I’m in Rhode Island. I have an opportunity to buy a 40 ft. storage container located in Lake Tahoe area for a remarkably low price, shipping included. However, I will have to approve the condition of the container before it is shipped. This thing is advertised as a ‘one-tripper’, meaning it traveled here from China full of cargo and hasn’t been used since. Frankly, I don’t care if it’s a ‘one-hundred-tripper’ at this price.
I just need someone to go look at this thing, make sure it’s what it’s advertised to be, and that it’s all in one piece and the doors shut. Is there some kind of service that would take care of this at a reasonable price? I don’t want to end up hiring a lawyer or private detective for more money than I’m paying for this thing.
The deal will be conducted through Google Payments Safe Exchange Protection Plan, anybody have experience with that?
Call someone working at the closest 7-11 (or whatever) and tell them you’ll pay for photos of the thing. If it’s not much trouble for that person, he or she might think, “What the hell? Why not? It’s worth a try,” and send you some photos.
I’d be looking for someone slightly more aware than a random 7-11 clerk. This deal just seems like it has to be a scam. There should be a tag on that container with an ID number that I could check somehow, not sure how, but it might reveal if this container is owned by the seller or somewhere else. What I’m worried about the most is taking possession of this thing and finding out that it’s stolen or there’s a lien on it or something like that.
If all else fails and I decide to take a risk it could be as easy as finding a random stranger to take a look for a few bucks.
TriPolar, I would first ask the seller if I could send someone over the next day to inspect the container. If they say no, I would assume it’s a scam and ignore it. If they say yes, you can post an ad on Craigslist or send a request to Taskrabbit and hire someone to look at it, measure it, check the doors, and look for whatever tag you expect to find.
I’ve never heard of the Google Payments Safe Exchange Protection Program. How does it work? Under what circumstances can you get your money back? How would you know that this is not a fraudulent means to pay?
I took the same steps and got that webpage. Everything will have to check out before I move forward. I have been told I will have 10 days to inspect the vehicle before any payment is made. But being told doesn’t mean it’s so. I’ll be checking with Google on this deal before agreeing to anything.
I did just find a place call Lemon Squad that does used car inspections nationwide and they said they could send someone to inspect a container for their standard fee of $149. So now I have to check them out also. If they’re legit I assume someone who could inspect a car could inspect a storage container.
Taskrabbit is a good idea, I’ll look into that also.
I agree that a scam seems likely. How much does it cost to move an empty shipping container cross country? How much do empty shipping containers cost near you?
Would you mind saying how much they are asking for this?
I bought a 20’ container locally, off of Craigslist, so I have some idea on what is a good price.
Way too much. This container is advertised at $1000, that’s half the price of a more beat up 40 footer here, and I find it difficult to believe it can be moved for that price.
This whole thing smells like scam and cheese on rye, and I’m waiting for the point where someone asks for money or to sign a contract and I’ll copy all my emails to some useless authority. But this guy is here in Rhode Island, which means I know someone who knows him, and maybe I can get some advice on putting a scammer out of business.
Scam or not, it’s going to take a lot of convincing to get me to believe this deal is legit.
Noted above, $1000. Many sellers are selling 40 footers for no more than the cost of a 20 because there is a shortage of 20 footers and excess of 40s. I’m renting a 20 foot one-tripper now and the rental company wants 4 grand to buy it, an absurd price. It should cost about $2800 around here, and that’s what 40 a footer should cost as well.
It’s morbid curiosity making me pursue this now, it has to be scam.
Yeah. The seller is claiming they need to sell short because of health issues. A common claim by scammers.
I will play along with a sales pitch right up until the point where they want money or a signature or some important number. And then nothing will happen unless I get every last detail covered. And this one will probably fail no matter what because there’s no answer to “How will I get my money back if they don’t deliver?”
90%+ of the time there’s no deal. Even in cases where it may not be a scam I still don’t have a way to protect myself in case it is. Occasionally I’ve ended up with a great deal on a car, or some tools, or some computer equipment, but each of those deals started out sounding way more legit than this one.
Right now I’m waiting for them to ‘sweeten’ the deal somehow for a small amount of money up front.
Consider calling the Sheriff’s office in the vicinity where the container is being sold. Let them know you suspect a scam and ask what they would recommend.
Definitely a scam. Non-existent Google pay service with an email address that doesn’t exist unless Google has a mail server that doesn’t respond. I can trace that email address. All the hall marks of a scam. Starts with a Craigslist ad, responding to that the scammer insists on getting a direct email instead of working through raigslist. Absurdly low price and absurd offer to ship anywhere in the country for free. Can’t even describe the product dimensions correctly, form letter responses, an address that doesn’t seem to exist, and to top it off an ad on YouTube for a snowmobile with the same come on.
I found a contact with the State Police Cybersecurity division. I’ll report to him, Craigslist and Google.
