Quick opinions needed
Selling a car spares or repair 300 quid on gumtree
Bloke messages saying he’ll pay the 300 quid if I can drop it off at his house, reasonably locally as he hasn’t got insurance.
Perhaps I’m paranoid but it’s the roughest area around here.
So, should I be wary or am I over thinking it?

Take it. Whats the worst that can happen – he offers less, and you either accept it, or take it back home.

Whats the worst that can happen

OP is mugged and suffers life changing injuries. As a result his wife leaves him, taking the kids. This sends him into a spiral of depression which a causes his work to be affected. He loses his job. Falls behind on mortgage payments, and finally ends up living in the bins round the back of an Iceland doing sexual favours for passing truckers to fund his meth habit.

….probably be fine tho. Just remember, if you don’t feel comfortable, just say no.

The truckers might not take no for an answer

Sounds like a decent bloke if he’s actively concerned about driving it without insurance tbh

I was selling a LWB van a few years ago and it wasn’t getting much interest in Autotrader. I got a call around 9pm one evening from a clearly drunk gentleman who said he’d give me the asking price in cash on condition that a) the van was watertight, b) I’d take it across town for him that evening – he’d had ‘a few’ and best not drive.

I agreed, albeit with caution – he sounded plausible even with a bit of questioning – and left his house on my bike an hour later with backpack of cash. Talk to your fella on the phone – you’ll know soon enough if you’re comfortable with his plan.

haha, Jamie’s reply is what I was looking for 🙂
cheered me up anyway

I use gumtree a lot but am extra cautious. There’s a lot of weirdos out there, and compared to eBay less buyer protection I think.

I’m sure the guy is fine but I always insist they send me their phone number and then I call them first to suss out whether they’re an axe murderer.

PS I don’t directly ask the question “are you an axe murderer”

Sounds pretty normal for Gumtree. There are some weirdos and timewasters out there that’s for sure. I’ve sold quite a bit over the years, the timewasters are pretty easy to spot now – they always have a little added complication to bring to the deal then ultimately they go quiet. Normally it’s something to do with their bank card or paypal account. I even had one guy insist on looking at a motorbike after dark even though I told him it would be pitch black. Needless to say he turned up, faffed about in the gloom and left without it. I was convinced he’d come to case it as it was so daft so i moved it for a few days. Another bike the guy said yes then faffed around all week trying to get the money, kept ringing and telling me his atm card was playing up. Sold it to a guy 300 miles away, rang me up had a brief chat then drove up with the cash there and then. Then there was a guy who was ‘interested’ in a bike frame I was selling. Came to look, said he’d think about it ( ie don’t want it), then kept ringing up and umming and arrging. I actually think he was just lonely.

Legit punter’s don’t mess about IME

+1 for talking on the phone

No news, so he’s probably took the van round, been locked up in a gimp suit in the back of the van, driven round to disorientate him, before he is ritually abused then left to die in a box dug in the ground.

Or is that just my mad imagination?

No that’s Gumtree for you

as said, standard gumtree behaviour . like ebay but on a more local, personal level and less counterfeit chinese goods.

“Yeah mate I’ll take the motor if you drop it round”

“do you live near Waitrose?”

“No mate”

<click>

“….mate?”

So we’re all in agreement the OP is locked in the boot of his own car?

The buyer will have changed his mind by now so there’s no danger.

“Yeah mate I’ll take the motor if you drop it round”

“do you live near Waitrose?”

“No mate”

<click>

“….mate?”

Or on a car up for £600

“Will you take £250?”

<click>

The buyer will have changed his mind by now so there’s no danger.

Indeed.

*knocks on door*

“Hi, It’s Spev with the car”

“Yeah, about that, not interested now. I could have let you know, but I still fancied me some murderin’….now get in the boot”

Nope still alive and I’m not writing this from a boot or basement

He’s locked in the boot and the gumtree baddie has identity-thefted his STW log-in. Won’t somebody please think of the children!

send him this link – let him pick it up/murder you in the comfort of your own home.

https://cuvva.com/sharing

Cuvva

Stupid name, but great idea.

ive used it for my van – its parked up 99.99% of the time, i just insure it for a few hours/day as and when needed.
If only it was possible to do the same with road tax (or whatever it called nowadays)