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Hello everyone,
I have been searching and digging but keep running into a wall.
I am aware of govdeals,computer stores,Craigslist,etc. what about these sites that appear to be some sort of recycling exchanges such as recyclers world,scrapmonster,scrap register ,and alibaba? Supposedly you can buy this stuff by the ton. Are these places legit?especially the overseas ones? I've seen seller posts for $150-250 A ton for whole computers free of monitors and keyboards!!
I've always wondered about this as well...
From personal experience.. recently I may add. Be very skeptical and do your due diligence.
Ask them these 2 questions and if they refuse or do not reply- scratch them from your list as they are a scam:
1. May I purchase a Sample?
2. May we do the deal through ESCROW?
If "No" on Either question. WALK! No.. RUN!
Quote:
Originally Posted by sledge
couldnt agree more. ESCROW or NO GO!!!!
I have a friend who does this and it seems like her is 75/25 in actually getting it to go through. I think he has done about 10 transactions, with 2 companies never sending anything and the rest following through. Escrow would be the way to go.
Thanks everyone for the replies,that's good advice sledge.the prices look great and looks like a mix of some pre 1995 towers in there as well on some of there pics. I've made contact with a couple of American sellers checked they're websites they all seeed legit but couldn't sell to me because I am not r2 or estewards certified.
Does anyone have or know of anyone that has had experience with those recycling exchanges that I listed in particular?
Alibaba is a minefield of fraud. Look for a GOLD member with a long history on the site.. Don't take the "GOLD" certification as the only significant factor though.. Approach them with caution. It is sad but this is the best and safest way.
If you mention the term Escrow- you will see 99% of them "lose your number" If you an get in touch with the 1% go for it.. Just remember that you cover ALL your bases. Landing something from overseas is not as easy as order and poof.. at your door. You will need to clarify if their price is to your dock.. a lot of places will quote you a price.. but that is to PORT.. You are responsible for getting it from "Any Safe Port" to your dock. And that costs money to do. Also- do they have all their customs paperwork in order. Last thing you want is to know your load is here.. but customs has it.. and won't release it because of bad paperwork.
This is a complex monster.. Do some research on import/export. If you do find a good company.. you are only about 5% there.. the rest of the way can be treacherous! So do some digging and googling to see what you are in for.
;)
Thanks sledge I was doin some more digging and your exactly right,I guess if it was easy everyone would be doing it.advice much appreciated.
There are a few things that you can do to protect yourself when doing international deals. There are a few countries that don't have an international bank and you won't be able to do the following type of transaction. First please check the import / export law regarding the material you are interested in buying because depending on what it is it could end up a customs nightmare. The transaction is called an "International Letter of Credit" and are issued by international banks. Nobody gets a thing until delivery is verified at a port you trust i.e. the U.S.A. You can stipulate anything you want (within reason) in the international letter of credit and scamsters won't participate in an international letter of credit because delivery of the goods and inspection are required to complete the transaction and release the funds to the seller. No verification, no money! You should do your research before attempting this transaction but the protection is way worth it because there are boatloads of international scammers out there. Be careful and good luck.
Sounds like way too much hassle. Between sketchy foreigners and the U.S. government, gives me a headache just thinking about it. Good luck...
Your welcome, sorry I haven't been here in a while. You're not kidding about the hassle but it can be greatly simplified with standard forms, in-house and banking. One point that is a real attraction to put up with the hassle is the value of the currencies. Mexico hovers around 10 to 1 U.S. or 15 to 1 on the currency exchange (with your bank). That gives you a lot of buying power. Good luck.
When we purchase from overseas definitely ESCROW or LOC (Letter of Credit). If the seller can't sell samples then there's something wrong. We've had scam artists in South Africa send P3 and P4 samples and they even paid shipping. Be really careful and always make sure you verify. If the sellers email isn't from a company email that should be a concern.