PENDERGRASS, Ga. - Kubota Tractor Sales Pendergrass, which lists its address as 350 Raco Pkwy, Pendergrass, Ga., is a scam. A buyer reported sending $9,000 by bank wire for a 2018 Bobcat E42 Mini Excavator and said no equipment arrived.
Late‑model compact excavators can be in high demand for landscaping and small construction work, and the buyer who contacted News Equipment said the low hours and enclosed cab on the advertised machine made the listing especially appealing.
The listing
The posting is for a 2018 Bobcat E42 Mini Excavator, described on the site as having 940 hours, 43 horsepower, an enclosed ROPS cab and hydraulic quick attach with a thumb. The seller's verbatim copy claims "Only 940 hours (low hours), 1 owner machine, Well maintained, Fully serviced" and lists an asking price of $9,000. The description highlights compact size, excavation power and operator comfort in addition to an assertion that "Everything works as it should. Ready to go to work."
On its face the listing checked boxes buyers look for: a late model machine, what the site called low hours, and included attachments and a cab that would reduce the need for immediate service or upgrades. That combination made the advert stand out against other used excavator listings the buyer was comparing.
How the sale unfolded
According to the buyer's account, they discovered the listing online while searching for a compact excavator for landscape and utility work. They compared the advertised E42 to other machines in the same class, and the asking price and low hours made it a leading option. The buyer said they contacted the seller through the website's contact form and by the phone number shown on the listing and reached an agreement to purchase at the listed price.
Per the buyer's account, the full payment of $9,000 was sent by bank wire after the price was agreed. The buyer said they expected the machine to be released for pickup or delivery and waited for the scheduled handover. When no machine arrived by the expected date the buyer investigated and followed up by the contact channels shown on the site.
The buyer reported that follow‑up attempts did not result in receiving the Bobcat or any verified shipping details for the unit. The account ends with a clear financial loss: $9,000 sent and no excavator delivered.
What the website shows
The site styles itself as Kubota Tractor Sales Pendergrass and publishes the U.S. phone number +1 706 441 8969 and the street address 350 Raco Pkwy, Pendergrass, GA, 30567. The inventory page used to advertise the Bobcat E42 appears under the domain kubotractorsalespendergrass.com and carried a page title of "Used Equipment | Kubota Tractor Sales Pendergrass." HTTPS is enabled and the homepage returned a normal status code.
Public registration data for the domain show it was created on Sept. 26, 2026, and the registrar is NAMECHEAP INC. The registration uses privacy protection, and the site does not publish any dealer licensing or Department of Transportation credentials on its public pages.
How these schemes work
Agencies warn that fraudulent equipment listings often feature late‑model machines with unusually low hours and strong condition claims, paired with full upfront payment requests and newly created domains. New registrations and privacy‑masked contacts make it harder to verify an operator or inspect a yard before sending funds.
In this case the E42 listing included multiple condition claims, a low hours figure and an asking price that the buyer found attractive, while the domain record shows the site had been registered just days before the listing surfaced. Those facts match common red flags used by investigators in assessing suspicious listings.
If you sent money
If you wired funds after dealing with this domain, contact your bank immediately and ask whether a wire recall or trace is possible. Preserve every receipt, email, invoice and screenshot related to the transaction and the listing.
Report the loss to the FBI via the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov and to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and include the domain name and the exact listing URL in your reports. Keep copies of the complaint confirmations and any correspondence for later reference.
