Sold car privately, buyer wants refund

comeandgo

Have you tried googling the name and address of the people who bought the car? I was selling my car on gumtree and I always checked the names and any messages coming through by putting them in google.  If it was a known scam google gave the information.

Supersonos

mattyprice4004 said:

Always sell a car using a cheap pay as you go SIM card - then once the buyer leaves, the SIM goes in the bin.

Not useful now I know, but handy for any future sales.

This doesn't go far enough.  You should also move house the moment you sell your car to ensure they can't find you.  A name change and some plastic surgery is also advised.

Supersonos

DiddyDavies said:

macman said:

mattyprice4004 said:

Always sell a car using a cheap pay as you go SIM card - then once the buyer leaves, the SIM goes in the bin.

Not useful now I know, but handy for any future sales.

Overkill, surely. Just block their number.

But what happens if they withhold their number or call from a different phone? I know that you can block calls from withheld numbers but does this work for messages? and even if it does, not everyone want to block withheld numbers.
If they wanted to make life difficult, they could easily get a load of free sim cards and call up on a regular basis and when the number gets blocked, simply switch to a new one.

You'll answer it, realise who it is, and then calmly hang-up. 

Biggus_Dickus

mattyprice4004 said:

Always sell a car using a cheap pay as you go SIM card - then once the buyer leaves, the SIM goes in the bin.

Not useful now I know, but handy for any future sales.

...if you disable your phone and there’s a problem with the car they may turn up at your house mob-handed! 

 

 

macman

DiddyDavies said:

macman said:

mattyprice4004 said:

Always sell a car using a cheap pay as you go SIM card - then once the buyer leaves, the SIM goes in the bin.

Not useful now I know, but handy for any future sales.

Overkill, surely. Just block their number.

But what happens if they withhold their number or call from a different phone? I know that you can block calls from withheld numbers but does this work for messages? and even if it does, not everyone want to block withheld numbers.
If they wanted to make life difficult, they could easily get a load of free sim cards and call up on a regular basis and when the number gets blocked, simply switch to a new one.

Professional scammers will have better things to do with their time. My fairly standard Android phone can block texts.

nottsphil

ACF10 said:

It's common for criminals to burn through cars like nothing just to try and evade markers against the reg no. 

No idea what that means! 

macman

It means you obtain a car and then use it for criminal activities without it being registered to your address as the new registered keeper. 

treeroy

macman said:

It means you obtain a car and then use it for criminal activities without it being registered to your address as the new registered keeper. 

Not an issue as I notified DVLA online within 10 minutes of them leaving with the car.

I think this thread can be put to rest now. After I replied to them on Monday afternoon, neither me nor my parents has heard anything more.

[Deleted User]

treeroy said:

And now I've just had a text message from the woman. Not sure if they're trying some good cop/bad cop crap, getting the angry husband to argue with my dad while the nice young wife sweet talks me? Parents said they thought it was genuine but reading this message it feels more like a scam!

Hi <name>. My husband is very upset re the car. It was supposed to be a present for me because today we have our first year marriage anniversary and I'm at home, crying, I'm upset, stressed. My husband is very mad that we have to change the clutch. Can you please talk to your dad to send us at least £300? It will calm down my husband a bit and to change the clutch will be more than £500 wich is huge amount for us. We have just couple of hundreds pounds in our account and our anniversary it's ruined. My husband spoke with a solicitor and he told him that it's illegal to sell a car that it's not according with the description and they both believe it's not safe for me to drive it until we replace the clutch and because your father didn't let him drive it around he thinks that you knew about this problem so can you please, as a good will, send us some money back to cover the replacement of the clutch? Please <name>, you seemed all very lovely and honest family and maybe you can understand us...

What a load of !!!!!!. They only have a few hundred quid but can afford to get legal advice over a £500 repair.

They are scammers, don't give them a penny, block all communication.