Legit Buyers

You can ask here...post the meat of the email you receive and people can usually help you determine if it's a scam before you get in too deep.. Never give out your personal information. I only accept paypal for payment. That is safe for all involved.

You did the right thing in giving out a PO box. Also try not to take checks through the mail. Paypal is the way to go online.

I would say no real customer will ever offer to send money right away without some discussion first. In my experience, they should (and will) discuss shipping, and costs, and timelines beforehand. Before you respond with ANY personal information (beyond what they have, your email address), always engage your customer to sort of feel them out. Thank them for their interest and ask them how they found you. Ask where they live, maybe explain your shipping policy. Have a little chat before you hand over personal information.

There are a lot of scams aimed at artists. http://artscams.com/

here's the first email that came from FAA:
Message:
Hello I am interested in purchasing the original artwork of the Vermont State Fair that you did it said it was for sale on this website thank you kindly

when I responded that the ptg. is still available and does he have any questions about it (he never asked the size) he wrote this:


hi Susan I want to buy your painting of the Vermont State Fair you need to send me an address and name to make the check out to and I'll send it out to you thank you kindly

maybe I should not post his name on here but sometimes I get the feeling its not so much about art scam its just a creeper targeting women.... so I am putting his name out there
I think pay pal set up will be what I need to do

I'd guess Mark hasn't gotten back to you cuz he's busy with thousands of others that he has sent the same e mail to...or maybe he's just taking a vacay with all he proceeds from the paintings he buys with rubber checks.

If they don't engage in conversation and have no questions about anything, it's a scam.

Every customer I've sold to wants to talk about the work, or the process, or something. Even through some pretty serious language barriers! Buyers are making investments in you, they want to talk to you and hear about what they're buying.

Yeah, I figured when he didn't have questions about it, he's just a creeper.

also try for a bank check if you go the check route. if they send too much, send it back and tell them you want the amount you asked for. don't pay the difference.do a search for his entire email and see if others were asking about him or what have you.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

if you haven't made this thread private, do so if your naming names.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Google is the best thing to do first.
Google the email address, google the name, google a sentence or two (scammers will usually use the same email a million times and people post them to scam sites). Scammers will pop up pretty quick on there since many people report them quickly now to various scammer sites.

ok, I just edited the message with his name and deleted the name

ok, I will google him as well. thanks!

I would be very wary of anyone contacting me through FAA asking to pay by check when it's real easy to pay online through the web site

Always do a google search for name. Turns out There is a Mark Fanelli Travelling Theme park inc in ridge, NH listed under yellowpages - comes with a phone number too. You could call and check with them. Just saying - before writing it off. Good luck, Juergen

I hope you guys have realized that scammers DO use the names of real people since it's common knowledge that artists are getting wiser and googling....
I have had an attorney and a doctor's name used in matching cities and neither was legit.

He may well be real, but people back out of expenses all the time.

While I have learned how to ask interested parties if they would like to buy a print,
I am usually better off asking them to join my email list. That way they have a longer
term chance to buy a print when it is right for them. If I ask a yes or no question up front
they have to more carefully examine their finances, and a no is permanent.

Once on the list odds are they could buy later this year or next year. Much better odds this
way than any other cold calling method. JMO.

Dave

No harm to call and check in ...

Ok, I will take everyone's advice. Thank you very much for your input

I use Paypal Online Invoicing for direct sales.