After some advice;

Currently trying to sell a car as we now longer need it. I’ve been contacted by a potential buyer, after a few emails we have agreed on a price. Now, the thing is, she claims to be recovering from surgery and is therefore homebound so cannot view the car. This also means that she won’t be able to collect the car so is going to be getting a delivery agent to collect it for her.

I’m fairly sure it’s legit, but theres a little niggle in the back of my mind that this might be a scam. Obviously I’m not going to part with the car, keys or sign over ownership until I have the money (cold, hard cash or cleared into my account).

Does it sound legit, or totally dodgey?

Does it sound legit or dodgey?

If she’s buying the car without her or someone else looking at it and haggling then I’d be *very* wary.

Do your research, some money transfers can be reversed can’t they?

Sounds like a scam to me. I’d hold out for buyer I could meet.

Ask how they want to pay, sounds very dodgy.

Sounds a little iffy no doubt on a number of levels. If nothing else why would she be buying a car straight after surgery when she is homebound? She obviously won’t be able to use it, so:

1) It may be for someone else
2) She must think your car is absolutely amazing and simply has to have it so that it is ready for her as soon as she’s able to drive again

Wouldn’t you just go looking for a car when you were able to?

Hmmm not sure, but I’m a hell of a cynic

As a rule of thumb, if you have to ask, it’s dodgy.

I’d wager it’d be some form of reversible payment which will leave you without car or money.

cold hard cash – the only way.

Sounds dodgy.

Why wouldn’t she wait until she has recovered to buy a car? Is there something special about yours?

Ask her who the delivery agent is – see if they’re legit?

Tell her cash only, and see if she accepts.

These are all the questions I’ve been asking myself. It’s nothing fancy, a Ford Fiesta.

She wants to pay via Paypal. Going to have a read through their information to see how easy it is to reverse.

say cash or nothing.

Paypal payment will be reversed at some point.

Do not accept PayPal for a car.

100% dodgy!

Keep emailing and you will be asked in some way to western union money somewhere!

Watch out for bad english, telltale sign!

She wants to pay via Paypal. Going to have a read through their information to see how easy it is to reverse.

VERY easy. 100% scam for sure. I wouldn’t even respond to “her” anymore.

Watch out for bad Eenglish, telltale sign!

*narrows eyes at walla24*

She wants to pay via Paypal. Going to have a read through their information to see how easy it is to reverse.

a paypal payment can totally be reversed – don’t accept it for anything collected in person as ebay/paypal’s despute system relies on tracking numbers and proof of postage.

Scammer make the paypal payment in advance , item is collected in person, buyer then claims via paypal that item was not received and you’ve no proof that the item was dispatched. And nothing (not a signature, or a photo, or a witness) other than a tracking number / proof of postage counts as evidence of that (in pay pal’s eyes)

So paypal for things you post or courier, but cash only for anything collected or delivered in person.

DON’T tell her your address until you have some solid payment.

Keep any eye out for fake paypal deposits

….but you never know, could be legit 😀

She wants to pay via Paypal.

The gotcha here is that Paypal do not provide transaction protection when buying cars.

Tell her to jog on.

(Also, what Macthingy said)

get a phone number and share,

i rang “mike” yesterday 07538608112 to discuss payment on my bike….was immediately thrown by lack of claimed russian accent….then abusive mails allegedly from paypal.

nasty scummy folk, just hope no little old ladies get conned!

Scam scam scam, all the way. Why does she need the car so badly if she’s recovering from surgery? Sending an “agent” to collect the car is a sure scam because it keeps the “buyer” out of the fraud. Cash or nothing.

If it’s cash check it’s not forged as well,

There’ll be other buyers. No need to bother with this one – legit or not is it worth chancing?

Watch out for bad english, telltale sign!

That’s the last time I buy anything off the classifieds! 🙂

It will be either:

1 A fake PayPal account

or

2 The PayPal account will stop working at the last minute and they will ask you send the money by Western Union money transfer instead.

Who has an “agent” apart from the secret services?! Surely it would be a “colleague”, “friend” or “workmate”?

Avoid, I’d say.

I once bought a £20k car on ebay 150 miles away. They still had one payment to pay on it so owed £20,676, so he paid £676 into my account before I’d viewed the car or even met him and I transferred the cash as soon as I arrived there and was happy with everything.

He obviously decided to trust me, but I did think ‘blimey!’ at the time. Eight years on I still have the car as its been too good to get rid.

This also means that she won’t be able to collect the car so is going to be getting a delivery agent to collect it for her.

You’re a decent chap, why not offer to deliver it and pick up the cash while you’re there?

She wants to pay via Paypal.

What could possibly go wrong with that!?

Cash, or do one, IMO.

Its a really common scam

Happened to my brother when he was selling his car.

He even got a fake confirmation email from “Paypal”

His “buyer” worked on a submarine so couldn’t view or collect the car.

Its worth stringing them along for a giggle once you have identified its a scam and seeing just how stupid the excuses get