It seemed like a TikTok creator had done all the due diligence to ensure a safe Facebook Marketplace sale: the buyer had an established Facebook profile, photos of cash for the sale, and an upscale meeting location outside Atlanta. Despite all that, the two men taking a “quick test drive” in a $20,000 Can-Am side-by-side suddenly floored it and disappeared down the road.
Creator Jayce Watts (@slayce.what) issued a warning to other prospective Marketplace sellers, saying that the end result of a four-hour trip to try to sell the vehicle has left her so shaken she won’t conduct a $5 sale to an online stranger.
“I would not recommend doing any transactions off Facebook Marketplace for anything, even as low as $5 deals, anywhere but a police department,” she said in the clip that’s been viewed more than 241,000 times. “Never once did we think this would happen to us.”
Atlanta Facebook Marketplace Sale: Safety Steps Failed To Protect
According to Watts, the trouble started after her boyfriend decided to sell his expensive Can-Am X3 XMR Turbo RR side-by-side. The pair listed the vehicle on Facebook Marketplace and quickly heard from a buyer who, Watts said, wanted to close the deal quickly.
Watts said the buyer offered the full asking price if the couple transported the vehicle to Georgia, prompting them to verify the Facebook account, request cash photos, and research the upscale neighborhood where the sale would take place.
“We were trying to be super thorough because we didn’t want to get—you know, crime rates are crazy out there,” she said.
Private-party vehicle sales through Facebook Marketplace have become common in the enthusiast world, where buyers and sellers often rely on profile history, phone calls, cash verification, and in-person impressions to build trust outside the structure of a traditional dealership sale.
Next, the buyers allegedly examined the Can-Am on the street and showed the owner what appeared to be roughly $20,000 in cash. They allegedly asked if they could take a test drive down the dead-end road before handing over the money.
Watts said the request didn’t initially seem suspicious. The men allegedly drove toward the cul-de-sac before suddenly accelerating out of the neighborhood.
By then, there was little chance of catching up since the couple’s truck and trailer were facing oncoming traffic, while the Can-Am X3 was capable of highway-level acceleration and high off-road speeds.
The couple said nearby residents told them they had never seen the men before. After obtaining Ring camera footage and speaking with police, Watts said detectives informed them the suspect connected to the theft was already known to investigators for similar thefts.
Commenters Offer Test Drive Tips
The clip’s comments section quickly split into a mix of Marketplace survival advice, regional trash talk, and viewers insisting they’d seen versions of the same scam before.
Some viewers focused on what they viewed as the central mistake: allowing the buyers to leave alone in the Can-Am before money changed hands.
“Stay strapped,” one viewer bluntly wrote.
Others said the story reinforced why they now insist on meeting only at police-monitored exchange zones or sheriff’s office parking lots for any Marketplace deal involving vehicles or expensive equipment.
But the biggest side argument centered on Atlanta itself after one commenter declared, “Just as a personal rule, we don’t go to Atlanta. Atlanta isn’t Georgia, it’s little California.”
That immediately triggered a flood of replies, ranging from Atlanta critics to locals, arguing that the theft could have happened almost anywhere.
“Could of happened anywhere,” another commenter replied, echoing what many viewers seemed to conclude after hearing Watts describe how carefully the sale had allegedly been staged.
Facebook Marketplace Seller: How Can I Protect Myself?
The popularity of sales that originate between strangers online has prompted law enforcement agencies around the country to encourage participants in such transactions to use designated “safe exchange zones,” many of which are located directly outside police departments and monitored by surveillance cameras. Authorities also commonly advise sellers to avoid solo test drives, verify identities beforehand, and avoid surrendering possession of vehicles or keys without verified payment in hand.
That level of diligence can become more complicated in the powersports vehicle world, where buyers often expect to physically drive the machines before handing over tens of thousands in cash. Unlike a typical commuter car sale, side-by-sides like the turbocharged Can-Am X3 are evaluated for acceleration, suspension, steering response, and drivetrain performance.
These machines can also disappear quickly once stolen. High-end side-by-sides are relatively lightweight, extremely fast, and commonly resold through private channels or stripped for parts, making recovery difficult in many cases.
Watts later claimed in an update attached to the video that she had heard from dozens of viewers describing similar experiences involving side-by-sides and Marketplace sales.
“I have had probably 50 people reach out saying the same thing happened to them,” she wrote.
Motor1 reached out to Watts via direct message and comment on the clip. We’ll update this if they respond.
@slayce.what update: i have had probably 50 people reach out saying the same thing happened to them. our Can-am X3 XMR RR as was stolen during a test drive outside of atlanta georgia yesterday, please repost this video so word can get out. the guys who did have done this to hundreds of other people!! #marketplace #stolenvehicle #canamx3 #dekalbcounty #fyp ♬ original sound - 𝕁𝕒𝕪𝕔𝕖 𝕎𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕤 ❤️🔥
