HILLIARD, Fla. - ESS, LLC, which lists its address as 552882 US-1, Hilliard, FL 32046, is a scam. A buyer reported wiring $24,500 for a 2018 KUBOTA KX057-4 shown on the site's product page and never receiving the excavator.
The listing offered a recent-year compact excavator at a single, full-price figure paid by bank transfer. That combination of a late-model piece of equipment and a buyer who sent the full asking price makes this report relevant to anyone buying used heavy gear online.
The listing
The product page advertises a 2018 KUBOTA KX057-4, with the seller's brief description reduced to the model and a product ID. The asking price published on the page is $24,500 and the condition is shown as UsedCondition. The listing itself contains no hours, attachments, cab features, or an extended condition report.
What attracted the buyer was the machine's year and the price. A 2018 model at a single low figure matched what the buyer was looking for and stood out against other listings the buyer had been reviewing.
How the sale unfolded
A buyer reported finding the listing while searching for a mid-size excavator and comparing options across several sites. According to the buyer's account, the listing matched the machine type and price the buyer wanted and looked like a straightforward purchase.
The buyer reported opening the contact form on the site and moving forward at the published price. According to the buyer's account, the parties agreed to the sale at $24,500 and the buyer sent that amount by bank wire to the account details provided.
The buyer said they then waited for the machine to be delivered to their site. According to the buyer's account, no excavator arrived, and the buyer did not take possession of any equipment after the payment.
In the buyer's account the loss is clear: $24,500 sent by bank wire and no 2018 KUBOTA KX057-4 delivered.
What the website shows
The website identifies itself on its homepage as a heavy equipment dealer in Hilliard and publishes a street address, a phone number, and an email. Contact details shown on the site include +1 904-274-0341 and sales@ess-group-florida.com.
Whois information lists the domain registration date as Aug. 11, 2026 and Name.com, Inc as the registrar. The registrant details are masked by a privacy service. The site includes no dealer license number or DOT registration that would help verify a physical yard or an established dealership.
How these schemes work
Federal investigators and consumer watchdogs warn that frauds often pair recent-year machines with low asking prices and push buyers toward full payment before anyone has seen the equipment in person. Sites used in those reports are frequently created only weeks earlier and lack verifiable business credentials.
In this case the domain was created on Aug. 11, 2026, the listing asked $24,500 for a 2018 excavator, and a buyer reported sending the full amount by bank wire with no machine delivered, matching the risk factors cited by authorities.
If you sent money
If you sent funds by bank transfer, contact your bank right away and ask whether a recall of the wire is possible. Preserve every record tied to the purchase: emails, invoices, bank confirmations and screenshots of the listing.
File a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov and submit a report to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and include the website address and the product page link in your reports.
