SPEN555

I have someone coming to view my car from Northern Ireland.

What would be the best method of payment? Will a bankers cheque be okay? Or would that be in Euro's. I don't want to get into a mess over this if it does go through.

Cheers in advance.

Damian.

555wrx

I sold a MK2 Escort to a guy from Southern Ireland, he paid in well used £ 20. notes.

dmc1980

Northern Ireland are part of the UK, he will be paying you in Sterling, we use the same money as you!!!!!

Dick Cheese

The bankers cheque would be in UK pounds sterling.

I would advise taking a photo of the buyer if the deal is going ahead - with a film camera. You can gauge the reaction of your buyer - and you'll have more evidence if the worst should happen.

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

Safest way is to get them to do a direct transfer into your bank - this cant be reversed or cancelled like a cheque can ( which despite having 'cleared' in your account, can be reversed for up to a few months afterwards ! ) - not sure if they can do it the same day they come to see the car though, so they may need to make two trips.

Other than this, cash in pounds - take it to your bank before handing over the car and get them to count and check its real.

Bankers cheques can easily be forged ( common scam now ) and you wont find out for a few days after you pay it in, by which time the buyer has the car and has dissapeared.

Any genuine buyer shouldnt have a problem with doing this - if they start messing about and saying they can only do a bankers cheque etc... walk away and wait for the next buyer - not worth taking the risk on a load of money.

SPEN555

Cheers guys,

wasn't sure whether they had switched to euros or not.

Do the sterling notes have irish markings on, e,g, like scottish pounds?

I would prefer giving bank sort code and account number, but I hear horror stories of bank details being cloned etc.

dmc1980

We use bank of england notes but also have others, including First Trust Bank, Ulster Bank, Nothern Bank and Bank of Ireland. They all produce their own notes and are all UK Sterking that can be used anywhere in the UK, just like Scotland.

SPEN555

Cheers DMC, I will bear that in mind should he want to leave a deposit.

Damian.

Jap2Scrap

Not this bloke is it?

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Just what I was about to say!!

Make it clear to the individual that the car will not under any circumstances be released untill the money is in your account!

I'd insist on a chaps payment personally!

NS04

TonyFlow

If not, you could phone the issuing bank of a bankers draft and confirm its validity with serial no. etc!

SPEN555

Hell fire! Cheers for that guys. I will insist on a CHAPS payment in that case.

Moray

Bankers cheques now should have a telephone number on the back to call and confirm cheque is genuine. Call costs about 30 - 40 p to make.

SPEN555

But a forger could just have his mate at the other end answer it and say it is legitimate?

Moray

And I might grow **** sometime as well.

jbwrx300

and remember all that money that was stolen from the bank in Belfast who then withdrew all their notes and issued new ones, there must be millions of the old notes knocking about - I wouldnt touch cash from Northern Ireland.


LOL, Euros, northern ireland!!!!

As I haveposted many many times, bankers draft is fine so long as you phone the issuing bank to verify authenticity, even better, take the buyer down the local issuing bank for even more security - they will be on camera in the bank then!

When a bankers draft is made up, the money is withdrawn from the buyers account and is held by the bank. Therefore a bankers draft is cleared funds.

Electronic transfer is only a good option in theory - you still dont know who you are giving your bank details to. Trust me, until 2 months ago I worked in a retail bank and came across all the scams known to man.

Pootle

See that warning about the Irish conman/thief, but also be aware that there are lots of legitimate people in Northern Ireland trying to buy secondhand cars in England simply because the model they want was not bought new in NI (usually because of the crippling insurance costs over there).

Supply and demand means that they can get a £4.99 Queasy Jet flight to London, buy a car that would cost thousands more, or simply not be available in NI, then head home on the ferry and spend the savings on a years TP insurance.

A friend of mine who dabbles in secondhand cars has sold his last three 325s/328s to buyers from NI without any problems. He was very suspicous that there wasn't the usual haggling and walking-away, until he realised that the buyer wasn't exactly in the strongest position, being 300 miles and a flight from home, but was still getting a bargain compared to the price he would have paid at home!

So, don't be too suspicous, but don't be stupid either!!

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

No good mate, as if this was a conman, they would simply 'conveniently' arrive late after the banks closed and give some sob story! You wouldn't send a person back to Ireland without the car just for the formality of waiting for what looks like a perfectly good bankers draft presented by someone with apparently valid ID would you!? Of course you probably wouldn't; you're a nice guy!

Bang, you've lost the car and your money for your kindness!

Do NOT I repeat DO NOT hand over the keys untill you can see the money in your account WHATEVER the excuses!!! CHAPS is the safest way. Bank drafts are fine BUT YOU MUST check with the issuing bank BEFORE you hand over the keys. IF you can't do this for whatever reason, the keys stay with you!!

NS04

BTW advice applies to anyone selling a car, regardless of location of would be buyer. We're only focusing on Ireland as there appears to be a well know con-man operating from there who's already stolen one Scooby.

Midget

What would be the best method of payment? Will a bankers cheque be okay? Or would that be in Euro's. I don't want to get into a mess over this if it does go through.

Sad really how later generations are ignorant as to how many countries your
fore fathers invaded in their efforts to rule the waves !!!

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

IF and only IF you can phone the issuing bank and confirm the validity of the draft!! DO not hand over the keys if you cannot do this, regardless of what sob story you get from the buyer!

If you want no hassle and a completely safe transaction (for a small fee) use CHAPS.

NS04

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

Good advice in the post above - ##### BUT IMPORTANT #####

Just because the money is showing in your account from a bank draft or cheque, DOESNT mean its going to stay there !

What will happen is the bank will accept the bank draft, pay it into your account and it will show on the balance - they wont actually find out its a forgery until a few days later, and BANG, the money gets taken back out of your account.

This is exactly why the scammers now use fake band drafts / building society cheques etc... because they know sellers feel secure, see the money in their account and hand over the goods.

Phoning to check the validity is fine IF you can check beforehand the number is actually of the bank, otherwise the scammer will have a mate answering the phone - remember these people are very sophisticated now - if they can produce those card readers to fix onto cashpoint machines, having some girl answer the phone and pretend to be a bank isnt that hard.

I think unless the buyer brings cash, the only safe way to do it is for them to make two trips - one to view the car and agree the price and leave payment with you, then come back in a week when you have paid it in, given time for it to properly clear and get the bank to verify its genuine, THEN they can come back and get the car.

Dont forget, as far as giving people your bank details - you do this every time you pay by cheque for something - so CHAPS, getting the buyer to pay cash into your account in their local branch of your bank etc... are pretty safe.

I've sold quite a few sportsbikes over the years, and you wouldnt believe some of the really amateurish scams people have tried to pull - turning up with a mate, saying 'let me ride the bike round to the bank to get the money out - my mate will stay here as security' ! but also some very sophisticated ones - having been nearly caught out by a fake building society cheque, the lure of having the money and selling the item can often override your common sense.

SPEN555

I have e-mailed him as he rang asking for the reg number so maybe he wants to take it at the weekend? So I suggested a CHAPS transfer and in any event I won't release the car until I have cleared funds in my account.

So I will see what the response to that is.

TonyFlow

I would expect the draft to have been drawn at least a day before, and would want the number beforehand - to save any "problems" when the chap arrives! If they were not to give me the number, then they would be told to not bother coming over! Afraid to say that when an x amount of £thousands is on the line, not many people are "nice guys!" - I certainly wouldnt hand the car over until I had spoke to the issuing bank (even if that meant no sale!)!

the rook

FFS, who are 'they'? are there parts of england that have switched to euros? no, why? because like northern ireland its part of the UK, thus the currency is sterling.

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

You do need to be firm and professional about it - think like a car dealer would. If the buyer is genuine and really wants the car, then they won't mind paying in whatever way you say you want the money.

If they are genuine, but want to risk losing out on buying the car cos they cant be bothered going to a little bit of extra trouble, then forget about them.

If they are a scammer, they'll leave it as soon as they think you are being overly suspicious.

jbwrx300

Well to be honest, yes I would if this was the method of payment we had agreed on. Fact is, if you cant verify it, you dont hand the car over. If they kick off, you walk away or offer to go halves with them on a local travel inn asa agesture of goodwill and sort it in the morning. If they give you any BS or labour the point then forget it.

Speaking more on the fellers question, if the buyer from Northern Ireland turns up after the bank has closed, assuming he is going to drive the car away that day which he most likely wants to do, he would have to agree and complete the deal during opening hours so that a chaps payment could be processed - so either way, turning up at 5.00 would not see him drive the car away that day.

I hear what you are saying, but the only way someone can get done over with a bank draft is if they are stupid and or greedy. I know that some on here have been done over with bank drafts, and I'm sorry for their loss - but the statement is true. You follow the correct steps and you get the money no hassle. If anything seems off, walk away.

In 9 years in banking, the only people I have seen who have been done by bank drafts are those who have put greed (getting rid of the goods) before common sense and have not followed the steps to protect themselves.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

I agree completely that its safe if you follow the rules mate. But I don't think it's always greed that has motivated some people to make mistakes. In the case on here where someone lost his Type R, the Scammer pulled the "arriving late trick", but had a very good quality forgery of a draft and produced I.D. Now, you and I know that's not nearly enough. Experience is a wonderful thing if you have it! :-) Bbut the person concenred obviously didn't and was reluctant to send the man back to Ireland empty handed for what they thought was just a formality! You can see how a decent, trustworthy person can get caught out.

These scumbags pray on good, decent folk and such people do get caught out for reasons other than greed.

One thing is certain though: greed is always the downfall of these types of Scumbags!

NS04

SPEN555

IIRC, NI seem to be a law to themselves. I don't see bombproof land rovers round my way

Pootle

You don't read the papers, or live in London/Birmingham/Leeds then...

It's only a matter of time now before "they all 'ave 'em"!!

(Tasty tuned Jag engines in many of those Landies, BTW )

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

You have to remember a lot of people are very trusting as well, and arent cynical enought to expect the worst ! Conmen prey on these people, and most conmen seem like very nice people, often turning up with 'wife' or 'kids' who are in on the scam

( and not being racist or anti anyone here ) the pikeys and Irish travellers are often the worst in this respect as stealing and ripping people off is a way of life for them - the kids are bought up to do it, and the whole extended family are often involved.

If the OP is in any doubt - watch ****** and ask yourself - would I sell my car to any of these people, even for cash ??

9 times out of 10 its down to sellers greed, but often nice trusting people can be caught out just because they are nice and trusting, and assume other people are just like them.