White Van Speakers
I was approached today when I went to my bank by a nice blue minivan. Two men inside gave me the deal that their audioshop had accidentally given them 4 pairs of speakers instead of 4 individual speakers. Being the type of broke guys they were, they were selling off the other two in an effort to raise some money for their weekend activities.
They showed me a magazine saying they were worth close to $1500! To say the least, I was amazed when they said they'd sell them to me for $600, brand new!
...and that's because they are worth a total of $25 when you consider all the parts that went into them. They sound like crap I'm sure. These so called White Van Speakers have made a lot of bad men loads of money. Anyone see those Stereophile adverts of last month's issue? Completely obscene what they are doing, I hope the BBB get's down on them and starts throwing those scam artists in prison.
I was browsing craigslist when I found a really upset guy talking about these white van'ers. He posted an interesting linke too: http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/InPerson/speaker_scams.htm
I'm amazed at how many people fall for these scams, at how successful they are. I feel like I should do something proactively, maybe I'll pull up in a van and sell them Polk Audio speakers and people who would otherwise be scammed will be able to go home happy.
They showed me a magazine saying they were worth close to $1500! To say the least, I was amazed when they said they'd sell them to me for $600, brand new!
...and that's because they are worth a total of $25 when you consider all the parts that went into them. They sound like crap I'm sure. These so called White Van Speakers have made a lot of bad men loads of money. Anyone see those Stereophile adverts of last month's issue? Completely obscene what they are doing, I hope the BBB get's down on them and starts throwing those scam artists in prison.
I was browsing craigslist when I found a really upset guy talking about these white van'ers. He posted an interesting linke too: http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/InPerson/speaker_scams.htm
I'm amazed at how many people fall for these scams, at how successful they are. I feel like I should do something proactively, maybe I'll pull up in a van and sell them Polk Audio speakers and people who would otherwise be scammed will be able to go home happy.
Lovin that music year after year.
Main 2 Channel System
Polk SDA-1B,
Promitheus Audio TVC SE,
Rotel RB-980BX,
OPPO DV-970HD,
Lite Audio DAC AH,
IXOS XHA305 Interconnects
Computer Rig
Polk SDA CRS+,
Creek Audio 5350 SE,
Morrow Audio MA1 Interconnect,
HRT Music Streamer II
Main 2 Channel System
Polk SDA-1B,
Promitheus Audio TVC SE,
Rotel RB-980BX,
OPPO DV-970HD,
Lite Audio DAC AH,
IXOS XHA305 Interconnects
Computer Rig
Polk SDA CRS+,
Creek Audio 5350 SE,
Morrow Audio MA1 Interconnect,
HRT Music Streamer II
Post edited by Refefer on
Comments
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man, I still have yet to be hit up by one of these guys. I am honestly looking forward to the day. It's gonna be so much fun!!!Never kick a fresh **** on a hot day.
Home Setup: Sony VPL-VW85 Projo, 92" Stewart Firehawk, Pioneer Elite SC-65, PS3, RTi12 fronts, CSi5, FXi6 rears, RTi6 surround backs, RTi4 height, MFW-15 Subwoofer.
Car Setup: OEM Radio, RF 360.2v2, Polk SR6500 quad amped off 4 Xtant 1.1 100w mono amps, Xtant 6.1 to run an eD 13av.2, all Stinger wiring and Raammat deadener. -
Dude...
I so want to get hit up by these guys.... it's funnier than being hit up by a Best Buy employee and telling me about how I need to buy their Bose system.Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R -
Speaking about scams, I put my system up for sale on craigslist and not 1 but 2 individuals contacted me saying that they would pay me twice the amount I quoted for my system since they were in "a hurry to purchase something for their wife's b'day" and wanted me to give them my bank account number so that they could wire the money ASAP and close the deal. I'm not sure what they would have done with the bank account and wire transfer number but someone that keen on paying 2 times the price sounded a red alarm for me.Distant Dream - A New Beginning
www.distantdream.com
(Now also available on iTunes) -
Part of me says shame on them for scamming people......but a bigger part of me says you get what you deserve if you are buying speakers from strangers, in a van, in a parking lot, park, etc. HELLO!!!! McFly
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People who buy this stuff are clueless and most probably couldn't find their way out of a paper bag. Caveat Emptor.
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
crazy wrote:Speaking about scams, I put my system up for sale on craigslist and not 1 but 2 individuals contacted me saying that they would pay me twice the amount I quoted for my system since they were in "a hurry to purchase something for their wife's b'day" and wanted me to give them my bank account number so that they could wire the money ASAP and close the deal. I'm not sure what they would have done with the bank account and wire transfer number but someone that keen on paying 2 times the price sounded a red alarm for me.
Have my SRS2's on Atlanta craigslist and have received no less than six(still counting) offers to transfer monies to my account for considerably more than I'm asking, my favorite one was the e-check scam,where I was to obtain a magnetic ink cartridge for my printer,print the check,deposit it,and wait for the speakers to be picked up. Yeah,right,,do you want fries with that order?
JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut) -
crazy wrote:Speaking about scams, I put my system up for sale on craigslist and not 1 but 2 individuals contacted me saying that they would pay me twice the amount I quoted for my system since they were in "a hurry to purchase something for their wife's b'day" and wanted me to give them my bank account number so that they could wire the money ASAP and close the deal. I'm not sure what they would have done with the bank account and wire transfer number but someone that keen on paying 2 times the price sounded a red alarm for me.
If you fall for something like that you almost deserve what you get.... almostIf you will it, dude, it is no dream. -
Lemme get this straight. Some guy rolls up, tells you that because of a clerical error he was able to STEAL speakers from his company. Now you can buy STOLEN speakers from him for almost nothing so you can become their accomplice in the CRIME.
Granted, the people who buy these things are clueless, but it's not their greed but their willingness to become criminals that will seal the deal...;) -
I would SO laugh at them as I was handcuffing them!:DSharp Elite 70
Anthem D2V 3D
Parasound 5250
Parasound HCA 1000 A
Parasound HCA 1000
Oppo BDP 95
Von Schweikert VR4 Jr R/L Fronts
Von Schweikert LCR 4 Center
Totem Mask Surrounds X4
Hsu ULS-15 Quad Drive Subwoofers
Sony PS3
Squeezebox Touch
Polk Atrium 7s on the patio just to keep my foot in the door. -
Those guys have tried that scam on me twice. Joys of living around Dallas.
It's sad to watch. They drove through a gas station hitting up everyone.
What's even worse is when them, or someone who was taken, throw a pair up on Craigslist. Normally someone will flag them as a scam. The suckers try the same scam to unload this crap on someone else. There are also a pair of those crap speakers in every pawn shop."The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson -
The sad thing is, many of the victims never realise they were scammed.
My wife's uncle bought his $1500 speakers for $350, and after 5 years now, still likes to show them off and brag about the "deal" he got on them. They are the worst sounding speakers I have ever heard, but now he thinks he's an audiophile! I don't have the heart to tell him he was ripped off.
The scam was a slightly different variation in his case, he bought his at a gas station while on vacation, from the station attendant. Claimed they were going to branch out into audio sales, but had changed their minds, and were cutting their losses. I doubt the station owner knew about this at all, probably the attendants personal scam. Dynalab... -
It's far too easy to do and get away with it. The fact that it's so lucrative is hardly a deterent for trying.Lovin that music year after year.
Main 2 Channel System
Polk SDA-1B,
Promitheus Audio TVC SE,
Rotel RB-980BX,
OPPO DV-970HD,
Lite Audio DAC AH,
IXOS XHA305 Interconnects
Computer Rig
Polk SDA CRS+,
Creek Audio 5350 SE,
Morrow Audio MA1 Interconnect,
HRT Music Streamer II -
bobman1235 wrote:If you fall for something like that you almost deserve what you get.... almost
Dude, I didn't fall for it ... I said that raised a red flag for me. I obviously didn't respond back to that message and thanks to Craiglist's security they don't have my emai lid to sell either
Distant Dream - A New Beginning
www.distantdream.com
(Now also available on iTunes) -
crazy wrote:Dude, I didn't fall for it ... I said that raised a red flag for me. I obviously didn't respond back to that message and thanks to Craiglist's security they don't have my emai lid to sell either
Didn't mean to insinuate that you did... but I"m sure people DO fall for it (or they wouldn't bother doing it anymore), and I'm saying those that DO almost deserve it
I figured since you posted it here you DIDN'T fall for it, actually....If you will it, dude, it is no dream. -
My dad gets approached by these guys about once a week. He works for a tool company as a rep so he's always at home depot, rona's and other big store that carries the product. He has told me that he'll see the same guys almost every weekend driving around the parking lot trying to peddle their cheap crap. It bothers me a little bit because there's nothing we can really do to bring them down. They're not selling anything stolen. All they're doing is providing a fake ad saying they're worth a lot and then selling you a piece of crap... no laws against selling crap.
Wingnut, if you have any good ideas on what we could do (legal things we can use to catch them) please share it with us. I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind helping out to get these guys out of the Lower Mainland. -
wingnut4772 wrote:I would SO laugh at them as I was handcuffing them!:D
can you arrest people when you're off duty too? sorry if this is a silly question.. i just don't know.PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin: -
My favorite was once I was driving down the road and the guy next to me starts motioning to me like my truck is on fire or something. I rolled down my passenger window to see what he wanted and sure enough out of his mouth comes "You want to buy some speakers".
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While the **** are there thinking they've got you right where they want you, give those speakers the knuckle tap, and look impressed. Then, calmly go to the back of your truck, bring out a hammer and do the same thing. Hard.
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There is plenty that can be done to those scammers. Get the license plate numbers and report them to the local police. The cops in my town were very interested in finding them.
Home Depot, Lowe's, and all the big supermarkets would love to know that individuals are peddling stuff on their property without permission. -
George is right, most shopping centers would consider them trespassers. Most jurisdictions would consider them to be doing business without a license and not collecting or paying sales tax among other things. Call the police.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Yes better yet a ball peen hammer to the knees
