Tips to avoid being scammed

Tips to avoid being scammed buying airsoft from private parties.

Well, let’s face it, there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there who want to rip you off. Most people see it in spam emails declaring you’re the winner of some obscene amount of money because your email was chosen in some lottery you never entered and all you have to do is wire $_____ to receive your payout. Or maybe you’ve gotten a reply to an ad you posted promising a cashiers check for 10 times what you want for your item, if you wire the extra to some out of country location, blah, blah, blah… Fact is, you need to be careful when buying and selling online.

This post will deal with Airsoft related purchases, but the basic concepts can be used for just about everything.

So how do you protect yourself?

The best way to avoid being scammed is to deal face to face, but that’s rarely convenient when dealing with people from all over the country/world. Most people are good natured and honest, but there are certain steps a buyer and seller can take to help avoid being scammed.

Buyers Advice:

“Caveat Emptor” is Latin for “Buyer Beware”. This is the mantra for all internet based sales. Any time you spend money on an object you can not hold before buying, you are taking a risk. It doesn’t matter if you are buying from an established online retailer or if you’re dealing with Buford T. Futzmucker Jr. in Timbuktu, New Hampshire.

Common Sense:
Well, common sense is your first ally. If a deal seems too good to be true, odds are that it is. If you come across a WA2000 for $500, don’t even waste your time and efforts. Those things go for $3000+ and are extremely rare. Now I’m not saying killer deals do not exist. I’ve been on the receiving end of some amazing deals. I’ve picked up fully functioning metal gearboxed AEGs for as little as $40 and ones needing work for as little as $10. The point is, those types of deals are rare, and if you come across one, you should be very cautious in proceeding.

Details, details, details:
Knowledge is the best tool you can use to avoid being ripped off, scammed, or taken advantage of. Ask the seller detailed questions, especially ones that are “Yes/No” answer type questions like “Is anything broken?” or “Are all the pieces there?”. Answers like “I don’t think so”, “I’m not sure”, and “As far as I know” should be a warning that things may not be as they seem. If a seller doesn’t have, make, or take the time to honestly and thoroughly answer a buyers question, ask yourself how motivated he’ll be to ship your package once he receives your money?

Pictures:
The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” is a very true statement. If the post, auction, or ad you are interested in doesn’t have a lot of pictures (or any), don’t be afraid to ask for some. The excuse “I don’t have a camera” or “Google it for pictures” quite honestly tells me the seller is not motivated. Even if the seller doesn’t have a digital camera, I’d be willing to bet they know someone who does.
Always get pictures of all sides and various angles. You can request the seller put their username on a piece of paper conspicuously in the picture too, to insure you are getting actual pictures of the item you’re considering.

Pictures are not always a guarantee, though. Do some research first. Do a Google Image search for the item you’re looking at. If the pictures the seller sends show up on Google, there’s a pretty good chance they copied the pictures. Not a guarantee, but a good chance.

Know the Seller:
So who are you buying from? Are they an active member of the forum? Have they been around for a while? Do they have any feedback? Can you get references or usernames of others on the site they’ve had successful transactions with? Granted, not every inactive new member selling something is trying to scam anyone, but I’m always more comfortable dealing with someone who has a vested interest in the forum or site.

Contact:
Sometimes it’s a good idea to actually speak to the seller. Not always, but sometimes. I’ve had many transactions go well without phone calls, but it doesn’t hurt to have another avenue of communication outside email and PMs.

Payment Arrangements:
The first rule of paying for anything online is C.Y.A. (Cover Your Butt)
Always use a trackable payment method. PayPal is one of the safest methods to exchange money for goods. They have a Buyer Protection program that can help you resolve a problem if the seller doesn’t ship your item or ships something significantly different than what they described in their ad.

If you receive a PayPal Invoice for an item in your email, do NOT click any links in that email. Open a separate browser and either use your favorites/bookmarks to navigate to the page or physically type it into the address bar. Check the validity of the invoice in your account summary before you pay for the item. Scammers love to send “Phishing” emails that look like invoices in the hopes you’ll follow their link and inadvertently give them your account information. Always log in from a separate browser, then close that browser when you log out. Just another layer of security to protect yourself.


Money Orders are also a convenient method of paying, but be careful what kind you use.
If I’m using a money order, I use the United States Postal Service Money Order.
I pay for the money order and postage at the same time, that way I have the receipt showing both the money order amount and postage to the sellers zip code. I’ll even use Delivery Confirmation to insure the letter was received. All of this is cheap insurance in case anything goes wrong. Mail Fraud is a Federal Offence and having all the evidence in one place can help recover your money if you get scammed.

Personal Checks can sometimes be an option, but don’t be surprised if the seller holds the item until the check clears your account. With a personal check, you will at least have some information on the back of the processed check if any issues arise. Make a photocopy of the check before you mail it, or keep the carbon copy in your checkbook until the transaction is complete. Keep an eye on your account, too. There have been cases of checks being washed and amounts changed. If you see a discrepancy in the check amount, file a report or claim with your bank or financial institution. You may also want to file a police report.

Unless you absolutely trust the seller, NEVER EVER mail cash and NEVER wire the money to the seller. More than 50% of all scams involve sending or wiring cash.
Also, never give a credit card number to a private seller.

Delivered:
Well, your package arrived, and it’s…. Well, that depends. If it’s what you expected or better, let the seller know you appreciate the detailed answers, prompt shipping, good packaging, whatever. If something’s missing, don’t go assuming you’re being scammed. Politely ask if that something was overlooked. Sometimes, people make genuine mistakes.
I shipped an AK once and forgot the battery cover. It happens.

Seller Advice:

The Buyer:
Almost every single time I post something for sale online, I get at least one buyer who wants to forward a cashiers check for three or more times the purchase price and for me to wire the balance, minus a generous “handling fee” that I get to keep for my troubles, and they’ll take care of the shipping arrangements.
Guess what? That’s a scam. Guaranteed. Period.
Don’t even bother responding to those. If you get an offer like that in a PM, notify the admin on the site about it.

Now, actual interested parties will likely ask a lot of questions. I know it may sound silly playing 20 questions about a $20 sight or whatever, but remember, a mutual trust must be built between buyer and seller. Answer the questions honestly and openly. Don’t hide anything or play games with semantics. If there’s a problem with the item, no matter how small, make it known. Remember, a good transaction is forgotten within a couple weeks, a bad transaction stays in memory for a long time. I still remember the usernames of at least four members on a different forum that screwed me over.

Shipping:
Before you even post your item for sale, have a box ready for it. It’s a good idea put it in the box with all the filler, weigh it and measure it. When a buyer asks what it’ll cost to ship to them, you can use that information online to determine the shipping.
When determining the shipping price, take into account tracking and/or delivery confirmation and insurance, if the buyer wants it. I always use Delivery Confirmation with USPS.
Make sure you let the buyer know when you plan to ship, too.

Remember, each carrier has certain restrictions and limitations on what can be shipped and how it can be shipped. For example, pressurized gasses like Co2 and Green Gas are not allowed with USPS, and only allowed on Ground UPS shipments.
Per Federal Law, the 1st 6mm of the muzzle of an airsoft replica must be permanently marked with Blaze Orange for sale, transfer, or transport. While I have shipped and received airsoft without the orange, I do not recommend this procedure to anyone. Post 9/11 security makes it far more likely that packages can be scanned, searched, X-Rayed, or otherwise investigated. Play it safe, keep the orange on.

Also, when shipping AEGs, always remove the magazine and battery from the gun and place them separately in the box. I usually use large 1 Gallon zip top bags for the accessories so they don’t get lost in the packing materials. If you’re using packing peanuts, wrap the gun in newspaper so none of the packing gets into the nooks and crannies. The buyer will appreciate it, trust me. lol

When shipping gas guns, make sure all magazines are completely empty of BBs and gas.

Payment Methods:
The first rule about receiving payment for your goods is C.Y.A. (Cover Your Butt)
When I post something for sale, I typically specify PayPal or USPS Money Order for reasons noted in the above buyers section.
The great thing about USPS Money Orders that most people do not realize is that you can cash them at the Post Office (provided they have enough cash on hand).
When I get a USPS MO as payment, I take it along with the package to my local Post Office and use the money after I cash it to cover the postage. A very convenient way to handle it.

When you receive a PayPal notification that you received a payment, do NOT click any links in that email. Open a separate browser and either use your favorites/bookmarks to navigate to the page or physically type it into the address bar. Check the validity of the payment in your account summary before you ship the item. I have received notifications on eBay auctions I had that turned out to be fake. If I had tried to log in using the link in the email, I would have given the scammer my PayPal information. Always log in from a separate browser, then close that browser when you log out.

On rare occasions, I have accepted a personal check, but I always made sure the buyer knew that I would not ship until the check cleared their bank, not mine. This process typically takes 10 business days, although sometime’s it’s shorter with today’s electronic information exchanges. Contact your bank for their policy on this.
I have also accepted cash in certain instances.

Follow up:
This is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of a transaction. Once the buyer has received the item, a quick, friendly note asking if they are happy with the item(s) takes only a moment, but it leaves a lasting impression with the buyer.



Trades:

There is only one circumstance where I, personally would consider trading something for something else that involved shipping. That is if I am dealing with someone I personally know or a well known and well established member of the community. I have heard of too many issues where one party wouldn’t ship the promised goods, or any other number of issues.
Many trades have gone on without a hitch, and many people are more than willing to trade online, but as there is rarely any legal recourse for recovery if something goes south, it all comes down to trust.




So there it is.

Hopefully, these ideas and strategies will help prevent you from falling victim to a scam. There are no guarantees in life, but if you do your homework and a little research, you can minimize your risks.

Feel free to add any other advice or tips and share what you do to prevent being scammed.

Good luck, and carry on…

Its good that someone posted one of these guides on here, not only do these deter scammers but they also help teach the community about the dos/donts of buying/selling

I don't own a camera so I must be a scammer. Pics don't mean nothing. Someone could easily post pics from say a catalogue. The fact is I've sold countless airsoft guns without pics and every buyer has been totally satisfied. In case you guys are actually wondering, I really don't own a camera. I don't even own a computer. I have a MSN-TV2 unit which doesn't allow me to upload pics.

In which case, you have lots of references to give out.

Sheesh, this is just a list of tips and suggestions. Don't go taking it all personal.

Oh I'm not taking anything personal. Just saying pics aren't always what they crack up to be. Good read though Sparky. This should be Stickied.

Sticky?

Yes I made this thread A "Sticky"

o crap i just posted something up on craigslist and i found a buyer but this is his email

I did like to inform you that payment would be sent via UPS or DHL
Courier Service
and the item will be picked up as soon as you receive the payment,and
get payment cashed.Then I will instruct my shipper to get in contact
with you for the pick up schedule time and date.I will like to tell
you that i would be sending a payment worth of $3500 to cover the
shipment of the items bought, because, i might not be on hand when the
payment arrives,as am going for my honeymoon in the United Kingdom.As
soon as you receive the check have it cashed and remove your money for
the item and send the remaining funds to my shipper via Money Gram
money transfer.My shipper is also picking some of other items at the
same city of yours,that is why you need to transfer the amount to my
shipper.you will have to deduct $85 for your running around that I
have caused you during the transaction period.Please let me know if i
can trust you on this so we can move forward from here.
Do get back to me asap. Ok
Regards.

he had asked for my information first so i gave it to him, so what do you guys think is it legit or should i just find someone else. and is it to late?

Oh willstab, that is a classic scam. The check is bogus.

Here's how it works.

You get the check. You take it to your bank and deposit it. After your bank releases the funds (mind you, the check has not cleared the bank it's drawn on), you wire the money.
The "gentleman" arranges for DHL to pick up the item.

Then, a week later, your bank informs you the check is bad/forged/insufficient funds and demands the money you withdrawed back, which you already wired to Nigeria/Hong Kong/Moscow/Berlin/Wherever.

Then you get a bill from DHL because the third party billing was bogus or refused.

Now you're out your item, the money it cost to send it to the scammer, plus all the money you wired to the scammer.

Delete these emails. Do not communicate with them. They are dangerous criminals.

Some people taunt these scammers, but I don't recomend it.

I hope you didn't give them any personal info like bank account numbers.