Buying a car abroad - advice needed.

johndaman66

Hi folks,

Not 100% sure if I'm in the correct forum but think I am:). Yesterday I was looking through the online buy and sell and spotted a car for sale which seemed a complete bargain so I emailed the seller. His response was that the car was perfect and with low mileage an service history etc. However, he was in United States and was selling the car who belonged to and he had originally bought for his sister but she had since passed away and hence he was selling the car. He had bought the car for his sister when she resided in the Republic of Ireland but then she moved to England and hence the car is in Liverpool (even though the car is Irish registered as such).

As such he provisionally arranged to meet me in England on Saturday next (9th of August) to view the car and close the contract if I am satisfied with the car. But as such before he makes the journey from the United states to England and ensure I am completely interested in the car and will show up as such that I mail the money to myself in Liverpool (well get someone else to mail it as the sender cannot be the receiver) using Western Union and email him a copy of the receipt from this transaction before he makes the journey. This is because he had arranged to meet someone before in Liverpool to sell the car and after he made journey they never showed up or answered his calls or emails. Which I do appreciate is a long journey and costly also. I have done nothing yet and just want to find out if this is a possible scam before I do proceed any further. The car is being sold for 5,500 euro and if it is as described in the advertisement would be worth more in the region of 15,000 euro.

Hopefully someone may have encountered a similar or heard of a similar situation and may be able to advise me on it as such. Is there anyway I can tell if he is genuine or is there a possibility I stand to loose 5,500 euro if I go ahead with the transaction?

Thanks in advance for all assistance.

maclad

....scam! There's loads of people on boards alone that have already come across this. Just search the motors forum. That scam is all over carzone:pac:

johndaman66

Thanks for advice Maclad. Was thinking myself it was too good to be true really. The car a 2005 Toyota avensis 1.6 saloon is selling for 5,500 euro and with only 10.5k on it and a full service history. Such a car would quite easily have a value of 15,000 euro if not a lot more with that kind of mileage. I can see a picture of the car in the buy and sell and can read the registration plate from it. Is it possible to find out who the car is registered to/ outstanding finance on it etc. from this for my own curiosity or is it not even worth checking this out?

Guy:Incognito

johndaman66 wrote: »

Thanks for advice Maclad. Was thinking myself it was too good to be true really. The car a 2005 Toyota avensis 1.6 saloon is selling for 5,500 euro and with only 10.5k on it and a full service history. Such a car would quite easily have a value of 15,000 euro if not a lot more with that kind of mileage. I can see a picture of the car in the buy and sell and can read the registration plate from it. Is it possible to find out who the car is registered to/ outstanding finance on it etc. from this for my own curiosity or is it not even worth checking this out?

There is no car. I'll bet you any money if you search through Carzone or the like you will find the same pics on another ad.

maclad

Try cartell.ie, its not free though. But i'll bet you'll find the same pics on another ad somewhere like carzone. Just search for the same particulars, they usually steal the pics from legit ads.

sunnysoutheast

100% it's a scam. He'd try to get the money by claiming to be you at the WU office.

Of course I couldn't possibly suggest you send a fake receipt to him, make him waste his time if he tries to collect.

SSE

jor el

Scam baiting, ooh yeah. You can have great fun with that, just don't ever give them any of your real details (name, address, phone etc). Try to waste as much of their time as possible.

johndaman66

Thanks for all the assistance folks. Unbelieveable that in this day and age people are getting away with such scams all the same. Not saying it can't be done but if it can surley billions of euro is being stolen of people every day and such services are way too dodgy to use in the first place. He said he has all the cars documention. Would it be worth asking him to forward me scanned copies of such documentation before I send him any copy of receipt for WU transfer...Not that I will be making such a transfer but just to waste his time as you suggested Jor El and to see his response also. Not sure how I would go about making up a forged receipt as one other poster suggested?

foggy_lad

its a scam but if the op wants to take a chance on losing €5,500 you can send it to me instead of this other chancer and i'll send you the car wherever you want it sent!

if it looks too good to be true then it is!!

as for asking him to send scanned documents yes he probably has good quality fakes already prepared to send to you making it harder for you to turn down the bargain of a lifetime! and so many of these scammers get away with it because fools and their money are so easily parted and genuine people are very reluctant to go to the police when they have been so stupid as to gift thousands to someone they have never seen or even spoken to!

johndaman66

foggy_lad wrote: »

its a scam but if the op wants to take a chance on losing €5,500 you can send it to me instead of this other chancer and i'll send you the car wherever you want it sent!

if it looks too good to be true then it is!!

Thanks foggy_lad and to everyone who contributed. I don't think anyone suggested that I go through with the deal all the same to be fair about it. OP's suggested that I attempt waste his time and mess him around in the same way that he is attempting to mess me around.

Guy:Incognito

johndaman66 wrote: »

Thanks for all the assistance folks. Unbelieveable that in this day and age people are getting away with such scams all the same.

Doesnt really matter whether it's now or 20 years ago. Theres a plentifull supply of gullible and/or stupid people to scam money from.