Beware Facebook Marketplace Scammers!

Facebook Marketplace has been my go-to source for buying and selling cars and car parts.  In the past six years or more, I have had good luck with Marketplace transactions. Lately though, it is feeling like Craigslist when it comes to the number of questionable buyers.

Just over a week ago, I sold my Camaro to Carvana.  Before I sold it, I removed the Roar Pedal throttle controller and the wheels/tires I bought to replace the factory runflat tires.  By doing so, I returned the car to stock condition for the next owner.  That left me with some extra parts to sell.  Naturally, I turned to Facebook Marketplace to list them for sale.

The Roar Pedal Sale: Yellow Alert

The Roar Pedal sale was mostly straightforward, but the buyer wanted to try it in his Camaro before paying for it.  That signaled a yellow alert for me, but I suppose the buyer was trying to avoid being scammed.  Once he saw my friendly face, I knew all would be fine.

As it turned out, he sent his brother to buy it.  We agreed to meet in the parking lot of my local police department.  The brother claimed to not be able to find the police station, so asked if I could meet him at a 7-11.  When I declined, he magically found his way to the police station, gave me cash and went on his way with the Roar Pedal.

Wheels/Tires: RED ALERT

The wheels/tire sale was trickier.  Within 48 hours of listing the item, I had three highly questionable interactions from shoppers.  The first two were lowball offers, which is normal.  When I tried to respond with a counteroffer, both profiles disappeared from Facebook.  Sketchy.

The next set of messages got me intrigued and concerned. A guy in Toledo (70 miles away) appeared very interested and asked if I would deliver them for an additional $150. Allegedly, his wheels were either stolen or the car got in a wreck.  Either way, he needed them “urgently.” I was intrigued, but knew better. He kept upping the offer to an added $300 over the asking price.  

That added $300 got my attention.  Since my daughter lives in nearby Sylvania, I figured I could combine a trip to see her with this transaction.  My daughter’s boyfriend grew up in the area of Toledo where this buyer wanted delivery, so I called him for details about the area.  He was quick to point out that his friend was shot and killed in that part of Toledo over a $50 transaction. His advice: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.  Isn’t that supposed to be my line?

Lessons Learned

I was very disappointed with the odd responses I was getting from both of my items, so I decided to take a break from selling the wheels/tires.  That was smart because my desire to quickly sell them almost led to some bad decisions. It caused me to remember a page on Craigslist that gave advice about avoiding scams.  That page offered sound advice, so I share it with my experiences below:

• Beware buyers and sellers pretending to be an authority figure – scammers often claim to be religious leaders, professionals or government officials in order to gain trust.
• On Facebook Marketplace, view the other person’s profile page.  Many times you can see how long they have been on Facebook and other information verifying they are real.
• Avoid people creating a sense of urgency – scammers want you to give them money right away

• If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.  The same holds true if the buyer wants to give you more money for special treatment.

• Always meet the buyer/seller in a well-traveled public place.  Police station parking lots are great for this and many have designated areas for these transactions.
• Aside from cash, other payment types can be suspect.  I have accepted Venmo and PayPal in the past, but never Zelle. I’ve read that banks will not help you with Zelle issues.  Watch out for gift card payment offers as those are likely bogus.

Ultimately, if you are uncomfortable with a transaction, walk away. 

Final Thoughts

With all of the good luck I’ve had with Facebook Marketplace, I was very disappointed with my recent experiences.  Is this a new trend, or did I just have bad luck this week?  I did ultimately sell my wheels/tires to a reputable guy; however, I entered all of the buyer interaction with too much confidence.  That almost led to some bad results.

I’m not ready to give up on Marketplace, but am looking for other alternatives for future sales.  If you have any tips, please share them in the comments section below.