Scams to look out for when selling your car

[INVSTOR]

I'm selling my car. I've had a sus response. He texted mobile and asked me to email him. I have set up an email especially for this purpose. I just got a reply and he says he's really interested, asks a few q's then asks for paypal details. I won't be responding. Can anyone with recent experience tell me what else to watch out for. I know my relatives in another state had scammers a couple of years ago saying they wanted to buy site unseen and would pay them through paypal and there was a thread on here about it. Thanks
I just read the rest of his email, lol, he's in Malaysia and so on, yer right!!

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

I'd forget paypal. Bank transfer, bank cheque or cash. Don't release the vehicle until you have the money.

 

[Deena]

Think there was a similiar thread years back.

This happened to a friend selling her car, she got to the point where they actually came around to collect the car, and supposedly they were transfering the funds there and then to her account, cannot recall if it was a paypal account. This guy was making lots of mobile phone calls, because he was supposendly buying on behalf of a friend who could not come. This is when my friend finally thought it sounded sussed and backed out. She found out later that apparently they would get the funds, and you have legally transfered the papers into thier name, the car is on a boat before you know it and you loose everything, car, no money, no come back at all. She had advertised her car on gumtree.

 

[INVSTOR]

Thanks VY and Deena. I got the message as soon as I adertised on Gumtree!

 

[Nards]

Yes, we have had this recently happen too, on two separate occaisions..
Check out http://blog.gumtree.com/paypal-scam-alert/ for more info!

Nadia

 

[INVSTOR]

Yep, the email was very simililar to the other scams.

Thanks for the quick response, there is no doubt about it, i like the vehicle and ready for the immediate purchase... have actually tried to get this vehicle here earlier from here but most of the ones I got either have one huge mechanical fault or the other and some have even had accidents in the past while some are extremely exorbitant.I am pleased with your price but I want you to get back to me with pictures and all dents on the vehicle if there are any because i am not local. advice soon as I'm presently in Malaysia but due to the nature of my work, phone calls making and visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out time to check this advert and send you an email regarding it and could not come over to check it out,but no worries as i am willing to handle the pick up of this vehicle through a legitimate shipping agent that has their headquarter situated in Malaysia, it will be picked up after payment,i will need you to give me your paypal email address and the price so i can make the payments asap for the car and pls if you don't have paypal account yet, it is very easy to set up, go to www.paypal.com.au and get it set up, after you have set it up i will only need the e-mail address you use for registration with paypal so as to put the money through. I'd like to know certain things too...


I will need this following details so i can proceed with the payment right away

Are you the first owner:
Your PayPal e-Mail Address:
full name:
What is your reason for selling it?
Address:
Last price

I'm sorry, just want to be sure about the sale before i proceed

Due Regard
Mark

 

[Spades]

5yrs ago when i was green and wet behind the ears,i started buying on ebay when they didn't have a security guard and open slather for shoplifters.I received a paypal email saying i'd won the auction,a $1500 laptop.Suffice to say the email was fake and after a week i knew i'd been scammed and felt physically sick.Felt like flying to the UK,just to kick his @ss.

Ebay has tightened it's game but gumtree is an open playing field.

I'd be wary about giving out your email address.There are sites online where you give them an email address,they get your name,address and phone number,for a small fee.

Do not give out any personal details nor imo advertise a ph#.

All part and parcel of identity theft from scum.

 

[Spades]

The guy who scammed me for $1500,could at least have the decency to send me a receipt,i could have claimed depreciation.LOL

 

[Belbo]

I've heard that certain VW engines can be fitted into some Ferraris, if that helps.

 

[Ausprop]

these guys are always on an oil rig, a cruise liner, have a dying dog and can't leave hospital....

 

[Ausprop]

ps. how does this scam end? if they pay the funds and you rip the cash out, how do they scam you?

 

[kathryn d]

We arrived back in Australia last Monday. When we arrived in Melbourne, we had a man meet us at the airport. He had a campervan for sale, from Gumtree. Rob looked it over...he drove us to the bank..we then all drove to transfer the registration, then we drove him to the bus station. Our new (to us) van, Victoria, is a part of the family now.
He had been here on a 2 year working visa and was leaving soon. It worked out well for all of us.

The part I thought was a scam, was when he called about midnight a few days earlier. I thought it was a friend of my kid, pretending to be Australian.....I was playing along until he mentioned the van.

 

[tubs]

It's called an overpayment scam. Someone tried it on me recently when I was selling my car (which is still available BTW - BA Falcon - white on LPG). I was alert to it immediately because they had tried it on someone else I know.

They say they're overseas so will pay you for the car and give you some extra to cover the shipment costs. They get your paypal details and transfer some money.

As soon as they transfer it, they ask you to transfer the shipment fee to another paypal address, or they've paid too much for shipment and ask for a refund.

Of course, the money has already been transferred to you, so what's the problem?

Problem is, their payment to you fails, and you've just sent money off to someone else.

More here: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1340763

 

[Aaron Sice]

...and me, too. i was playing this bloke, so don't for a second think i was fooled.

bloke wanted to pay me $1000 more "for my trouble", as long as i could pay the frieght guy coming to collect my car tomorrow.

*defcon 5*

frieght is $643 and i could keep the rest, he's ready to DD the cash into my account but needs my account number or paypal account number.

*defcon 4*

cant give out phone number, on yachting holiday and only have email but really wants the car for when they get back. can't wait until return in three days, needs it NOW because car freight booked for tomorrow while truckie is in area.

*defcon 3*

can't give address for forwarding rego papers via registered mail, wants me to "place in glovebox". i said i need a forwarding address or the deal is off, also need a phone number incase anything goes wrong or is missing.

tone immediately changes. i'll be liable for the $678 (not 643 like previous) freight as the truck is due tomorrow morning at 7am, if the car isn't in his garage on his return he'll sue me yatta yatta yatta.

*defcon 2*

i say okay no prob, i'll get your forwarding address off the truckie to send the rego papers via registered mail, after all if he's delivering to your garage then he obviously has the final desitination at hand. let's stay calm and sort this out.

truckie doesn't have address, apparently. just picking the car up on their way to Sydney, is going to sort out other business before bringing it back home with him - is a personal friend.

well, personal friends generally know where their friends live.

YOU WILL NOT ASK THE TRUCK DRIVER FOR ADDRESS! its invasion of privacy and i've told him not to tell you!

*defcon 1*

please send truck to pick up car. police will be waiting to arrest the driver for racketeering.