Viva Team

Craigslist.org has long been a great resource for buying or selling anything from real estate to sofas to used cars.  And Craigslist Costa Rica is an excellent way for expats to locate things they need when living overseas.  However, like any online transaction, it’s important to exercise a great deal of caution when exchanging money or goods with complete strangers.

Most of these tips deal with how to buy goods or services without getting screwed. However, much of the same advice also applies when selling items as well.  In fact, it’s even possible to become the victim of fraud when merely applying for a job on Craigslist.

One of the most common sources of fraud on Craigslist Costa Rica involves real estate. Sellers advertise properties they don’t own or that don’t exist and try to get unsuspecting expats or tourists to wire money in advance to buy or rent them sight unseen.  Spotting these types of scams can be tricky, but the rules below can help you weed out the legitimate deals from the scams.

Some tips may be common sense.  Some may never occur to you until you’re walking away from the Western Union office $1000 poorer while some guy in Russia is laughing all the way to the bank.

Here are some of the best ways you can successfully navigate Craigslist Costa Rica and avoid any scams or otherwise bum deals.

While You’re Searching: How to Spot Red Flags in Craigslist Costa Rica Ads

• Do your homework before you begin searching.  Whether you’re looking for electronics or automobiles, it’s important to have an understanding of the features and specifications of the items before you begin your search.  Know what options are available and how much the item generally sells for, so you can select exactly the right product and be well prepared to negotiate a fair price.

• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  This is true for everything from items for sale or rent to job postings.  If the photos of that flat in the city center look like they’re straight out of an international travel magazine, they may actually be.  Especially if the monthly rental rate is a fraction of the amount you already know other properties in the area are going for (because you took our advice above and did your homework).  If something appears to be drastically below the market value, there’s probably a reason.

• Make sure any photos show the actual item for sale.  If the seller has posted a picture of the item from the internet, ask them to provide photos of the one they’re actually selling.  If it’s an item whose aesthetic value matters (like furniture), have them take pictures of all sides, including close-ups of any damages or flaws.

• Cross-check any company or brand names referenced in the ad.  Many scammers use the name, website, and even logo of real companies to lend credibility to their fraudulent posts.  Contact the company involved to make sure the deal is legit.  For example, a piece of real estate might actually be listed by the company described.  However, the ad itself could be a scam and not posted by the agent of record.

• Verify whether the ad has been posted in multiple locations.  Craigslist users are only permitted to post their items for sale in one city, as those who attempt to do otherwise are often involved in a scam.  You can search the entire site by going to search craigslist and entering some of the details of the item. You can also copy and paste some distinctive part of the item description into a Google search bar to see if anything turns up.

• Beware of any ads that are full of grammatical errors or odd word choices.  Many scams originate overseas, and bad writing is usually an obvious sign of a foreign seller.  However, this can be a bit trickier in Latin American countries where the seller could speak English, Spanish, or something else entirely.  Just try to make sure the errors aren’t excessive.  If someone is comfortable enough posting a legitimate ad in Spanish (even when it isn’t their native tongue), then they probably care enough to try to get it right.  Errors should be minimal.

• Avoid any sellers that seem way too eager to get rid of their items. Reasons for wanting to unload things quickly often include factors such as divorce, relocation, or even deployment.  If a seller cites one of these and is selling a large number of items, or asking discount prices for high-value stuff, stay away.

P. Paouline

Communicating with the Seller:  How to Make Sure They Aren’t Shady

• If they pressure you, walk away.  Sellers who are involved in a scam may be in a hurry to get the transaction completed.  If they try to rush you, possibly by telling you there are multiple buyers interested, it could be a red flag.

• Be wary of sellers who respond too quickly or at odd hours.  Sure, smartphones have given us the ability to respond to email within seconds.  But if you consistently receive lightning-fast responses, it could be because you’re dealing with someone who’s sitting behind a computer scamming people for a living.  The same is true if all of your inquiries are addressed at odd hours of the night, even though the seller claims to be local.

• Do not, under any circumstances, provide any personal information. This includes everything from your home address to your social security number to financial information, like your bank account number.  Don’t do it.  Sellers or employers may claim they need it for credit or background checks, but if they’re needed these can wait until you’ve verified that the product and the seller are legit.

• Make arrangements to meet in a public place.  Don’t ever agree to meet the seller at their home, and don’t dare invite them to yours.  Instead, suggest somewhere well-lit with plenty of people around.  A bank lobby is a great choice, for a number of reasons.  Take someone with you if you have concerns, but at minimum at least make sure someone knows where you’re going.

• Be clear on the terms of the transaction.  Verify the payment type and that the seller will have the item with them for your inspection.  Negotiate a price, based on your knowledge of the product and its market value, but make sure the seller understands it’s contingent on your evaluation of the physical item itself.

The Transaction:  How to Walk Away with a Great Deal

• Be leery of wire transfers.  Don’t ever wire money up front.  Ever.  Period. Not even a partial payment.  This is the most common trick scammers use to get your money.  Sometimes sellers may sometimes ask for a deposit (for instance, for a vacation property), but at least with a credit card payment, you can get your money back if you get scammed.

• More on wire transfers.  That’s right.  They’re so scary they get two bullets. Some scammers pay sellers with fraudulent cashier’s checks, asking them to wire the difference to a third party (often a business partner or someone they owe money to).  There are also job postings where scammers, claiming they can’t receive direct payments from their customers, seek to hire people to accept the funds and wire it to them (in exchange for a percentage of the funds). This is just a way of helping them scam someone else.

• Avoid any questionable payment methods.  Aside from wire transfers, other common tricks are to use an online escrow service.  These are more often fraudulent than not.  Also, don’t pay for anything sight unseen no matter what the payment method.  The same is true if you’re selling.  Beware of any buyer who offers to send you a payment without inspecting your item.

• Understand that Craigslist does not handle any transactions.  Some scammers try to gain buyers’ confidence by assuring that they or their transactions are guaranteed or certified by Craigslist.  They may even have an official-looking email from the website itself.  The truth is that Craigslist does nothing of the sort.  Neither do they process or protect any payments.

• Inspect your item (or the payment), and you’re done!  If you’ve met in a bank lobby like we suggested, then have a seat with your seller and inspect each other’s offering.  Make sure the product and all of its features are in working order.  Plug it into an outlet if needed.  If it’s not to your satisfaction, you can still walk away.  The same is true for the money.  Go ahead and deposit the funds or cashier’s check to make sure the bills or documents are authentic.

Following these tips isn’t a guarantee that you won’t get screwed when using Craigslist Costa Rica, but they’re still good guidelines for transacting business online.  If you use good judgment and common sense, then hopefully you can find a great apartment or the perfect dining room set with minimal hassle.