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Garage Sale Scams
by Christina Heiska
Yardsale and garage sale season will soon be in full swing. Most times
they are a positive experiences, but as Mickie recently shared in "My
Story," anyone holding a garage sale
may be the victim of a scam. If you recall, Mickie helped some pushy
customers load their purchases in their vehicles, and then they later
returned and very loudly complained that they hadn't received all their
merchandise. This tactic is used to try to intimidate/embarrass the
seller into giving an undeserved refund. If you are planning on holding
a garage sale this year, here are some things to be aware of.
Distraction is a common tool that yardsale thieves use. Sometimes they
may bring a small child and let the kid loose at the sale. They are
hoping that either the seller will "ooh and ahh" over the child while
they are busy shoplifting a few small items or that the seller will keep
an eye on the child to make sure they don't bump into the table of
glassware giving the scam artists opportunity to shoplift or switch
price tags.
A scam artist may try to "help" the seller by totaling the prices of
their items they want to purchase. Probably 99% of the time, it's an
honest buyer just wanting to save time and be helpful. But if something
doesn't feel right, you can tell the customer that you need to check all
the items.
Another scam is for a customer to ask the seller if they have change for
a $100 bill because they want to make a purchase. They purposely show
the bill and flash it. As the seller checks their cash, the customer
quickly puts the bill back in their pocket but holds their hand out,
hoping that the seller will be confused and give change back for the
bill that was never given to them!
Keep your money guarded 100% of the time. It's best to wear a
carpenter's apron or fanny pack. When someone hands you a large bill to
pay for item, leave the bill out in plain view until the change has been
made. Then put the bill away. A scam artist may try to claim that they
gave you a $20 bill when they actually gave you a $10.
When someone buys a large item (such as a laundry hamper), it's always
good to check inside of it. You can just say that you want to make sure
you didn't leave anything in it. Scam artists may have stuffed a bunch
of unpaid for items inside.
When selling small valuables, such as jewelry, it's best to designate
one person to watch over the table. I arrived at one yardsale after a
group of scam artists had just left. The seller had placed various
pieces of jewelry in individual plastic baggies and priced the baggies.
What the scam artists did was switch the jewelry within the bags and
paid the lower prices for the nicer jewelry. They arrived as a large
group and distracted the seller asking questions about items, the seller
was too harried to realize it until after the fact.
For safety reasons, it's best to have another person helping you conduct
your yardsale. If you can't, and hold a yard sale by yourself, it's wise
to have a cordless phone or cell phone on you (in your carpenter's
apron) at all times. But don't set it down, because someone will want to
buy it!
Christina Heiska runs The Yardsale Queen website at
http://www.yardsalequeen.com Visit the Yardsale Queen for free tips
on having a great yardsale and being a smart Yardsale shopper.
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