Hot Rods another scam??

I've got parts listed in the "parts for sale" and yesterday I got an offer to purchase some trim parts with offer much higher than I think they are worth. Maybe I am paranoid? This persons post is the first on this site.
He offered to pay in pay pal. (didn't say anything about "friends and family".
Am I just overly paranoid?

 

Run…….

 

If you posted a price and they offer MORE, it's not a great start. Red Flag.
Paypal is up to you. I won't use it, but some people have great luck.
Document each discussion, and lay out exactly what you are selling, condition, etc. Get agreement to YOUR terms.

 

Take the money-ask him to send it family and friends; you will know right away if he is legit, it will be in your Paypal almost instantly. One you see it send him the parts with tracking.

 

VERY suspicious.
Guessing he would send Friends and Family, "by mistake."

 

@corncobcoupe

 

I guess a lot of you guys haven't read this.... Afraid of fraud? Protect yourself... | The H.A.M.B.

Whenever I see someone who wants 'friends and family' payment, I suspect a scammer seller. That gives the buyer zero protection if the sale goes sideways for any reason. I've used PayPal for close to 20 years (both buying and selling) and I can count the number of bad transactions out of many hundreds on one hand, and those were years ago before they added all protections. Sure, it costs the seller a few bucks in fees, but if you adequately package the items for shipping and get tracking, there shouldn't be any issues. If the fees bug you, charge more for the item.

 

Paying family and friends leaves the buyer no recourse, it is an advantage to a scamming seller.

 

A scammer making that mistake would benefit the seller, because PayPal will not do anything to issue a refund to the buyer.

 

Good point.

I have seen some scammers pretend to make a payment, sending you a fake receipt.
They gamble that you don't check your account. Of course, the money never appears in your account.

 

Take the $$$$$$
Check your account
Ship the parts
Go buy more parts

 

Either way report the user to the mods or put them here.

 

It may be legit but Paypal payments from strangers are a huge risk. All but friends and family can be reversed, and payments can come from hacked accounts that get taken back.

Bank transfer only, wait for cleared funds in your account.

Three ways to spot a scam
# any transaction that requires you to pay something else at any time, even after you think you have been paid (freight forwarding scam)

# any buyer that is more interested in the financial transaction than the items you have for sale

# any buyer that offers you more than you are asking, for any reason whatsoever,or is hustling you to act quickly.

 

Hang on, the OP said “he didn’t mention anything about F&F”.
So start by contacting PP. get their advice, ask the buyer if they want more pics of the part(s).
But a few thoughts and question. How did the buyer contact you? I thought there was a 10 post minimum, I think Mark also mentioned “and 24 hours” before a PM can be sent.
Did you leave a contact email in the ad?

 

Actually the OP said “more than I think they are worth”. Not “more than the ask”.
I know that was your implication, I just wanted to clarify it.

 

I find it odd that we would recommend a seller suggest "friends and family", when we state it as an absolute red-flag no-go for a buyer if the seller suggests that. If the buyer told us he was trying to buy trim and the seller wanted payment by PayPal friends and family, we would collectively tell him to run away. That's a bit of a contradiction.

Why are we advocating for friends and family to ever be used if you don't know the buyer or seller? If you can't get confidence in who the person is and that their payment is valid before releasing the parts (as a seller), or paying them (as a buyer), walk away from the transaction.

If the payment method doesn't offer you the protections you like on either side of the transaction, suggest a different one (e-transfer or wire transfer?).

Let's not advocate for sellers to proceed in a manner that we tell buyers is bogus.

I always prefer getting the buyer/seller on the phone to start before making any deal.

 

So the only knock against this guy is that he offered more than the unspecified figure the seller had in mind? As an online seller, it’s kind of incumbent on you to know the price you want and how you want to be paid before you place an ad.

 

Yep, and he was surprised he's a new user. HAMB classifieds are searchable from Google. It's not unheard of that someone would join to buy something they've been searching for.

 

One thing that struck me was the sellers concern about a too-high offer (in his opinion) for the parts. That usually indicates one of two things; one, the seller has under-valued the parts. Or the buyer has been looking for them for a while and doesn't want these to get away, or a combination of the two. If the first guy who calls rushes to buy the parts, that usually means I priced them too low.

Or two, the parts description is inadequate. I see these ads all the time, a very brief text and a poor photo. If the seller is worried about blowback, he should contact the buyer and make sure they know what they're getting.

A cautionary tale... Years ago I listed a pair of late-90s Harley Sportster rear fender strut covers on eBay (before they drove out all the occasional sellers like me). Well used, these weren't pristine by any means, with an extra drilled hole and scuffed chrome (but no rust). But they weren't bent and would function as-designed. Listed as a no return item with flaws pointed out; you bought it, it's yours. Opening bid (not including shipping) was low, a $1.99 IIRC. I figured they were worth $10-15 at most. Well, I got two knuckleheads who got into a bidding war over them and when the bid went over $30, I contacted both of them (through eBay) and told them I didn't think they were worth that and if they withdrew their bids there would be no hard feelings. I reiterated that these were no return. They ignored me. Final price was nearly $40. Then I get blowback from the buyer; they're not as nice as he thought, he wants a refund. But because I'd warned both of them, he didn't have a leg to stand on. You can message on PayPal also. That can eliminate any 'misunderstanding'...

I'm not a fan of F&F transactions. I know there are guys who don't like PayPal for various reasons, but using 'goods and services' really is the only truly safe method to make small payments with minimal hassle. I've done a few here on the HAMB with uneven results. One was with a well-known member who I knew valued his reputation and had an accurate description of the items; no issues. The other not so much. The seller misrepresented the part (IMO) and refused a refund. As the $ amount was small, I chalked it up to experience...

 

Yeah, just had that happen here a month or so ago. Guy just joined the day I posted a part- bought it, and went smooth through Paypal.
Also, just last week, had more offered for some motorcycle parts than I asked on Instagram, It happens...and guy paid through F&F!

 

I've had a couple of email conversations with the individual and I am feeling more comfortable about the transaction, he's waiting for shipping cost then he will be sending funds via pay pal. I'm getting my stash of Stude parts trimmed down so there won't be much for the estate auction