a cashier's check.

Of course until the money is in account the title stays with you.

Not everyone that is easy to sell to is looking to scam you. Some people know what they want and think they have found a deal and don't want to hassle about. Of course that doesn't mean they aren't either.

[mudnut]

Have you tried telling this person that he wont get the boat until the cheque clears.Surely this is the way transactions of this sort are done.I cannot see how you could be scamed or ripped off by getting a 'clearence' on the cheque.And to knowingly give someone a dud cheque would seem a waste of time and effort if this is the way a sale happens.NO MONEY-NO BOAT,simple.Mudnut

[knottybuoyz]

I sent him my work address. I think when he saw the "Canadian Coast Guard" in the address he gave up! ;o) I would have liked to string him along a little more just to torture the bugger! But even I'm not that evil!

[S/V Elusive]

As has been discussed in other threads ... They DO send a certified check ... on a bank that is across country or out of country. The checks are usually stolen or forged. YOUR bank says, it will take 1 week to clear. After a week, it releases those funds ... but the check hasn't cleared! They all follow 'procedure'. They said a week, so therefor it is a week before they release funds. When it finally is found out that the check is stolen or forged, you are SOL. They ALWAYS seem to be in a hurry...'events are in motion' the transporter will be there on day X. blah blah blah.

You can bet they don't write a check or have a cashier's check from a bank that is local. EVEN then, that bank will require ID from YOU, and your thumb print. They check, and it all appears legit. They give you the funds, it comes back as stolen or forged .. guess what? YOU will be held responsible.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by mudnut

Have you tried telling this person that he wont get the boat until the cheque clears.Surely this is the way transactions of this sort are done.I cannot see how you could be scamed or ripped off by getting a 'clearence' on the cheque.And to knowingly give someone a dud cheque would seem a waste of time and effort if this is the way a sale happens.NO MONEY-NO BOAT,simple.Mudnut

As we are all in different countries we have different cheque clearing systems. But it sounds like if it is a scam he is very unlikely to be after your boat, if a scam (99.99% sure it is - no one sends money for anything BEFORE seeing it ), the catch is he will be after a refund though after you have banked and "cleared" the cheque.

FWIW in the UK a cheque can bounce many months after being paid in, and long after it appears to have cleared, the bank have said it is cleared and you have withdrawn the money. Of course YOU are then liable for the overdraft after the bank returns the money, to itself . The intricacies of the banking system, go figure I suspect that the other "Modern" banking systems operate on a vaguely similar basis.........

Cashiers Cheques do have a tendency to get forged, and personally I would not rely on phoning a bank to verify one even if you could get them to 100% confirm the cheque was ok - bearing in mind the numbskulls employed on the customer facing side nowadays who probably can't spell cheque let alone know how they work , in any event they prbbaly would not say it was 100% ok - as after all you could have a cloned cheque and also they have no idea who they are talking to........

Wiring in the money has the advantage of getting cleared funds, but requires you to hand out your bank details to a complete stranger.

Escrow sounds like the way to go.........otherwise cash, preferably exchanged within a bank for personal security reasons.

Although when I bought this boat I sent the vendor a personal cheque through the mail and only ended up picking the boat up months later....but this wasn't quite as reckless both ways as it sounds. sort of

[Alan Wheeler]

But even I'm not that evil!

Yeah you are. Go on, yank his chain a little. You know you like it, I can see that look in your eye.

[S/V Elusive]

The red color, the horns, the pitchfork .. and Alan picks the EYES to determine that ... ::sigh::

[knottybuoyz]

Pretty sure I scared him off with my business address!

He was all hot to trot this morning but haven't heard anything from him since! And I was soooooo looking forward to handing a big cheque over to my RCMP buddy!

[FrankZ]

Originally Posted by knottybuoyz

Pretty sure I scared him off with my business address!

He was all hot to trot this morning but haven't heard anything from him since! And I was soooooo looking forward to handing a big cheque over to my RCMP buddy!

You played your cards too fast..

Slowly, slowly.. reel them in slowly. You want to get them all boxed in before they realize the trap.

Oh well.. there are only another gazillion scammers out there to mess with.