This is a suspected scam escrow site. Web address is www.victorytradingpost.com. They were suggested to me by a seller of a 2004 RoadTrek popular 200 RV on Craigslist. Victory TP offered anonymous purchase and sale of goods where they provide the escrow service. Title of goods is allegedly transferred to them by seller. They 'validate ownership, title, licensing and condition of goods and provide shipping to buyer. Reasons for suspicion of scam are as follows;
1. Seller insisted on them
2. Attemps to validate their addresses (they list a bunch in the US, Canada, and UK) failed except for a payment address listed as Payments - Victory Trading Post payments, 401 Alaskan Way south, Seattle, WA 98104. This address was confirmed as their business by the USPS. The other addresses failed a number of searches, Google, Bing, 411.com, Business directories etc. Some were seen on Google Street View as residential homes in residential neighborhoods.
3. They wanted a down payment, prior to shipment.
4. They have no contact persons listed anywhere and no telephone numbers.
5. The down payment is to be sent to an offshore bank, Barclays in the UK
6. Requests for the vehicles VIN were ignored by the seller and the VTP customer service 'department'.
7. A picture of the RV was taken in front of S & S Motors who were traced to be a defunct company in Texas, the seller of the RV is allegedly in Lafyette Loiusiana.
8. The seller would not provide his telephone number or address and ignored a request to visit.
9. The RV had an attractive price about 1/2 of the market value. Reason for selling "to pay for my daughters wedding". The usual clean, nonsmoking, no pets blather was provided by the seller.
10. When Victory Trading Post was pressed on the issue of providing the VIN for the vehicle, they cancelled the "order"
Not proof positive of a scam but contains all of the usual elements of one.
Item is still on Craigslist under "2004 Roadtrek Popular 200"
A Whois search provided the Seattle Address and the name and telephone no. of what is likely VTP's IT guy.
Caution is strongly advised.
If anyone knows of this as a proven scam, please post same.