Buying & selling safely
Most people on here are exactly who they say they are. These are the habits that keep it that way.
Meet in daylight, and bring someone
See the animal or the equipment in person before any money moves. Meet at the seller's place during the day, or somewhere public with room for a trailer. Tell someone where you're going.
Cash or a payment you can trace
Cash on the spot, or a bank transfer you both watch complete. Be careful with payment apps for large amounts — most offer no protection for private sales, and none of them can reverse a payment to a stranger.
Livestock: get the paperwork
Arizona requires a brand inspection to move most cattle and horses, and out-of-state movement needs a health certificate from a vet. Ask for both before you load. A seller who won't produce them is telling you something.
Equipment: run it before you buy it
Start it cold. Drive it, lift with it, run the PTO. Ask for the hour meter reading and check it matches the wear. For anything titled or financed, confirm the seller can actually hand over a clean title.
Hay: look inside the bale
Ask when it was cut and whether it's been rained on. Open a bale — good hay smells sweet, not musty, and isn't hot in the middle. Test results are worth asking for on a large lot.
Signs of a scam
The price is far below everything else. They can't meet, can't take a call, and want a deposit to "hold" it. They ask you to move the conversation off AZFarming immediately. They send a shipper who needs paying first. Any of these on their own is a reason to slow down.
Something on AZFarming looks wrong? Use the report link on the listing, or email azfarmingcorp@gmail.com. We read every one.