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Hello, this is my first time looking through Craiglist for a sublet apartment. I came across an ad that seemed "too good to be true" but I contacted the person who posted the ad because I was so interested in it. After I sent them an email that I was interested, this is the email that I received:
I wanted help validating the email, because he gave no introductions of himself nor did he include any contact information. Also when I asked to have a look at the apartment he said that there a guest occupying the place at the moment and that "according to our discipline am not permit to disturb the guest,thanks for your Patronage." But he said that I could view the apartment after the guest moves out, which is on April 30th. Is anyone familiar with general subletting procedures and can anyone tell me how to verify this ad?
(Start of email)
Hello
PRICE QUOTATION
Thank you for contacting my ads posted on Craigslist,the apartment is available for the chosen dates ( May 1 to May 31 (2016) )
1 YEAR RENT FEE = $21,600
DAMAGE DEPOSIT FEE ( REFUNDABLE ) = $200
TOTAL AMOUNT = $21,800
TOTAL DEPOSIT REQUIRED = $1800......FIRST MONTH RENT
BALANCE UPON ARRIVAL=$20,000
Note: We are going to refund your $200 damage deposit on your check out date if you dont damage any item inside the apartment.
APARTMENT LOCATION AND AMENITIES
Building Features:- It is located at:
(Address was given, but I decided to omit it from this post)
CD Player & DVD Player, Iron & ironing board, Kitchen, Laundry Facilities, Microwave, pots, coffee maker,cookware, split samsung air conditioner, heater, Shower, Telephone,Television, wifi, Pets permitted, Parking garage, High speed internet ,Laundry service available.
RESERVATION PROCEDURES
To reserve your dates, you have to make payment via Bank transfer, Let me know if you are ready to proceed with the payment, So i can send you the rental agreement and reservation form and you are to fill all field and sign, then scan and attach it to your mail and send it back to me with the payment receipt/confirmation.
You will meet me on your arrival so i can give you the keys to the unit and show you around.Once i hear from you i will forward you the agreement and booking form.
Let me know if you are okay with the terms,so i can forward you the contract form to fill, this will allow me to commences on the booking,hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
(End of email)
Thank you for your help in advance.
Last edited by ahnyeong_0; 04-12-2015 at 02:35 PM..
There is probably no way you can verify this ad. I wish you would have told us more about you and your situation and what you're looking for.
Are you in NYC? Are you out of town? Is this supposed to be a year-long furnished rental? Why would you want a furnished rental for a year?
At any rate, it's insane for anyone to pay it all in advance, if that's what he's asking. I'd ignore the email and keep looking. My guess is that this is a total fraud.
Thank you for your response.
I am an international student and studying abroad in New York. I was looking for an apartment to stay for a year starting this summer. I wasn't necessarily looking for a furnished rental, but I was looking more into the price. I was drawn to the ad because of its price and the included amenities.
I ws thinking that if you're alone in NYC, it might be nice for you to have a roommate. It would be company for you, plus you would get to meet her friends, and maybe she would introduce you to various things around NYC. Some people become close friends with their roommates, and some don't - but with my first roommate we had a great time. We went to movies and concerts together, and all sorts of things.
Unfortunately, your timing is problematic. Are you in school now? Will you just be here doing nothing over the summer? Because most people probably won't be looking for roommates until August. Or are you in graduate school? I was thinking that maybe you could get a short-term sublet for a few months, and then at the end of the summer, maybe you would find someone you liked to share an apartment with. You can very often find furnished summer sublets, from students who are going home for the summer, or teachers who are going away for the summer.
While you're looking at CL, try browsing through the section called "Rooms & Shares." And don't bother with the sublet section if you're staying a whole year.
You will meet me on your arrival so i can give you the keys to the unit and show you around.Once i hear from you i will forward you the agreement and booking form.
Let me know if you are okay with the terms,so i can forward you the contract form to fill, this will allow me to commences on the booking,hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
(End of email)
Thank you for your help in advance.
Scam. Fraud. Will steal your money. How do I know? Red flags are that you have to pay by "bank transfer" to "reserve your dates". Never do this. The other red flag is all the questionable English, typos and the like. Of course there's no guarantee that everyone renting an apartment out is going to have impeccable native English, but usually the scammers do have trouble with the English language and make strange sounding mistakes.
Third red flag is that parking is included. Very strange, as parking is almost never included in NYC.
These guys don't even try to use correct grammar on these scams nowadays. Lol.
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