Below you will hopefully find the answer to any questions you might have!
1. Who Runs this Site?
I do. Find out more.
2. Is the “white van speaker scam” legal?
Basically, yes. The companies that provide the speakers (and in some cases, the vans) are perfectly legit on paper. This business has been around for a very long time, so they know how to work the system. Since the “drivers” are generally not actually employed by the company (they are independent contractors), the company is usually not liable for their crazy antics.
3. Are the speakers stolen?
While it’s not impossible that someone with a van full of stolen speakers may try to sell them, in general, the speakers are not stolen but rather just very cheap speakers that are hyped up and sold on the street.
4. So, they’re not delivery drivers like they say?
Well, I guess you could call them delivery drivers. They are indeed driving, and they do deliver speakers…to suckers on the street!
5. Do these wild speaker slangers make a lot of money?
Like any commission-based job, the amount the salesman makes is a direct result of how good they are at selling the product. Some people genuinely love this occupation and make six figures a year doing it. Most, however, aren’t quite as successful. The shelf-life of a speaker salesman on the street is usually pretty short.
6. Why are the vans always white?
They’re not! But most are. White vans tend to look more legitimate. The most successful speaker men wash their vans several times a week.
7. If I buy the speakers, can I return them?
Ha! That’s a good one. No, you definitely cannot return them. But you can of course try to sell them to someone on the street for more than you paid for them.
8. The salesmen are so persistent. How do you tell them “NO”?
The mentality of a speaker man is to never give up. You could always completely stonewall them with a “No” and keep walking/driving/ignoring them, but many times this will provoke insults or taunting from frustrated salesmen who have been dealing with that response all day/week/month/year, etc. If you want the experience to be a little bit more amicable, simply tell them that you have literally no money and you’re not even sure you have enough gas money to get to work. Once they realize you’re broke, they will quickly move on. Of course, if you’re driving an Escalade, that might be difficult to pull off.
9. Who do they target?
Anyone, really. Newer salesmen will only target the people that look like easy sales, such as young people with tattoos/piercings who are walking to their cars outside Best Buy. But more seasoned speaker men know from experience that just about anyone can be hustled, and sometimes the people you would least expect are the ones most interested in making a random home theater purchase in a parking lot from a stranger.
10. Why are they always in gas stations/parking lots?
Obvious reasons. There are people there who are spending money on something. It’s also easy to get in and get out. Staying in one place too long can attract attention. Most business owners don’t want solicitors in their parking lot, but by the time they realize the speaker men are there, they’ve already made a sale or are on their way out. Bank parking lots are also very popular, since they negate the “I don’t have any cash” excuse.
If you have any questions not covered here, feel free to email us and we’ll try to get back to you ASAP.