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has always been around in various forms ................... the cleaner you pay in cash, the person (adult or teenager) that you pay in cash to do your lawn mowing or snow removal, the "box of something" that fell off the back of a lorry, ;-) ;-) ;-)
But I have to admit that I am getting really curious to find out what 1 young man who lives near us is selling.
At least, I think there is only 1 young man ....... there might be 2 because sometimes he comes along the street in front of our house from 3 or 4 houses west of us, and sometimes he appears from up the street at the side of the house (but equally he might have come from the back entrance to that house via the lane). If 2, they are very similar ........... slight build, always wear jeans, runners, and tee shirt, with a baseball cap hiding much of his face.
I only see what is happening from my kitchen window, and I really have no idea how often it does happen every day, but it certainly happens pretty often ......... twice within 10 minutes today (I was making lunch and going to the sink every 3 or 4 minutes is how I know).
What is he selling?
I wish I knew .......... it's obviously new, as the items come in sealed boxes that he or the buyer slits open to examine before money changes hands. Most of the boxes are long (ca 4' long) and narrow, colour brownish but some are much smaller and whitish. Sometimes people take one box, sometimes 2 or more.
I've never been able to see the labelling on the boxes, but it certainly isn't drugs (that's small plastic bags usually ......... seen that also happen occasionally as dial-a dope delivery :-( ) , or alcohol or guns.
The reason he's doing it by the side of our house is easy ........ we live across from a church, and there is plenty of free parking on the street (and in their parking lots!) any time except Sunday morning. He seems to feel he is not doing anything wrong, as neither he nor any of the buyers seem to be worried if someone walks past.
Of course no money actually changes hands, it's all done by smart phone!
But I know that 9 times out of 10 if I look out of that window and see someone sitting in, or standing by, a vehicle, smart phone in hand, looking all around, will soon be met by some sort of new toy!
I'm getting really really curious!
I thought about looking at one of the buy and sell sites, like Craig's List, kijiji, local community, etc, but I don't know whether to look at electronics, gaming, or what ......... and I don't have the patience to look through many thousands of offers.
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You may not have gotten this in Canada?
"No income tax no vat. No money back no guarantee"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Kkvwyyf2c
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Inky ........... I think we're the same.
Buy it cheap, no quick comeback if it's wrong. You have to go through civil court, maybe police if there has been criminal intent.
Not much makes the news re that so no idea how much is deceit ........... I've heard about people buying cars that have been stolen, previously written off, etc, and those cases being pursued by the police, then the buyer having to sue the seller in civil court to try to get money back.
Sharron ...........that's an idea!!!
Seriously, no, because each one I've seen, the box has been slit open in front of the buyer, something taken out of the box and carefully examined by the buyer (usually a man, occasionally a woman). So they have seen what they are buying, just as in a store.
Item usually put back in the box and taken away, occasionally the box left for the seller to take away.
In all the ones that I've seen, the buyer has not transferred money via his smart phone until the box has been opened and items seen, and the seller does not hand it over until his smart phone shows the money has arrived in his account. Only then does he let go of the item, boxed or not, and walk away.
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Could you walk over to him and just say..."Oh, I see you are selling boxes. Could I buy one?" and see what he says. It might make him think twice about selling if he knows he's being watched. Or does he look the type not to mess with?
Kath. x
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I thought you lived in a nice part of town Sylvia :-)
Now we're all curious what is he selling.....surely it must be legal or he's very brazen...but if legal why in front of yours and not at his own place which is close by...if you said it was in the church car park that would make sense as there's space....
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Nope typed in little boxes that need opening and nothing came up....Sylvia you'll just have to send OH out to see what's happening.....
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It could be a police 'sting' operation, or the taxman..... :-D :-D
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All good suggestions!!!
But doubt any of them are correct.
Kath ............. I don't know what he looks like 'cos I have never seen his face. Our house is built on a slope so the main floor at the front is about 3' above street level, with 4 steps up to the front door. But the rooms at the back of the house are actually at second floor level. The kitchen window is 7 or 8' above the street, so all I can see is the peak of his baseball cap and his chin. Even further down the street and facing me, the cap peak still hides the upper part of his face.
He's always neatly dressed.
Caroline ........... it is a nice part of the town, and as I said this isn't drug dealing or anything that bad. It's not even against the law if he isn't selling stolen stuff.
The reason he's doing it on the street at the side of the house is that the other street that both our houses front onto is that there is usually no or very parking free anywhere near his house .................. many people either can't be bothered driving round to the lane to their garage or car port, or they have more cars that will fit in their 1 or 2 car garage/carport, or they've got visitors. He's about in the middle of the block, so not much space.
The side street past the church and our house usually only has 2 or 3 regular parkers, and often none, Monday-Saturday and Sunday afternoon. So it is easy for him to tell the buyer to "park on xxxxxx Street by or across the street from the church and phone me when you get there. I'll be with you in a few minutes"
Rollo is only partly correct ........ Kijiji is only one of several sites in Canada where you can buy things, new and used.
But like almost all of those sites, it can be very much "buyer beware", plus you often seem to have to say you will buy an item before the seller will tell you how to get it, and it might 100 km away!! Most of the complaints about goods, buyers or being stiffed that I have read in the media have been re Kijiji and Craig's List (one of the other sites),.
Allan ........ it's a very long sting in that case :-D ..................I've been seeing it for about a year now, although it is happening much more frequently that it did before.
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You'll have to put on a nice frock and 'hang around ' the street, Sylvia :-D :-D ;-)
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The Baptists might try to convert me then, maggie! :-D :-D :-D
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