possible scam advice

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saltyrob

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possible scam advice

Hi Folks,

I would be grateful for you advice as I know the subject of scams, normally involving boats has been discussed on the forum before.My son is selling a car, and a prospective purchaser has offered to buy it unseen at the full asking price, provided he delivers it to a dock hense to be exported.My son phoned me up for advice and I'm concerned that he could be ripped off or worse.

Sorry its not a boat based enquiry this time, but I know there is a lot of knowledge and sound advise on the forum,

Many thanks

Rob
 
Re: possible scam advice

Very probable scam. Who buys a car unseen?

Ask how payment is to be made. If it is by means of any sort of cheque, including a bank draft, from overseas then it is almost certainly a scam, with the cheque being returned unpaid weeks or months after you thought it had been cleared.
 
Re: possible scam advice

Almost certain to be a scam. Recently there have been developments where the money has appeared to have been deposited only for it to turn out otherwise when all is too late.

Advise him to ignore this offer and continue to look elsewhere. Who would buy a car unseen for the full asking price?
 
Re: possible scam advice

If it walks like a duck, and looks like a duck...... it's a duck!!

Who buys a car unseen for full asking price... it is definitely a scam.

One of the employees at my lettings agents used to be a car dealer and he knew lots of dealers who got done by this scam.

The cheque always bounced long after the car was gone.
 
Re: possible scam advice

The usual trick is to say that a cheque will be sent which is well in excess of the amount of the item. You are then to send a cheque for the difference minus certain costs. A "shipping agent" is to pick up the item. The "shipping agent" never arrives and the cheque bounces retrospectively. The scammer pockets your cheque "for the difference". Every example I've seen is badly worded and demonstrates that the scammer hasn't even adapted it for the type of item in question. I'm not sure if your example meets this description though. Sounds a bit more sophisticated.
 
Re: possible scam advice

DEfinitely a scam! When I had a reply like that I said OK but I would meet him at the bank where he could get the CASH out and hand to me before I would part with the car - didn't hear from him again!
 
Re: possible scam advice

In the current climate it has to be a scam, I would insist on the buyer coming to you and paying cash - offer to video or photograph him completing the transaction too /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: possible scam advice

Might well not be. If the car is, say, an Alfa, it could well be expected to fetch a much higher price on mainland Europe. It is not unknown for such cars to be exported 'in bulk'. Payment would be in cash, of course.
 
Re: possible scam advice

most likely a scam, however might be genuine. Make sure payment has been cleared and in bank accout for at least two weeks before parting with car. Two weeks should be long enough to prevent company cheques from looking like they have cleared but having not cleared. Maybe others could comment on this time frame.

Davie
 
Re: possible scam advice

[ QUOTE ]
In the current climate it has to be a scam, I would insist on the buyer coming to you and paying cash -

[/ QUOTE ] Except that there could be issues with money laundering regulations if you try and move the cash on. Did you know if you are found to be carrying more than a few thousand pounds you will be automatically suspected of being a criminal.
 
Re: possible scam advice

Meet him at the docks and throw him in the water to see if he floats. If he sinks it means he's honest, and if he floats he's having you on.

It's an age old test of honesty.
 
Re: possible scam advice

[ QUOTE ]
Might well not be. If the car is, say, an Alfa, it could well be expected to fetch a much higher price on mainland Europe. It is not unknown for such cars to be exported 'in bulk'. Payment would be in cash, of course.

[/ QUOTE ]

Words right out of my mouth

I sold a (absolutely gorgeous, but no room for baby) 1972 Alfa Spider to an Italian dealer, who bought it unseen. He didn't offer me the full asking price though. Payment was by wire transfer, not cheque.

I told the dealer directly that I was suspicious. He said he was having a car transporter come from the UK anyway, and my car wasn't expensive enough for it to be worth his while to come and check it out; if it was a donkey, he could still use it for spares.

It all went smoothly - I got the money, he got the car after I delivered it to the shipping company.
 
Re: possible scam advice

I had an almost identical offer for a Trapper 500 I was selling. Asking price accepted and sight unseen.

I was sceptical and careful. Subsequent contact transpired just as Nico relates, cheque offered but for more than sale price - I should send difference by Western Union ....

As others have said, beware a cheque, even when apparently cleared, as issuing account can be found to have no funds and amount is withdrawn.
 
Re: possible scam advice

I had a mercedes and I was offered flying lessons in Morroco for the car. I ended up staying in Morroco for two months flying around the atlas mountains! My girl friend was offered cash unseen for a mercedes to put on a ship going to nigeria...she got the money.

If its a Merc and its going to Africa it could very well be genuine, but then again...
 
Re: possible scam advice

We used to flog old motors to Russian and Ukranian klondykers in Mallaig. Cash on the quay... car craned onto the deck and offsky.
The advice about cheques is sound but cash is safe and money laundering problems wont arise if you have proof of where the cash came from, ie bill of sale.
The last car I sold for cash was a Discovery for £4.5k which went into a building society account with no questions.
 
Re: possible scam advice

If you can't do the deal in cash (or don't want to), you can insist on a UK bankers draft. This is a cheque issued by the bank and cannot bounce (unless the bank goes belly up).

However, before letting the car go, check that this cheque is a real one!

This you can do by calling up the bank in question and asking them to confirm it. You can ask the guy to fax a copy of the cheque to you before hand, so you can do this in advance. (Check of course the cheque he gives you is the one you checked!)

Get the banks telephone number out of the yellow pages (not from the cheque or the guy giving you the cheque).

Do not trust a bank you have never heard of.

But probably a scam and you will probably never hear of the guy again once you ask for this - although a friend of mine sold his Corvette for 35K euros to some one who had not seen it (paid by bankers draft with all the checks above).
 
Re: possible scam advice

Sounds like a scam to me. I've been in this situation and insisted on a cheque - he could have the car when the cheque clears. If he's genuine, he'll understand. Only a scammer insists that the deal has to be done a certain way.
 
Re: possible scam advice

[ QUOTE ]
If you can't do the deal in cash (or don't want to), you can insist on a UK bankers draft. This is a cheque issued by the bank and cannot bounce (unless the bank goes belly up).

[/ QUOTE ]

But it can be forged, which curiously, the bank don't check when you present it, and it will seem to clear.

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds like a scam to me. I've been in this situation and insisted on a cheque - he could have the car when the cheque clears. If he's genuine, he'll understand. Only a scammer insists that the deal has to be done a certain way.


[/ QUOTE ]

Not good enough. Former flatmade got a building society cheque (like a banker's draft) for a second hand TV. He released the TV after the cheque had cleared. 6 weeks later, the bank pulled the funds out again as it turned out the cheque was fraudulent.

As I understand it, a wire transfer can not be recalled though.
 
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