As someone who has been buying and selling high end electronics my whole life, THERE WILL NEVER BE A PRICE ON THE BOX, EVER. IF THERES A PRICE ON THE BOX RUN RUN RUN RUN
I've heard of RRP and some other iterations but NEVER MSRP. Is that a thing in the USA or is it something like a price in one of the low income countries where for example it'd be 2500 pesos or whatever currency. Still odd. I've only seen cheap rubbish do RRP's.
This Brian guy is a real class act. It takes courage to get the hell out when you feel something's wrong. To bring it to the news to try and save other people from being scammed makes this guy a real role model. Bravo to him and I hope he's done well for himself these last 13 years. Just saw the confrontation part. I loved how the landlord said stay as long as you want. Hilarious.
@@kevinburgerking1591 And? Is there something wrong with trying to make sure honest people don't get their money stolen by a crook? There's nothing wrong with a "snitch" in a functioning society. We should all endeavor to be so honest and proactive.
@@zackjay71 The term Con man came from Confidence. They're conmen who are suckering innocent people into paying 10x as much as their crap is worth. It's still fraud.
I fell for this "scam" almost 20 years ago while I was still in high-school. I was able to get him down to $175. I thought I was going to take it straight to the pawn shop and double my money.... That obviously didn't happen. The guy behind the counter took one look, smiled and said, "let me guess. White van?" It's still wired up to an old big screen TV in my parents basement. In all honesty it actually worked and sounded pretty good.
... I had a freind fall for this also ... At a bank ... The stuff did work but it's garbage brand no one ever heard off ... This was back in the 90' no one had a phone to look it up ... So he bought it still has it .. 😝 ...
The speakers might work, but they could never be "returned for refund" if the break down, nor could they be counted on when you upgrade your system. I got an amazing pair of quality speakers bought in 1993 and they STILL sound amazing and are totally compatible with even the latest equipment.
I remember when flat panel TVs first started becoming popular the scammers would get empty boxes from store's dumpster where they threw away the boxes for the display TVs. The scammers would then get glass oven doors from the dump or from curbside rubbish day ovens and put the door in the box with plastic wrap around it and seal up the box. They would then go to a parking lot selling the "TVs" really cheap. If the "customer" (sucker) wanted to look inside the box to see if there was really a TV in there, they would see what looked like the screen wrapped in plastic but it was really an oven door. Now a days if you want a TV, you just go to Walmart and walk out the door with it. 😂
I have literally been looking for this video for years, and it was just re-posted on CZcams today! I, too have been approached by this very same sales gimmick in the parking lot of a major retailer. Not only did I not buy their junk speakers, but I also kept them tied up for almost 20 minutes, pretending that I was contemplating their offer, only to reject them at the end...LOL!!
This scam has been going on for decades. In 1978, I was a young 17 year old and had some dude in a white van pull up to my GTO and tried telling me that the warehouse made a mistake, and had some left over speakers. I said no thanks, and smoked my tires outta there! Dude was gasping for air! LOL!
The white van speaker scam has been going on for years. They scammed a friend of mine in a bad neighborhood one time. They returned to that same neighborhood a few days later and were swarmed by a bunch of guys with no jobs but always seem to have money. They weren’t harmed and they were advised never to return to the area , they left with an empty van and empty pockets. Be careful who you scam because sometimes the consequences are more than you’re ready to handle.
@@Unknown_Ooh Right lol. If you're passing through a nasty neighborhood and one of it's dregs says "hey, come over here and check this out" it doesn't take a genius to know that there is nothing good waiting there for you.
This is the same scam those shoe cleaner and “dead sea spa” people pull at the malls. Tried selling me a $20 bar of soap made with mud from the Dead Sea🤣
Dude! I fell for the exact same ad years ago! Same guys, same office but I went further. The conversations in the cars were super unsettling. They are also always running away from police who know their vehicles because they refuse to get peddlers permits because it brings them into contact with other laws they are breaking. After that day I went to the Livonia police, who already knew about this, and sent me to the Plymouth police, who said they were also aware and weren't really doing anything about it at this time. Those electronics are the most ridiculous cheap junk you can imagine. There should really be charges for impeding traffic and creating dangers on the road. Most of the sales actually come from rolling down the window and shouting at passing cars. This is not mostly about parking lots. What you guys probably didn't notice is the windows going down and them shouting at people at every red light!! The whole thing was really really shady. A lot of detail is kind of left out here. Those sales meetings in the beginning are not about teaching sales. They are about teaching the new people to overcome their resistance to mislead people and Teach people that this is sales. It's not lying. The hierarchy goes by how nice of the companies vehicle you get to drive. If you go to follow them again, you want to follow the nicest vehicle. When I was there, it was like a nice suburban and a dark color with rims on it. And then there was a silver or white Cadillac all blacked out. Yeah the cops definitely don't care I already tried
The key here is that they aren't actually breaking any laws in the city of Plymouth. They pick up all this merchandise and then go out on the road in other cities. We went like everywhere that day. I know a lot of time was spent in the area near Southfield and 94 to southfield and 75 in all those shopping centers.
This same scam happened to me when I lived in Vegas in 2010. I think I paid them something like $500 for a supposed $4k in equipment. We all live and learn!
I live in Las Vegas also. Back in 2010 I was approached in a parking lot by 2 clowns trying to get me to buy. They were extremely pushy and my radar went off. I didn’t know about the scam back then but luckily I didn’t fall for it.
@@DBR00 It was 2 guys that hit me up as well. I pulled into a gas station and they happened to be at the pump in front of me and someone else was looking at them. They used that to their advantage and told us both they only had 1 extra one that they could get rid of and because I saw the $4k price tag I thought I was getting a great deal and ran off to grab the cash after some negotiation. Of course, that could've just been someone else working with them to create urgency. I remember it so well as it was the first and last time I ever got scammed. A good lesson for my 22 year old self at the time.
@@thomasjohnson3628 never be afraid to walk away from anyone for any reason you don’t owe them anything. This applies to everyone in life, family, partners, coworkers, hobos, retail workers lol panhandlers
True story: Over 15 years ago, I was a young man and fell for this scam! A guy in a white van was parked outside my bank, across the street and flagged me down. I pulled over, thinking he needed help. The guy with a clipboard talked a good game and sold me stereo equipment he said was leftover from some concert venue or something and he could give me a killer deal! Being young and stupid, I fell for it. He sold me some fake brand crap. It looks cool honestly but it was just cheap garbage. Live and learn!
I had a run in twice. Once i fell for it and bought a fake 7.1 sound system (works but brand is fake). And second time they approached me again at the gym, this time for a projector. Even tho I know knew the scam, I still kind of wanted the projector lol.
I fell for it when I was young and dumb around 2004. I was pulling out of a Best Buy and they flagged me down. They showed me the pamphlet and fed me their spiel. The speakers did work and I agree they looked pretty cool.
@@tunedskillsz I just had a "projector" guy approach me a few weeks ago. He looked suspicious. A couple hours later at a different store he approached me again, I guess he didn't remember me.
I almost got scammed by skumbags! Like these! One important thing is that they also look for people with nice cars! On the highway! As they think you have money!
How can you call yourself a home theater enthusiast and not recognize the traits of a $99 stereo? Also, great picks! LaTour, Prince, Beck, Stereo MC's.. thanks for going all out on the soundtrack.
My dad did this once. These two men where driving around in a truck with a home surround sound in the bed and they drove up to my dad and said hey you wanna sound system? I said to my dad they either stole this or its a scam. He said nah it's okay. He went inside walmart which we just left. Got money from the atm and handed them 400 bucks. Well low and behold they didn't work. I was surprised my dad never got scammed real hard like the phone spam or an email one because he always saw the best in people. I mean he did lose all of his savings when his friend told him he's starting a business similar to what they do already and we didn't have enough money to even get a dollar head of lettuce but he had just gotten a new contract with the military and had that job until he passed and i felt real bad for him because when he finally started to make some money he passed suddenly. RIP dad i miss you.
Gotta love lawyers, you pay them a few bucks and they will say whatever you want them to say... My personal favorite is after their clients inevitably get convicted, they always say "We are confident we will win an appeal" .... LOL!
Over 40 years and this scam is still going on….It’s right up there with the watered down brand name cologne repackaged for you to buy right in the parking lot.
I used to mess with these guys. Act like I was a serious buyer. Tell them I had to go to the ATM. I'd go in the store and make them wait outside and watch him to the window while I laughed. If I didn't come out in time they would come looking for me 😂.
Long time ago when I lived in NE Ohio, I was pulling out of a parking space and you guessed it, a white van pulled up behind me with two very excited guys to block my exit. Before I knew what was going on, blue lights lit up from either side and placed them under arrest. Turns out they had just scammed an undercover. That was my first and last encounter with the 'White Van Speaker Scam!"
Hell, in about 1981 a guy selling the speakers was a fast talker and hooked up with my friends sister in the parking lot of an old Safeway, took her behind the bushes and got some bush and gave her a free set of speakers! I was heart broke cuz I would have bought her a pair of speakers if I'd have known she would give it up that easy! She was HOT!!
My father in law on his way home one day came across a guy on the street claiming to sell big screen TV’s for a killer price. My father in law took interest but inquired with caution. After talking to the guy and feeling the weight of the box he purchased a TV for $250. The guy even loaded it in the car for him. When my father in law got home, he opened the box only to discover it was loaded with bricks.
Can't believe everyone hasn't heard of this crap by now!! Even the show Adam 12 in the 60's had a scene with a guy who got ripped off on a "brand new" tv in a parking lot that "wasn't listed on the shipping papers. It turned out to be a used tv tube and bricks.
I paid $400 for a set in a Quick Check parking lot in Bound Brook NJ 20 years ago. Thought I got such a great deal until I got to work that night and my colleague laughed when I told the story. I just recently got rid of them. LOL. The "Dahlton Loud Speakers" still worked!
@@RobWolchekReporter WOW! Is this the real Rob Wolchek?? If it is….its an honour Mr Wolchek and I meant no offence though I know you have broad shoulders to be in your line of journalism! LOVE your work Mr Wolchek and your humour, you bring a little of my faith back in today’s society with your honour and integrity and balls of steel when facing off scumbags and Neanderthals. Keep fighting the good fight my friend, best of health Rob all the way from the U.K 🫡😇✌️
These a-holes approached me in a Meijer parking lot. After I had them go through their whole sales pitch, I offered them $20 for the box. They seemed so offended and stormed off in a huff, when they realized I wasn’t their mark and that I was the one wasting their “precious time” 😂
These scams were huge back in the 90s. But in car stereo world. But these clowns started trying to push around a few blocks of super high end car stereo shops. JL audio, MTX, Orion, etc. And I got stopped by one of these dudes, I gave them an offer of 50 bucks for their entire van. They laughed at me, I laughed at them.
That's a real good question to ask yourself. If someone is saying that they need you to operate somewhere that won't get you spotted by anyone you know that's REAL sketch.
I had this happen to me back in the 80’s and get this…it was the same EXACT story!! I was young and really did need some speakers at the time. It was two guys in a white van and they followed me to my ATM just like in this video. I remember at the time it made me very uncomfortable and that was really a dumb move on my part. But I bought 2 speakers for $150. And the funny thing is they were actually pretty good speakers and I used them for 15 years or more.
Around 2008 during the housing thing people were stealing oven doors from vacant homes. The Bakersfield police were puzzled. Then people started buying "flat screens TVs" in parking lots, but they were oven doors packaged and wrapped all up.
When I was a kid, my older brother came home with a pair of "white van speakers." He proceeded to tell me what a great deal he got; I told him they were crap. He hooked them up to his high-end receiver and immediately blew them. I chuckled as I walked away...
I fell victim to this scam about 10 years ago. I was changing car a battery in a parking lot and these guys pulled up to me in a nice suv, even after I said no the guys were very persistent circling back like 3 times until I caved. The 3000$ pricing on the box made me feel like I couldn’t turn down such a deal. The system was also made to look like an apple product with the packaging and name. They guys were slick and knew what they were doing. I was even a car salesman at the time and they still got me. I paid 450$ which sucked but I’m glad I only paid 250$ over the worth and not more because I had 500$ more in my pocket that I almost gave them lol. Live and learn and never buy a deal that seems to good to be true.
I have seen this in a truck stop parking lot in north Georgia one year as I was walking my dog, they didn’t stay long when the c.b. radios started to go off and the speakers and what ever else they had magically walked off, funniest thing I ever seen
I remember seeing this happen as a kid when with my dad. My dad kindly declined the offer and we kept walking, and once in our car he told me how it was a scam.
i had some guys try to scam me with this about 25 years ago. i was about 17-18 and these two dudes in a white van full of speakers told me the same lines used here. i was young but i wasnt a idiot, they got real pissed when i told them to i didnt want any of that crap. ive never thought about that again until now.
💥💥 lol... i have not even watched yet and already excited. This has been going on for at least the last 30+ years. I have always wondered why they never get shut down. 🤔
I remember being flagged down by the White Van guys in the late 90's. They didn't get very far with me, but I could see the process at work. The clever thing about this scam is that it's based on the mark doing something "dishonest" by purchasing what would essentially be stolen goods, which in turn makes it less likely for them to report it. If you believe the bullshit story and buy the items, you essentially deserve to be scammed because you're stealing too, at least as far as you know.
@jeremy wright - you nailed it in your description of the con - which essentially is the basis of most cons going back to day one of conning people out of money -In fact just two days ago I witnessed a similar one only in a different presentation - but basically the same logic as in your description of this con exposed by Rob Wolchek. Mine was a letter to me in the US from a supposed accountant in Canada who had a "wealthy client" who passed away - leaving no will and having no relatives but since the (supposed) wealthy deceased, who left $11million, had the same last name as me then I could claim it and not even worry about a DNA test. That is the part of the psychological con that you identified - something shady on the mark's part so that he feels like he is getting one over on the person who is actually scamming him - something that a small percentage of people will fall for. I knew it was a scam right away but was impressed with fact that the scammers would go to such lengths to try to pull it off. For how the scam actaully worked a simple Google search led me to an LA Times story from about 3 years ago in which the writer broke it all down.
That hustle has been around since the 80s. People would trade all kinds of stuff for speakers "they were overloaded on their delivery.." Same old pitch. They operated in Mass, Texas and California as well. I knew people who bought them and were bragging about them, then took them apart and saw they were crap.
People try this stuff in Houston all the time. I even got got about 10 years ago. Luckily only paid 180 bucks for a surround sound system. It actually wasn't bad though. Not super high quality but I did get a bunch of stuff and I gave some of it away to my friends
I do audio repair and restorations for a living and it hurts my heart every time contacts me with excitement showing me the great deal they just got on their new speakers to run with the receiver or amp I just fixed. It’s never fun telling someone that they’d been had. On a side note, I saw a pair of these at a Goodwill once and I showed the manager of the store proof that these were basically garbage not worth a 1/10th of the MSRP price printed on the box. He wouldn’t budge from the $750 they were asking lol. This was like 10-12 years ago, so a different white van speaker.
No way I remember this back in like 2011 they would pull up to my uncles mechanic shop trying to sell us stuff 😂 this is pretty cool I’m glad they got them!!!✅💯
My older cousin got scammed out of $200 about 5 years ago.....home audio system....just a roll of speaker wire and boxes with speakers,and rocks glued inside for weight.....didnt even have the driver/radio in it. We sure did go look for the guys but they skipped town quick
This is the EXACT SAME type of job I did a month ago. In Orange County, Ca, I was in desperate need of money and I found out this “Cool job with fast cash” online. The first day, I quit. I realized I couldn’t be apart of something so scammy. Money is not worth my conscience. I watched this video and started crying because I was one of those creeps for a day and I couldn’t be that guy. I still feel sick to my stomach that I was temporarily a part of this. Thank you rob for what you do.
Yooo, I found this job or it found me when I was in between jobs lol. They were out of Arlington, TX at the time. I did it for a week, it was the most embarrassing time of my life. My “ training “ week consisted of me riding around with a 19 year old drug addict from FL that thought he was a thug. Dude was aggressively trying to sale to people in parking lots, often times being disrespectful to people who weren’t interested. Same thing, bring the owner back 200$ on each box sold and anything you made that exceeded that, you kept. I never sold a box or tried to. Shameful time indeed. 😂
I've had a crook from New York approach me in a gas station parking lot here in Maine trying to sell me stolen speakers. "Leftovers from a job we did". He peeled out lickity split when I took a photo of his license plate and called the police
I remember back in the 90’s, I was at an intersection and some guys in a white van pulled up along side me, rolled down their window and told me that they had speakers they needed to sell right away. I told them I wasn’t interested and I usually don’t conduct business transactions in my at a stoplight. He gave me one of those WTF are you saying No to me looks and asked me to pull over up the street. I told them to pound sand and drove away when the light turned green. I remember thinking at the time it was stolen equipment they were looking to sell. I found out later the details of the scam. These guys are desperate
I had that happen in the 80's in Calgary, young guy says he has speakers that he needs to unload. I said no knowing it was a scam. 6 months later I met him somewhere else. again said no. I moved to Vancouver shortly afterwards, 2 years later the same guy confronted me at BC Place. I told him about our 2 other encounters. lol. hillarious.
LOL. I used to run into these guys years and years ago. They were driving a white van and just shouted out to me wanting to know if I needed speakers. Being a skeptical person by nature I, of course, declined their offer. Greed will get you every time.
I must admit, I bought a set of speakers in Sydney Australia from a white van. I paid about $300, from memory. That was about 30 years ago. Actually I am happy with the speakers and still have them today. Dunno how much they are worth, but they sound good to me and certainly have stood the test of time.
When microwaves first came out I hustled microwave cookware. We'd make it look like our truck broke down on the road, put out a carboard sign and sell them like crazy! I even had a set of fake legs sticking out from under the truck, our "mechanic" Harry was only half a man! Most people loved it, they were cheap products but worked in the new microwaves and looked fancy, and were packaged nice. We'd have people look for us broken down in a new location and buy more as gifts.
I remember seeing these guys around 15 years ago or so. It wouldn’t work these days with the technology we have and access to knowledge on pricing they would have no chance today
The funny thing is, inflated prices marked down, "over stocked", stock has to go, selling product for 2x-5x the cost is pretty much what the majority of all retailers do.
This is something that's been going on in mall parking lots for almost 40 years now..🤣🤡🤣
And not just with speakers but with jewelry, etc. etc.
Like this video
Maybe in that state cus not in ny. Someone would’ve called the cops the minute the car was parked with its trunk open
and bank parking lots on fridays
@@ross-carlson the jewelry has off color gold and the weight is also hilarious. My hands turn green just for touching them
As someone who has been buying and selling high end electronics my whole life, THERE WILL NEVER BE A PRICE ON THE BOX, EVER. IF THERES A PRICE ON THE BOX RUN RUN RUN RUN
That was my thoughts as well
Okay I’m stupid. What box are you talking about?
@@certifiedfnhater40381:06
@@certifiedfnhater4038 The box that the speakers come in. 1:04
I've heard of RRP and some other iterations but NEVER MSRP. Is that a thing in the USA or is it something like a price in one of the low income countries where for example it'd be 2500 pesos or whatever currency. Still odd. I've only seen cheap rubbish do RRP's.
If I can't sell it to my buddy, how can I sell it to someone else. Good on you man.
I hope someone offers him a good job.
This Brian guy is a real class act. It takes courage to get the hell out when you feel something's wrong. To bring it to the news to try and save other people from being scammed makes this guy a real role model. Bravo to him and I hope he's done well for himself these last 13 years.
Just saw the confrontation part. I loved how the landlord said stay as long as you want. Hilarious.
Best episode is still the one when he busts the Chrysler workers getting high and drunk on their lunch break
I love the movie heat as well
@@kevinburgerking1591 And? Is there something wrong with trying to make sure honest people don't get their money stolen by a crook? There's nothing wrong with a "snitch" in a functioning society. We should all endeavor to be so honest and proactive.
@@Tb0n3 Unless they prove the speakers are junk. There is no problem here
@@zackjay71 The term Con man came from Confidence. They're conmen who are suckering innocent people into paying 10x as much as their crap is worth. It's still fraud.
Rob should have his own show. I could watch these all day.
NO HE SHOULD NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@nowens4060 Is that you Paul??? 😂
@@2ndFcRecon2006 SHAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT UUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!
I always had thought Paul Allen was dead after getting axed in his NY apartment by Christian Bale. Guess I was mistaken.
😂🤣😂🤣👏
Was looking for this comment lol.
My first thought as well! Maybe his bs speakers ruined Bateman's attempt to listen to the new Huey Lewis album
The person that crossed my mind was one of the co-founders of Microsoft.
LMAO!!!!
Them leaving in a heartbeat once a reporter showed up was so suspicious. They didn't even try to hide that they were up to no good.
"Stop being a wuss, come talk to me like a man." Rob's mouth is ruthless. LMFAOOOOOO😭😂😂😂😂😂😂
Paul Allen is a character in American Psycho 😂😂
Lets see Paul Allen’s speakers lol
LMAO...that's the first thing I thought of as well.
And CEO of Microsoft.
Brian is a man of honor …
it’s refreshing to see someone who actually has a conscience and a clean heart 💖 🌷 🤗
I fell for this "scam" almost 20 years ago while I was still in high-school. I was able to get him down to $175. I thought I was going to take it straight to the pawn shop and double my money.... That obviously didn't happen. The guy behind the counter took one look, smiled and said, "let me guess. White van?" It's still wired up to an old big screen TV in my parents basement. In all honesty it actually worked and sounded pretty good.
Lol😂
... I had a freind fall for this also ... At a bank ... The stuff did work but it's garbage brand no one ever heard off ... This was back in the 90' no one had a phone to look it up ... So he bought it still has it .. 😝 ...
Your story is the same as mine, the speakers didn't sound too bad
The speakers might work, but they could never be "returned for refund" if the break down, nor could they be counted on when you upgrade your system. I got an amazing pair of quality speakers bought in 1993 and they STILL sound amazing and are totally compatible with even the latest equipment.
@@jayanxietywho the hell would wanna return speakers from 20 years ago
Thanks to Rob's exposure, the guy just abandoned his lease and moved his scam to a new town.
I remember when flat panel TVs first started becoming popular the scammers would get empty boxes from store's dumpster where they threw away the boxes for the display TVs. The scammers would then get glass oven doors from the dump or from curbside rubbish day ovens and put the door in the box with plastic wrap around it and seal up the box. They would then go to a parking lot selling the "TVs" really cheap. If the "customer" (sucker) wanted to look inside the box to see if there was really a TV in there, they would see what looked like the screen wrapped in plastic but it was really an oven door.
Now a days if you want a TV, you just go to Walmart and walk out the door with it. 😂
This investigative reporter is the best out there. Funny, entertaining and informative.
"The owner said his name was Paul Allen" If that isn't a red flag IDK what is.
"Impressive. Very nice. Let's see Paul Allen's scam."
@@channingtaintum he's got an 8:30 rez at Dorsia
@@channingtaintum
"My god. It's even missing a trademark."
I have literally been looking for this video for years, and it was just re-posted on CZcams today! I, too have been approached by this very same sales gimmick in the parking lot of a major retailer. Not only did I not buy their junk speakers, but I also kept them tied up for almost 20 minutes, pretending that I was contemplating their offer, only to reject them at the end...LOL!!
Rosalind, you definitely do not belong in the..........Halllllllllllllllllllll of Shame.
This scam has been going on for decades. In 1978, I was a young 17 year old and had some dude in a white van pull up to my GTO and tried telling me that the warehouse made a mistake, and had some left over speakers. I said no thanks, and smoked my tires outta there! Dude was gasping for air! LOL!
Ok boomer
@@TalmboutJonAfrica haha silly you
The only thing you smoked was your very last brain cell trying to come up with that cool story that isn't even true....
Same thing happened to me and Phoenix around 1985
@@WrongThink_ facts 😂😂😂😂
Always my favorite part: when Rob and the camera man walks up for an interview, and everyone starts scrambling like cockroaches! 🤣
Never buy ANYTHING in a parking lot!
The white van speaker scam has been going on for years. They scammed a friend of mine in a bad neighborhood one time. They returned to that same neighborhood a few days later and were swarmed by a bunch of guys with no jobs but always seem to have money.
They weren’t harmed and they were advised never to return to the area , they left with an empty van and empty pockets. Be careful who you scam because sometimes the consequences are more than you’re ready to handle.
Who buys speakers off someone in a bad neighborhood from sketchy people? Had about all three braincells working together on that one.
Lmao!!!
@@Unknown_Ooh Right lol. If you're passing through a nasty neighborhood and one of it's dregs says "hey, come over here and check this out" it doesn't take a genius to know that there is nothing good waiting there for you.
The oldest scam ever lol 😮
At least 40 years now
It's an old scam, but by no means is it the oldest. In fact the oldest scam ever is religion. 😎
This is the same scam those shoe cleaner and “dead sea spa” people pull at the malls. Tried selling me a $20 bar of soap made with mud from the Dead Sea🤣
The 11th commandment… thou shalt not mess with Rob Wolchek
great comment 😂
Dude! I fell for the exact same ad years ago! Same guys, same office but I went further. The conversations in the cars were super unsettling. They are also always running away from police who know their vehicles because they refuse to get peddlers permits because it brings them into contact with other laws they are breaking. After that day I went to the Livonia police, who already knew about this, and sent me to the Plymouth police, who said they were also aware and weren't really doing anything about it at this time. Those electronics are the most ridiculous cheap junk you can imagine. There should really be charges for impeding traffic and creating dangers on the road. Most of the sales actually come from rolling down the window and shouting at passing cars. This is not mostly about parking lots. What you guys probably didn't notice is the windows going down and them shouting at people at every red light!! The whole thing was really really shady. A lot of detail is kind of left out here. Those sales meetings in the beginning are not about teaching sales. They are about teaching the new people to overcome their resistance to mislead people and Teach people that this is sales. It's not lying. The hierarchy goes by how nice of the companies vehicle you get to drive. If you go to follow them again, you want to follow the nicest vehicle. When I was there, it was like a nice suburban and a dark color with rims on it. And then there was a silver or white Cadillac all blacked out. Yeah the cops definitely don't care I already tried
The key here is that they aren't actually breaking any laws in the city of Plymouth. They pick up all this merchandise and then go out on the road in other cities. We went like everywhere that day. I know a lot of time was spent in the area near Southfield and 94 to southfield and 75 in all those shopping centers.
These people are everywhere even here in Ontario Canada. This has been going on for years and years and years
..and years and years and years and years and years...
The scam as old as time itself... you can still find them roaming parking lots from time to time.
This same scam happened to me when I lived in Vegas in 2010. I think I paid them something like $500 for a supposed $4k in equipment. We all live and learn!
I live in Las Vegas also. Back in 2010 I was approached in a parking lot by 2 clowns trying to get me to buy. They were extremely pushy and my radar went off. I didn’t know about the scam back then but luckily I didn’t fall for it.
@@DBR00 It was 2 guys that hit me up as well. I pulled into a gas station and they happened to be at the pump in front of me and someone else was looking at them. They used that to their advantage and told us both they only had 1 extra one that they could get rid of and because I saw the $4k price tag I thought I was getting a great deal and ran off to grab the cash after some negotiation. Of course, that could've just been someone else working with them to create urgency. I remember it so well as it was the first and last time I ever got scammed. A good lesson for my 22 year old self at the time.
That’s not bad, would be sad if someone actually paid 2,000
@@thomasjohnson3628 never be afraid to walk away from anyone for any reason you don’t owe them anything. This applies to everyone in life, family, partners, coworkers, hobos, retail workers lol panhandlers
What did it turn out to be?
True story: Over 15 years ago, I was a young man and fell for this scam! A guy in a white van was parked outside my bank, across the street and flagged me down. I pulled over, thinking he needed help. The guy with a clipboard talked a good game and sold me stereo equipment he said was leftover from some concert venue or something and he could give me a killer deal! Being young and stupid, I fell for it. He sold me some fake brand crap. It looks cool honestly but it was just cheap garbage. Live and learn!
I had a run in twice. Once i fell for it and bought a fake 7.1 sound system (works but brand is fake). And second time they approached me again at the gym, this time for a projector. Even tho I know knew the scam, I still kind of wanted the projector lol.
Same here.. Happened to me about 25 years ago when I was young and foolish
I fell for it when I was young and dumb around 2004. I was pulling out of a Best Buy and they flagged me down. They showed me the pamphlet and fed me their spiel. The speakers did work and I agree they looked pretty cool.
@@mattblade8331 That's how we learn! Now I know better!
@@tunedskillsz I just had a "projector" guy approach me a few weeks ago. He looked suspicious. A couple hours later at a different store he approached me again, I guess he didn't remember me.
I haven’t seen those speaker scams for years. Great job Rob!
I almost got scammed by skumbags! Like these! One important thing is that they also look for people with nice cars! On the highway! As they think you have money!
How can you call yourself a home theater enthusiast and not recognize the traits of a $99 stereo?
Also, great picks! LaTour, Prince, Beck, Stereo MC's.. thanks for going all out on the soundtrack.
Paul Allen is from American Psycho
Yeah that's what I said too
@@hyzerponix 🤣🤣
the knocking with the microphone never gets old
My dad did this once. These two men where driving around in a truck with a home surround sound in the bed and they drove up to my dad and said hey you wanna sound system? I said to my dad they either stole this or its a scam. He said nah it's okay. He went inside walmart which we just left. Got money from the atm and handed them 400 bucks. Well low and behold they didn't work. I was surprised my dad never got scammed real hard like the phone spam or an email one because he always saw the best in people. I mean he did lose all of his savings when his friend told him he's starting a business similar to what they do already and we didn't have enough money to even get a dollar head of lettuce but he had just gotten a new contract with the military and had that job until he passed and i felt real bad for him because when he finally started to make some money he passed suddenly. RIP dad i miss you.
Gotta love lawyers, you pay them a few bucks and they will say whatever you want them to say... My personal favorite is after their clients inevitably get convicted, they always say "We are confident we will win an appeal" .... LOL!
Over 40 years and this scam is still going on….It’s right up there with the watered down brand name cologne repackaged for you to buy right in the parking lot.
I used to mess with these guys.
Act like I was a serious buyer. Tell them I had to go to the ATM. I'd go in the store and make them wait outside and watch him to the window while I laughed. If I didn't come out in time they would come looking for me 😂.
Must be the same people who are selling meat & steak out of their trunk. lol
That parking lot speaker scam goes way back! I remember being approached by guys selling that stuff back in the 80's
I’ve always laughed when these dudes would stop me in the parking lot . I always knew it was a scam.
Long time ago when I lived in NE Ohio, I was pulling out of a parking space and you guessed it, a white van pulled up behind me with two very excited guys to block my exit. Before I knew what was going on, blue lights lit up from either side and placed them under arrest. Turns out they had just scammed an undercover. That was my first and last encounter with the 'White Van Speaker Scam!"
I ran this scam hustle 25 years ago in high school. Quit after 3 days. Can't believe they're still doing it.
Happened to me in the 80s, I knew better than to buy anything out of a van
Hell, in about 1981 a guy selling the speakers was a fast talker and hooked up with my friends sister in the parking lot of an old Safeway, took her behind the bushes and got some bush and gave her a free set of speakers! I was heart broke cuz I would have bought her a pair of speakers if I'd have known she would give it up that easy! She was HOT!!
I saw those guys down in Houston TX. Selling their crap in a home depot parking lot.
My father in law on his way home one day came across a guy on the street claiming to sell big screen TV’s for a killer price. My father in law took interest but inquired with caution. After talking to the guy and feeling the weight of the box he purchased a TV for $250. The guy even loaded it in the car for him. When my father in law got home, he opened the box only to discover it was loaded with bricks.
I might move to Detroit since I know Rob will look out for me
Can't believe everyone hasn't heard of this crap by now!! Even the show Adam 12 in the 60's had a scene with a guy who got ripped off on a "brand new" tv in a parking lot that "wasn't listed on the shipping papers. It turned out to be a used tv tube and bricks.
Now let's see Paul Allen's business card.
I paid $400 for a set in a Quick Check parking lot in Bound Brook NJ 20 years ago. Thought I got such a great deal until I got to work that night and my colleague laughed when I told the story. I just recently got rid of them. LOL. The "Dahlton Loud Speakers" still worked!
Does Rob Wolchek drive a classic Jaguar XJS with a “NAMASTE” license plate??CHRIST! I thought it was Howard Hamlin from Better call Saul!!!😂
I did own a Jag for a few years. It was a bad ass car.
@@RobWolchekReporter
WOW! Is this the real Rob Wolchek??
If it is….its an honour Mr Wolchek and I meant no offence though I know you have broad shoulders to be in your line of journalism!
LOVE your work Mr Wolchek and your humour, you bring a little of my faith back in today’s society with your honour and integrity and balls of steel when facing off scumbags and Neanderthals.
Keep fighting the good fight my friend, best of health Rob all the way from the U.K 🫡😇✌️
These a-holes approached me in a Meijer parking lot. After I had them go through their whole sales pitch, I offered them $20 for the box. They seemed so offended and stormed off in a huff, when they realized I wasn’t their mark and that I was the one wasting their “precious time” 😂
These scams were huge back in the 90s. But in car stereo world. But these clowns started trying to push around a few blocks of super high end car stereo shops. JL audio, MTX, Orion, etc. And I got stopped by one of these dudes, I gave them an offer of 50 bucks for their entire van. They laughed at me, I laughed at them.
That's a real good question to ask yourself. If someone is saying that they need you to operate somewhere that won't get you spotted by anyone you know that's REAL sketch.
I had this happen to me back in the 80’s and get this…it was the same EXACT story!! I was young and really did need some speakers at the time. It was two guys in a white van and they followed me to my ATM just like in this video. I remember at the time it made me very uncomfortable and that was really a dumb move on my part. But I bought 2 speakers for $150. And the funny thing is they were actually pretty good speakers and I used them for 15 years or more.
thats not that bad lol
Around 2008 during the housing thing people were stealing oven doors from vacant homes. The Bakersfield police were puzzled. Then people started buying "flat screens TVs" in parking lots, but they were oven doors packaged and wrapped all up.
I love how he uses the mic to tap the glasses of doors or cars
When they used to ask me , I would offer them 50 and they would say ok. I would pull out 50 cent.
Rob is always "BOOMING" those scammers into the shame of the halls! 😎
When I was a kid, my older brother came home with a pair of "white van speakers." He proceeded to tell me what a great deal he got; I told him they were crap. He hooked them up to his high-end receiver and immediately blew them. I chuckled as I walked away...
I fell victim to this scam about 10 years ago. I was changing car a battery in a parking lot and these guys pulled up to me in a nice suv, even after I said no the guys were very persistent circling back like 3 times until I caved. The 3000$ pricing on the box made me feel like I couldn’t turn down such a deal. The system was also made to look like an apple product with the packaging and name. They guys were slick and knew what they were doing. I was even a car salesman at the time and they still got me. I paid 450$ which sucked but I’m glad I only paid 250$ over the worth and not more because I had 500$ more in my pocket that I almost gave them lol. Live and learn and never buy a deal that seems to good to be true.
I have seen this in a truck stop parking lot in north Georgia one year as I was walking my dog, they didn’t stay long when the c.b. radios started to go off and the speakers and what ever else they had magically walked off, funniest thing I ever seen
This scam has been going on since the 80's. They approached me once but luckily I didn't succumb.
"Paul is as honourable a person as you would want to meet" so says a lawyer !. That is absolutely NO RECOMMENDATION WHATSOEVER.
I remember seeing this happen as a kid when with my dad. My dad kindly declined the offer and we kept walking, and once in our car he told me how it was a scam.
I love Rob, when he goes to the door and car windows and pecks on them with his microphone.
i had some guys try to scam me with this about 25 years ago. i was about 17-18 and these two dudes in a white van full of speakers told me the same lines used here. i was young but i wasnt a idiot, they got real pissed when i told them to i didnt want any of that crap. ive never thought about that again until now.
Memory unlocked, right? 😂😂
💥💥 lol... i have not even watched yet and already excited. This has been going on for at least the last 30+ years. I have always wondered why they never get shut down. 🤔
I remember being flagged down by the White Van guys in the late 90's. They didn't get very far with me, but I could see the process at work. The clever thing about this scam is that it's based on the mark doing something "dishonest" by purchasing what would essentially be stolen goods, which in turn makes it less likely for them to report it. If you believe the bullshit story and buy the items, you essentially deserve to be scammed because you're stealing too, at least as far as you know.
@jeremy wright - you nailed it in your description of the con - which essentially is the basis of most cons going back to day one of conning people out of money -In fact just two days ago I witnessed a similar one only in a different presentation - but basically the same logic as in your description of this con exposed by Rob Wolchek. Mine was a letter to me in the US from a supposed accountant in Canada who had a "wealthy client" who passed away - leaving no will and having no relatives but since the (supposed) wealthy deceased, who left $11million, had the same last name as me then I could claim it and not even worry about a DNA test. That is the part of the psychological con that you identified - something shady on the mark's part so that he feels like he is getting one over on the person who is actually scamming him - something that a small percentage of people will fall for. I knew it was a scam right away but was impressed with fact that the scammers would go to such lengths to try to pull it off. For how the scam actaully worked a simple Google search led me to an LA Times story from about 3 years ago in which the writer broke it all down.
That hustle has been around since the 80s. People would trade all kinds of stuff for speakers "they were overloaded on their delivery.." Same old pitch. They operated in Mass, Texas and California as well. I knew people who bought them and were bragging about them, then took them apart and saw they were crap.
People try this stuff in Houston all the time. I even got got about 10 years ago. Luckily only paid 180 bucks for a surround sound system. It actually wasn't bad though. Not super high quality but I did get a bunch of stuff and I gave some of it away to my friends
They expect nobody will pull a phone out and google the product to see more about it before buying? 😂
I do audio repair and restorations for a living and it hurts my heart every time contacts me with excitement showing me the great deal they just got on their new speakers to run with the receiver or amp I just fixed. It’s never fun telling someone that they’d been had.
On a side note, I saw a pair of these at a Goodwill once and I showed the manager of the store proof that these were basically garbage not worth a 1/10th of the MSRP price printed on the box. He wouldn’t budge from the $750 they were asking lol. This was like 10-12 years ago, so a different white van speaker.
Goodwill sells $750 speakers? OK.
"The towers are $2,500 a piece." Just saw them on Ebay, two towers for $250! 🤣🤣
It's not just this guy, actual audio stores do this stuff all the time, mark up the price 3000 percent from what you can buy it for online
That's not true... authorized dealers get a small discount based on volume and also give discounts off MSRP to the customers!
No way I remember this back in like 2011 they would pull up to my uncles mechanic shop trying to sell us stuff 😂 this is pretty cool I’m glad they got them!!!✅💯
My older cousin got scammed out of $200 about 5 years ago.....home audio system....just a roll of speaker wire and boxes with speakers,and rocks glued inside for weight.....didnt even have the driver/radio in it.
We sure did go look for the guys but they skipped town quick
This isn't the oldest scam. The oldest scam is the bankers 😄
This is the EXACT SAME type of job I did a month ago. In Orange County, Ca, I was in desperate need of money and I found out this “Cool job with fast cash” online. The first day, I quit. I realized I couldn’t be apart of something so scammy. Money is not worth my conscience. I watched this video and started crying because I was one of those creeps for a day and I couldn’t be that guy. I still feel sick to my stomach that I was temporarily a part of this. Thank you rob for what you do.
The standard reply from any crim: Talk to my lawyer, in this case A Shyster.
Yooo, I found this job or it found me when I was in between jobs lol. They were out of Arlington, TX at the time. I did it for a week, it was the most embarrassing time of my life. My “ training “ week consisted of me riding around with a 19 year old drug addict from FL that thought he was a thug. Dude was aggressively trying to sale to people in parking lots, often times being disrespectful to people who weren’t interested. Same thing, bring the owner back 200$ on each box sold and anything you made that exceeded that, you kept. I never sold a box or tried to. Shameful time indeed. 😂
I lived in Arlington for over 40 years. I ran into these screwball types in the nineties I knew they were full of s***😂😂😂 it's an old Hustle
I’ve watched enough Sopranos to know that no home theater was ever just given to someone lol
I actually "worked" for these jokers back in the day went one day and didn't go back lol
Rob Wolchek is GOATED! Been watching these stories for years.
I love this man's personality come on outside and talk to me man why you got to be a wuss😂😂😂
When an electronics supplier uses the 7-11 store location map as their retail outlet locations, you should probably avoid it.
Paul has moved from the trunk to the
Halllllllllllllll of Shame ! …
Rob rocks …
I left Michigan (Detroit area) in 1990 and this same scam was going strong even back then...scammers playing the long game.
I bought speakers like this in a white van parking lot in 1987
I've had a crook from New York approach me in a gas station parking lot here in Maine trying to sell me stolen speakers. "Leftovers from a job we did". He peeled out lickity split when I took a photo of his license plate and called the police
I ran into these scammers a couple times in California in the 80's. Always approaching you in a places like a supermarket parking lot
The soundtracks to every one of these videos is amazing.
I remember back in the 90’s, I was at an intersection and some guys in a white van pulled up along side me, rolled down their window and told me that they had speakers they needed to sell right away. I told them I wasn’t interested and I usually don’t conduct business transactions in my at a stoplight. He gave me one of those WTF are you saying No to me looks and asked me to pull over up the street. I told them to pound sand and drove away when the light turned green. I remember thinking at the time it was stolen equipment they were looking to sell. I found out later the details of the scam. These guys are desperate
I had that happen in the 80's in Calgary, young guy says he has speakers that he needs to unload. I said no knowing it was a scam. 6 months later I met him somewhere else. again said no. I moved to Vancouver shortly afterwards, 2 years later the same guy confronted me at BC Place. I told him about our 2 other encounters. lol. hillarious.
"It's harder to catch the smart ones!" Sean "Sticks" Larkin, On Patrol Live. A perfect quote for this crew!!
LOL. I used to run into these guys years and years ago. They were driving a white van and just shouted out to me wanting to know if I needed speakers. Being a skeptical person by nature I, of course, declined their offer.
Greed will get you every time.
I must admit, I bought a set of speakers in Sydney Australia from a white van. I paid about $300, from memory. That was about 30 years ago. Actually I am happy with the speakers and still have them today. Dunno how much they are worth, but they sound good to me and certainly have stood the test of time.
Let's see Paul Allen's stereo....
When microwaves first came out I hustled microwave cookware. We'd make it look like our truck broke down on the road, put out a carboard sign and sell them like crazy!
I even had a set of fake legs sticking out from under the truck, our "mechanic" Harry was only half a man!
Most people loved it, they were cheap products but worked in the new microwaves and looked fancy, and were packaged nice. We'd have people look for us broken down in a new location and buy more as gifts.
I remember seeing these guys around 15 years ago or so. It wouldn’t work these days with the technology we have and access to knowledge on pricing they would have no chance today
There's a sucker born every minute.
this is where you would be wrong. its better than ever
Oh bullshit, it still works just fine as there are plenty of people that just can't miss out on a deal so they fall for it.
The funny thing is, inflated prices marked down, "over stocked", stock has to go, selling product for 2x-5x the cost is pretty much what the majority of all retailers do.
Yup , good job
When he knocks on the glass with the mic LMAO!!!