Goldy Posted March 27, 2011 Posted March 27, 2011 Well, the scams have finally come over to the helicopter side. I'm in the market for another helicopter, so I've been making some calls. Its always been a risk to buy a used helicopter, and you always have your mechanic go out and do a full inspection to mitigate some of that risk.....but these ships are just straight scams. So here's the deal. They steal photos off of one aviation website and use those to create a new ad on another site. When you call, the helicopter is already in a shipping container and ready to ship.....free of charge! What a deal! They all want to use Google's Checkout. They say this protects both of you, that you have 7 days to accept or reject the deal. Meanwhile, they are off with your money, you have nothing, and Google Checkout transfers money immediately and offers no "protection" to a buyer. So once again, buyer beware. Here are some common things to look for: 1. The ship is a great deal! Priced about half of the common listings. 2. You can't seem to see the N Number in the photos, or on the times sheets. One did show an N number and a quick FAA/NTSB search turned up no such aircraft. 3. You never actually "talk" to anyone. EMail and voice messages are the norm. 4. Google Check out seems to be a common thread. 5. There is always a good reason why you can't inspect the ship first, or why you can't meet in person. Currently there is 269A and a Hiller 12B/E for sale that are both total scams. I just so happened to know the legitimate owner of the Hiller, who verified the photos and ship were his....but it wasn't his name or phone number in the ad. He wants 65K for his Hiller, the "other" ad wants to sell it for 35K. Have fun shopping! 1 Quote
adam32 Posted March 27, 2011 Posted March 27, 2011 There's scams everywhere! I've learned if you can't personally talk to someone and see the item in person then don't buy it! There's a reason some items are "priced to sell"... Quote
Trans Lift Posted March 27, 2011 Posted March 27, 2011 There is a relatively new sport called Scambaiting. You can have some seriously good fun with it and there are guys out there that come up with websites to make it look like you have made Western Union transfers,etc which makes those scammers chase around for their money. It is about wasting their time. www.419eater.com P.S. Don't ever use your real name or email... Quote
HeloJunkie Posted March 28, 2011 Posted March 28, 2011 Well, the scams have finally come over to the helicopter side. I'm in the market for another helicopter, so I've been making some calls. Goldy - My R44 (N4142G) is for sale now that my 500 is almost ready...and I guarantee no scams for you buddy!! N4142G For Sale - Controller.com Listing Quote
adam32 Posted March 28, 2011 Posted March 28, 2011 Hey Goldy, anyway you can send me the link to the B/E? I know of a B/C for sale for $65k, but that would be a steal for an E model...I didn't know it was possible to convert a B to an E... Quote
Goldy Posted March 28, 2011 Author Posted March 28, 2011 Hey Goldy, anyway you can send me the link to the B/E? I know of a B/C for sale for $65k, but that would be a steal for an E model...I didn't know it was possible to convert a B to an E... Actually the one for sale is a B model for 65K, really nice rebuilt ship. But the scam lists it on one site as a B, and another site as an E model. I just wanted to include both to give folks a heads up. Sorry, no conversion avail that I know of... Quote
adam32 Posted March 28, 2011 Posted March 28, 2011 Actually the one for sale is a B model for 65K, really nice rebuilt ship. But the scam lists it on one site as a B, and another site as an E model. I just wanted to include both to give folks a heads up. Sorry, no conversion avail that I know of... Okay that makes sense now...I was pretty sure it was impossible to convert a B to an E. Quote
brushfire21 Posted March 30, 2011 Posted March 30, 2011 Goldy, I have a bridge I could sell you. Because of earthquake retrofits it will be available in about 5 years but if you buy it today you can have it for the low low price of a ride in your ship! Quote
Goldy Posted March 31, 2011 Author Posted March 31, 2011 Goldy, I have a bridge I could sell you. Because of earthquake retrofits it will be available in about 5 years but if you buy it today you can have it for the low low price of a ride in your ship! I'll buy it...and also a 300C if you know of one for sale! PS...just dug into that basket even more and found the most wonderful chocolate...you missed out! Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.