Many websites which sell expensive items, such as pianos, automobiles, boats, jewelry, etc. are now being targeted by very creative scam artists who wish to steal your money. In this space, we will continue to inform you about these scams so that you will not become their next victim.
Most transactions conducted on PianoMart.com are legitimate and trouble-free. To ensure a risk-free transaction, we strongly recommend the use of our FREE PianoMart.com Escrow Service, the safest way to buy or sell a piano on the Internet.
If you receive a suspicious-sounding offer, please forward it to us at Info@PianoMart.com
One of the most common scams found all over the Internet is a classic scam which involves the use of forged Cashier’s Checks. The scammer will offer to buy your piano via a cashier’s check, and will even pay you several thousand dollars more than your asking price. This extra money they will say, is for the “shipping expense”. After you deduct your payment for the piano, you will then be asked to wire-transfer the over-payment to the “shipping agent” to pay for the pick-up and delivery of the piano. This all sounds very logical, but of course, there is no “shipping agent” because the scammer has no intention of ever picking up your piano. By the time the bank discovers that the Cashier’s Check is forged, the scammer will have your money which he instructs you to wire-transfer immediately after you receive the bogus Cashier’s Check. Wire transfers are immediate and irreversable. This scam is effective because for years, it was believed that a cashier’s check is safe, as good as cash. Sadly, this is not the case anymore. If someone offers to pay you several thousand dollars more for your piano than your asking price and then asks you to wire-transfer the over-payment to them or their shipping agent – BEWARE!
The Internet can be a safe place to do business if you follow certain precautions:
If you receive emails from scammers attempting to “buy” your piano, or if you receive fradulent cashier’s checks, please follow these steps:
Another scam that we have seen on PianoMart.com is one that involves the use of fake ads. The scammer will copy an existing ad directly from another website. He will remove the real contact information, insert his own email address and represent himself as the owner. Sometimes these scams are easy to spot because the scammer will ask an incredibly low price for a very high quality piano. This insures that their ads will attract alot of attention and interest. The scammer will attempt to convince you to pay, in advance, part of the purchase price or the shipping fee and then will allow you to pay the balance when the piano is delivered to you. Sounds fair, right? Of course, since they don’t really own the piano, it will never arrive and you’ve lost your downpayment. To protect yourself from this scam, follow these precautions: