Would you sell for cash?

In my region, Long Island, NY, there has been a rash of counterfeit bills going around. So, I would be a bit hesitant. 

If you can persuade them to send funds via Paypal or Venmo, or Wire, it would probably be safer. Given that the buyer has no feedback also makes me more cautious.

Can you Google his business and see if he actually owns it?

Or, perhaps you can request a reference? I did this many times when I was buying watches.

Bob

If it is real cash, what is the problem?

I would suggest they sign a receipt of purchase, receipt, and acceptance per your conditions of sale spelled out in your ad, if any. With their name, address, etc. on the receipt.

But really, it’s cash, so they have little recourse should they change their mind as long as your ad stipulated conditions of the sale. They would have more recourse using a service like PayPal. Who cares where the money is coming from, that isn’t your problem.

Personally, I don’t like dealing with cash.

Tell him the swap will take place at the Local PD. See what happens..

An officer might even do a stand by. Depends on the amount of money..

I've exchanged 10k in the police parking lot they had nothing going on and did a stand by.. I just explained my concern, no issue at all.

Regards

@oldhvymec  😁👍🏼

Cash is king, I sell all the time on Craigslist, never a problem. Buy yourself a counterfeit pen and do the cash deal.

Sounds very fishy to me... "yah, an employee of mine just so happens to be in your area and also happens to have a huge wad of cash with him... and he has nothing better to do, but to spend his time tracking you down to buy something that''s not even for him".  Who travels with a lot of cash anyways, besides drug dealers and strippers?  Hard pass.

Cash is a euphemism for Federal Reserve Notes. FRN are created from nothing and loaned into existence. That is why it says right on the face, Federal Reserve NOTE. A note is a loan, an IOU. Long ago this made sense, the note was redeemable for gold. Now it is an IOU nothing. Also opens you up to money laundering and reporting requirements. I would insist on real money. If the buyer is legit he will pay legit money. Send him your bitcoin address.

If you think that's a joke, I'm not the one questioning "This note is legal tender for all debts public and private." Dude is afraid to use US legal tender. 

I’m sure there are drug dealers and strippers with PayPal, checks, credit cards, etc. Cash too.

We could drive ourselves crazy wondering where the money ‘came from’ to pay us for both goods and services.

Im in the design/build business. Never ceases to amaze how many builders and contractors/subcontractors love cash. Many dislike having to fill-out 1099’s. I usually ask for a check regardless.

One way might be to:

Do the transaction during the business day at a bank-- yours if possible, and see if the bank will verify the legitimacy of the currency being used before you hand over the amp. (You can have that done discretely by having the buyer’s employee hand the cash to a bank employee for counting, without necessarily mentioning the verification part). I would talk with your bank before you suggest that though, to make sure they can do this.

Document the terms of the deal and have it signed for. Last thing you want is a tough guy looking for his cash back for whatever reason.

+1 @dill 

Its hard to believe how conditioned we have become as a society. The govt would love us all to make every transaction w/o cash and instead use traceable pmt like a credit card, or a check. Cash is generally not traceable. Although there is a $10k limit which the bank must report anything over that. Recently I heard they were trying to lower the amount to something like $600 instead. I'd accept the cash in a heartbeat. But get the pens and check the bills.

@bkeske  it's not just builders. I am a retired builder. I've had several people pay me with cash, most often large sums. Some yrs back, one lady gave me $10k in cash. That was a somewhat nervous rider to the bank with doors locked

""yah, an employee of mine just so happens to be in your area and also happens to have a huge wad of cash with him... and he has nothing better to do, but to spend his time tracking you down to buy something that''s not even for him". 

That is not what the OP said. Geezzz what a bunch of paranoid people, nobody other than the OP knows the amount of money that is involved.

Cash is King.  I just sold mattresses on Craigslist for $4k.  I love Cash.  But I agree, if you are concerned have the pick-up guy meet you at your local bank and they can check the money. 

I alway pack the heat.

I'm afraid MC has gone off the deep end again:

"I would insist on real money.......Send him your bitcoin address".

MC is right though. the fed is a private company run by faceless oligarchs who’s names you don’t know. they literally give a handful of nothing to the treasury and when the treasury reaches for it, it becomes ’real’ in the form of YOUR debt for that work, to the private oligarchical families who own the federal reserve. it is literally a form of indentured slavery, enacted upon you, by the federal government and those oligarchs.. I kid you not. This is literally how the money works in the USA. Originally when I heard this about US money, back in 2000, I thought that it can’t possibly be true. But over the years, I found it actually was true. Kennedy died for trying to bring back Treasury issued money, which would have messed with the indentured slavery game. Just one of the reasons they killed him. Look up Jekyll island for some proofs about the fed...

Back to the subject at hand.

When I sell locally to people who are hesitant, i tell them we can meet in the local police front parking lot. The police say that this is the area for the ’nervous’ to do their craiglist and kijiji deals. 4 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon, makes no difference.

although a 4 in the morning one would feel a bit weird.

I’ve sold quite a few items for cash only when the buyer wanted to do a in person pickup at my residence. But truth be told... I felt pretty confident of having the buyers over by reason of good feedback.ymmv

Yes

So you don’t wanna launder money? Then just forget the sale.

Another mark will come along.

Or not.

I would go strapped. Jock up and do the deal. 

Lots of good advice given, like selling in a safe place (i.e., the police station or some other public and well-lit location). I would add:

• Take someone with you
• have the buyer sign a pre-written receipt that you can bring with you, which includes the price, a picture of the amp, the amp’s serial number, and a statement that the amp appeared undamaged and that they paid you in cash
• photograph the amp and box while you are at the transaction
• have your friend discretely record the buyer’s license plate number
• Have the bank check the bills if you want - although I probably wouldn’t go that far unless something felt totally off (can you purchase one of those markers that detect counterfeit bills? - all the party stores have them)
• remember you can walk away with the amp if something freaks you out
• if you are paid in all $1s then @bkeske was right…stripper, if you get paid in some $1s but mostly $5s and $10s then…a more successful stripper…maybe bring a chair and give yourself some extra time 😎

Thanks everyone. Lots of great suggestions here. I just got an offer from a local buyer and will try to work that angle first. Personally, if I have to go to the police station and check for counterfeit bills then that's not optimal, at least not for me. I'm going to hold off responding until I have more clarity on current negotiations with a few other buyers.

Ask to meet at a bank with the teller handing cash to him to you on camera.  

If they balk at this, you have your answer.   

Sure, I'll take cash, actually prefer it. I always do in person deals at my workplace. If worried about counterfeit money, take photos of transaction, including buyer, numbers on bills. Get more than one item of proof of identity, and take photos of those.

Lots of talk about ripoffs here, wonder how many have actually been ripped off. Vast majority of these scammers copy cats, common sense, not being greedy and/or desperate for money will suffice to keep one from getting ripped off.

" I just got an offer from a local buyer and will try to work that angle first"

Interesting, wasn't that the original offer to begin with? A person, from your hometown was going to was going to pay with cash and pickup the amp. I can't think of a better arrangement.

@dill, no this is a different buyer. This new buyer offered cash or PayPal but has a solid Agon rating. 

No, I understand that, but the original offer from the out of town buyer was basically the same, a local person would come to you and pay cash. It seems that because the new interested buyer has a "solid Agon rating" and an offer to pay with cash or Paypal, you seem more receptive. Are you expecting more security using PayPal (buyer has a recourse if unhappy) and an AudiogoN membership as being more secure? Remember you will have PayPal fees too. I guess I really don’t understand what you are afraid of. Your asking price is only $1500 and are going to take an offer. No shipping worries either. I just don’t get your position.

That is not what the OP said. Geezzz what a bunch of paranoid people, nobody other than the OP knows the amount of money that is involved.

They come out of the woodwork like that around here. Doesn't take much to trigger them. Probably saw a squirrel. 

All the best,
Nonoise

teo_audio:

MC is right though. the fed is a private company run by faceless oligarchs who’s names you don’t know. they literally give a handful of nothing to the treasury and when the treasury reaches for it, it becomes ’real’ in the form of YOUR debt for that work, to the private oligarchical families who own the federal reserve. it is literally a form of indentured slavery, enacted upon you, by the federal government and those oligarchs.. I kid you not. This is literally how the money works in the USA. Originally when I heard this about US money, back in 2000, I thought that it can’t possibly be true. But over the years, I found it actually was true. Kennedy died for trying to bring back Treasury issued money, which would have messed with the indentured slavery game. Just one of the reasons they killed him. Look up Jekyll island for some proofs about the fed...

Correct. Every word of it. The Federal Reserve Act and the IRS were both created at the same time in 1913 because they knew debt based currency was going to require an income tax to pay the interest on the money created from nothing.

Bitcoin on the other hand is real money. Not debt. Money. When the btc shows up in your wallet you don't need no stinking pen to know it is real. With the FRN it says right on it "Note" which means debt, which means not money.

Why bother to meet in a police parking lot? The real crime is being committed in the Marriner Eccles Building.

What a bunch of paranoid BS. Always the same ones tearing down our country and claiming to be patriots. Putin is getting his monies worth.

All the best,
Nonoise

+1 Nonoise enough of the conspiracy nonsense guys not in every single thread.

@teo_audio I am curious how you pay your bills, taxes, etc ?  

The Fed is not our country. The Fed is not our government. The Fed is a privately held central bank, and belongs to the BIS, the central bank of central banks, based in Basel. Not even based in the US. These are all easily verifiable facts. Maybe one of you geniuses can explain how criticizing a privately held foreign based institution is "tearing down our country"?

The Fed through monetary inflation steals from everyone. If you knew that a privately held institution was stealing from every single American what would be the patriotic thing to do? Expose it? Or cover for it?

At the very least, if you even want to pretend to care about your country the very least you should be willing to do is check a few things out. Not a one of you has pointed out one false fact in any of what we have said. So what, are you in on it? So why carry on like a bunch of Fed shills then?

The Fed is indeed as described. But the system is what it is. 5 hours away is nothing really. If the dude has an employee in your town that he would pick up the amp from, he could do the same with you. Or, meet halfway. No need to complicate things.

@dill +1

"Remember you will have PayPal fees too. I guess I really don’t understand what you are afraid of. Your asking price is only $1500 and are going to take an offer. No shipping worries either. I just don’t get your position."

Should not be a problem.

I have friends that purchase like that on a regular basis.

Treasury raises money by issuing Treasury Notes/Bonds at regular intervals. These are bought by investment banks and superannuation funds etc ("the public"). International outfits are also quite keen on buying T-Notes/T-Bonds.

The US government/Congress uses this money to pay for things when tax receipts are insufficient. I think that there was a brief period during the Clinton administration when there was a government budget surplus, but not since.

This is called fiscal policy. and currently Janet Yellen is the boss at Treasury.

So far, all this has been done quite independently from the Fed, although the Fed does buy T-Notes from the public for a variety of reasons.

This is called quantitative easing, as a part of monetary policy where Jerome Powell is boss. This is independent of government/Yellen control.

The Fed and the Treasury are not allowed to transact directly with each other in the buying and selling of T-Bonds and T-Notes with each other, although the Fed, as the central bank, may have some operational duties.

“… In God we trust, everybody else pays cash …”

M.C. Is correct about the Fed. Muammar Gaddafi Tried going around the central banks. Guess where the bayonet found itself?

@oldhvymec 

My local PD has opened up a part of their parking lot as a safe transaction spot for online selling.

You could

1. meet in your bank's parking lot

2. deposit the cash then and there, (bank verifies it's legit bills).

3. give em the goods.

On a cash deal, I'd request a cashier's check for at least 50% of the sales price upfront and with enough time for the check to clear your bank before meeting in person.

Does anybody else sometimes find it tricky to remove the dye stain from notes before you meet the person in the friendly police car park?

+1

elliottbnewcombjr

You could

1. meet in your bank's parking lot

2. deposit the cash then and there, (bank verifies it's legit bills).

3. give em the goods.

Well I live on Long Island ,N.Y.and I use cash all the time and this is the first time I'm hearing of alot of counterfeit Bill's being used on the Island .But nothing surprises me....

I wouldn't PAY for anything with cash, but I'd accept it with no hesitation....

LOL, OP doesn't want cash. Do you know how many businesses are cash based businesses? Lots. I pay everything in cash that I can. Everybody loves cash. 

Cold hard cash is the way lots of police agencies fund themselves using asset forfeiture in make believe crimes. They confiscate, refuse to charge, give no receipts, and you're sh*t outta luck in getting it back. It's all done under the guise of "suspicion" and the local small town governments say tough luck. I guess you can call that a business.

One way to get around that is to trust banks, or at least credit unions, and use plastic for all your large transactions. Beyond that, go with god and good luck.

All the best,
Nonoise

Do you know how the USA must pay the fed to print the notes, obviously you can't use FED notes... 

Learn to use cash if you don't, it wil cost you... the dems almost got the IRS to scan for more than $600 in and out transactions of your bank accounts... do you know why... so depositing $$$ in your checking account would be considered income, something you must disprove or pay taxes on!! it failed, but they will try again...

Enough freaking politics already! We can't discuss cash, China, NY, or CA without politics coming up. It's an audio site just freaking stop it please.