Man, they are flat on it! Yesterday, when I picked up the project bike, I told my friend I’d help her sell two older bikes her late husband had in storage, his homebuilt racing bike and a mid- to late-60s Ducati single he was planning to restore. She doesn’t have an internet connection, so I said I’d put them on Craigslist and have interested buyers contact me first in order to weed out the tire kickers, home invader types, and scammers. The first scammer popped up within an hour. Here’s the money shot:
… will like to purchase it out rightly,i want to be the best offer by adding $100 to your money then keep other offers off and i will be paying you via my PayPal account,I will also like you to send me your PayPal details(PayPal e-mail address) so i can effect payment to you right away and make sure you get back to me so that we can arrange for pick up as i will like the item to be picked,so no shipping included as i have arrange for how is going to be pick up after the payment as been proceed.
Paypal. Fractured English. That’s two strikes, and that’s enough for me … he’s out. But here’s the good news. My friend called this morning to tell me that one of the other responders I put her in touch with gave her cash for both bikes and took them away, and she’s delighted.
After I heard from the scammer, I worried that assholes like him had ruined Craigslist. But now my faith is restored. You just have to keep it local. List locally (in this case, on Craigslist Tucson), and look for a local buyer who’s willing to do a face-to-face cash transaction. Paypal, my ass.
Any motorcycle restorers or collectors out there? Here’s what you missed (click on the thumbnails to see ’em bigger):
