Any insight???

[shylittleviolet6]

Hi, I'm brand new to the boards and wanted to see if anyone could give me any insight on a situation. I recently posted my piccolo for sale on usedflutes.com and received an offer right away from someone who wrote to me in very poor english; normally this would not be an issue but I have a very good friend who is trying to sell her horn who received emails that sounded very similar to the ones I received. I went through with the deal, and am waiting for him to send me a money order, but after I sent the final email yesterday my friend told me that she had gotten information from people on a hornplayer.com message board that they had been screwed over by someone just like that (they received a check and when they tried to deposit it their bank accounts shut down completely and they had the IRS breathing down their necks until the situation got straightened out). I am very nervous that a similar situation could have happened here and am considering emailing this Edward guy to cancel the deal. If anyone has any sort of input on what I should do I would greatly appreciate it. One big thing that also makes me question it is that I have gotten at least 5 emails from other people that are almost identical to the first one I've received. I'm hoping that this is just a big mix up and everything will work out but I am really worried that something may go wrong. This guy has my contact info, and after hearing all of this info I am very glad that I gave him my school P.O. Box instead of my home address. Should I just call off the deal and wait for a legitimate inquiry?

[Kim]

<< Should I just call off the deal and wait for a legitimate inquiry?>>

I would call the deal off immediately. I posted my daughters flute a year ago on that site and received the same kind of emails (many of them) . Since then I have read numerous stories of similar scams.

I would check with local schools band directors and see if they have a bulletin board that you could put a flier on, or try local music stores to see if they will sell your piccolo on consigment, or try a local paper to see what they charge to run a want ad.

Anyways I would call that deal off and ignore any further emails that you get of that type. The only way I would buy or sell a flute online is if an escrow service was used.

Kim

[fluttiegurl]

I buy and sell on usedflutes.com, and have received MANY suspicious emails. You should be very cautious about who you share info with. This deal does sound a little strange, and I would call it off. My experiences have been good so far, but I am quite particlular about who I sell to and what info I let out to that person. I prefer them to give me a phone number so I can call and speak with the person. I also have a strick policy to NEVER sell outside of the US and I only accept certain payments (US Post Office Money Orders & Paypal). I also require a 30 day waiting period once I receive the payment if it seems like a strange deal. Generally, just telling potential buyers this gets rid of crooks. Escrow is by far the safest way to sell.

[shylittleviolet6]

Thanks for the input. I did call off the sale...he's still emailing me, but I'm staying firm. It can't just be a coincidence that I've gotten 20 other emails that sounded exactly the same. My piccolo is now going to a high school student who needs one of her own. Thanks again for your input!!