Recently at TFL HQ we decided to buy an old Toyota pick’emup truck to take into the mountains and to film and bash off-road. The reason we decided to buy a truck is because we normally borrow a truck from the manufacturer for a week and they expect us to return it to them in the same condition that it arrived at our offices.
You see the truck manufacturer gets a bit grumpy if we take their truck up a mountain and return it with a dent, blown out shock, or even 200 pounds of dirt and mud clinging to the underside. For this reason we thought it would be smart to buy an old truck that we could bash and destroy at will without having to ask for permission or beg for forgiveness from the truck manufacturers.
We also figured that it would make for a fun video series to see an old truck get properly used (and yes even perhaps a bit abused) in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
After a long and fun-filled search on Craigslist in Denver we spotted this old 1994 Toyota pickup that seemed perfect—however there was just one strange problem. While the seller had included lots of pictures, they did not include lots of details. Of course the other thing that stood out in the ad was the price. The asking price was several thousand dollars below market value.
So being trained investigative journalists, we decided to call and write the seller for more specifics details about the Toyota truck. Our calls were never answered and the ad was removed from Craigslist the next day. We figure someone must have gotten a hell of a good deal on a nice used truck.
But we were wrong. The other day this email showed up in our inbox form garrett.marie@comcast.net:
Hello there,
my 1994 Toyota Pickup, is still for sale. This pickup is in great shape. I’m the original owner. It has no damage, no scratches, dents or hidden defects. It is in immaculate condition, meticulously maintained and hasn’t been involved in any accident…Has only 115,000 miles, its manual , with an 2.4L 4cyl engine, 4WD, red exterior and clean interior.I have a clear title, without liens or loans on it, under my name.I am selling it at this final price of $1,700 because my husband died 1 month ago (he had a heart attack) and it brings me bad memories and that’s the reason I want to sell it a.s.a.p. I want to use eBay services for the safety of both of us so if you’re interested in purchasing this truck just email me with your full name, address including the zip code and phone number, so I can notify eBay that you are selected as my possible buyer and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure.
Thank you,
Marie Garrett
The question for you is a simple one. Is this too good to be true? Is this a Craigslist Truck Scam?
Please let us know what you think in the comments below.
Thanks!
