Attention Forum members! This is a PSA regarding the classified section, it's listings, and the due caution that you should exercise when taking part in either end of negotiations. While much of this post will revolve around safely purchasing goods, it is equally as important as a seller to use due diligence before sending your wares to the unscrupulous buyer and his or her not so secured funds. To be clear this is not meant to insult anyone's ability to successfully navigate a transaction in the classified section, just a reminder of things to look for. It is easy to have our better judgement clouded by shiny stuff that make our SS's even cooler than they already are, and these are just a few checks and balances that may go a long way to ensuring that the shiny thing shows up when all is said and done.
First and foremost, we will address payment for transactions in the classifieds and on the forum.
It is strongly suggested that payment be sent or secured and processed through a legitimate service like PayPal with end to end encryption and two factor authentication vs some of the cash apps that offer zero traceability, accountability or buyer protection. This is also the reason that not only do we strongly suggest PayPal goods and services vs friends and family, but require it as a seller in order to protect our members and give them an avenue of recourse should the transaction go sour in any way. If a seller insists on a different or less secure method of payment for goods that don't involve a car title, that should be considered a huge red flag. If the seller is not willing to utilize a more secure service or a financial institution for vehicle purchases, that should be considered a deal breaker.
Next we will talk about what to look for as a buyer, and red flags both large and small that should be on your radar and be of concern when they pop up.
One of the main prompts of this PSA was a new member/seller contacting a new member/buyer supposedly with the goods the buyer was looking for and had posted a WTB thread in regards to. We will layout some of the red flags that showed up, as well as some possible remedies or requests you can make in order to address some of those red flags.
The first of these red flags was a brand new member that just happened to have what the seller was looking for. The second was the fact that after only one communication via the conversation feature the seller then moved off of the forum to a texting exchange. From there it became apparent that the seller was using an internet based phone number, this one through Google, rather than an actual cellphone number or landline. Whether via text or conversation on the forum, look for incomplete sentences or broken English which may or may not indicate a foreign presence via VPN from another country entirely. If you get a message requesting a move to text, ask them to continue via the forum. If they choose not to, end the conversation and notify the mod team so that we can at least attempt to look into the seller via the limited tools that we have available to us. If for some reason you are unable to converse via the forum but are convinced that it is a legit seller, you should consider an actual phone conversation, which just might raise or lower the red flag that is clearly flying at this point.
Next consider the pics of the items offered for sale and whether they are stock photos or photos that seem less professional and less staged, which is a good thing. The more pics available, the better. Look for all parts and pieces to the item offered, i.e. nuts and bolts, clamps, gaskets, etc. Something not look right in a pic or don't see something that you should? Ask for more pics, more clarification. One of the things we suggest to sellers in the classified rules is a piece of paper in the pic with the seller's username and date on it. If you are still concerned with this aspect of the possible transaction, ask the seller to take another pic with your username and the date of your request on a piece of paper in the pic. It's 2023, and everyone has a cellphone with this feature available to capture and upload to the forum within minutes. If they have the item available, it should not be too much to ask for. If they don't have the item available for said pic, why is that, and when were the pics you've seen actually taken? If they are hesitant or grumble too loudly about the request, that is the flag going up the pole.
Next would be the price of the item offered and the urgency to which the seller seemingly has placed on the possible transaction. If the price is in your mind too high, but the seller is immediately willing to drop it considerably, red flag. If the price seems excessively low and the deal too good to be true, it probably is. If the seller is applying undue pressure with excuses and reasons that it "has to happen now" so to speak, another red flag. Don't be rushed into a deal or pressured into spending money that you may not quite be ready to spend just yet. Pay attention to your gut, if it has a funny feeling about the whole thing, follow that instinct and pay attention to that feeling.
Finally, if you feel good about the transaction and have pulled the trigger, make certain to get shipping confirmation, estimated shipping times and arrival, and tracking numbers if applicable. If you are paying for shipping, I would spend the extra and pay for insurance on the shipment as well.
If at any point in a negotiation you feel that you are being misled or outright lied to, please contact the mod team via conversation and relay your concerns. While our hands are tied in many cases, there is a chance that we may be able to intervene and either right the ship or suggest another boat while you still have the ticket money in hand.
In summary, it all comes down to due diligence and proceeding cautiously with both your money as well as people and members that you've likely never met and perhaps never will. We have a lot of good cats on the forum, but unfortunately some bad apples get through now and again despite the efforts put forth by the mod team to try and keep it from happening. While no doubt the moderators' various personalities and MO's bleed through on a personal level at times, make no mistake that our commitment to the forum and it's members is a unified one, and we work very hard to try to keep the forum honest and our members safe.
Please feel free to reach out to the mod team via conversation with any other suggestions that you may have in regards to keeping our membership safe within the classifieds. More importantly, always let one or all of us know when you've been contacted by a suspected spammer, see one lurking somewhere that we may not have picked up on, or just feel that we may want to be aware of something or someone that caught your attention. The three dots at the top right corner of a post can be used to report a post, and will alert the mods to what may be nefarious intent. We appreciate the heads up.
Thank you for being members of the forum,
The Mod Team
First and foremost, we will address payment for transactions in the classifieds and on the forum.
It is strongly suggested that payment be sent or secured and processed through a legitimate service like PayPal with end to end encryption and two factor authentication vs some of the cash apps that offer zero traceability, accountability or buyer protection. This is also the reason that not only do we strongly suggest PayPal goods and services vs friends and family, but require it as a seller in order to protect our members and give them an avenue of recourse should the transaction go sour in any way. If a seller insists on a different or less secure method of payment for goods that don't involve a car title, that should be considered a huge red flag. If the seller is not willing to utilize a more secure service or a financial institution for vehicle purchases, that should be considered a deal breaker.
Next we will talk about what to look for as a buyer, and red flags both large and small that should be on your radar and be of concern when they pop up.
One of the main prompts of this PSA was a new member/seller contacting a new member/buyer supposedly with the goods the buyer was looking for and had posted a WTB thread in regards to. We will layout some of the red flags that showed up, as well as some possible remedies or requests you can make in order to address some of those red flags.
The first of these red flags was a brand new member that just happened to have what the seller was looking for. The second was the fact that after only one communication via the conversation feature the seller then moved off of the forum to a texting exchange. From there it became apparent that the seller was using an internet based phone number, this one through Google, rather than an actual cellphone number or landline. Whether via text or conversation on the forum, look for incomplete sentences or broken English which may or may not indicate a foreign presence via VPN from another country entirely. If you get a message requesting a move to text, ask them to continue via the forum. If they choose not to, end the conversation and notify the mod team so that we can at least attempt to look into the seller via the limited tools that we have available to us. If for some reason you are unable to converse via the forum but are convinced that it is a legit seller, you should consider an actual phone conversation, which just might raise or lower the red flag that is clearly flying at this point.
Next consider the pics of the items offered for sale and whether they are stock photos or photos that seem less professional and less staged, which is a good thing. The more pics available, the better. Look for all parts and pieces to the item offered, i.e. nuts and bolts, clamps, gaskets, etc. Something not look right in a pic or don't see something that you should? Ask for more pics, more clarification. One of the things we suggest to sellers in the classified rules is a piece of paper in the pic with the seller's username and date on it. If you are still concerned with this aspect of the possible transaction, ask the seller to take another pic with your username and the date of your request on a piece of paper in the pic. It's 2023, and everyone has a cellphone with this feature available to capture and upload to the forum within minutes. If they have the item available, it should not be too much to ask for. If they don't have the item available for said pic, why is that, and when were the pics you've seen actually taken? If they are hesitant or grumble too loudly about the request, that is the flag going up the pole.
Next would be the price of the item offered and the urgency to which the seller seemingly has placed on the possible transaction. If the price is in your mind too high, but the seller is immediately willing to drop it considerably, red flag. If the price seems excessively low and the deal too good to be true, it probably is. If the seller is applying undue pressure with excuses and reasons that it "has to happen now" so to speak, another red flag. Don't be rushed into a deal or pressured into spending money that you may not quite be ready to spend just yet. Pay attention to your gut, if it has a funny feeling about the whole thing, follow that instinct and pay attention to that feeling.
Finally, if you feel good about the transaction and have pulled the trigger, make certain to get shipping confirmation, estimated shipping times and arrival, and tracking numbers if applicable. If you are paying for shipping, I would spend the extra and pay for insurance on the shipment as well.
If at any point in a negotiation you feel that you are being misled or outright lied to, please contact the mod team via conversation and relay your concerns. While our hands are tied in many cases, there is a chance that we may be able to intervene and either right the ship or suggest another boat while you still have the ticket money in hand.
In summary, it all comes down to due diligence and proceeding cautiously with both your money as well as people and members that you've likely never met and perhaps never will. We have a lot of good cats on the forum, but unfortunately some bad apples get through now and again despite the efforts put forth by the mod team to try and keep it from happening. While no doubt the moderators' various personalities and MO's bleed through on a personal level at times, make no mistake that our commitment to the forum and it's members is a unified one, and we work very hard to try to keep the forum honest and our members safe.
Please feel free to reach out to the mod team via conversation with any other suggestions that you may have in regards to keeping our membership safe within the classifieds. More importantly, always let one or all of us know when you've been contacted by a suspected spammer, see one lurking somewhere that we may not have picked up on, or just feel that we may want to be aware of something or someone that caught your attention. The three dots at the top right corner of a post can be used to report a post, and will alert the mods to what may be nefarious intent. We appreciate the heads up.
Thank you for being members of the forum,
The Mod Team
