Selling car privately, scam?

macman

parking_question_chap wrote: »

- Tells an elaborate story. Check
- Paypal or western Union. Check

This is a scam.

Ask for Paypal payment and provide an address the other end of the country as a pick up point, though try to make it believable, say you have been sent there with work last miute. Make sure they waste a few pounds getting there, and then ignore all future contact.

Of course dont ever send them any money.

But the scammer isn't ever going to collect the car, just their £500 'agent overpayment'.

[Deleted User]

parking_question_chap wrote: »

- Tells an elaborate story. Check
- Paypal or western Union. Check

This is a scam.

Ask for Paypal payment and provide an address the other end of the country as a pick up point, though try to make it believable, say you have been sent there with work last miute. Make sure they waste a few pounds getting there, and then ignore all future contact.

Of course dont ever send them any money.

No one is ever coming for the car. They just want the £550 Western Union payment.

As I already said above.

System

takman wrote: »

That's very unlikely and I've never heard of the scammers actually coming to pick up a car. They would have to give fake details on the V5 and then avoid any ANPR cameras or police on the way back because they wouldn't be able to insure it or tax it without giving out genuine card details and address.

It would still show as being taxed until DVLA processed the change of keeper. It is likely to show as still insured until you ring and cancel so there would be no need to avoid ANPR.I can guarantee you I could buy a car you've been running until I paid for it on a Sunday and drive it home that day without taxing it or insuring it myself and it wouldn't trigger a single ANPR camera because the databases would still show it as being taxed and insured. Even if it pings ANPR as untaxed or uninsured then unless that camera happens to be in a police car nothing is going to happen on the journey. They could also send a transporter, again it becomes no issue. Given the lucrative market in spares its certainly worth it for them to do.

takman

Tarambor wrote: »

It would still show as being taxed until DVLA processed the change of keeper. It is likely to show as still insured until you ring and cancel so there would be no need to avoid ANPR.I can guarantee you I could buy a car you've been running until I paid for it on a Sunday and drive it home that day without taxing it or insuring it myself and it wouldn't trigger a single ANPR camera because the databases would still show it as being taxed and insured. Even if it pings ANPR as untaxed or uninsured then unless that camera happens to be in a police car nothing is going to happen on the journey. They could also send a transporter, again it becomes no issue. Given the lucrative market in spares its certainly worth it for them to do.

I've been involved in selling a couple of cars this year and I have advised them to change the keeper online which then immediately showed it as not being taxed on all three cars. Sending a transporter will mean they either have to use a legitimate company and leave a record of who they are and where it was taken too. Or if they use their own transporter it will be registered to someone and they will have to show their face to the seller.
The higher risk usually means they target more expensive cars and using a slightly different method.

The scam mentioned in the OP is very clearly someone who is abroad trying to get £500 through western union and will send a fake PayPal email. I can guarantee that will be it and they will not attempt to pick up the car.