Car buying advice - potential scam?

Yolina

arcon5 wrote: »

Go see the car and bring it back yourself.

Yep, though what are the chances that if the OP tells the "seller" that they're going to Scotland to look at the car, then they'll be told that it's been sold already or some other excuse

thenudeone

Scam. avoid at all costs.

Stoke

xapprenticex wrote: »

imo avoid gumtree, granted its subjective though.

Its not like I've had the best of luck outside of gumtree though...

You don't need to avoid Gumtree, you just need to avoid being an idiot.

Anything that sounds even remotely shady, aka "I'm selling this on behalf of my grans cousins best mates brother, he's currently out the country in Tajikistan and the car is currently off the port of South Spain but is being shipped home on a floating door next Monday" is almost certainly a scam.

Find a car on Gumtree within a distance, go visit, check documentation and do routine car buyer checks, buy, enjoy. That's what I did my motor and I'd happily do it again.

Herzlos

I've never heard of a private buyer delivering a car at their own expense or offering to take it back.

Visit them, look at the car, pay, drive away. Don't do it any other way.

forgotmyname

I had a guy bring a car up from Bristol to Birmingham. But he had a meeting and had to take it back otherwise he couldnt get home.

No cash changed hands though. I went down at the weekend and bought it.

topdaddy_2

Why advertise on gumtree and insist on selling through ebay? Ask to see the car....await the "Im on the rigs" reply.

vintagexmagic

I had a similar experience whilst enquiring for a car on Gumtree, a 2008 Mini Cooper for £2k. Way too good to be true.

I tried calling the number on the ad, and guess what it didn't work, so I e-mailed the seller and he said the car was in Scotland. He sent me more photos but kept saying "We can arrange a viewing if you send me a deposit". So it's definitely dodgy!