Is this a scam?

[lossforgain]

These scams have become more sophisticated and they now have the ability to present a local phone #. I have had this done to me and managed to come to my wits and get out of it. I would stay away from it. If it sounds to good to be true.......

Different people have different definitions of "too good to be true." Offering overpayment, using a shipping agent, etc, obviously are red flags. But someone from the other side of the country who wants to buy what you have? That's not too good to be true, that's the power of the internet. It's what eBay and Reverb are for, and I like the idea someone gave above of using them. But PayPal has protection built in as well, and I've done long distance deals that way consistently with no problems. The only time I ever had a buyer give me a headache on PayPal was buying a Taylor guitar that they found somewhere cheaper after they paid for mine. Tied up $1500 for about a month until PayPal decided in my favor.

 

[amosguy]

Double check any number online you are asked to call. There are some scams where you are actually calling what looks like a good number, only to find later you are billed at $50/minute at some Caribbean Island system.

 

[xsabers]

I am not so sure. The cynical are sure to see scams everywhere, but there are some keys here, some of which have been mentioned.

* Mention of the item being sold and what that item is. Look at the verbiage used. Was it pulled directly from your ad as if done by a bot (most scams are bot driven because they need the vast numbers to find a few marks). If not, then it gives the appearance of being legit.
* The offer of a phone call. Certainly not an indication of a scam.
* The offer of using PayPal and sending shipping labels. As long as the item isn't shipped until you have the cash.
* Beware of PayPal disputes though. That is always a risk when shipping products sight unseen. Is it possible to disconnect your bank account from PayPal as soon as you withdraw the funds? I don't know.

Finally, if you can sell locally, do it. Otherwise as always, proceed with caution.

 

[Prufrock]

I don't know if the OP is a scam or not, but I can tell you that as a buyer I have had both very good and very frustrating experiences with Craigslist listings. On the one hand, I have sent very similar offers to try and facilitate the shipping of an uncommon item from one side of the country to the other. Sometimes a seller is willing to talk on the phone, and then we can tell pretty quickly if both sides are legit or not. Other times I have had to work extremely hard to try and convince a seller to work with me, often trying to be extremely creative to help get around the paranoia - likely caused by bad selling experiences, or the phobia created by threads like this.

I suppose it might also depend on the type of item being sold. If it is a relatively common item, why does someone need to go outside of their local Craigslist to find it? If it is an uncommon item, then you might expect that someone outside of your immediate area might want it shipped.

In the end it is all about having a willing buyer and a willing seller, but I often scratch my head at how difficult sellers make it for me to purchase the thing they supposedly want to sell. Sometimes the particular item makes the effort worth it, but at other times I save my time and take my money elsewhere.

 

[Blisco]

What screams scam to me is the total lack of talk about the kit and the complete fixation on payment and shipping.

Think about it. If you were buying something this expensive, would you not ask about the condition and other factors first before offering shipping labels and worrying about payment protections?

Scam scam scam!!!

 

[lossforgain]

What screams scam to me is the total lack of talk about the kit and the complete fixation on payment and shipping.

Think about it. If you were buying something this expensive, would you not ask about the condition and other factors first before offering shipping labels and worrying about payment protections?

Scam scam scam!!!

It depends. If I am contacting someone far away, I offer assurances that I am a real buyer and could have written some of these same statements myself. Of course I do usually ask questions about the item for sale as well, but some people prefer to do that by phone.

 

[cymtrich]

one thing i find amazing is they`re quite literate! these scammers often are`nt. of course, it does`nt mean they`re not scamming. they`re just "a smooth criminal(s)! bill

 

[Blisco]

What screams scam to me is the total lack of talk about the kit and the complete fixation on payment and shipping.

Think about it. If you were buying something this expensive, would you not ask about the condition and other factors first before offering shipping labels and worrying about payment protections?

Scam scam scam!!!

It depends. If I am contacting someone far away, I offer assurances that I am a real buyer and could have written some of these same statements myself. Of course I do usually ask questions about the item for sale as well, but some people prefer to do that by phone.

Perhaps, but it wouldn't be my opening line. I would ask drum questions that would 'prove' I'm real. Half a country away and I'm going to ask to verify the pads or cables or brain first. Verify pedals included etc... before I talk price. And then when it comes around to that, I'm going to negotiate first.

Scammers always are happy and willing to pay your price. Because that isn't their concern. I still say SCAMMER.

 

[Pounder]

You could respond on the email and ask for the phone number. Actually, I would call from an independent line though. That way, if the number you call from is just part of a fishing expedition, they can't garner more info from you if you call from your own phone number.

Also, you should question the originally-stated motives for making the purchase. If this is indeed a rare item in the area they claim to be in, that could be a good sign. If, however, your asking price is just so-so, and the potential buyer hasn't revealed their exact location, and they have not really asked for any details, that's different. If you call them from a different phone number, and they talk to you with some knowledge about it, it could be legit. There's actually too little info provided in the OP for anyone to draw a definite conclusion, but BE CAREFUL!

 

[A J]

I'd pursue the sale but if you have any reservations, it's better to simply let it go.

I recently made a sale through a local online site. The buyer behaved strangely. He was both needy and demanding. I had a bad vibe about the dude and pulled the plug on the deal 24 hours out. I'm kinda glad I listened to my gut.

 

[Rich K.]

one thing i find amazing is they`re quite literate! these scammers often are`nt. of course, it does`nt mean they`re not scamming. they`re just "a smooth criminal(s)! bill

...quite literate.."are'nt, does'nt"...wow

 

[TDM]

one thing i find amazing is they`re quite literate! these scammers often are`nt. of course, it does`nt mean they`re not scamming. they`re just "a smooth criminal(s)! bill

...quite literate.."are'nt, does'nt"...wow

I must admit, I chuckled a little bit over those errors, too. For the record, the rule with contractions is the apostrophe takes the place of the omitted letters. Therefore, the contraction of "are not" is aren't and the contraction of "does not" is doesn't.

 

[TDM]

Re the OP. My spider sense tingled after reading the buyer's reply and therefore I say "scam". The trigger for me is the generic reference to "Roland Drum Set". Roland's V-Drums are very expensive. Those who spend this kind of money typically know a lot about the kits and they'll mention specific model numbers and details to ensure the kit is the right one. As noted, this buyer uses the phrase "Roland Drum Set". It's as though the scammer (or bot) picked up a few words in the ad and strung them together. Unless the seller listed the kit this way (which I find unlikely because obtaining a reasonable price for V-Drums is highly dependent on listing the correct model), then it all feels too generic. Generic references typically imply a bot. In other words, the generic reference is scanned and parsed from the ad text, and then inserted into a pre-written script. The scammer has no idea what the actual item is and they don't care because the details aren't pertinent to the scam.

 

[Thumper]

It is a scameroo, agree on a price and have them wire you the money, it will never show up.

I don't understand how this scam works. If the seller sends all the money and pays for shipping how is this a scam?

He said, (tongue-in-cheek)...