Been looking for a used camper or small camper trailer to make this trip to Texas (to see my Uncle). Put an ad on Craig’s List for what I was looking for.
 
Yesterday, a guy called and asked if I was still looking. Yep. He has one in Port Orchard for me to look at. So I went and looked at it. Way back in the boonies at an abandoned/empty house.
 
Trailer was trash but has real potential; with a LOT of hard work. But, it’s been sitting in one place under the tree’s for about 15 years. Still dry inside though.
 
Anyway, offered the guy (Jason) $200. Only had $100 with me. He REALLY wanted to follow me to a money machine to get the rest. Really wanted to. But I told him I’d have the balance when I picked the trailer up (today).
 
Another thing: he didn’t try to finagle the price at all. $200 was perfectly fine. No argument. No hesitation. 
 
He had told me he lives in Silverdale, but when we left he didn’t drive like he was going to Silverdale. Turned off way too early to make any sense for living in Silverdale. Which got me to thinking. Thinking enough that I had a fairly sleepless night.
 
So, today, looking at the “Bill of Sale” I asked him to write, I couldn’t make out his name at all. So I texted him for his last name for “the paperwork.” He texted back that he’d give it to me when we met today. Hmmm… There’s really only one reason one wouldn’t want to give their last name for. I did find it, Deggs, but it wasn’t easy.
 
So, I looked up the address he gave me. Turns out it’s in the middle of the Bangor bomb storage area. Hmmm…  Looked up the phone number he’s been using; turns out it’s based in Kelso, WA. (Not really unusual in the cell phone age, I know. But worrying.)
 
The “business” I traced the phone number to is “Cirtified Window Cleaning, LLC.” Yep, that’s the way it’s spelled in the listing. At least the phone number was correct.
 
So, went to the Sheriff’s office here in Belfair and passed my story to them. The Officer I talked to said it really does seem like a scam; but who knows. It just might be weird. Decision was up to me. Nothing they can do, of course.
 
Nope. Not buying this trailer. Just doesn’t feel right.
 
So, called the number and asked for Jason. “Who’s calling?” (But the way he said it sounded suspicious.) I identified myself and told him I had an emergency in Texas and wouldn’t be able to buy the trailer. What about my deposit?
 
To which he replied that he’d already spent it and I couldn’t have it back. But I could have the trailer for the $100. (I suspect it’d be gone by the time I got back.)
 
So, I’m pretty sure I got scammed. Glad it cost me only $100. Wish there was something I could do about it.
 
But, the Sheriff did say that, from the condition I described the trailer to be in, he doubted that anyone would come looking for it. And if I had a “Bill of Sale” with a signature on it, and the contact information, I probably wouldn’t get into any trouble anyway.
 
It’s the “probably” that bothers me.