Odd request when selling motorcycle…

[motodan]

Decided to sell bike, listed it in our Marketplace and on Craig’s list. Not sure which was source for text I received this morning, however after two brief texts I get request to send a VG report. I had no idea what that is and text that. They send me site address for Vehicle Goat and ask me to send them report on the bike . Vehicle Goat appears to be a CarFax like site that charges $40.00 for doing reports off of VIN. Told potential buyer I wasn’t interested in paying for a report since I already know bike’s history and provided that in ad. He replies he doesn’t understand since I’m one wanting to sell and that the report fee was cheap. Told him it would be just as cheap for him and sent him VIN to order a report if he wanted it. Never had a request like that and I’ve sold numerous bikes. Not sure if there’s a scam involved here or not. Haven’t heard anything since. Odd.

 

[20774]

Some googling on those terms for VG comes up with nothing.

 

[omega man]

I would now run your security/virus software.
OM

 

[classicvw]

I very recently sold 3 motorcycles and I received several requests by text for a vehicle report from a few different people. Can’t recall what site they wanted me to buy a report from, but it wasn’t VG and definitely not carfax. When I told them no, I already explained the history and that they were free to come look in person, and I’m not going to a site I never heard of, they would press me one more time, then they disappeared.

It’s definitely got to be a scam of some kind. Maybe the site asks for some personal info? Or maybe it was a real site that was trying to drum up business? IDK since I never took the bait and tried it.

 

[motodan]

I would now run your security/virus software.
OM

 

[motodan]

I very recently sold 3 motorcycles and I received several requests by text for a vehicle report from a few different people. Can’t recall what site they wanted me to buy a report from, but it wasn’t VG and definitely not carfax. When I told them no, I already explained the history and that they were free to come look in person, and I’m not going to a site I never heard of, they would press me one more time, then they disappeared.

It’s definitely got to be a scam of some kind. Maybe the site asks for some personal info? Or maybe it was a real site that was trying to drum up business? IDK since I never took the bait and tried it.

No personal data requested in text. When you go to the site there’s initial request for VIN. If you enter a vin it’ll pop up year/make/model of unit, then it asks what level of report you want which, ranges from $40.00 to 120.00. Seems like a legit site however, my problem is with potential (maybe?) buyer wanting me to pay for and send it to him.

 

[fmdualexhaust]

I agree that if the buyer wants more info, he is welcome to buy it.

 

[r0ckrat]

It's a scam - I've heard that the data collection done by the "vehicle report" site then gets used for other stuff. I can't offer any specifics, but suggest NOT using any reporting sites other than the known good ones like CarFax. And like OmegaMan suggested, might want to make sure your virus/malware protection is up to date, and run a scan...

Edit: Mods, if possible it might be worth stripping the href tags from the vehiclegoat links in the posts above, just to be safe.

 

[20774]

Edit: Mods, if possible it might be worth stripping the href tags from the vehiclegoat links in the posts above, just to be safe.

Maybe Motodan can consider that since it was his posts.

 

[motodan]

Maybe Motodan can consider that since it was his posts.

I think it is a legit site however, I did delete the links so all can sleep well tonight. oh OH! Just noted my laptop is starting to melt!

 

[djdixon]

Usually, this is someone internal to the check site trying to drum up business by contacting sellers saying they are interested but want a report first. I just delete them and ignore.

 

[mneblett]

I encountered the same thing when I posted my last bike for sale. IGNORE him - he has no interest in buying the bike.

 

[powwow]

I agree with nmeblett...ignore him. That's what I do on any odd requests I receive for items I'm selling on Facebook, CL, etc. There will be other buyers and its just not worth the security risk for some odd, unconventional request.

 

[PGlaves]

Sad as it is, no matter what, there will be goofballs.

 

[fmdualexhaust]

Sad as it is, no matter what, there will be goofballs.

That's a nice way of saying it.

 

[mjfink420]

When we sold our RV last year (privately), I did pay a company to do the VIN pull and show the history (nothing really there, we were the first/only owners). So I think the request to have a VIN history available is reasonable but demanding you pay the potential buyer to run it is not. Run the VIN history (IIRC, it was about 20 bucks) and post the first page in your ad. Any serious inquiries, send over the report. Beyond that, if you (buyer) want to pay for more, be my guest, here's the VIN, have at it.

 

[motodan]

Latest chapter selling this bike. Get text (through CycleTrader) asking if still available, reply Yes. Next text asks me to be really truthful, does bike need anything? I tell them to reread ad as it says it all. Next text is will I take a lower amount? I reply call me if you’re serious about buying - he calls. Hard for me to understand his dialect. Tell him it has been listed short time so asking price is the price. Get text saying to mark it sold, he’ll send cashier’s check and wait till it clears before having his shipper pick it up, asking for my name and address. I have uneasy feeling as all this has transpired in a few hours and during call he asked nothing about bike. So I reply that he send me name of financial institution the cashier’s check to be drawn on and name of shipper he’ll use before we move forward Not a peep since. So many scammers!

 

[61996]

Latest chapter selling this bike. Get text (through CycleTrader) asking if still available, reply Yes. Next text asks me to be really truthful, does bike need anything? I tell them to reread ad as it says it all. Next text is will I take a lower amount? I reply call me if you’re serious about buying - he calls. Hard for me to understand his dialect. Tell him it has been listed short time so asking price is the price. Get text saying to mark it sold, he’ll send cashier’s check and wait till it clears before having his shipper pick it up, asking for my name and address. I have uneasy feeling as all this has transpired in a few hours and during call he asked nothing about bike. So I reply that he send me name of financial institution the cashier’s check to be drawn on and name of shipper he’ll use before we move forward Not a peep since. So many scammers!

If it smells bad, don't eat it.

Joe

 

[omega man]

Not surprising.
I try not to wander around in known fields of land mines.


OM

 

[classicvw]

Here’s how that goes…. That check may seem to “clear” in 3 days, and you allow the buyer (scammer) to pick it up, then 10 days to 2 weeks later your bank is saying they’re grabbing the money back from your account as the check turned out to be a counterfeit.