Man Paid a $4,000 Money Order on a Zillow Apartment Listing. He Said He Didn’t Get the Keys
A $4,000 dream turned into a nightmare.
Galore (@everythnggalore) was eager to move into an apartment in NYC. But after paying a $4,000 money order to an agent he found on Zillow, he allegedly didn’t receive the keys to his apartment.
“Do not rent from Finders.NYC if you live in New York. If you see them on Zillow or StreetEasy, run for your [expletive] life,” Galore told TikTok. He explained that he was supposed to move to an apartment by the first of September, and he found Finders.NYC at Zillow. He reached out to the agents and said that they only communicated through text.
“I went to go see the place, and the place was really cute—I applied. It was like $1,700, rent-stabilized,” Galore added. He said everything seemed normal, and he even paid a $20 application fee. He submitted his documents, and after two days, the company allegedly pre-approved Galore.
“Everything was fine until I got to the signing,” Galore alleged. He said he met up with the agent, who was late for the signing.
“I was supposed to be signing the lease at 7:00. No one was there to greet me. I texted and called the number, and no one was responding,” Galore claimed. The agent arrived around 8:00, and Galore said she “looked off,” as if she had just woken up. She apologized, saying she thought that the appointment was scheduled at 8:00. Nevertheless, Galore still went through with the signing.
He said he checked Zillow, and the apartment he viewed was already “in contract,” so he felt reassured that he secured it. However, Galore found it strange that they were signing at a building lobby instead of the Finders.NYC office.
“I’m on my knees, signing the [expletive] papers,” Galore said. Then, Galore asked the woman for the keys, but she refused.
His dream Zillow apartment stayed a dream
The agent allegedly said that the manager still had to sign before the keys were released. Galore found the excuse strange because he expected to get the keys upon signing. But he consulted his brother, who works in leasing in New York, and was told that sometimes keys are not turned over at signing because there is still ample time before the move-in date.
However, Galore gave contrasting advice, telling him not to go through with it. She advised him to secure the keys before he puts down the money order. Galore took his brother’s advice over his friend’s. He said, “I didn’t listen to her ’cause I thought my brother was right, because obviously, he works in leasing.”
After signing and paying $4,000, Galore said he was told to wait for an email about the management company. The agent said that Galore should call the management company by Monday, and that they would give him information about the keys.
“I called the management company. It’s a whole different company,” Galore said. He asked about his apartment keys, and they asked for the building number. Then the company claimed they didn’t have the building number on their record.
“I already had a feeling in my stomach, but that just certified it,” Galore said. $4,000 is no small sum, as another renter from Florida would know after her shocking lease renewal. But Galore is currently at a loss, saying he does not know what to do next. He filed a claim with the post office but said he had to wait three weeks for a response.
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