White Van Speaker Scam

White Van Speaker Scam: What is it?

These scam artists are known to track people down as they leave the mall, come home from school, etc. They look for anyone who appears they may have disposable income and approach them. Usually driving a white van or SUV, they claim they work for a high end speaker/audio/electronic or a delivery company, and they have been given the luckiest break ever. Due to an inventory error, or something like this... they have ended up with extra high end speakers that they want to sell, or they will need to return them to their rich boss. They will be very good actors and very believable and usually get the best of people's curiosty.

Once they lure you to take a look, the white van speaker scam artist show you what appears to be very high quality speakers. They appear to be new in the box and usually has a rediculously high MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) on the box, which helps to justify what you can pay them for the speakers. They will back this up with ads taken out in low end/fake audio magazines that also list the MSRP. They are very prepared and compelling with their story, as they have been known to have inventory tracking sheets, fake business cards, fake pamphlets, the works.

If you choose to walk away from the white van speaker scam, you are luckey. If you say no, they will persue their aggresive sales pitch pulling one of many tactics, which may include acting like you are crazy for turning down such a good deal, asking why and then continuing to persue how you can turn down such a good deal, or telling you that even if you don't want to keep them, you can turn around and resell them easily for more than what he will sell them to you for... he just needs to get rid of them before the boss learns of the error.

If you agree and begin the transaction for the white van speaker scam, they will usually always ask you what you can pay him for the item. If you offer to low, they have been known to act like you are crazy because they are very high end, special order speakers and try to get as much money out of you as possible. They will often joke around that you will owe them some beer money next time they are in town as well, for hooking you up with such a good deal. People have been known to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a speaker set or surround sound system if it appears they are getting a very good deal anyways. (ie: $1000.00 for a $3500 high end surround sound system would be a pretty good deal, right?)

You pay the guy cash, feel good about the deal you just snagged, and leave... but what kind of deal did you really get? This stuff is low end crap.... while youre luckey if the speakrs work and deliver a half decent sound... they clearly do not meet the specs listed on the box. I had a chance to listen to a set of di vinci DV-505 speakers, supposidly an 1800w system and it sounded barely better than the quality of the tv speakers, and considerably worse than a set of Sony 900w speakers I had a chance to listen to as well. This is even the higher end of the scam/crappy speakrs so ive heard... avoid the following brands:

Audiofile
Acoustic Monitor
Acoustic Response, Acoustic Image, Acoustic Lab Technology
Denmark
Dogg Digital, Digital Dogg Audio
Dahlton
Digital Research
Di Vinci
Dynalab
Epiphany
Genesis Media Labs
Grafdale
Digital Pro Audio, Pro Audio, Digital Audio, Digital Audio Professional Speaker Systems, Digital Audio Skyline Digital Research
Epiphany Audio
Kirsch
Matrix Audio Concepts
Millennium Theater Systems (MTS)
Omni Audio
Protecsound
Pro Dynamics
Paradyme
PSD
Theater Research

Just don't forget, never buy anything without a receipt, unless its from someone you know and trust, or if its off of ebay or other similar services where you can complain to a higher power if there are issues.... and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.