Genuine or dodgy car buyer?

[HiAsAKite 0]

Just had a response from someone concerning my Golf which is for sale on the net... question is is this dodgy?

 

Here's my advert: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=13810&s=176

 

And here's the're e-mail.. (anonymised by me)

 

Hello Alex,

I saw you have for sale the above named.I am intrested in purchasing it.I

intend to pay through wire transfer.I am okay with end price of 1000 pounds.

Please get back to me as soon as you get this mail.

regards,

 

A few question: Is there anything I should know about wire transfers? And secondly.. someone agreeing to buy before they've seen the car (ok.. they've seen pics) seems a bit too eager.....

Maybe he intends to see the car and then do the transfer.. can anyone help me on the wire transfer bit/ any pit falls I should look for?

 

Thanks all,

 

Al.

[Storm 0]

Millions of dodgy guys sending mails through, its more than likely a scam. He hasn't seen the car and he's okay with the price. The ad age is 59 days, and he hasn't tried to chip you a dime.

 

Send him a mail asking why he wants wire transfer, you'll never hear from him again or he'll give you a real cock & Bull story about the non existant funds being abroad.

 

BE SAFE.

 

Rik.

[dr_mat 0]

He's gonna pay you over the odds?

Fine good luck to ya, but if he starts asking things like "sending my mate to pick it up", you'd better hold the car until you're absolutely certain the money is in your bank and CLEARED. In fact, make absolutely sure you can take the money OUT of your account into another one, BEFORE you part with the keys.

You're right to think it sounds a little suss, but it'd be silly to refuse the guy a chance to prove his innocence (as it were)... Just don't be tempted to release the car till you have the cash in your hand, no matter how he pleads..

[HiAsAKite 0]

Thanks mate.. all your advice IS appreciated.......I'm give him the chance to prove his innocence.. but I can't see anyone buying a car without seeing or driving it! (aside from the photo's.. after all how does he know its the same car or I didn't prang it after taking them? (for the record I didn't and they are!.. but anyway)..

 

What info do I need to give for someone to make a wire transfer.. and how do I know when the money really is in my account and cannot be withdrawn/cancelled?

 

 

 

Your help is really appreciated

[VR6 0]

I'd would be very wary!

 

Heard lot's of people having concerns about very similar enquiries and worded in the same fashion.

 

The lack of good English also hints that it's a Nigerian or someone similar.

 

I bet he wants to pay by Western Union - I'd put money on it.

[dr_mat 0]

You just need to give them a sort code and an account number, AFAIK. There might be an International Banking Number or something tho.

 

Best bet is to call your bank and ask them their advice.

 

If it's an electronic fund transfer it won't clear for a few days, and basically he'll have to wait. You keep calling your bank until they tell you the funds are cleared, and then you get them to transfer the entire sum to another account you hold (remember to not leave enough in the account to cover this payment) - in another bank. (You have got a spare account, haven't you?!) Once it's over there you can be confident the money is really yours (after all your bank has released the funds to you).

Unless he's talking about wire money as in Western Union.. if so I have no idea!!

[dr_mat 0]

I typed western union BEFORE VR6!! Spooky!

 

One more comment - I don't think there's anything anyone can do to defraud you of funds if all they have is your sort code and account number. I honestly can't think of a scam that would work from just that information.

 

And yeah the weak English skills are often a give-away, but unless you've got another buyer lined up you may aswell play along, aslong as you're keeping yourself protected.

[HiAsAKite 0]

Cheers guys.... how does western union work?

[VR6 0]

Took me a while to think of the name - knew it had Western at the start :)

 

Dr_Mat is correct - he would just need an account name/number and sort code. Possibly the details of a correspondent bank in the UK ie his bank might use HSBC in London as a contact bank in the UK and they then pay the funds onto your account with whichever bank you are with.

 

Ask yourself though - why would someone from abroad (I assume he is abroad because why would someone in the UK need to pay by wire transfer?) want to pay the full asking price for a car he has never seen!

 

Tell him that, if he is abroad, you'll only accept cash (GBP) delivered to you by courier. You'll never hear from him again - or if you do, it will be to say that he wants to pay by Western Union.

[VR6 0]

http://www.fraudaid.com/scamwarnings/41 ... rticle.htm

[HiAsAKite 0]

Ta mate!

[CaiosG60 PWR 0]

I wouldn't bother with it. They may only be after your bank details to rip you off. Why do a bank transfer when they have to come pick the car up anyway.

 

I had a really funny email from somebody claiming to be a relation of an exailed president of some obscure African country. Asking to use my account to transfer there money to this country. All they needed was my bank details!! :lol: Sound a bit to good to be true?????? :lol: :lol:

[stormseeker 0]

Or more commonly the interested party is a foreigner in this country, ("Asylum Seeker" etc.) citing the fact that all their funds are overseas as a reson for using wire transfer.

 

They then pay a dodgy cheque into your account, telling you that they've done a wire transfer. The scam is that if you're not savvy enough to check for cleared funds, most punters just see their balance go up by the agreed amount and think that as its supposedly a wire transfer it's safe.

 

Then you part with the keys etc. only to be greeted by a letter from your bank 7 to 10 days later telling you that a cheque has bounced - giving Mr Dodgy long a time to vanish in...

[HiAsAKite 0]

Ok everyone.... I am 99.99% sure this is a scam.... I'll see where this goes.. here's the e-mails we've had so far....

 

Original e-mail

>

> >From:

> >Reply-

> >To: "

> >Subject: RE: 'Mk2 8v Golf GTi (recon engine)' at PistonHeads.com

> >Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 11:38:09 GMT

> >

> >Hello Alex,

> > I saw you have for sale the above named.I am intrested in purchasing

> >it.I intend to pay through wire transfer.I am okay with end price of 1000

> >pounds. Please get back to me as soon as you get this mail.

> >regards,

> >Tony.

 

 

My response:

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From:

Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 20:52:18 +0000

To:

Subject: RE: 'Mk2 8v Golf GTi (recon engine)' at PistonHeads.co

 

> Tony,

>

> Hello. Where are you based etc? Whilst I guessing you've seen the photos

> read the blurb, I imagine you would want to see and drive it before parting

> with your money?

> Wire transfer is fine in principle, however we would need to wait until I

> have confirmation from my bank before I could release the car or V5 to you.

>

> Let me know what you want to do,

>

> Regards,

>

> Alex

>

> PS: My mobile is XXXXXXXXX.. I tend to be in a lot of meetings during

> the day but if you leave a message and land-line/mob I can call you back

>

 

His response:

 

 

 

>Hello Alex,

> I am in the Netherland.Thank you for acknowledging my terms of

>payment.To further with the payment,the following will be required.

>1. BANK NAME

>2. BANK ADDRESS

>3. BANK PHONE NUMBER AND FAX

>4. ACCOUNT HOLDERS NAME

>5. ACCOUNT NUMBER

>6. SORT CODE

>7. ABA/ROUTING NUMBER.

> Once all these information as been provided.Payment would be

>made.Thank you for wanting to transact with me.

>Regards,

>Tony.

 

 

Yeah right!... my response to this..

 

>Tony,

>

>Good to hear from you, when would you like to come and see the car and test drive it, >and what would your collection arrangements be?

>

>Regards,

>

>Alex

 

 

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?? Will keep you posted..

[Bournemouth James 0]

I had 2 emails similar to yours when i was selling my 16v

 

the best thing to do is ignore them

[HiAsAKite 0]

Ok latest news.. no new e-mails, but the webmaster on the site where the Golf is advertised has traced 'Tony's' IP address to Nigeria.. so what we thought all along..

[dr_mat 0]

"the netherland" .. of nigeria, clearly....

 

LOL!

 

He couldn't even figure out that "netherlands" should have an "s" on it! Anyone who lived there wouldn't make that mistake...

 

Well at least you know now...

[Rado16v 0]

Or more commonly the interested party is a foreigner in this country, ("Asylum Seeker" etc.) citing the fact that all their funds are overseas as a reson for using wire transfer.

 

They then pay a dodgy cheque into your account, telling you that they've done a wire transfer. The scam is that if you're not savvy enough to check for cleared funds, most punters just see their balance go up by the agreed amount and think that as its supposedly a wire transfer it's safe.

 

Then you part with the keys etc. only to be greeted by a letter from your bank 7 to 10 days later telling you that a cheque has bounced - giving Mr Dodgy long a time to vanish in...

 

Thats exactly how my mate lost a £7k Passat tdi, be very very warned.

[Matt 0]

The Nigerian's don't take your car away, they wire you more than the agreed amount (prob something like 1100 in this case) then they ask you to wire them back the overpayment amount urgently. Then thier payment bounces but yours doesn't and they get 100 notes for nothing.

 

Then your bank probably charge you for writing to tell you about it as well.

[HiAsAKite 0]

Ok all.. its definitely a scam... however its great fun writing to this guy.... here's the latest exchange... in response to my last e-mail he sent:

 

"Hello Alex, As i have told you in previous mail that I am in the Netherland,but i have my Shipping Company in Dubai.I don't think there is a need for that because I am believing everything is in good driving condition.So I will like us finish the transaction before I bring my Shipper to come for the pick-up of the car.I believe all title papers for the cars are intact. Regards, Tony. "

 

 

This had me laughing... my response was...

 

""Tony,

 

Thank you for your e-mail. I somewhat confused that you are using a Dubai based shipping company when you are based in the Netherlands:- after all the UK and Holland are only a couple of hours ferry apart and the use of a shipping company (particularly based so far away) seems slightly excessive.

 

I am also very suprised that you are happy to purchase this car without seeing, or even test driving it, expecially given it is a right hand drive vehicle produced for the UK market when you could obtain a far more suitable left hand drive example in Holland, or if not there by a short drive over the border to Germany (and probably cheaper to, once you take the shipping costs into account).

 

All of this however, is nothing compared to the confusion I have at the fact that, although purporting to be in Holland, your IP address is based in Nigeria. I was unaware that this was a distant dutch colony, having believed Nigeria to have gained independence from foreign rule (British I believe) a good many years ago.

 

Perhaps you could help me with my confusion,

 

Best regards,

 

Alex""

 

I think he'll realise the game is up now a not bother replying... however if he does, I can't wait to see what excuses he'll come up with ......

[VR6 0]

Very good! :)

[CaiosG60 PWR 0]

Very funny. He has a shiping company in Dubai :lol: and wants an old Golf? What a mupet! :lol: I hope he replies!!!!!! Bet he won't though, gutted. Give us his email so we can try and sell him some of the worst cars that we can find on the net! :lol: :lol:

[HiAsAKite 0]

I'll give him a few days.... if no reply.. its open season!

[CaiosG60 PWR 0]

........ its open season!

 

 

:lol: :twisted: :lol: :lol: :twisted: (chuckles in evil way)