Dan George of ESCAPE wrote us this morning. People are getting ripped off by an online shop that uses a name almost identical to his company, lists finished tiny houses at prices that cannot be real, and lets you add a house to a shopping cart like a pair of shoes.
We visited the website ourselves on August 14, 2026. We are not linking it. If you have already seen it, or someone sent you the link, treat it as a scam. Do not send a deposit. Do not “add to cart.”
This Is Not ESCAPE
The real builder is ESCAPE (sometimes called Escape Traveler), based in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. They have been building tiny houses for decades in an RVIA-inspected plant. Their site is escapetraveler.net. Their most affordable tiny home is around $45,440 and up, not $11,500.
The website uses the Escape Traveler name, a matching Gmail address, a phone number, and a 20% off banner. There is no factory address. That is not ESCAPE.
Dan says customers have already lost money. He and his team are trying to stop it. We are posting this so our readers do not become the next ones.
The Prices Are Not Real
On the shop page we counted sixteen listings, all with Add to cart. A few of the sale prices:
- 20′ × 8.5′ tiny house: $11,500 (marked down from $22,000)
- 192 sq. ft. tiny house, “brand new” 2025: $18,000 (from $27,000)
- “Cumberland”: $20,000
- “Drake,” 782 sq. ft., 1 bed / 1 bath: $20,000
- “Athens Park Mode,” 2 bed / 1.5 bath: $25,000
- Platinum Cottages “The Lark 500SL”: $28,000
A real Platinum Cottages Lark from an actual dealer starts around $65,900 for the home only, before delivery. A finished 20-foot tiny house for $11,500 does not cover the trailer, the windows, and the labor. If the deal feels like a miracle, it is a scam.
They Are Offering Tiny Houses Like Amazon Orders
Every listing has an Add to cart button. The 192 sq. ft. page promises “Guarantee safe and secure checkout,” card logos, orders ship within 1–2 business days, and free returns within 30 days.
Real tiny houses are not drop-shipped. You tour a factory or a lot. You sign a contract. You pay in stages. Delivery is scheduled, not two-day shipping. The store even says it offers a 30-day free return on a tiny house, and it is meant to make the checkout feel safe.
The Photos Are Not Theirs
The pictures do not look like one builder’s catalog. They look like they were grabbed from everywhere: different siding, different lots, different seasons. At least one photo still has a Tiny House Marketplace watermark. Several listings had no photo at all, just a gray box and a price.
They are also using other companies’ model names. “The Lark 500SL” is a Platinum Cottages park model. Athens Park, Cumberland, Drake, Elevation 7-Series: those are not ESCAPE models. An online store that steals photos and model names is not building and delivering you a house.
How Not to Get Scammed
This shop is one example. There will be others. Same pattern: a name that sounds familiar, a price that is too low, pressure to pay now, and no way to see the house in person.
- If it is too good to be true, it is. A finished, move-in-ready tiny house for $11,500 or $18,000 is not a bargain. It is bait.
- Never send a deposit to a stranger. Not Zelle, not wire, not a “hold the house” payment, not a shopping-cart checkout. If you cannot meet them and see the house, do not pay.
- Verify in person. Walk the factory. Walk the lot. Sit in the house. Take photos of the VIN / title / hitch. If they will not let you visit, don’t waste your time.
- Match the name to the real company. Google the builder, then go to the site you already know, not the first ad. ESCAPE is escapetraveler.net.
- Get a contract, not a cart. Real builders use written contracts, staged payments, and warranties. Emails and “Add to cart” are not a contract.
- Ask for past buyers. Call them. Ask where the house is sitting. Family-and-friends testimonials on a brand-new shop do not count.
- Go with a reputable builder. Someone with a real address, a shop you can visit, years of houses on the road, and a paper trail. Start with builders you can actually find: our builders list is a starting point, not a shortcut around due diligence.
We say this on almost every for-sale post, and it applies here more than ever: do your own homework, and deal with people in person.
If You Already Sent Money
Contact your bank or card company the same day and tell them it was an unauthorized or fraudulent charge. Keep every email, screenshot, and receipt. You can also report it to the FTC and to IC3. We cannot get the money back for you, but the faster you flag it, the better the odds.
Learn More
Real ESCAPE (not the shop in these screenshots)
Website: escapetraveler.net
Plant: Rice Lake, Wisconsin
Email: sales@escapehomes.us
How to buy a tiny house without getting burned: Buying a Tiny House? Read This First!
Reputable builders to start from: Tiny House Builders
Highlights
- A shop using the Escape Traveler name is listing finished tiny houses with Add to cart buttons
- It is not ESCAPE of Rice Lake, Wisconsin (escapetraveler.net)
- Dan George of ESCAPE says people have already lost money
- Sale prices we saw include $11,500, $18,000, and $20,000 for complete houses
- The shop claims 1–2 day shipping and 30-day free returns on a house
- Photos include a Tiny House Marketplace watermark and other builders’ model names
- Contact on the shop is a Gmail address; no factory address
- Do not send a deposit. Verify in person. Use a real contract and a reputable builder
Explore More
Subscribe to our Newsletters:
Join the Tiny House Newsletter => https://tinyhousetalk.com/tinyhousenewsletter
Join The Small House Newsletter => https://tinyhousetalk.com/small-house-newsletter/
Join Our Tiny Houses For Sale Newsletter => http://tinyhousetalk.com/tiny-houses-for-sale-newsletter
This post may contain affiliate links and/or sponsored content.
Alex
Latest posts by Alex (see all)
- If a Tiny House Is $11,500 With an Add-to-Cart Button, It’s a Scam - August 14, 2026
- He Turned a 25-Year-Old Moving Van Into an Off-Grid Tiny Home — Solar Roof, Full Galley, and Room to Work - August 14, 2026
- Atlanta Tiny House Workshop: Build a Real Wall Section in Two Days (October 10-11, 2026) - August 14, 2026
