Is this a scam?

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It would be cool to actually do this with a bike that is worth nothing.
Advertise it as a GSXR1000 and end up sending a broken down moped.
But put a tracking device on it to see where it goes, or a transmitting device to listen in on conversations around the bike.
 
hpvchewy said:
When they are scamming the issuing bank will always be far away, and the issuing bank won't confirm anything over the phone. Even if it's a big bank like CIBC the local branch won't verify the cheque/money order for you :(
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This is mostly true, but there IS one interesting method that is more secure than most.

When a bank issues a certified cheque, the funds are frozen and must be legitimately present at the time the cheque is created. If money later comes out of that bank account (for other chargebacks etc.) it will mean that that account is overdrawn, but the certified cheque is not affected.

When a certified cheque is created, the bank will print a receipt. The receipt (and sometimes the cheque as well) will have a cheque certification number. So if you have not just the cheque, but the receipt as well, you can now call the issuing bank and state that you have a certified cheque certification number. If you provided THAT, the bank can give you a yes or no answer if the cheque is good or fake.

Now, even that's not 100 percent, since there are other situations. A scumbag might use stolen banking info to get a real certified cheque cut on a real person's account. BUT, unlike a regular cheque, once a certfied cheque is deposited, the funds cannot be clawed back from you. Any problems after that are the issuing bank's problems - though they may call you angrily to try and make you give the money back. But they have no legal grounds to do so.

Of course all of this is probably way too much trouble for some dude selling his rusted-out 1984 Virago for parts, but maybe if you were selling a more expensive car and don't want to be walking around with fifteen grand in cash in your pocket, it might be worth that trouble.

Alternately, you can just go with the buyer to his bank, and then go straight to your own bank.
 
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Just FYI that only applies to major Canadian banks as far as I know - not sure about other institutions.

Obviously the sketchier ones are all a long ways away, like you said.
 
Anyone who "buys" a used vehicle sight unseen is a scam. Any time you post a for sale add you will get 2 or 3 text messages or emails from these guys, which are just phishing scammers. Deal ONLY in person and ONLY for cash. IF you look at Kijiji or Craigslist advice to sellers you will see this advice over and over again.

Follow it.

Good luck! A real person will come along and buy it soon enough.

Jock
 
The dead giveaway is that he called the bike an "item". Usually if the interested party doesn't say something specific about the ad, like will it fit...? how many owners...? Does it have x...? then alarms go off right away. If they can't even be bothered to call it a "bike" I move on and don't give it a second thought.
 
I've sold a car on an "i'll take it" sight unseen.. Well the guy made an offer but wanted to take a look at it to make sure I wasn't falsely advertising.. He looked over it, test-drove it and gave me the cash. With that being said, this kijiji reply seems almost as legit as a $7 bill.
 
Mongrel said:
...
When a certified cheque is created, the bank will print a receipt. The receipt (and sometimes the cheque as well) will have a cheque certification number. So if you have not just the cheque, but the receipt as well, you can now call the issuing bank and state that you have a certified cheque certification number. If you provided THAT, the bank can give you a yes or no answer if the cheque is good or fake.

...
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Exactly. Last year I bought an SUV that was coming off a lease. I got a certified cheque as payment, and the bank printed the corresponding receipt.

I "paid" for the truck at the branch - handed the cheque to the seller of the truck at his branch (seller wanted to meet me there, to make sure the money went into his account with no glitches... me, as an honest buyer that is not handing a fake cheque, had no problems meeting at his branch).

So I handed him the certified cheque. I didn't want to give him the receipt because it had other info, like my account number, my balance, and other things.

When he tried to deposit the certified cheque, the teller asked if he had the receipt by any chance. He didn't, but I was there next to him, so I said yes, I have it right here, and handed it to the teller, who verified the certified cheque was real, and in one minute the money was in his account, ready to be used.

He didn't know about the receipt... I did know because the previous time I bought a car the teller had to call (on the phone) the issuing bank (my bank), and it took almost half an hour, because when I got the bank draft I didn't go to the teller, just went to see my friend (who is a mortgage advisor and opened my mortgage), so when the receiving bank called the guy went for lunch, etc. etc.

And I agree with Jock Macdonald comment ---- Deal ONLY in person... for example, even if the guy is real and not a scammer, you can exchange 20 emails /texts back and forth arguing about price but the guy may be wasting your time... a serious buyer is going to come over, ask key questions, look closely at the car, and negotiate based on the condition...
 
First, this may or may not be a scam. Doesn't sound like there is enough info to say either way. As far as answering his question about shipping, I'd provide your postal code (as other have said most shipping charges are calculated based on this) and if you prefer an address/intersection near you. Their need to know the cost of shipping the bike may be a legitimate request. Definitely no reason at this point to provide your full name.

That being said, there are a number of scams and this may or may not be one of them. If the buyer is willing to purchase sight unseen, run! If the buyer suggests he pays you for the bike and the shipping costs, run!

Lastly, the use of a certified cheque is by no means as secure as it once was due to the ability to forge them. Attached is a link from the Canadian Bankers Assoc http://www.cba.ca/tips/en/content/consumer/tips/June_EN_07.html If I was selling a bike, I'd either request cash or make some arrangement to meet the guy at his bank and be there when the certified cheque is drawn up.

Good luck, let us know what happens next.
 
It's stunning that some people think this might not be a scam. The guy unilaterally decides that he's buying the bike, he doesn't identify what he's buying, he's never seen it, he doesn't say a word about price, talks about a "pick up agent" other than himself. Doubt he even gave his name or number. SCAM.
 
I gotta post some of my greatest hits once this thing's sold. I figured that it's one of you guys, but there's a chick asking to suck my dick for a discount on the price LOL. And don't even get me started on all the sob stories. For the people that were asking, I bought the bike 6 years ago and haven't bought or sold a bike since...so I guess I am pretty new to this.
 
Ugur Dinch said:
"Is this a scam?" (Oh btw I have a 250 for sale)

Niiiice :)
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Not at all a plug, actually. I've already come to terms with the fact that I'm not gonna sell it before I leave. My buddy's just gonna take care of it for me when spring hits next year.
So which one of you guys is it? I'm thinking about asking for tittie pics for ***** and giggles

-----
Oldie, but a goodie from years past :D

Levi's wouldn't give me a refund on something that was clearly their fault...so I did what any other reasonable person would do - I tried to sell my jeans...my mistake was trying to do it on facebook:


Ray Demillia Han September 25 at 9:02pm
yo i'll cop ur levis for 50


Knowledge September 26 at 11:02am
60


Ray Demillia Han September 26 at 11:54am
55 i'll cop it today


Knowledge September 26 at 11:55am
nah. these retail for 80 + tax. If I waited a little bit I could probably find someone that'll pay 70. It's your call. 60's firm.


Ray Demillia Han September 26 at 11:56am
but are u dat patient for 5 more dollar?


Ray Demillia Han September 26 at 11:57am
bro let me just cop for 55


Knowledge September 26 at 12:00pm
Forget it man, I'll find someone else to buy it. It's that simple.


Ray Demillia Han September 26 at 12:01pm
"sigh" ur tough seller. iight den i'll giv u 60 if u can reach fairview


Knowledge September 26 at 6:45pm
I'll find someone else. You were tryna lowball, gtfo.


Ray Demillia Han September 26 at 7:44pm
5 dollarlowball? man u have no life


Knowledge September 26 at 11:34pm
Says the guy posing with a peace sign & a roca wear belt. Gtfo.
& learn how to spell while you're at it.
Honestly, quit catchin' e-feelings...it's the ****ing internet.


Ray Demillia Han September 27 at 1:08am
ur the one dats causing drama online go bak to 5th gr and learn how not to talk **** online


Ray Demillia Han September 27 at 1:09am
all i gotta say is ur a ****ing pussy so stfu


Knowledge September 27 at 1:10am
hahahahahahaha


Ray Demillia Han September 27 at 1:11am
stop msging me u faggot, get a fkn life


Knowledge September 27 at 1:12am
You've got more replies than I do.
Man, your logic's so faulty you should be embarrassed you're even still alive.


Ray Demillia Han September 27 at 1:13am
its sad how u actually took time to count that **** guess u got none bettr to do den talk **** online


Knowledge September 27 at 1:14am
What is there to count? You reply twice in a row, I've never done that.
Again, you'll be lucky to graduate from high school.


Quote of the day: "Some people will take every other kind of trouble in the world, if they are saved the trouble of thinking." - G.K. Chesterton


The last time I checked, all you needed was common sense to realize who's answered more times. I also doubt that the jump from $55 to $70 is "just $5". Plus, what boggles my mind is why he'd expect me me to go to fairview(like he's doing me a favour) to give him a discount, especially since it specifically said "meet-ups at warden station".


What scares me is that at grade 9, I can't remember ANY of my peers being this stupid...and I went through 2 different high schools.


& I left dude's name 'cause anyone who's honestly that retarded dumb deserves to be shamed publicly.


 
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^ still have them? Wanna ket them go for $50? My agent can pick them up. No worries bro. I'm legit.
 
Doesn't sound suspicious to me. Unless he starts asking for your bank account number... If you're not comfortable about giving him your address, you can specify a location where you could meet up with the pick-up agent and bring the bike...
 
But if you're really hesitant, I suggest you look up the buyer's phone number at http://www.callercenter.com and find out details about the owner for free. Since the website collects feedback on suspicious and fraudulent calls, you would know right away if the phone number has been used in a scam before.
 
worked at a shop when we got a scam sort of like the "sending someone to pick up items"

turns out the scammer just got a someone from kijiji who does deliveries, the cheque the scammer wrote bounced and we never got the stuff back. and because the scammer was not the person who came into the store, we can't prove the person we found to be the scammer was the original scamer, might have been someone who bought the stolen goods. it was a messed up situation. the delivery guy was nice enough to co operate with us, but the cops basically waived us off. now we're down over 3k in car parts.
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