Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes Sale almost turns into theft !!!

Heads up to those people selling planes in the Texas, Arazona, Southern California area.

I placed a bid on a nice 150 being sold on ebay and bid 2k over Vref because it was in great shape. I received a notification from ebay that the seller canselled my bid and found another email from the seller explaining why. Apparently someone showed up at the sellers airport in Tyler Texas and offered another 3k over my already high bid on the spot. The seller was so happy he canselled the ebay auction and agreed to close the sale with this other guy the next day with a bank certified check. The next day the buyer and seller met and when the seller told the buyer he still needed to wait until the check cleared, he flipped out, grabbed the check out of the sellers hand and left. The seller had made a copy of the check along with the other paperwork, got suspisious and called the police. Turned out the check was computer generated and the routing numbers were fake. When the phone number on the check was dialed, a spanish speaking person knew nothing and was wondering why his number was on the check. This person is still at large probably looking to buy another plane in the area so sellers look out.

N11810 will probably show back up on ebay soon. The seller emailed me and asked if I was still interested but I'm closing on a different one this Friday. (I just looked on ebay and there is a very nice 59 150 for 15k)

I don' think ebay is the right place to buy or sell a plane. To many things need to take place in order to make the sale. Pre-buy, title search... I'll never bid again.

This appears to be a case of seller beware.

This is a common scam whether on ebay or not. I had just finished talking to my AP/IA about these things on a boat deal he had heard about. Within a month, a guy showed up to buy a Cessna 185 he was helping a client sell. Guy had a Bank of America Cashiers check, and remembered my conversation, so he walked up to BofA, and sure enough...counterfeit.

Consequently, the scam now get's previously innocent people involved as the "mule" too, so the guy presenting the check may not be the actual perp, but a patsy promised a quick $1000 or so just to deliver the check. Pretty sick really, and no serious penalties seem to exist for these crimes.

Jeff:

Small world.

I tried to buy N11810 from a guy in Kansas in 2005. I looked at the airplane and we agreed upon a price. I sent him a purchase agreement and he told me he was not going to sell that airplane using any "$%&^@!@& purchase agreement. He just wanted me to give him the money and I'd take the airplane. More to it than that, but needless to say the sale didn't go through. The airplane was eventually sold to someone in Nebraska, then to Florida, and ultimately to Texas. Nice airplane, but buying and selling that one seems difficult.

Don

I used AOPA's title and escrow service when I bought N8802S. Definately worth the cost IMO.

I just sent Jim Hillabrand a cashier's check to pay for the engine. You guys don't be scaring him now.

*****boing******boing*****boing******

Of course it helps a bit to know your buyer for a few years.

GULP!

I've had someone from Montreal contact me this week asking if I can sell to a buyer in Canada and if I'd bring it to him. I told him yes I can sell it, though I never have before. I told him he could get a commercial pilot to ferry it for him.

Then he asked me what a commercial pilot would cost. I'm like, dude, look it up yourself but I gave him some information on finding one on Barnstormers.

Then he emails me back with his email addy now listed as "Joe Bleau" and now I think it's someone just jerking me around. Very leery of "Nigerian" scams.

This is a favorite trick of the scammers. When selling stuff on eBay or anywhere else I use PayPal - I can send you a request for money, and you can pay me using your credit card. Once I sold a sailboat, and they guy wanted to send me a cashier’s check - sure I told him so long as it is drawn on a major US Bank (B of A, Wells Fargo, Chase, Fleet Bank etc...) and I can verify the check before you take delivery– he never called again – Hmmmm!

Yes my friends please beware there are many scam artist out there and it never amazes me what they will try next. As it was once said – “if it’s to good to be true – it isn’t”

~Adios