how to protect myself?

hi, just got offered a trade which seems a bit too good to be true... for now im thinking setting up a meeting place at a high traffic area, and of course check everything to see if its working... anyone have more advice?

edit: the trades from craiglist btw

Get all the info about the guy you can get (phone #, address, email) and confirm that they are all correct.

if the deal is too good to be true, set up a local meet up and try to avoid paypal and EMTs.

meet in a public place; be it a mall, subway station, etc.

ask for references; heatware, ebay and send him a message to his account and have him reply back.

bringing a friend or two with you for the meet couldn't hurt.

always double check the merchandise before handing over the money.

thats all I can think of right now but it should be sufficient =D

I'd check to see if item is valid ie not stolen before meeting with the seller for warranty purposes.

Use common sense, why is seller selling cheaply? Try to meet during daytime, busy place (say Timmy's or something) But in general, even after meeting him and you have bad feeling about the deal, be prepared to walk away.

Finally, for large amount of money, insist on paying him with money order or certified cheque. This way, they have to give you a valid name and you worry less about lossing cash. You can get your money back if you bring the money order, certified cheque back to the bank. (Don't buy it from Canada post, always get it from the bank)

hp

nvm, im now 80% certain that its a scam.. not sure what hes gonna do thou as hes trying to get me to make the deal at his house by paying me an extra $40 (it was a deal that dont involve any money)... i just gave him another day to clear everything up, should i post his email and other info if i confirm that hes trying to scam?

If he's insisting on going to his house, don't. HowardForums has posted actual assaults that have taken place, let alone a scam.

It's best to go through a little checklist:

- ask item origin
- meet in a public place with people
- if it's too good to be true, it is.
- contact information - cell #'s, email, address, driver's license pic ^^

Always, always always deal in person, no matter what the price. It's better to be safe and sorry, and believe me, a good price can suck you into doing the opposite. It's better to pass up a "crazy deal" than to be scammed.

I'm sure I haven't covered anything, but these are the basics.

Always meet up somewhere public. Never go into any shady area. I always go with at least two people.

I try make a 1:1 radio, my "team" to their "team". If there are two sellers, I bring another person with me. A extra person not making the deal with me always stays back at a distance and watches to make sure nothing goes on.

Now what I do when I meet a person is to check their ID (believe it or not, I will not deal with you until I see your ID).

the guy never replied me after i said meet by the police station inside square one.

Originally Posted by gcg

the guy never replied me after i said meet by the police station inside square one.

A legit RFDer shouldn't have any problem meeting you there

--> Craiglist is scamcity. Even if RFD sees increase in scams lately it's still better here.

Originally Posted by gcg

the guy never replied me after i said meet by the police station inside square one.

May be he's scared to death.

how is this about protecting ur self?? lol.

if you're not sure about the trade, just don't do it. some trades are great, but if it's going to threaten your safety it's not worth it. would u risk your life for an extra $40? cause i wouldn't.

Originally Posted by gcg

the guy never replied me after i said meet by the police station inside square one.

LMAO !!!

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Should of offered to meet at 40 College Street...