Buying Used Cars - Prices Too Good To Be True

cwcw

I am half-looking at buying a "new" used car, i.e. if one pops up at a bargain price when I'm looking online then I will consider buying it. Over the weekend I have found 2 real bargains, both BMW 1 series, for much, much lower than the book price. I have emailed both sellers separately and both have come back with similar stories - they've recently moved abroad, taken the car with them, can't sell it abroad so selling it in the UK and it can be shipped to my door and all handled by the shipping company. Is this some kind of well known scam technique that I don't know about? I've only bought one other used car before and that was from a reputable dealer. I know the saying goes if something seems too good to be true then it usually is, but that doesn't always have to be the case, does it?

Smi1er

If you have to ask.....

Let me give you some clues....

If it's too good to be true then usual it is...

Contact the seller and find out where they are... tell them no need to ship as your brother is 50 miles from there next week on business so he will view the car, pay cash and drive home... then listen to the excuses.

anewman

Well known scam.

You send your money to them, they give you a fake tracking code for a fake tracking website. Basically you end up with no money, and no car.

The only thing you should consider doing with these scamsters (who are most likely in nigeria) is called scam baiting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scam_baiting

cwcw

One of them is offering to use AutoTrader's payment protection program.

Have sent him a bit of a baiting email for a laugh. :rotfl:

anewman

Do be careful though, don't give away too much personal info

I have no idea how Autotrader's payment protection works, but if it's anything like Ebay's and Paypals protection things I wouldn't be holding out any hope.

cwcw

I've been using an aliased email address from the start since they seemed a bit suspect. I'm now an international businessman, travelling to an overseas sales office next month. :rotfl:

topgunnerp

Be careful! Avoid like the plague. Look at this article I just found:
http://www.parkers.co.uk/news/News/s...r-buying-scam/

It's becoming increasingly more frequent.

Does this sound familiar?
http://www.parkers.co.uk/Scam-e-mails/
http://www.data-wales.co.uk/nigerian.htm