Adventures on Craigslist

[aggienaut]

"Debra Smith":
Dear Seller,
I saw your advert/posting of Car on craislist.org, i will like to purchase the car, so before i can proceed in with the payment of the car i will like to know the present condition of the car. So Please get back to me immediately if we have a deal.
Best Regards.

Me:
You're responding to a posting regarding a ladder rack. Its present condition is excellent. Vehicle, however, is not included.

Please call us at (###) ###-#### if you are still interested...

"Debra Smith":
Hello,
Thanks for the prompt reply,I want to purchase the car and make your payment today,please send me your information such as [...] I will make your payment via Electronic Check(E-Check) ... [five more lines of bullshit about how her "e-check" will be in excess and I need to forward that amount to her "shipper"]

Me:
I just want to make sure you understand, the LADDER RACK does not come with several critical components of a "car" -- such as a chassis, axle, wheels, engine, etc etc.

Also, I hate to curb your enthusiam, but we can only accept payment by credit card. We cannot under any circumstances accept an "e-check." In fact, you might even say that, in our opinion, an "e-check" is less a legitimate form of payment than a LADDER RACK is a viable car (however, we still won't trade it for the e-check).

However, if you can pay by credit card, we would still love to sell the ladder rack to you.


** EDIT: yes I'm well aware its a scam attempt. **

Comments

[nibot.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you realize this, but just in case: this is a classic means of fraud. They pay excessively with a bogus "e-check," and ask for change. The original e-check turns out to be bogus, and you've lost both the "change" and the car/ladder-rack.

[emosnail.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I certainly realize that, otherwise I wouldn't be nearly as sarcastic and saucy. Like I said in the other comment, I figure if I send them something they take the time to read, it'll slow them down significantly more than the thousands of their emails that just get ignored.

[nessabfly.livejournal.com]

Oops...I should have read these comments before I left my own, reiterating nibot's exact words...

[nessabfly.livejournal.com]

It's a scam...they always do them with "e-checks" or the like, say they'll pay a higher price for it then you're asking, and will give you explicit (fake) shipping instructions to some distant country in Africa or something. Sean fell for it and lost a perfectly good electric guitar out of it (don't even ask me how he could fall for it, but he did).

I mean, I'm sure you knew it was a scam, but it's still weird they keep misdirecting it to you!

[emosnail.livejournal.com]

On the bright side, it meets the most stringent emissions standards!

I wonder if you could use it as a sled up in the arctic or something.

[thepeoplesmp.livejournal.com]

Dear Seller,

I appreciate your kind thoughts, but I'm afraid you may have overestimated my abilities. While I certainly wouldn't mind being purchased by you, I'm afraid I would require a car, truck, SUV, or tank to adequately transport ladders.

Regards,
Ladder Rack

[thepeoplesmp.livejournal.com]

Ack. I meant "Dear Buyer," obviously.

[hereticxxii.livejournal.com]

same damned thing happened to me...

[pavel-lishin.livejournal.com]

Them crazy nigerians!