Complaint Review: auto hangout consignor -

I found an add for a boat that seemed to good to be true on Craigslist but I figured I would play along and see if maybe there was any truth behind it at all.

RED FLAG 1: After sending a message to the seller through Craigslist the seller asked me to contat them directly via email ather than go through craigslist.

The seller explained to me that the reason they were selling the boat was that they had purchased another one and did not have room to store this one so it was turned over to Auto Hangout Consignor for them to sell. The website seemed like it may be legit so I attempterd to contact the company in order to determine wbere the boat was located and if I could arange a time to come inspect the boat. I also asked for Hull Identification Number. (HIN)

RED FLAG 2: The email address I provided to Auto Hangout Consignor was diffenrt than the one I provided to the seller but somehow Auto Hangout Consignor started emailing me at the same address as I provided to the seller (this indicated to me that maybe they were the same person).

RED FLAG 3: I was unable to get anyone at Auto Hangout Consignor on the phone and the recorded message kept directing me to register to buy the boat.

I continued to play along because this whole experieance seemed so weird I couldnt figure out if they were just bad at selling things or bad at running a scam becasue I had not been asked for any money or anything yet.  After registering for the sale I was sent a very Halfassed bill of sale which finally contaied a HIN.

RED FLAG 4: Thr HIN I was provided with on the bill of sale was not a vaild number. the last 3 of the number were "I12" a real nuber wuld have had 3 numbers at the end (I gave them the benifit of the doubt and ran the number as 112 because I could be confused for 1 and it did cme back as a boat that looked similar to the one in the add).

When I let them know the HIN on the bill of sale was incorrect and asked for the correct one or a picture of the plate that it was stamped on, on the back of the boat I did not get any reply.

At this point the seller contacted me telling me that if I wanted to inspect the boat I needed to cancel the transaction and then set up a local inspection (I still had no idea where the boat was located).

RED FLAG 5: I was told in order to inspect the boat I would need to send them a copy of my drivers license and passport. 

I told them I would be more than happy to bring those things as well as a check or cash with me when If they provided me a place to go to inspect the boat. I was never contacted back after this.

I would assume any Legit business woud jump all over a customer offering to pay the price they are asking in cash with the only requiremnet being that I see the boat before I hook it up to my truck and drag it home.  It finally seemed to me that they were just interested in my personal Informaiton and the Info for the boat was pulled from an exsting add somewhere else.

autohangout.com/Inventory_2/SKU10299/