Urgent advice!! - would you sell to this buyer??
 

Hi all,

As some of will have spotted I have my 301 bhp 2001 WRX up for sale at the moment.

I've had this email exchange tonight. What do you think?

Buyer

"i am really interested in buying the Car, what is the condition of the engine, is there any additional information i need to know about the car?
I hope to read from you soon.
Best Regards,
Charles"

Andy

"Hi Charlie,

Where are you? I'm near Edinburgh.

The engine has been well maintained and runs perfectly. It has for the 5 years I've had it! I always get Silkolene Pro S fully synthetic oil in put in it. I also let the car warm up before going above 3000 revs and run it gently for the last few miles to let it cool down (something you should do with a turbo car).

My own garage owner Ian said he would have liked to buy the car if he had the spare cash, so I think that suggests it's pretty good! It's also got better brakes and supension than standard, so it's a lot of fun to drive!

When you buy a car, how will you pay for it - cash?

Would you like to come up to see the car?

cheers,

Andy"

Buyer

Thanks for the swift response...I am willing to buy it from you..But due to the nature of my job and location,phone calls making and visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out time to check this advert and send you an e-mail regarding it, i will like to know the present condition and the best price..i will not be able to come for inspection,am a very busy type, i work long hours everyday,i have gone through your advertisement and i am satisfied with it ,provided all what you said about it on the site is true.
As for the payment..i will be paying you via the fastest and secure way to pay online,i could offer a Bank Wire Transfer or PayPal cause it is the best way for me to also use my credit card online.I have a private shipping agent that will come for the pick up after the payment have been made ...so no shipping included..Pls get back to me with either your paypal e-mail address or Bank Details so i can make the payments and my agent will also call you to schedule a pickup date and time after payments ..Pls also get back to me with your Full name and address including your Cell phone number.

Await your reply asap

Thanks"

Andy

"Hi (Charles?),

Where are you?

Are you a trader? Do you intend to immediately sell the car?

Whichever way you paid, I would either require cash in my hand or cleared funds in my bank account and a scanned copy of your ID (drivers licence or passport) and confirmattion of your address before I released the car. For example, a Paypal payment would have to have been transferred to my bank account.

If your agent came with cash this would avoid these issues?

cheers

Andy"



....any thoughts guys?

Lol - the more I think of it,has to be a scam!

A warning for all?!

id always insist on cash tbh, becomes the banks problem once notes are in account should they turn out to be forged, take his agent to the bank with you

Walk away

LOL,did you really need to ask,come on,you know its a hoax/scam/yarn etc

onto the next buyer

mmm does seem a bit dodgy, best wait for another buyer !!

Ok, here's a link to their previous efforts:

http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?t=118871

:mad::mad::mad:

I'd have to say it's a scam, perhaps it's the cynic in me but to buy any car without even seeing or test driving it is lunacy, unless of course he is going to pull your pants down.

As soon as shipping agents are mentioned I'd be very nervous indeed, perhaps a direct bank transfer or paying the money directly into your bank account would alay my fears.

It might well be a very genuine approach by the potential buyer but there are far too many horror stories of car sales going wrong for me to be anything other than very suspicious.

ignore unless they come with cash.....

everyone has time to come and see a car..you would make time one way or another...

Forget about that one fella. Email him back immediately telling him to take his scam elsewhere. It's a complete joke buddy, I had many emails just like those when I was selling my last Impreza.
Cash on collection is the best way to be honest.

No, run away

Scam !!
get loads of these,
did follow one through once over a week or so strining him/her along :lol::lol::lol:
thought they got me,
i had the last laugh.
Shaun.

Deffo a scam!

Here's his email address: charlie1470@gmail.com

Quite happy posting this on a public forum. ;)

That means that the "shipping agent" turns up to steal your car, only you hand the thief your keys!! :razz:

Read the following on forums:

Seems that with bank transfers, they can actually process the transfer despite having no funds in their account. After a few days it bounces just like a cheque and the bank takes the money out again (read on the net).

Paypal payments can also be dodgy - or they simply withdraw the funds within a couple of days saying to Paypal that they didn't get the car. Payal investigate but by this time there are no funds in the account for Paypal to take.

Off topic, how did you get on with the sun visors? And did they earn you brownie points? :)

tell him to bring cash dont fall for the bank transfer or poaypal.
otherwise tell him to get lost.

Great thanks CD. :thumb: I went to the trouble of buying the screws from my local stealer, only to find one of the three was a different size! I ensured they just posted out a replacement! Fits & matches perfectly.

As for Ms Jock, well, since then she only moans at the expected points! :D

Howver, I've added 0.4kg to my Spec C ! :p

I've had similar when I've advertised in the past and my advice is the same as the rest, unless they show up in person with the cash don't get involved even a bankers draft is not as secure as people think either.

one word for you, like the rest have said SCAM!

here's the clue:
Shipping agent my arse. :)

Oh yes: See if you can obtain the message source/header info from the emails, find teh servers or IP addresses the email has bounced off or pastethe message header in here to find their whereabouts: http://www.geobytes.com/spamlocator.htm

(there is a better website, but I can't find it)

Chances are he's not even in thiscountry!


Alternatively. Give this a bash: http://www.scamomatic.com/

This is his latest email:

"Hello,i just got your mail now,well i can only send the money via PayPal because that is the only form of payment i trust,why i insist is that they protect both the buyer and the seller...My agent can not come with the car cause it is not part of what they do,they only pickup the car and that is all,pls get back to e if you still want to sell this car for me,i am buying it for my wife for my Wife ,she has a birthday by ending"

Any suggestions as to a comical reply? ;)

tell him you will be discussing it with your wife as she works for the fraud team so you check everything with her, with all them scammers out there scum of the earth lol

Cheers Ali - this is what is came up:

"Email: charlie1470@gmail.com

Location: Mountain View, CA"

you have to ask yourself, who your send thousands of pounds through paypal for a car they hadnt even seen??

I hate paypal, and even if the cash did end up in your account, whats to say they wont start a dispute under ''item not accurately described'' as theres a scratch on the bodywork that you never mentioned in the add, then the cash gets put on hold or refunded to the buyer.

IMO, not worth the hastle even if the buyer is genuine.

He isn't. I'm just looking to either wind him up or catch him out now. :D

just say your paypal account is mickeymouse@ithinkyourtakingthepiss.com lol

How about Iisanawfficerofthelawandyouarenicked@fraudsquad.co m :D