As you know, scams are found everywhere these days. Tiny homes are not exempt. Several tiny home builders have been targeted across the country, including Tiny Life Homes here in Franklin. You may have noticed that we have started to “watermark” our photographs, and now you know why. Now more than ever consumers looking at purchasing a tiny home need to be vigilant with their research. Follow these steps and guides to help you avoid tiny home scammers!
Here are some signs indicating a tiny home SCAM:
- If the price is too good to be true, it usually is. You cannot purchase a tiny home for $23,000 – anywhere.
- Notice any inconsistencies in photographs with different company names or odd cropping where contact info may have been.
- Notice if homes are sold only through social media platforms and not directed to a website.
- Occasionally, tiny home scammers will mention that their “sales lot” is actually another legitimate business location, which will indicate fraud. Be sure the business names and addresses match.
- Asking for a “small” deposit on the social media platform. NEVER give money over any digital platforms without multiple levels of verification.
- The online group will not mention any business name or location, just generic terms like “tiny home seller” or “tiny homes for sale”
- Multiple high-rated reviews that happen in a very short period of time. Make sure you don’t see 10 reviews posted in 5 days. These homes don’t sell that quickly.
- The listing may have a reputable builder for the home, but it doesn’t match the product the builder sells. For instance, a Tumbleweed home may be listed as a Clayton home.
Here are some signs to look for in a REAL offer:
- A location and address leading to their physical location that you can verify on Google Maps. Tiny Life has a verified business listing on multiple citation sites.
- Branded contact information. Tiny Life WANTS people to find us and know who we are, so we have our contact information easily available. You can reach out to us via phone, email, or submitting a form on our website. And, our emails match our business name – @tinylife.com.
- A website with priced inventory that matches what you have found on social media. Tiny Life has all of our homes listed on our website inventory page and will gladly send you any resources you need.
- Organically grown reviews over time from previous customers who have bought tiny homes from this business. Tiny Life has several public profiles for reviews and a list of customers for references.
- Listings by a verified business, rather than a personal profile. Most postings by individuals are scams. Tiny Life has verified its social properties and domain names with official documents indicating our business legitimacy.
- Offers legitimate ways to purchase the home. Tiny Life uses secure sending methods similar to real estate firms to ensure our customers’ information is protected.
If you or someone you know has found a fake tiny home listing, or a pretend retailer, please follow these steps to report the scam:
- Contact the legitimate business to let them know where you found the scam listing.
- On social media, contact the admins of the page that the bad player is listing the fake homes for sale on.
- Report the page and associated people to the Tiny House Alliance USA at https://www.facebook.com/TinyHouseAllianceUSA
In addition to all of these helpful tips, check out the Facebook Group “Tiny Home Sales of Known Scammers.” It’s a community to help determine if a tiny home sales group is legitimate or fraudulent. https://www.facebook.com/groups/968030424829059
We hope we were able to give you some additional tools to help you feel secure in your purchase and take the steps to start Living Large…Living Tiny!
Visit Tiny Life Homes online at www.tinylife.com, at our retail location at 4075 Georgia Road in Franklin, NC 28734, or give us a call at 828-634-0077.