Since the 80’s a scam has been circling the world that involves selling speakers from a white van. Today, the white van speaker scam continues both in person and online looking for their next scam victim. Regardless of recognizing when something is too good, many decide to take their chances anyway.
If you have been scammed, we feel sorry for you. However, you do have the power of technology to help prevent further scams like this from taking advantage of you in the future. The amount of information available concerning the white van speaker scam is vast online and you can even find videos that show the scam taking place. Regardless, there will always be a victim of this scam no matter how diligent you remain.
The thing about this scam is that it is not happening in only one city or town. It remains a global scam because of the way the scammer sells it and the amount of ignorance that a customer possesses during the scam. The good thing is that when you have the right information in hand, you are able to recognize the scam before you fall victim.
The White Van Speaker Scam Process
The scam process is a simple one where individuals are representing a company that does not exist by waiting in a van or other vehicle to sell cheap speakers. The vehicle will normally be parked near other businesses who sell similar items. When you are approached, they will normally get to the point in their sales pitch. The conversation will likely take place in the following manner:
A person approaches you and explains that they have extra speakers from the newest brand that they need to sell.
You respond by saying it sounds like a good deal.
The scammer then goes into their pitch of how they have an overstock and that they are priced low so that they sell.
You then think that the price is great and you decide to purchase.
The History of the White Van Scam
Trying to sell speakers through this scam plays out like many others, which is being caught off-guard and approached without having any idea behind it. When the brands are mentioned, they may sound familiar or even exotic to some. As the scam began before the evolution of the internet, there was no way to conduct a search to see if the person was legitimately selling items or just scamming others.
One of the earliest references we could find on the internet is a report on the RipoffReport from 2009, in which a swindled scamee ousts a very specific person and their company as part of this scam. There have been many more reports ever since.
Today though, we can easily Google anything we want if we feel like a scam is happening. However, the scammers today are even using the internet to sell their speakers. In fact, you may even discover websites that are selling their speakers and are completely dedicated to the scam. So when you are searching for information about the speakers, you may come across their website and believe it to be what they wanted you to believe.
Avoiding the Scammer
In order to avoid being scammed and out of hundreds of dollars unknowingly, you need to know how to recognize when a scam is about to happen before it happens. When an audio company has excess stock, they will always hold a clearance sale through an actual store location. There will be no vans sent to parking lots to lure customers in.
You also need to be aware of the “Brands” they are selling. When you think that you may have heard of a brand or not at all, then it will likely be fake.
There are many fake name brands that are used and many of the names may relate to sound, which may cause their price to be a bit more. However, when you hear the names below, you will be able to recognize a fake speaker brand.
Known Scam Brands
The list of Fake Speaker Brands is Vast:
| Acoustic Response Series 707 | Acoustic Response Series 707 | Acoustic Image 3311/3312 |
| Acoustic Lab Technology | Acoustic Monitor | Acoustic 3311/3312 Studio Monitor |
| Acoustic Response | Advanced Sound Technologies AST X2 1055 | Affinitive Response |
| Advanced Sound Technologies AST X2 1055 | Affinitive Audio | Ashton & Ross |
| Audiofile 583LR, Audiofile 835LR, Audiofile THX 6.1 | Audio Tech | Bach and Odin |
| Bensens | Bergmann | Bang Audio |
| Bernelli Projectors | Berlin opTics | Boston X8 |
| Brendel Electronics | Commercial “F” Series | Commercial Media, Including Pro R Series, R series, AV, and 3D |
| Columbia Audio | Dahlton KV 1500, Dahlton KV 2500 TI Speakers, Dahlton AV 5.1 THX | DanWave DW-6, DanWave DW-606, DanWave DW-607, DanWave DW-608, Dan Wave DW-1000 |
| Deutsch Akustik | Denmark Audio/ Denmark Loud Speaker E830LR | Digital Audio DHT 5.1, Digital Audio SL-3810, Digital Audio DA 2000SL/2000CS, Digital Audio 2000, Digital Audio 2002. Digital Audio 2012 7.1, Digital Audio Professional Speaker Systems SL-3810, Digital Audio Skyline 900-SL, Digital Audio SL-3910 Speakers, Digital Audio 2003 DA 5.1 Pro-Series III |
| Dresden Acoustics | Digital Pro Audio, Digital Pro Audio SL-T 2.8 | Digital Research 5.1 Pro Series, Digital Research DA 5.1 Pro Series III, Digital Research DR-1000, Digital Research DR-2810, Digital Research DR-1610, Digital Research DR-1611 |
| Dogg Digital, Digital Dogg Audio | Dynalab | Eclipse 3D Projectors |
| Epiphany Audio speakers | Epic Sound 7.1 | Elite Audio, Elite Audio EA-505, Elite Audio EA-608, Elite Audio EA-1620, Elite Audio EA-7012 |
| Elak Acoustics | Fleetwood Audio | Genesis Media Labs G-6.1 Digital Series |
| Genesis Media Labs models G-505, G-506, G-507, G-508, G-608, G-609, G-610, G-1260, G-1420, G-1620, G-1630, G-2810, G-2815, R-2810, G-2840, G-2850, G-2870, G-2875, G-2880, G-2885, G-2950, G-2960, G-6030, G-6035, G-6040, G-7012, IM-67 IM-66 IM-4 IM-3 IM-2 G-611 G-610, G-608 G-505 G-7012 G-508 G-506 G-6030 G-6.1, G-2860 G-2810 G-2800 G-1620 G-Z3 G-9812 | Grafdale | Hauffman akustik/ Hauffman |
| Icon MediaLab | Image Reference | Innovative Sound Digital Pro Audio |
| Jacobsen Acoustics | Jurgensen audio | Karlsen Speakers & Audio products |
| Keibler Lifestyle | Kevlar Audio | Kirsch K3, Kirsch K10, Kirsch K602, Kirsch Prodigy K803, Kirsch K2080, kirschloudspeakers |
| Klausen Audio | Lansen Acoustics | Lexington Acoustics |
| Lexington Acoustics | Linear Phase studio monitors | Lux Audio |
| Luxton | Magnolia Acoustics | matrixaudioconcepts/matrix Audio Concepts |
| Marc Vincent Speakers & Amplifiers | Marquee Digital Labs | Mateniz/Martinez |
| Matrix MX-1300 MX1300 MX1300S MX-1100 MX-1200 MX-404 MX-550 MX-6160 MX-404 MX-505T MX-550 MX-605S MX-605T MX-6160T MX1300 MX1300S | Mclaren Technologies | Millenium, MTS-2006p, MTS-2208, MTS-2328, MTS-2300, MTS-2605, MTS-3100, MTS-3200, MTS-4200, MTS DR-5200 |
| Montage Acoustics | MTS speakers | Napali projectors |
| Oskar E650 surround sound system / LED Projector | Olin Ross OR860, OR-880, OR1020 | Omni Audio |
| Orum Rohn | Osten Acoustics | PSD (2.8) |
| PTS PT-5500S, DA 5.1 Pro Series III SHOCK 5.1, PT-5000S, DR-1000, DR-8000,DA2000SL, MI4000A/B AD-1200SL, SL-900 DR-2810, SL-800 DR-1620 (Towers), AD-700SL DR-1610 (Towers), PT-5500, DR8600, PDA-2012, PTS (Precision Transducer Systems), PTS woofers | Paramax | Paragon |
| Palermo VA6.1, Palermo VA 6.1 | Paradyme | Paramount Audio Performance |
| Perilous Audiolab | Pro Audio | Pro Dynamics Pro Platinium Series, Pro Dynamics PD-9600 |
| Proline Acoustic | Protecsound PT-5000 digital surround sound system speakers | Rothdale |
| Samurai 518 | Skyline AD-900SL | Skyline Digital Denmark 800 or 900 “series” |
| Sonab | Sondergaard | Studio Tech, Studio Tech Pro Ply Series |
| Sonic Audio Distributors | Studio Tech (Pro Poly Series) | Theater Innovations (Ti 5100), TI-440MR TI~440MR, TI-440R TI~440R, TI-440M TI~440M, TI-5100 TI~5100, TI-5150T TI~5150T, TI~1250 TI-1250, TI~1255 TI-1255, TI~1300 TI-1300, TI~1650 TI-1650, TI~1655 TI-1655, TI-4000, TI~6000SD TI-6000SD, TI~6100 TI-6100, TI~1750 TI-6200 |
| Theater-innovations | Theater logic home cinema | Theater Logic L5ti, Theater Logic L6, Theater Logic L8TI 5.1, Theater Logic T 2400, Theater Logic T 2450 |
| TR Theater Research | Theater Research TR-1410 Digital Sound Speakers | Theater Research DS-6.1, TR-12, TR-501, TR-502, TR-504, TR-505, TR-602, TR-603, TR-604, TR-605, TR-606, TR-607, TR-900, TR-1100, TR-1101, TR-1120, TR-1400, TR-1610, TR-1611, TR-1620, TR-1621, TR-2380, TR-2810 TR 504 TR 505 TR 6030 TR 2930 TR 2940 TR 1420 TR 2830 TR 2840 TR 2850 TR 2860 TR 1100-1101 TR 1610-1611 TR 1620-1621 TR 2810 TR-2811 TR 12 TR-2630 TR-2631 TR-2900 DS 6.1 TR 501 TR 502 TR 503 TR 602 TR 603 TR 604 TR 605 TR 6020 TR 6120 TR 7010 TR 8000 TR-8200 TR 606 TR 607 TR 504 TR 505 TR 6030 TR-3015 TR-3215 TR-0412 TR-9500 TR-9700,TR-5210 Professional Home Theater, TR-5160, TR-6000, TR-6020, TR-6030, TR-6100 Digital Sound/5.1 Home Cinema, TR-6120, TR-7010, TR-8010, TR-8810, Theater Research Pro Series III Professional Home |
| Ultra Digital Labs | Vanderbach Audio | Vandross |
| VisionMax | Volare Projectors |
The Scam is Worse Than You Think
Many of the scams are absolutely bad due to the fact that when you pay, there is absolutely no positive investment made with the money you spend. So pretty much you are giving away your money for free. Although you may see instances where the product is delivered, it is not worth the amount spent. But is the scam a lot worse than you think? It depends.
This is because sometimes the speakers may just be a crappy brand that was marked up in price, while others will not be functioning at all once you receive them. You may even get speakers that have sound but sounds cheap in quality. The speakers may even be constructed without having any internal speaker parts or wiring. You may not even be able to look inside of them because of the speakers being filled with cement or other material that makes them inaccessible.
All of this does not sound good at all and it is absolutely not worth your time or money as compared to places where you can find cheap speakers in an actual retail store. It is well-known that we will not see an end to the white van scam as long as people continue to be unaware of it. Plus, it is difficult to say that the business practice is illegal.
Is The White Van Speaker Practice Legal?
As far as legalities are concerned, the business practice can be considered as legal due to the fact that the scammer has obtained a business license. Outside of this, it is hard to remain vigilant. But having the right information concerning the scam will help you to avoid being scammed in the first place.
In Closing
Now that you have everything to avoid being scammed, you need to ensure that your purchases all come from a legitimate store location. They will be able to provide the required documents governing your purchase such as receipt and any warranty that covers the item.
If you don’t stick to the name brand outlets and decide to purchase from a scammer, you will see how they play with your emotions in order for you to buy. The scammer may also make it difficult for you to walk away after saying no by not feeling discouraged. However, when you remain empowered and walk away firmly, the scammer will not continue their attempt because there will be others to scam after you. This is why you need to put your gullibility aside and use common sense. This way you are able to protect yourself and your money as you recognize the signs of the scam and never give in.
So we recommend: Stick to well-known brands. Not sure which speaker is the right one for you? We’ve got you covered with in-depth speaker reviews.
