Scammed Out of $26K
Scammed Out of $26,000… Here’s What Happened (And How To Not Get Burned)
Guys… today was one of those days where you look around and go:
“How is this my life?”
We had a live auction. We had pallet buyers. We had the warehouse rocking.
And then we had… something disgusting going on in the women’s restroom right after the live auction.
Used. Wet. Nasty.
Yeah… we’re not putting that on video. Moving on.
Because the real story today is this:
I got burned. Bad.
We Ran a Pallet Sale Auction to Clear Old Stock
So today we did our first pallet sale auction of the year.
About 25–30 people showed up.
And this wasn’t “fresh gold inventory” — this was old stock I needed OUT.
Because let me tell you something:
A 130,000 sq ft warehouse can get filled up insanely fast.
And if the fire department saw how packed we get sometimes, they’d be on me like white on rice.
So we pushed a weekly auction idea:
Move old inventory
Get space back
Keep product flowing
Stop letting stuff sit and rot in the warehouse
I don’t care if pallets go cheap.
I just want them gone.
Results: $11,000 Sales + 152 Pallets Gone
How’d we do?
A little over $11,000.
Was it less than I wanted? Sure.
But we moved 152 pallets.
That’s less than $100 per pallet on average… but guess what?
It’s gone.
That’s five to six truckloads worth of stuff out of my warehouse.
And if we do that every week?
Eventually, this place starts breathing again.
That’s the point.
The Fire Department Made Us Patch the Ceiling (And They’re Not Wrong)
We’ve got holes in the ceiling.
Fire department said: fire hazard.
Apparently the ceiling is a fire barrier so it slows spread.
Who knew?
So we’re patching everything up… and that’s another reason I’m pushing hard to move inventory.
Less clutter. Less risk. More control.
Yes… I’m Making Mystery Boxes Now (And Here’s Why)
I hate to say it… but I’m making mystery boxes now.
Mystery boxes have been hard to find lately, prices shot up, demand shot up.
So we’re building them ourselves with:
Dollar General
Target
Amazon
We tell people to sell them around $40 per box.
The math:
buyers get them around $30 per box cost (depending how they buy)
sell a pallet and they can make around $500 per pallet if they’re hustling right
we guarantee $150+ value inside
Are they “processed”?
Yeah.
And I don’t love that.
But I’ve got customers who depend on supply, and I’m also using this to move slow inventory that I don’t want sitting forever.
Right now we’ve got multiple channels moving inventory:
pallet auctions
live auctions
Whatnot
HiBid
mystery boxes
truckload sales
Everything flows in and out. In and out.
That’s the mission.
The $26,000 Problem: I Bought “Gold”… and It Showed Up Like Junk
Now here’s where it gets ugly.
I finally got back into FC supply after a dry stretch (December is always tough).
And then…
Somebody sold me a load they said was gold.
What got delivered looked like:
bin store scrap.
And I paid $26,000.
I don’t even know what’s in it yet… but from what we can see?
It’s a mess.
Broken. Trashy. Not what was promised.
And here’s the scary part:
This isn’t some random nobody.
This is someone who looks established in the industry.
That’s the lesson:
Scammers don’t always look like scammers.
Sometimes they look like “a legit operator” until your truck shows up.
The Biggest Red Flag: He Wanted $140,000 Prepaid for More Loads
Here’s the part that saved me from getting destroyed:
He tried to get me to prepay for seven more loads.
That would’ve been:
$140,000+
plus ridiculous shipping to Florida
I told him:
“Let me get the first load in first.”
And then?
Radio silence.
The first load comes in… and suddenly everything makes sense.
Thank the Lord I didn’t send that extra money.
How To Not Get Burned Like This (Do This Every Time)
If you’re buying loads—especially expensive ones—here’s the checklist. No fluff.
1) No pictures = no money
If they can’t show clear photos, multiple angles, wrapping, labels, and pallet height…
walk away.
2) Verify “raw” with packaging proof
Raw loads have consistent tells (wrap style, tape style, facility markings).
If it’s repacked into random boxes with no good explanation?
It might be touched.
3) Never prepay big money without a track record
First deal should be:
smaller
verifiable
inspectable
low-risk
4) Use step payments
Deposit + balance on bill of lading / pickup confirmation.
Not “wire me $140k and trust me, bro.”
5) Buy what you can stand behind
This is why I hate selling loads I don’t touch.
Because I also had a customer today unhappy with a load… and I’m not playing games.
If a buyer feels burned, my name is on it.
I’d rather refund and eat it than be “that guy.”
Inventory Is Loosening Up… Prices Are Falling
Now the good news:
Inventory is opening up again.
I’ve been overpaying for LPN for months… and now I’m seeing prices drop.
I’m getting offered loads all over:
New York / New Jersey
Kentucky / Missouri
Florida
everywhere
So if you’ve got contracts right now?
Negotiate. Prices are falling.
This usually stays this way through:
February
March
Then the market shifts again.
Quick Reality Check: Bin Store Sales Are Down
Another thing:
My bin store sales have been way down this month.
Most stores are close to break-even right now.
That hasn’t happened to me in years.
If your sales are down too—drop it in the comments.
Is it:
Christmas fatigue?
weaker inventory mixes?
no FC supply?
I want to hear what you’re seeing.
The “Hard Tail Clothing” Mountain: 150,000 Pieces
On top of all that…
I’ve got this huge clothing situation.
Hard Tail Clothing (Saks / Bloomingdale’s type pricing), company went out of business.
They’re telling me:
150,000 pieces
5–6 truckloads
Some pieces look amazing. Some look discolored. Some might be seconds.
And I’ve been tasked with moving it.
So… if anybody needs Hard Tail Clothing…
I’ve got a lot of it.
Museum Update + Trade Shows: ASD & WHSL
Museum update: we expanded, upgraded lighting, everything is packed, and now we need more display cases.
We’re also going to start selling duplicates to raise money for the museum (because duplicates pile up fast when you buy collections).
And trade shows?
We’re getting courted. We’re showing up.
ASD (special appearance + hospitality room)
WHSL (we’re getting a booth + doing interviews)
Because if you’re serious in liquidation…
trade shows are where the relationships get built.
Guys… getting burned happens even if you’ve been in this business a long time.
But you minimize the damage by following the rules:
verify
inspect
don’t prepay huge money
don’t trust hype
buy what you can stand behind
Now go out there and make some money.
home | blog
