Why do people try & sell me home electronics from their car in the middle of traffic?

[athletics]

I'm sitting in my car at a light and someone in the car next to me wants my attention. They proceed to tell me about some home stereo equipment they have in the back of their SUV that they got a discount from their work and don't need or something like that. Then they put on a hard sell and continue to ask if I want to buy it, but they never get specific about what it is. Sometimes they even drive next to me for a few hundred feet to keep the conversation going. Eventually they drive off on the find someone else to bother.

This has happened to me a half a dozen times over the years and a few things are always the same. Its always a kid or two who look like they could be in college and initially look like they need directions more than fencers. Usually in a nice SUV too, but always in a bit of a hurry.

Who else has gone through this? I am sure several of you have, do you know what the deal is? Why is it always the same situation? Like I said, at least 6 times and its always the same.

[Jinn]

It's because they just stole it and they want to get rid of it before the cops find them.

Although I must admit I've never had that happen.

[Willravel]

Kinda creative crooks.

[elaphe]

I had a guy in a rented suv (had the "Enterprise" sticker on the bumper) try to tell me that he had just finished a fashion show and needed to sell some versace coats that he didn't have the space to ship back home to where-ever. A couple hundred for a thousand dollar coat. This happened in a grocery store parking lot.

Honest/dishonest? All I know is that it was one hell of a creative cover story!

[The_Jazz]

In the early 90's in north and northwest suburban Atlanta, there used to be what my friends and I referred to as "The Speaker Scam". There was a group of guys that would drive around in vans with audio equipment. They would tell you that they were installation technicians who had been out on a job where the buyer decided not to have the equipment installed and that their boss told them to get rid of the equipment and split the proceeds with him.

Turns out that the equipment was legit and that it wasn't stolen (even though the above scenario would have been theft). A friend of a friend revealed that he worked with these guys for a couple weeks and that the equipment was all damaged by water in a fire and had been sold by a big-box retailer to some group. The electronics would short out, there were big stains on the wood, etc. It was a gigantic scam since the van guys apparently had several hundred units to sell at $500 apiece, all cash.

[Strange Famous]

I'd only ever buy something off the back of a lorry from someone I knew.

[Redlemon]

Originally Posted by The_Jazz

In the early 90's in north and northwest suburban Atlanta, there used to be what my friends and I referred to as "The Speaker Scam". There was a group of guys that would drive around in vans with audio equipment.

It is still around: White van speakers - Wikipedia.

[The_Jazz]

Originally Posted by Redlemon

It is still around: White van speakers - Wikipedia.

Heh. Looks like I just found a variation on an old theme. I'll have send that link to some friends now.

[Ustwo]

Originally Posted by The_Jazz

In the early 90's in north and northwest suburban Atlanta, there used to be what my friends and I referred to as "The Speaker Scam". There was a group of guys that would drive around in vans with audio equipment. They would tell you that they were installation technicians who had been out on a job where the buyer decided not to have the equipment installed and that their boss told them to get rid of the equipment and split the proceeds with him.

Turns out that the equipment was legit and that it wasn't stolen (even though the above scenario would have been theft). A friend of a friend revealed that he worked with these guys for a couple weeks and that the equipment was all damaged by water in a fire and had been sold by a big-box retailer to some group. The electronics would short out, there were big stains on the wood, etc. It was a gigantic scam since the van guys apparently had several hundred units to sell at $500 apiece, all cash.

They tried this on me SEVERAL times when I was a teenager.

[athletics]

Originally Posted by Redlemon

It is still around: White van speakers - Wikipedia.

I knew there had to be some things out there about this, that is hilarious. Great find! After dealing with a few of these, it was just strange how they were all basically the same. The most interesting thing about today was one of the two people was a girl, young and cute-ish.

[kutulu]

Originally Posted by The_Jazz

Turns out that the equipment was legit and that it wasn't stolen (even though the above scenario would have been theft). A friend of a friend revealed that he worked with these guys for a couple weeks and that the equipment was all damaged by water in a fire and had been sold by a big-box retailer to some group. The electronics would short out, there were big stains on the wood, etc. It was a gigantic scam since the van guys apparently had several hundred units to sell at $500 apiece, all cash.

I've never heard that part of it but as you said, in general the stuff isn't stolen. However, they rely on people's interpretation of the situation (i.e. they think the stuff is stolen) so the customer thinks they are getting a great deal on some stolen merch.

[World's King]

The surround sound speakers in my living room right now were got out of a white van. They work just fine.


I was getting tattooed. We stepped outside to smoke. A van pulled up in front. I got four very nice Polk Audio speakers for $200. The tattoo artist got a receiver and some speakers as well. They drove away and everyone was happy. Everything was brand new in the box.

[SecretMethod70]

I got approached by some white van speaker guys when I was a freshman in college. It was an interesting experience, and very clearly shady.

[cruemx]

I fell for it. I got four speakers. I lost $300 and a drum set, but got four big speakers. That was 1994 (I am 32 and very wise, would never fall for that crap now). Had them for 3 years then passed them on to a brother in law. He loves them, says "they rock!". So I guess it wasn't such a total loss.

[Midnight]

mmm never in the middle of traffic.. always in the summer, on a day that is hot as hell. the "steak man" comes. My Ex husband threw a fit because I wouldnt let him buy a few hundred dollars worth of fillet mignon and new york strip's from this guy - the guy said he had just finished up deliveries in the neighborhood and had these "left over" and had to get rid of them because by the time he got back to the warehouse, no one would be there to stick them back in the freezer. I used to work for a perishable freight shipper - once a shipment goes on the refer truck, it dosent go back into the freezer in the whse. ever. its a loss if something happens. the guy COULD have been telling the truth that he had to get rid of the steaks, but i wasnt about to buy from someone I didnt know. usually get one guy like this a summer - truck never from the same place

[ItWasMe]

I've had the Swanson man come to my house once and the "steak man" twice in the past five years. I think they plan to have a few extra items, in an attempt to gain new customers with door to door sales. "I just sold some of my extras to your neighbor, she really liked them." Yea, she must be a really fast cook...and also must have just moved in because that house is occupied by a single father and his two sons. Creep.

[Fast Forward]

Originally Posted by athletics

Why do people try & sell me home electronics from their car in the middle of traffic?

Because it's near to impossible for you to inspect the equipment properly. It's faulty stuff alright.

Anyway, the car is probably stolen as well so they're hoping to get a sale before the light changes to green! If you hear sirens in the background you can be sure of it.

[mirevolver]

I was approached by one of these guys once, and it was a few months ago. I was walking into a bank when a guy in a new SUV pulled up and something to the effect that he had just won some great speakers at his office and didn't need them and would sell them to me cheap. I think my response was, "No thanks, try Ebay." Then I turned around and walked through the bank's doors, so that left him with no room to pressure for a sale.

Originally Posted by athletics

This has happened to me a half a dozen times over the years and a few things are always the same.

You might just fit their profile of the perfect mark.

[QuasiMondo]

Funny. I was at a rest stop along the NJ turpike reading this very thread when I was approached by the white-van-guys. They didn't seem to be pros because it was a low pressue sales approach.

Them: Hey, I got some home entertainment systems, want one?
Me: No.
Them: Okay (drives off).

I remember seeing variations of this when I lived in California, except they used some hot chick to swindle a young private out of his hard earned cash.

[bermuDa]

The trick is to say anything to get you to stop, then say anything to shove their merchandise into your car, at which point it becomes very hard to refuse to buy. This results in very good cover stories. I read up on them after being taken in a while back. It's a sometimes elegant con, with all sorts of variations, and the best defense is to ignore them and keep driving. I'm just glad they didn't take me for much, though not for lack of effort.

[Martian]

Not that I condone this, but it really is a masterful bit of social engineering, when you stop to think about it. Con man procures through various means equipment that is legitimately owned but defective and/or inferior quality to what is claimed. Con man procures a white van or similarly nondescript vehicle. Con man offers mark speakers for cheap. Mark is unlikely to ask too many questions or inspect the merchandise too closely, because mark believes goods are stolen and therefore wants to get the transaction over with asap, lest mark be caught doing something he knows he shouldn't. The goods aren't stolen and there's really nothing wrong with the sale (excepting possible lack of correct permits and/or false advertising) but by the time mark gets the goods home and realizes that he's been ripped off, con man has moved on.

The belief that the goods are stolen is more important to the con than whether or not they actually are.

[Push-Pull]

Midnight, I hear you about the steak guy. Don't run in to him very often now that I live in a smaller town, but in Phoenix you could count on it. Always some BS about how the truck's out of gas and needs money to get across town or something. At any rate, it's pretty tough to get good meat from the grocery store, I'm sure not gonna trust meat out of the back of the truck.....

[Ourcrazymodern?]

Probably the only reason this type of thing occurs is because somebody gives their hard-earned dollars more freely than they get them.

Did P. T. Barnum say it?

[Kpax]

LOL that has happened to me, too, once.

First of all, I don't know if the stuff works. Second of all, it's suspicious just by default, the whole action of selling something to someone while "on the run," and that's just what it looks like when you're at a busy intersection and a guy tries to sell you stuff.

That scenario has "I-stole-it-and-want-money-instead" written all over it.

The one thing that gets pesky people trying to sell something to you, legal or illegal, is when you simply state, "I don't have any money."

[Phant84]

down here, they just steal entire best buy semi-trucks. most recently (3wks ago) they were selling toshiba laptops ($400), sony digital cameras ($100), and portable dvd players ($40)

[k-pax]

I had this happen to me while I was going to work, the guy seemed out of place driving an older mini van and looked like he had been on drugs for a couple of days and tried to get me to buy some sweet speakers, I casually shook my head no.

[ottopilot]

This happened to me right after I saw an investigative report about the "white van" speaker scam. It was a white van and they were selling speakers ...hmmm.

I was walking to my car in a Kroger parking lot and they pulled right next to me. They gave a story about overstocked inventory and were very persistant. So, not being particularly bright at these moments, I thought I'd be a smart-ass and ask them all kinds of questions about the speakers, brands, applications, electronic specs, etc. (just like the TV guy) and act real interested.

They were my best friends until I said, "and I'm sure you won't mind if I have a look at the invoices for the equipment?" (again, like on TV) Their reaction appeared somewhat shaken and taken back. Then I thought they were going to jump out of the van and chase me through the parking lot. They were hanging out the window yelling "mother fucker" and "kick your ass" and so on as they slowly pulled awy. Then (I'm thinking fortunately for me), they left very quickly.

My wife says I'm going to get hurt someday. She hates it when I talk to strangers.

[Datalife2]

omg this is more common than I thought. It has happened to me and some other people I know but I guess this is happening all over. lol

[varrybarry]

i never understood why these "salesmen" would think that someone would want to buy something that is obviously not legit.

[KirStang]

Happened to me once--I had just washed my car and I was in a new suit on my way to work. They must have thought I looked like the perfect rich mark. Eitherway, just the manner that they approached me had 'shady' written all over it.