Was it a scam or have I made a boo-boo?

tsb

I put my car for sale on Ebay a couple of weeks ago, Classified ad with a Best Offer facility. Its a family hatchback, seven year old, low mileage, good condition nothing extra special but good value vehicle at £2.5k, I think. Had a few Best Offers come through wanting several hundred pounds off which I rejected.

First phone call comes through on Saturday night, at 10pm. This bloke is in London (I'm in Lancashire), he's got a client who is desperate for the exact make, colour and model of my car with low mileage. Told me the background of the 'elderly gentleman' who needs a reliable vehicle to travel daily to see his wife who is in a care home with alzheimers. He asked me a few questions about the vehicle itself and asked if I would be happy to knock £100 off the asking price, I said yes and he placed a Best Offer on Ebay whilst talking to me. He mentioned paying by Bank Transfer upfront and then arranging delivery of the car maybe meeting him half-way. I replied that I'll discuss it with my Husband and ring him back Sunday Morning.

Ok, all sorts of alarm bells ringing here and it all sounds too good to be true. Decided on Sunday morning to reject the offer through Ebay with a message expressing my doubts on the deal and I wouldn't be selling him the car. Went out for a couple of hours and returned to a answerphone message and several calls from his mobile, saying all he needed was my address for the delivery driver to collect the vehicle. I sent a message to his mobile repeating my Ebay message. Within a couple of minutes, he rings again, I answer. He's less than happy, he's arranged everything, told his client he's done the deal and his client is transferring the money to him. He doesn't understand my problem, he's taking all the risks, not me. I explain that this is sounds like a classic scam detailed all over the internet, that I hadn't agreed to anything nor did I give him the go-ahead to arrange a transporter for collecting the vehicle. He then says he'll pay cash sent with the delivery driver and the driver will take me to the bank before leaving. Fine, (would that have really happened?) but he still did not offer any personal information about himself for me to verify him being geniune.

Sunday afternoon there was another call from a mobile number (no message left) then another Best Offer placed on Ebay, same amount from another person in the same area... coincidence??

I have removed the Ebay advert. I now can't trust any enquiries that come through. Is it that difficult to sell a car privately these days? It has been a few years since I did it last, the same way through Ebay, but didn't have these issues. So what do you think, scam or geniune?

Ranger8

I can`t see the problem if the buyer is paying in cash.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Think you might have dropped a clanger.

Bank transfer, it's in your bank and that's it, cash in the bank, can't get fairer than that either.

Al1x

It they are paying cash then it can't really go wrong can it? I'm not sure i'd be happy with the delivery driving taking me to the bank though, sounds a bit odd.

poppasmurf_bewdley

From reading your Opening Post, I think you have done the right thing. All this blokes story was missing was a little old lady going to church!

passatrider

It does sound like a scam to me to be honest. I'd steer clear of Ebay perhaps and try the Autotrader route or local classifieds perhaps?

tsb

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Think you might have dropped a clanger.

Bank transfer, it's in your bank and that's it, cash in the bank, can't get fairer than that either.

From what I've read on here alone, Bank Transfers can be cancelled by the purchaser or even done through stolen bank details then retracted weeks after when the owner of the account realises that they have been hacked into. Not sure you can make a decision on that alone.

thenudeone

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Think you might have dropped a clanger.

Bank transfer, it's in your bank and that's it, cash in the bank, can't get fairer than that either.

Not true at all.

There is no way you can tell whether the funds are legitimate or from a hacked bank account, credit card or paypal account.

I would say - Cash or nothing!

blacksta

Stick to the autotrader route - It has never failed me -

sarahg1969

blacksta wrote: »

Stick to the autotrader route - It has never failed me -

We advertised on Autotrader, and a similar thing happened to us last weekend.

JQ.

I think you've done the right thing, a bank transfer is not the same as cash and can be recalled. In those circumstances there's no way I'd have accepted that deal.