Scam Ad Warning
Scam Advertisement Warning
We've received a lot of phone calls and emails in the past few months reporting scam ads on the Internet. Please be very careful if purchasing a Full Camper, Weekender, Rialta, or other Camper model that we sell on the Internet from a supposed private party. We've been doing this for 18 years, we're not going anywhere, we have an office, a lot, and you can come to our location and actually see the Campers if you wish.
More Elaborate Scams
The scams are getting much more sophisticated, moving from ads with just an email address for contact and a ridiculously low priced Camper, to ads with phone numbers and fairly competitive prices which make them appear authentic. Many even advertise free delivery to anywhere in the USA. You probably guessed it already...they're using disposable cell phones and email addresses.
Title Filppers
We've also received reports of a few people throughout the USA selling Campers illegally (especially the Rialtas) by purchasing them from people, then selling them unregistered. THIS IS ILLEGAL IN ALL 50 STATES! They sometimes buy them from people, and tell the seller they'll pay off their lien, so they are selling Campers that still have money owed on them. Remember: Having a title doesn't guarantee no lien exists! These people will claim they're selling the Camper for a sick relative, a friend, etc. They will always refuse to sign the title, and will most likely demand cash payment. Buying from these people can lead to serious problems. First, registering it may be impossible since you did not purchase it from the person listed on the title. Second, you have no proof you purchased the Camper from the person selling it. They always refuse to sign any document linking them to the Camper, so if there's a lien on the Camper, unpaid registration fees, or it's a salvage or rebuilt titled vehicle, you're stuck with it, and the fees to clear it up can be significant. Last, here's an example of what can happen: Years ago we had a customer purchase a Rialta from one of these title flippers, and it had a $30,000 lien on it. It took 5 years to get the vehicle registered, and he had to pay off $15,000 of the lien to get the title cleared. He has a judgement against the title flipper, but has yet to collect any money because the title flipper owes the IRS and other agencies money.
Why Exactly Are We Telling You This?
Well, number one, we see the ads and have a conscience. Number two, a great many of these scam ads feature pictures of our vehicles, and people think we're selling them. Many even have our license plate frames prominently featured in the pictures. Unfortunately, some of the people who purchased from us fell for a scam ad before doing so...and lost a lot of money (over $375,000 combined to date...and that's only the ones who told us how much they lost). So, if you see an ad for a Full Camper, Weekender, Rialta, or other Camper model we sell being sold in Florida, and there are snowcapped Yucaipa mountains in the background of the pictures, it's a scam! If you see an ad on the Internet that features pictures of one of our vehicles, it will have Pop Top Heaven or Rialta Heaven in the ad details. If it doesn't, then we are not the people selling the Camper.
Fraud Ad Example 1 | Fraud Ad Example 2 | Fraud Ad Example 3 | Fraud Ad Example 4
Help Us Help Others
If you see a suspicious ad, we'd appreciate your reporting it to us so we may verify if it's fraud for you, and if it is, we will have the ad taken down. Also, if the ad features one of our Campers, please call us directly at (909) 389-1491 to verify the ad is legitimate.
We've received a lot of phone calls and emails in the past few months reporting scam ads on the Internet. Please be very careful if purchasing a Full Camper, Weekender, Rialta, or other Camper model that we sell on the Internet from a supposed private party. We've been doing this for 18 years, we're not going anywhere, we have an office, a lot, and you can come to our location and actually see the Campers if you wish.
More Elaborate Scams
The scams are getting much more sophisticated, moving from ads with just an email address for contact and a ridiculously low priced Camper, to ads with phone numbers and fairly competitive prices which make them appear authentic. Many even advertise free delivery to anywhere in the USA. You probably guessed it already...they're using disposable cell phones and email addresses.
Title Filppers
We've also received reports of a few people throughout the USA selling Campers illegally (especially the Rialtas) by purchasing them from people, then selling them unregistered. THIS IS ILLEGAL IN ALL 50 STATES! They sometimes buy them from people, and tell the seller they'll pay off their lien, so they are selling Campers that still have money owed on them. Remember: Having a title doesn't guarantee no lien exists! These people will claim they're selling the Camper for a sick relative, a friend, etc. They will always refuse to sign the title, and will most likely demand cash payment. Buying from these people can lead to serious problems. First, registering it may be impossible since you did not purchase it from the person listed on the title. Second, you have no proof you purchased the Camper from the person selling it. They always refuse to sign any document linking them to the Camper, so if there's a lien on the Camper, unpaid registration fees, or it's a salvage or rebuilt titled vehicle, you're stuck with it, and the fees to clear it up can be significant. Last, here's an example of what can happen: Years ago we had a customer purchase a Rialta from one of these title flippers, and it had a $30,000 lien on it. It took 5 years to get the vehicle registered, and he had to pay off $15,000 of the lien to get the title cleared. He has a judgement against the title flipper, but has yet to collect any money because the title flipper owes the IRS and other agencies money.
Why Exactly Are We Telling You This?
Well, number one, we see the ads and have a conscience. Number two, a great many of these scam ads feature pictures of our vehicles, and people think we're selling them. Many even have our license plate frames prominently featured in the pictures. Unfortunately, some of the people who purchased from us fell for a scam ad before doing so...and lost a lot of money (over $375,000 combined to date...and that's only the ones who told us how much they lost). So, if you see an ad for a Full Camper, Weekender, Rialta, or other Camper model we sell being sold in Florida, and there are snowcapped Yucaipa mountains in the background of the pictures, it's a scam! If you see an ad on the Internet that features pictures of one of our vehicles, it will have Pop Top Heaven or Rialta Heaven in the ad details. If it doesn't, then we are not the people selling the Camper.
Fraud Ad Example 1 | Fraud Ad Example 2 | Fraud Ad Example 3 | Fraud Ad Example 4
Help Us Help Others
If you see a suspicious ad, we'd appreciate your reporting it to us so we may verify if it's fraud for you, and if it is, we will have the ad taken down. Also, if the ad features one of our Campers, please call us directly at (909) 389-1491 to verify the ad is legitimate.