found a buyer for my sled! kind of crazy how it went down..read this.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

so i have had 3 people commit and then back out on my in the last couple days. so i posted on HCS that i would only take $4500 cash, no trades, no payment plans, no bullshit. i get a call today around 2 pm from a guy who was very pleasant and happy. he commented that he liked my last post about all the bullshit offers and that his phone call would be the "last one you will get, because I am buying it". i say "great"! he asks how i want to get paid because he lives in Michigan and can't pick it up for maybe a couple weeks. he asks if i want the total amount transfered via paypal and i declined because i didn;t want to pay the fee. then he asks if he could wire transfer me the money. then i got a bit worried. thought it was a scam. i tell him that i do not want to do that and he understood. we came up with a plan of him overnight shipping me a check?!?! i figured that i would never hear from the guy and that he was just trying to get my bank account numbers. i sent him my full name and address to send the check to.
about 25 minutes later i get an email from him with a pic of the post office reciept and a personal check made out to me for the $4500 i was asking?!?!

WTF?? who in their right mind sends a personal check to a complete stranger?? no paperwork, no reciept, no nothing?!?!? never asked for the vin number, never asked for my home phone number, i don;t get it. i could not even have the sled for all he knows?!?! he works for a john deere dealership in michigan and seems legit. his name, address, phone numbers all check out!?!? he said not to worry about the check clearing because it will, and i will have to hold on to the sled until he comes and gets it anyway, so no chance of him running before the check cashes?!?!?

i guess i am just shocked that with all the scams going around, this guy sends me a check, no questions asked?!?!? :stare

[07ROUSHSTG3]

i should add that on the check, he never even put "snowmobile" or anything in the memo spot?!?!

[0TransAm0]

he is a good trusting guy it seems. hope everything goes smooth with the sale.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

he is a good trusting guy it seems. hope everything goes smooth with the sale.

must be, just crazy to see nowadays i guess.

[05caddyext]

a personal check is the easiest form of payment to scam on. You better wait until that check clears before you give him anything. All he has to do is put a stop pay on it and you are screwed.

[Dr.Buick]

Glad to hear you sold it! You have to put trust that their are some good people out their now days!!!! When I buy things I like it short and simple just like this guy!

[Andy6789]

Glad to hear you sold it! You have to put trust that their are some good people out their now days!!!! When I buy things I like it short and simple just like this guy!

Agreed

[loud91rs]

When I bought a camaro convertible once I found it on a forum online and talked to the guy over the phone for an hour about the car. He sent me pictures and described the car very well. I sent him a money order for the car and he sent the title in the mail from California. I arranged shipping and in a week it was at my door. People like you and the guy I got the car from make it great to buy big things online. Too bad most people spoil things like this. (I was very nervous about it the entire time, don't get me wrong!)

[Yooformula]

a personal check is the easiest form of payment to scam on. You better wait until that check clears before you give him anything. All he has to do is put a stop pay on it and you are screwed.

I agree. I would err on the side of caution and wait until the check clears. The biggest scam right now is issuing checks from banks that no longer exist or expired routing numbers which could take a while to discover. If he is honest, great but I still wouldnt risk $4500 on it IMO.

[gottwins?]

I agree. I would err on the side of caution and wait until the check clears. The biggest scam right now is issuing checks from banks that no longer exist or expired routing numbers which could take a while to discover. If he is honest, great but I still wouldnt risk $4500 on it IMO.

+1, wait until its in your bank account and take it out so you literally have it in your hands (if anything you can always put it back in) That's the only way I would feel 100% safe on it.

[animal]

When you go to deposit it, tell your bank you're skeptical about it and ask them the best course of action to make sure the check is legit and can never get charged back in the future against your existing balance before you let the sled go.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

When you go to deposit it, tell your bank you're skeptical about it and ask them the best course of action to make sure the check is legit and can never get charged back in the future against your existing balance before you let the sled go.

:thumbsup
my sister works where i bank so i will make sure that it is done right!

[PureSound15]

What bank does he bank at? Take it THERE, not to yours. You can ask if the funds are available to cash the check - that way you don't have to screw around with a hold and the risk of fees.

[OxmanWI]

When I sold my 99 SHO a couple years ago, I had this mother and daughter from Mequon buy the car with a personal check. I told them, "Only way we do a check is if we go to your bank down the street and make sure it clears.” They got offended, but hey I'm covering my ass, I don’t know you! Never know, make sure check the funds on that check.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

What bank does he bank at? Take it THERE, not to yours. You can ask if the funds are available to cash the check - that way you don't have to screw around with a hold and the risk of fees.

his bank is in Michigan, so that is not possible. was hoping that my bank could call and verify funds?!!? i know merchants can do it, so i would think that another bank would be able to?!?!

[Irish]

...

[sloLs1]

When you go to deposit it, tell your bank you're skeptical about it and ask them the best course of action to make sure the check is legit and can never get charged back in the future against your existing balance before you let the sled go.






What bank does he bank at? Take it THERE, not to yours. You can ask if the funds are available to cash the check - that way you don't have to screw around with a hold and the risk of fees.

both of these are good options... the second would be the best but you stated its out of state.... so like everyone else has said, call the bank and verify funds and such. if hes not coming for a couple weeks thats more than enough time to findout if it will clear or not.

GOODLUCK!

[BoosTT]

I bought my motorcycle out of state a while back by doing almost the same thing. The buyer probally did some research on you that you don't know about. Its likely legit.

Heres a few things I did:

Verify as many phone/fax/email/ebay accounts as you can that the guy is who and where he says he is. I got the guys work fax and emails like wi.rr.com are good.

Have someone at the bank help out. They can act like a 3ed un-bias party. I had the seller mail the title to the bank and the bank mailed the check to the seller.

If both parties are nervious and ask questions, its a good sign its NOT a scam.

[DirtyMax]

As has been mentioned before, all you have to do is phone his bank and they should hae no problem verifying funds. If they give you a hard time calling as a private party, have your bank do it. Nowadays, funds clear in no more than a few days anyways.

Seeing as he's not King Durka Jihad from Nigeria and doesn't want to send you a check for $13 million and just wants the sled and a few grand in change, I think this will end as expected.

[tommyt5078]

Please don't back out and then sell it to someone else for $1200 more then what you want for it!

PAH

[07ROUSHSTG3]

Please don't back out and then sell it to someone else for $1200 more then what you want for it!

PAH

:rolf:rolf
yeah, like i posted over there, i had the chance to pull a stunt like that. amazing how that thread turned out.

[Yooformula]

or avoid it all by having him send a postal money order and mail it too. becomes a fed crime if turns out to be a scam and serious authorities take over.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

thanks for all the advice. i just talked to my sis that works at the bank. she said that a lot of banks do not verify funds anymore but she will try when i get the check to her tomorrow. she said that it will take 3-4 days to clear, but like mentioned he is not planning on picking up for a while anyway?!?!

[PureSound15]

thanks for all the advice. i just talked to my sis that works at the bank. she said that a lot of banks do not verify funds anymore but she will try when i get the check to her tomorrow. she said that it will take 3-4 days to clear, but like mentioned he is not planning on picking up for a while anyway?!?!

Very few banks do not verify funds, I'd try it.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

Very few banks do not verify funds, I'd try it.

i thought that they actually "had" to, but she says that some of the larger ones like Wells Fargo refuse?!? if they don't, then i am stuck waiting till middle of next week, no biggie.

[PureSound15]

<- works at a bank


she's right - but I would bet that 90% of tellers/financials will tell you, just have the account number ready off the bottom of the check.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

<- works at a bank


she's right - but I would bet that 90% of tellers/financials will tell you, just have the account number ready off the bottom of the check.

why would some banks not??

[PureSound15]

why would some banks not??


The truth - because if the consumer doesn't have funds in the account but has enough room with overdraft protection that the check will clear and the financial can stick them with a $35 ($35 multiplied by whatever else overdrafts that day) fee ... the bank makes money, the person who cahsed the check is fine and the check writer gets screwed for spending money they dont have.


What they'll tell you - "Security"
:)

[07ROUSHSTG3]

The truth - because if the consumer doesn't have funds in the account but has enough room with overdraft protection that the check will clear and the financial can stick them with a $35 ($35 multiplied by whatever else overdrafts that day) fee ... the bank makes money, the person who cahsed the check is fine and the check writer gets screwed for spending money they dont have.


What they'll tell you - "Security"
:)

ah. kind of shady. thanks.

[Sprayaway Fox]

Eric when I sold my chevelle the guy came with a personalized check. He came from Wyoming nice straight up guy but I still called it in. Gotta verify the fundage of the guy the DAY he picks it up.

OR

Let him know ahead of time that your going to cash the check the day before hes coming down. So it gives him also a headsup to make sure he has enough funds. Just reassure him that it will be there and you dont want to keep him sitting so he can pick up the sled and leave without waiting to make sure. etc.

[lilws6]

People are being skeptical about buying stuff these days it took me 2 yrs to sell my sled because i lost the key and hot wired my own sled. Doesn't help that i never register any of my sleds because i always used them right here on the lake where i don't need it to be registered. I always had the title card tho but finally one guy decided he would come check it out and he went home a happy man after be talked and bs's for a while. sound legit to me but again as said i would call it in just to make shure

[07ROUSHSTG3]

well, i got the check, but his bank does not verify funds?!?! so i will deposit it and have to wait until middle of next week to have access to the money. no big deal.

[mrz28M6]

too bad his bank isnt around here?!? i would go into the bank personally and they can check how much money is in his account and if the check would be good

[u_say_go]

well, did the check clear?

[Moparjim]

Wire transfer is actually the best way to go. Even a "cashiers check" or personal check can be "cashed" by your bank and later turn out to be bad and your bank will take the funds or demand the funds back. Wire transfer only works one way - from them in person at their back to your bank. They cannot "remotely" have your bank transfer money out. Every bank I know of requires that you be there in person for any large amount like that.

That being said, when I sold my last Viper on Ebay it sold for like $45,000 and a guy from Vegas Paypalled me a $1000 deposit immediately per my auction terms. I then didn't hear from him for a few days to make arrangements and started to panic. He finally called me back and said he was "real busy" and couldn't arrange everything right now but he would just go ahead and pay me for the car. He wire transferred the remaining $44,000 that day and then I couldn't get a hold of him for weeks lol. He basically paid me in full for the car and it sat in my garage and I pretty much had to call and call and call him and arrange a shipper for him to get rid of it. I was shocked that someone would send $45,000 to someone via an Ebay deal and not even be in any sort of hurry to get the car lol.

[Moparjim]

P.S. He never saw it other than pics and description either... I have a good rep and feedback etc. and I referred him to various car forums and such as "references" but geez that's a lot of cash on a car sight unseen...

[07ROUSHSTG3]

well, did the check clear?

oh yeah. everything worked out great. the guy called his bank and had them verify the funds and the account. he was a bit pissed that they didn't do it in the first place when my bank called them. while my bank deposited the money and all, the "booking dept" would not say until last friday that the check was 100% in the clear?!?! they came over the wednesday before to pick it up. i let them take the sled and just held onto the bill of sale and registration card until friday. then i sent it to him express mail on friday when my bank called and said not to worry.

now i am sledless :(.