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View Full Version : Wow, it is a BIG scam


Phil Thien
12-13-2009, 7:57 PM
Remember all the craigslist ads for brand new tools at prices too good to believe, with full specs and pictures?

Well, I couldn't resist so I E-Mailed them (using a temp. E-Mail address).

And this is the response I got about a week later:



Hello ,

You requested informations about our CL ad. Although we are dealers for not-sold items we apologize if we didn't specify that. Also you might consider our ad offensive because
we have a warehouse only in Cody, WY and you probably want to deal locally. We are sorry. If you go over this though, check the informations below.

Everything we have on stock is new, never used, never assembled.

You can find more informations about the item in our webstore at http://www.toolmaniax.com/category.php?id_category=17 (http://www.toolmaniax.com/category.php?id_category=17) .

FAQ section is full of useful informations.Check it out.

For those not in WY and without any friends around to pick up for them we have a 100$ White Glove Service .

Thank you,
Preston Derrick


If you look at the toolmaniax.com site, it is clearly the same as the toolsclearance.com site (with the exception of where they list their location).

Toolmaniax is hosted in NY, not at iWeb.
Chip Lindley
12-13-2009, 8:29 PM
IF it sounds too good to be true, it Usually IS!

Unless, of course, a local phone number is given and you are the first to rush right over with cash in hand! I've gotten some really good deals on CL by being the first to CALL!
Mike Reinholtz
12-13-2009, 11:26 PM
That's too funny, I emailed them too after finding something on the Los Angeles CL. Got the same email reply you posted today. Had a feeling it was a scam.
Michael Church
12-14-2009, 8:59 AM
I also emailed them and got same reply. Anybody know how such a scam would actually work? I emailed the Cody Wyoming chamber of commerce and asked if anybody had heard of such a business with a warehouse on the street they mentioned on their website. Have not heard from them yet.

Michael Church
Phil Thien
12-14-2009, 9:53 AM
I also emailed them and got same reply. Anybody know how such a scam would actually work? I emailed the Cody Wyoming chamber of commerce and asked if anybody had heard of such a business with a warehouse on the street they mentioned on their website. Have not heard from them yet.

Michael Church

They aren't in Cody. Hard to know where they are, but there is a good chance they aren't even in the U.S.

You fund a MoneyPak card w/ cash (at a place like Wal-Mart). Then you transfer these funds to the seller. They can be pretty much anywhere to get those funds. Once they have the money, you have no recourse.
Alan Schaffter
12-14-2009, 11:58 AM
It is done better than the typical Nigerian scam but there are some tell-tale indicators in the wording and usage- it might be ok for electronics dealers in Silicon Valley but not elsewhere:

Examples:

"You requested informations about . ."

"Everything we have on stock"

"If you go over this, though check the informations below"

"FAQ section is full of useful informations."
Ellen Benkin
12-14-2009, 12:21 PM
A friend of mine just got ripped off for all the tools he had in his truck. He had some unique tools that only a pro would recognize. Beware of Craigslist sales if the seller doesn't know anything about the tools. The usual excuses are that "I inherited them" or "they belong to a friend and I'm selling them for him". They're probably stolen.
Michael Church
12-15-2009, 5:33 PM
Just got this email back from Cody WY Chamber about Toolmaniax.
Out suspicions were correct.




Toolmaniax is a SCAM – the Cody Chamber is contacting the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Protection. You and several others inquired, we very much appreciate you contacting us so we could inform the authorities.

Have a Merry Christmas -


Thanks for contacting the Cody Chamber, have a nice day.

Cathi
Cody Chamber of Commerce
307/587-2777
Kevin S.
12-16-2009, 12:10 PM
The funniest thing is that they couldn't even write their own testimonials (go to their website and click on Testimonials).

The first two on their website were taken from this site:

http://www.kennedyhardware.com/testimonials.html - the 1st and 5th on on this page.

And the last one from this site which isn't even from a woodworking store but rather a home brewing one.

http://www.stirplates.com/testimonials.htm - the 1st one.