Good Faith Deposit?

[CPrice]

Being new to responding to classifieds, I have a question about securing a potential TT until you can look at it.
Is it a common practice to offer a good faith down payment until you can get there to inspect it?
I know this must be risky, and no one has asked me to do this, I'm just curious as to what is custom. With so many of these moving at light speed, hate to miss the opportunity by being slow to respond.
Thank you!

[Terry G]

Never heard of anybody wanting a good faith down payment. With the number of scams involving fiberglass trailers, I wouldn't send anybody any money. Yeah, you might miss out on a great deal somewhere but it's much more likely that it's somebody just trying to take your money. But if you're ready and have the cash, make sure your TV has a hitch and is ready to tow your new prize home.

[FRED SMAILES]

I live in a rural area and most of my vehicle, rv purchases have been made at distance.
I have never asked for a down, or been asked for a down until inspection could be made.
I have offered a time frame that I would hold an item before taking other offers and ask for the same when looking to purchase. Depending on distance etc, usually not more than 24 hrs.
I long ago decided if it ain't there when I get their it wasn't destined to be mine.
Fred

[thrifty bill]

I’ve put a good faith deposit on every FG trailer I have bought (3), all long distance buys. Got my money back on #4 as it had serious issues.

Each deposit followed a long phone discussion, going over the condition and my requirements.

No sob stories, no buying at 25% of market. Scammers haven’t gotten very smart YET. They seem to prey on people that want something for nothing.

If you use PayPal you can get your money back.

When you are looking for a specific model, particularly from one of the less common brands, you have to convince the seller that you are a legitimate buyer and will be there in a reasonable time (no waiting until summer).

In the end there are two types of sellers out there: legitimate and scammers. Scammers are still pretty easy to spot. If you have concerns then pass. I usually ask for some additional pictures of obscure areas not in the ad. If someone can’t provide then I will pass. If scammers ever get smart it will be harder!

When the phone is ringing off the hook, buyers want some reassurance that you are legit too.

I sell a lot on C/L. I never hold an item with this exception. I tell potential buyers to call me when they leave and I will hold it until they arrive. The world is full of buyers that never show up.

[papa-t]

Had a friend put down a deposit of 10,000 on a class A motor home. Price was 300,000. He drove from NC to Ohio to purchase. Seller was in contact the entire time until he was 15 minutes from address. He arrived at address and of course the nice people there didn’t own a RV. Never seen his money again. I would never pay anything until I could see the unit and the title. But that’s just 35 years of Law Enforcement talking. Depends on how much you like your money I guess. PS- I’m still on the dark side with my Crossroads 5er but enjoy the reading here.

[gordon2]

Agreed.. dont give anyone a plugged nickel until you at least see it in person. There are lots of scams going on and its just too risky.

Here is a scam just posted on this forum two days ago

[Donna D.]

When it comes to scammers, anything you can do, they can do better. The ole saying "Buyer Beware" truly has meaning.

[Steve Carlson]

Depends on the situation. A few times I have asked for a good-faith deposit when the buyer wanted me to wait a period of several days or more before consummating the transaction. I offer them a receipt in writing, with the stipulation that the deposit is forfeit if they back out of the transaction for any reason other than the item is not as represented by me, AND I am unable to subsequently sell the item for the amount agreed or greater to someone else.

Obviously, a certain amount of trust is involved here, but we are usually talking $500, not $10,000.

[ZachO]

I have a friend who got scammed this way. Not only was he out the deposit, he was out the plane ticket, rental car and time off work to go pick it up.

It can go both ways. I've never put down a deposit, only my word that I'll get there soon enough to keep them from considering other offers. But obviously deposits do happen and are probably only very occasionally a scam.

[Daniel A.]

Cheryl it is possible when looking to have an RV place act as go between. Costs a bit but could be best for buyer & seller.

[Mike_L]

I have made such a deposit but only at a dealership with a receipt that states the terms and conditions for both parties and the conditions of refund. On a private deal it's always "cash on delivery". Anyone selling a TT likely has a tow vehicle so I ask the private seller to bring it to me.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

I have made such a deposit but only at a dealership with a receipt that states the terms and conditions for both parties and the conditions of refund. On a private deal it's always "cash on delivery". Anyone selling a TT likely has a tow vehicle so I ask the private seller to bring it to me.

Good luck if it’s long distance and an item that is easy to sell. I have delivered trailers within 50 miles.

Now I am not up for a $10,000 deposit.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by CPrice

Being new to responding to classifieds, I have a question about securing a potential TT until you can look at it.
Is it a common practice to offer a good faith down payment until you can get there to inspect it?
I know this must be risky, and no one has asked me to do this, I'm just curious as to what is custom. With so many of these moving at light speed, hate to miss the opportunity by being slow to respond.
Thank you!

No do not give anyone any money until you see the trailer. Then if you can't pick it up right then you could give a deposit until you get back. Usually you should get back within 2-4 days. Make sure to get a receipt, an agreement if you show up or don't show up and see the title. I'd look at their ID to see if it matches the title and their address. If you can't get there before they sell it to start with then it isn't meant to be. Better to lose a wanted item than to lose your money. If you can pay with PayPal do that or with a credit card. Those things get you your money back if you get scammed.

[redbarron55]

Have them take a picture of the camper with them holding today's newspaper in front of it.
Basically most likely a scam, especially if there is a low price and a number to text.
A picture of the licence plate with the newspaper and title might be nice as well

[bsedwebt]

I got burned by a forum member here on this site a few years back. It was for a 6 month old trailer. I was promised it was in pristine condition as I would expect for 6 months old but when I got there it was far from my expectations. Several large holes were drilled in the frame tongue area where the WDH bars were removed leaving it significantly weakened. Gaps were everywhere. Interior had been cleaned with what appeared to be scotchbrite dulling it in lots of areas. An awning was installed but it was not installed correctly and several holes were drilled in the wrong spots and filled with caulk. It was the dead of winter and it had not been properly winterized and the toilet, pipes, etc.. were frozen solid. I asked for my $500 deposit back and was told no it was a good faith deposit. I advised the seller that it was a good faith deposit and good faith is a 2 way street. Funny thing is the seller was quite religious and let everyone know it. Do not let that fool you as I did.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by redbarron55

Have them take a picture of the camper with them holding today's newspaper in front of it....

Well I didnt have today's paper.. and this is quite rough since I did it in only three minutes (including the time to find the photos). Given more time I could have someone pose with today's paper and extract that and paste it on the scam scamp photo so it looked real. Like D said, the scammers are better than we are, and that includes being good at Photoshop. See it in person or not at all.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by gordon2

Well I didnt have today's paper.. See it in person or not at all.

So true.

[CPrice]

Thanks to everyone!
Valid points for and against a good faith deposit.
At first I was taken back by the examples of scams on this forum as I think of it as a safe place. But then realized it's a perfect place for a scammer to lurk.
So grateful to all of you for giving your time so freely to help me with this question.
Have a wonderful weekend!

[thrifty bill]

Again, if you make the deposit through PayPal as a purchase, then you can easily get your money back. If you do it as a no fee friends and family gift, you have no recourse.

I tell people I will cover the fee, it’s only 3%. So on a $500 deposit, you are talking $15.

As far as forum purchases many of the people listing trailers for sale here are not active on the forum. You can see it from their posting count. More often they sign up here just to sell their trailer and then move on. The one bad buying experience I have had was on a trailer listed on this forum. I got my deposit back via PayPal but I was out my gas and travel expenses. I would not call the seller a scammer, just clueless about the serious shortcomings of their trailer (severe floor rot). I had walked the seller through doing a few simple checks which they obviously did not do (dinette bench flooring was all dry rotted, Major soft spots in main floor, etc).

Another thing I have done on long distance purchases is pay for an independent inspection. I bought a truck this way. Had the seller drop it off at a dealer convenient to him and I paid for a complete inspection. Once it passed, I headed that way. My basic rules on inspection are the price of the item and my ability to do the inspection myself. On a $300,000 motorhome I would pay for an inspection for sure. On a $1,200 fixer upper FG trailer I wouldn’t.

The lesson to me is not everyone has even the slightest amount of mechanical sense and what seems obvious to most may be not obvious to others.

[Bruce H]

No! Absolutely no "good faith" deposits on a travel trailer to anyone, especially not a dealer other than an ebay seller. And then make that deposit with paypal. Ebay and paypal both offer some protection from misrepresented items and scams. Is the seller offering to give you a "good faith" deposit to cover your expenses to travel and pick the trailer up?