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Scams when buying a used mower: BEWARE!
#1
lawn mower fanatic
lawn mower fanatic
I saw this on another forum and thought everyone should see it. Buying a used mower online can be risky!
"Just wanted to update you all on the mower I was considering buying online. It turns out the guy I was dealing with was trying to pull a scam. This mower was found on Craigslist San Antonio.
He had sent me pictures, model numbers and a storage company that was suppose to be storing the mower for him, Said he had to move to the UK and had left the mower with a secured moving company called SafeTransports in Amarillo Texas which is over 600 miles from Houston.
He advertised the mower being in San Antonio. He said SafeTransport would deliver the mower to me and give me 7 days to have it checked out before they would release the funds to him. He even was willing to pay shipping free and free pick up if I decided not to buy the mower. All I had to do was send a Money Gram to a guy at SafeTransports in the UK. Yeah Right!!!
None of this was mentioned when I first contacted him and before I posted this message.
I am a retired police officer and this brought up a lot of red flags so I asked for the serial number. Told him the bank needed it for the loan. He stalled by sending me the model number but later sent me a serial number.
I called Exmark and they told me it was a 2001 model and not a 2007 model. Exmark provided me with the previous owner, US Lawns out of Wisconsin. I called them and they told me they had traded in a bunch mowers last year and all had over 1500 hours on them. None were 2007 models.
I contacted the selller with the information I had obtained and guess what? He quit responding to my email. Email has even been turned off.
So buyer beware when dealing with used mowers. Never buy site unseen and make sure you are dealing with the owner in person. Call the manufacturer and check on the equipment. they will help you determine the original buyer and any service on the mower they have on file.
I ended up buying a new Scag."
(Online lawn mower sales scams. Be aware! | Lawn Care Business Marketing Tips - GopherHaul Blog)
"Just wanted to update you all on the mower I was considering buying online. It turns out the guy I was dealing with was trying to pull a scam. This mower was found on Craigslist San Antonio.
He had sent me pictures, model numbers and a storage company that was suppose to be storing the mower for him, Said he had to move to the UK and had left the mower with a secured moving company called SafeTransports in Amarillo Texas which is over 600 miles from Houston.
He advertised the mower being in San Antonio. He said SafeTransport would deliver the mower to me and give me 7 days to have it checked out before they would release the funds to him. He even was willing to pay shipping free and free pick up if I decided not to buy the mower. All I had to do was send a Money Gram to a guy at SafeTransports in the UK. Yeah Right!!!
None of this was mentioned when I first contacted him and before I posted this message.
I am a retired police officer and this brought up a lot of red flags so I asked for the serial number. Told him the bank needed it for the loan. He stalled by sending me the model number but later sent me a serial number.
I called Exmark and they told me it was a 2001 model and not a 2007 model. Exmark provided me with the previous owner, US Lawns out of Wisconsin. I called them and they told me they had traded in a bunch mowers last year and all had over 1500 hours on them. None were 2007 models.
I contacted the selller with the information I had obtained and guess what? He quit responding to my email. Email has even been turned off.
So buyer beware when dealing with used mowers. Never buy site unseen and make sure you are dealing with the owner in person. Call the manufacturer and check on the equipment. they will help you determine the original buyer and any service on the mower they have on file.
I ended up buying a new Scag."
(Online lawn mower sales scams. Be aware! | Lawn Care Business Marketing Tips - GopherHaul Blog)
#2
M
motoman
M
motoman
Re: Buying a used mower: BEWARE!
I notice craigslist has red warning caps about any shipping and transport.
I notice craigslist has red warning caps about any shipping and transport.
#3
txzrider
txzrider
Re: Buying a used mower: BEWARE!
exactly... the big scam is involving the 3rd party that you pay and will never be able to trace. He is lucky he did his due dilligence.
exactly... the big scam is involving the 3rd party that you pay and will never be able to trace. He is lucky he did his due dilligence.
#5
gfp55
gfp55
Thats good info to know, thanks for sharing.
#6
7394
7394
It pays to be paying attention.. I bet many get taken in scams like this.
#7
B
bertsmobile1
The other 10 sec test , particularly on evilbay is to hit the "sellers other items" button and see if they have a lot of different gear at too low a price.
Take note of the backgrounds.
Oft scammers will simply pull images off evil bay in a different country and offer them in your country so you see the same person selling 10 cars , 15 mowers 3 boats, a couple of excavators & several wardrobes full of designer cloths in multipme sizes all photographed in front of different houses.
And always check the joinnig date and feed back.
Some one who has been on line for less than 1 week selling $ 50,000 with of stuff for $ 20,000 with no feedback is a foreign scammer who has hyjacked some one locals computer.
B
bertsmobile1
It pays to be paying attention.. I bet many get taken in scams like this.
The other 10 sec test , particularly on evilbay is to hit the "sellers other items" button and see if they have a lot of different gear at too low a price.
Take note of the backgrounds.
Oft scammers will simply pull images off evil bay in a different country and offer them in your country so you see the same person selling 10 cars , 15 mowers 3 boats, a couple of excavators & several wardrobes full of designer cloths in multipme sizes all photographed in front of different houses.
And always check the joinnig date and feed back.
Some one who has been on line for less than 1 week selling $ 50,000 with of stuff for $ 20,000 with no feedback is a foreign scammer who has hyjacked some one locals computer.
#8
T
TommyAdam
T
TommyAdam
You get informations there Best Self Propelled Lawn Mower Reviews Guide For 2015 - 2016
#9
J
Jim chapman
J
Jim chapman
When buying a used mower, only buy one locally,where you can check it out personally. Used mowers zero turn are very expensive to repair .please pay close attention to hours used. Mowers posted having ,isay less than three hundred hours, most likely is a scam. I saw an add for a zero turn having over 2100 hours of usage. This mower is simply worn out. This is why it is for sale. Hustler states that their hydro gear transmissions are good for 1200 hrs. Ours failed with just over 900 hrs. They want $850.00 to replace each unit. We being mechanics, rebuilt our own units ourselves. Most people are not able to do this. All the used mowers I have seen for sale ,are being offered for far more than they are worth. You are buying others troubles, when you purchase these high hour mowers. Do be very aware of this. Be smarter than the seller.
#10
C
cashman
C
cashman
One way I've always used to verify on-line sellers that are business's is to get their fax number and send and receive a fax from them. Most legit business's will have a fax machine and land line phone numbers are more easily traced. Ask them to take a picture of a particular part of the mower and send it to you. No way is it 100% foolproof but it makes me more comfortable dealing with them. I personally don't buy anything without a visual inspection. Unless it's a real killer deal, it's best to buy local on garden equipment. The first thing I look at is check the oil in the engine and look at the belts and blades. If the engine is very low on oil and it's dirty and the belts and blades are incorrect or badly worn, it's usually best to look on somewhere else or at least use that info to talk them down on price
#11
J
johnathanRyan
J
johnathanRyan
That's good information, Thank you so much. I always prefer agrisupply store to purchase, reliable and good service
#16
M
MAINTMAN
M
MAINTMAN
I have repaired mowers for 40 years and my suggestion is to buy a new mower because many used mowers have been abused and have not received proper maintenance.
#17
G
Gator325
G
Gator325
I saw this on another forum and thought everyone should see it. Buying a used mower online can be risky!
"Just wanted to update you all on the mower I was considering buying online. It turns out the guy I was dealing with was trying to pull a scam. This mower was found on Craigslist San Antonio.
He had sent me pictures, model numbers and a storage company that was suppose to be storing the mower for him, Said he had to move to the UK and had left the mower with a secured moving company called SafeTransports in Amarillo Texas which is over 600 miles from Houston.
He advertised the mower being in San Antonio. He said SafeTransport would deliver the mower to me and give me 7 days to have it checked out before they would release the funds to him. He even was willing to pay shipping free and free pick up if I decided not to buy the mower. All I had to do was send a Money Gram to a guy at SafeTransports in the UK. Yeah Right!!!
None of this was mentioned when I first contacted him and before I posted this message.
I am a retired police officer and this brought up a lot of red flags so I asked for the serial number. Told him the bank needed it for the loan. He stalled by sending me the model number but later sent me a serial number.
I called Exmark and they told me it was a 2001 model and not a 2007 model. Exmark provided me with the previous owner, US Lawns out of Wisconsin. I called them and they told me they had traded in a bunch mowers last year and all had over 1500 hours on them. None were 2007 models.
I contacted the selller with the information I had obtained and guess what? He quit responding to my email. Email has even been turned off.
So buyer beware when dealing with used mowers. Never buy site unseen and make sure you are dealing with the owner in person. Call the manufacturer and check on the equipment. they will help you determine the original buyer and any service on the mower they have on file.
I ended up buying a new Scag."
(Online lawn mower sales scams. Be aware! | Lawn Care Business Marketing Tips - GopherHaul Blog)
#18
G
Gator325
G
Gator325
Buying anything used seems to be you are buying someone else's problems. There always seems to be that one thing the seller forgets to tell you.
#19
khr76
khr76
thanks dude for this information , dont love to lose my money on scam
#20
G
gsim
G
gsim
Tried shopping for used comml mower on Craigslist and finally found one here in my home town. Was looking at one in Savannah, GA and another one in E. Kentucky. Former guy was straight up, but pulled to give to his son after we had negotiated a price. Big Toro diesel, 72" deck. Latter guy was honest too. We negotiated price, but he was mowing his place for last time before I was to come get it, and PTO clutch burnt out. Uh oh! John Deere. Bend over. Heart attack price for new one @ over $450. Sale fell thru. I bought locally, Kubota diesel powered Grasshopper 930D. I prefer front mount deck, long chassis comml mowers for ease of access to deck, less crowded design. Scarce everywhere, due no doubt to higher new prices, and larger storage area needed. Hard to find any good ones, most have high hours.
#21
PTmowerMech
PTmowerMech
When I sell a used mower, the customer has to look at it & test drive it before any money changes hands.
#22
RogerFisher
RogerFisher
Thank you for sharing, I agree that you should not take the product through an intermediary.
#23
SirMowzalot
SirMowzalot
I hit a lot of them when looking for a used pickup some years ago. Many of these clowns are sitting in places like China, Romania, etc. I don't even get angry anymore. I look at it as an opportunity to create comedy by driving a criminal clear up the wall and back. Like when they ask for the Western Union number send them the phone number, lol. "But you said you needed the number. Did you try to dial it? Did you speak to John? He's a nice guy. Very helpful. His daughter is getting married next week y'know!"
#24
H
hlw49
H
hlw49
Buy from me I go over mine and they are in top notch shape. Most get bearings idlers belts and blades. I never got but one complaint and it was an ignition module.
#25
S
SHB
S
SHB
Had the same experience with a backhoe. Deal was pretty good, but the more I interacted with the seller the odder it felt. I asked the seller to take a photo of the hoe controls, he sent me a photo, they were from a different model. I was able to trace the sellers IP address to Russia. Pointed out the problem, seller vanished.
#26
redneck mechinics shop mi
redneck mechinics shop mi
happend to me lost 500 on a non running exmark pionerI saw this on another forum and thought everyone should see it. Buying a used mower online can be risky!
"Just wanted to update you all on the mower I was considering buying online. It turns out the guy I was dealing with was trying to pull a scam. This mower was found on Craigslist San Antonio.
He had sent me pictures, model numbers and a storage company that was suppose to be storing the mower for him, Said he had to move to the UK and had left the mower with a secured moving company called SafeTransports in Amarillo Texas which is over 600 miles from Houston.
He advertised the mower being in San Antonio. He said SafeTransport would deliver the mower to me and give me 7 days to have it checked out before they would release the funds to him. He even was willing to pay shipping free and free pick up if I decided not to buy the mower. All I had to do was send a Money Gram to a guy at SafeTransports in the UK. Yeah Right!!!
None of this was mentioned when I first contacted him and before I posted this message.
I am a retired police officer and this brought up a lot of red flags so I asked for the serial number. Told him the bank needed it for the loan. He stalled by sending me the model number but later sent me a serial number.
I called Exmark and they told me it was a 2001 model and not a 2007 model. Exmark provided me with the previous owner, US Lawns out of Wisconsin. I called them and they told me they had traded in a bunch mowers last year and all had over 1500 hours on them. None were 2007 models.
I contacted the selller with the information I had obtained and guess what? He quit responding to my email. Email has even been turned off.
So buyer beware when dealing with used mowers. Never buy site unseen and make sure you are dealing with the owner in person. Call the manufacturer and check on the equipment. they will help you determine the original buyer and any service on the mower they have on file.
I ended up buying a new Scag."
(Online lawn mower sales scams. Be aware! | Lawn Care Business Marketing Tips - GopherHaul Blog)
#27
F
freedhardwoods
Secondly, anyone dumb enough to believe that load of crap must lead a rough life getting screwed all the time.
F
freedhardwoods
To start with, I only deal face to face with strangers.I saw this on another forum and thought everyone should see it. Buying a used mower online can be risky!
"Just wanted to update you all on the mower I was considering buying online. It turns out the guy I was dealing with was trying to pull a scam. This mower was found on Craigslist San Antonio.
He had sent me pictures, model numbers and a storage company that was suppose to be storing the mower for him, Said he had to move to the UK and had left the mower with a secured moving company called SafeTransports in Amarillo Texas which is over 600 miles from Houston.
He advertised the mower being in San Antonio. He said SafeTransport would deliver the mower to me and give me 7 days to have it checked out before they would release the funds to him. He even was willing to pay shipping free and free pick up if I decided not to buy the mower. All I had to do was send a Money Gram to a guy at SafeTransports in the UK. Yeah Right!!!
None of this was mentioned when I first contacted him and before I posted this message.
Secondly, anyone dumb enough to believe that load of crap must lead a rough life getting screwed all the time.
#28
F
Forest#2
F
Forest#2
No way would I buy a mower on-line, especially a used one.
Bad enough trying to buy one while doing face to face asnd inspection and asking the previous owner questions.
When doing such I'm checking out the seller more than I am the mower/equipment.
We all have heard this line, It was running good when I parked it or it was running good until i installed a new belt and it quit working.
But I'm a paranoid type of person and do not trust anyone. I even get more nervous/cautious if someone gets behind me.
Bad enough trying to buy one while doing face to face asnd inspection and asking the previous owner questions.
When doing such I'm checking out the seller more than I am the mower/equipment.
We all have heard this line, It was running good when I parked it or it was running good until i installed a new belt and it quit working.
But I'm a paranoid type of person and do not trust anyone. I even get more nervous/cautious if someone gets behind me.
#29
StarTech
StarTech
There is more idiot suckers out there than I care to think about. They are always looking for something for nothing and always getting burned.
And they then bring in the equipment and start telling me how to fix it. I just tell them if they know some much about how to fix it fix themselves and I walk away. I no longer care to listen to them whine about getting ripped off. They get what they ask for. They pay for the correct repairs or go somewhere else.
And they then bring in the equipment and start telling me how to fix it. I just tell them if they know some much about how to fix it fix themselves and I walk away. I no longer care to listen to them whine about getting ripped off. They get what they ask for. They pay for the correct repairs or go somewhere else.
#30
H
Heretik
H
Heretik
IMO, Craig's List is the worst place to buy spit.
I have personal bad experience and had none of the foresight of Lawn Mower Fanatic. This incident was a long while ago and have since had nothing but free spit for Craig's List.
I have personal bad experience and had none of the foresight of Lawn Mower Fanatic. This incident was a long while ago and have since had nothing but free spit for Craig's List.
#31
G
GearHead36
G
GearHead36
You're not wrong, but... you CAN get good deals sometimes. I bought a Cub Pro Z 100 used, with 350 hrs. It looked like it had more hrs on it, and it needed work. Parts were broken. It sold for $9000 new, and I got it for $2000. I knew it wasn't going to be "like new". I was able to test drive it too. I spent a couple of weeks fixing it, and I have a great commercial mower now for an investment of ~$2500. The cylinder walls still have cross hatching, so the 350 hrs may have been correct. The seller didn't really forget to tell me anything, but he wasn't able to tell me everything about it, as he had just bought it from an auction. It turned out that it wasn't big enough for the pasture he wanted it for. He knew of a few problems, and informed me of them, but I found more once I dug into it. I bought it knowing that it was a gamble. The gamble paid off this time, but I also was able to see the mower firsthand, and deal with the seller face to face.Buying anything used seems to be you are buying someone else's problems. There always seems to be that one thing the seller forgets to tell you.
#32
F
freedhardwoods
F
freedhardwoods
I have bought many, many vehicles, lawn mowers, tractors, equipment, etc and I can only remember buying 4 of them new. I ALWAYS go look and decide if it is worth buying, or sometimes gambling on. I have bought several things very cheap knowing I have to fix them before they can be used. With all the used things I have bought, I got a bad deal 3 or 4 times, but the vast majority of the time I did ok.
#33
F
freedhardwoods
F
freedhardwoods
I happened to remember one area of my used "machine" adventures where I learned that cheap isn't good.
$100 washing machines are usually someones junk that will only work a few times. There are many people that have
$300 - $500 machines that are only selling because the wife wanted a new fancier model.
I have done better with $100 dryers, but $200 will usually get you a good one.
$100 washing machines are usually someones junk that will only work a few times. There are many people that have
$300 - $500 machines that are only selling because the wife wanted a new fancier model.
I have done better with $100 dryers, but $200 will usually get you a good one.
#34
A
Auto Doc's
A
Auto Doc's
Advertised sales are nice but are easily a false bait.
With any purchase like this, don't trust anything about it unless you can talk face to face, and you test run the equipment. There are too many people who will gladly take your money and tell both impressive and pitiful stories to get it.
"I'm selling it for a friend" is a play on words to make you think they are actually helping someone, and they are being some kind of "hero".
As the saying goes "There's sucker born every minute".
With any purchase like this, don't trust anything about it unless you can talk face to face, and you test run the equipment. There are too many people who will gladly take your money and tell both impressive and pitiful stories to get it.
"I'm selling it for a friend" is a play on words to make you think they are actually helping someone, and they are being some kind of "hero".
As the saying goes "There's sucker born every minute".
#35
DanDavis_
DanDavis_
oh my god..thanks to your intuition and prompt response.. the trick sounds clever and he makes everything so convincing. But when he mentioned covering the shipping fee even you don't feel like buying it, its quite suspicious. consulting Exmark is really really wise.