does anyone provide escrow for kits?
 

Nvm........

I’d suggest you try to find a bank in the seller’s home town, that will, for a fee, do the following:
Accept and hold a wire transfer from you to your partner.
Give your partner cash (may need a branch open on a Saturday), Or,
Return the wire to you.

Might be tough in a small town, but a good suggestion. I can try.

I might be able to wire the money to my partners account, and they go together to the branch and the guy gets whatever he wa ts, they're open 9-12 on Sat but they're .5-.75 hour away


Edit: I just checked, it's an hour each way, I'm not sure we have 2 hours to burn and still get it loaded and where we need it. Maybe it isn't meant to be.

Firstly, I'd want to view and inspect and verify the condition of the kit before buying. That's just due diligence.
Vans may be able to confirm the identity of the original purchaser.

That's kind of the rub. We need to inspect and pay on Saturday in a manner everyone is comfortable with. Wiring the money Friday, sight unseen isn't a happenning thing.
I don't remember if I mentioned I offered to get the check today and send him a picture so he could call my bank and verify that it's authentic, but he didn't like that.

I can't get cash, he won't take a bank check, I am unwilling to wire the funds Friday, other than an escrow I don't see another path forward, and I'm probably not paying $700 to escrow on top of an already not smoking deal. It's too bad, it was very nearly a lucky perfect opportunity

If its too good to be true, it probably is?
 

**"It's too bad, it was very nearly a lucky perfect" ** Caveat Emptor! Too much emotion involved in this one. You may feel a lot better off later to say: Gee I missed a Great Deal back then! Instead of saying Darn I fell into an expensive SCAM my emotions got to me again!" (I still keep re-learning this lesson too often.) :o

The fact that they won't accept a bank cashiers check is weird to me.

I used Aerospace to buy a kit - the hardest part was consistent communication about the nature of the purchase. Because no FAA bill of sale was needed, it led to some confusion, but otherwise went very well. Normal fees, split between buyer and seller.

I doubt they could turn around in your timeline though.

I used escrow.com to sell a prop. Worked very well.

Merrill

Something is fishy with a seller that won't take a certified check and is not even willing to verify it a day or two before hand with your bank. Sometimes it's hard to walk away from a "good deal" or at least what you hope is a true good deal, but the only time I've been scammed or there were attempts to scam me is when the seller demanded cash. . . just sayin.