Car buyer scam

[Wheelerdealer1 91]

Copied pied from elsewhere but what a terrible situation for the seller, has anyone tried this or similar on with you ? The closest I have come is a couple of times, once was when I popped in to give them a few mins to think and when I turned up again the bonnet latch would not close and que them asking for £150 off to fix it, and another was when an imaginary oil leak appeared !

Anyway I can see how selling privately is so off putting to many customers 

 

 

 

 

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I don't generally post on here, as more of a reader on the forums.

I thought I share this with everyone as I want to warn other people so they don't get caught out by this scam when your selling your car.

Alright had a car on the regular auction site that everyone uses, and the final bid goes to a new user which has only created the account a couple of days ago (this should have already sent alarm bells ringing already).  

The chap rings me (broken English) and discuss details collect the car.

All arranged and they turn up at 6:45pm (which it was already getting dark. Three blokes turn up and and start to look over the car, didn't think too much of this, as have sold a few cars over the years, and there has been occasions where more than 1 person has checked over the car.

At this point 1 is checking under the bonnet, and the other 2 looking in the boot. I get called over to the boot and one is asking if the rear light is original and what is the lead next the the cd changer. Which I went over and didn't think nothing of this, and answered their questions. Was thinking in my head that is a a really stupid question, and why he was putting some much emphasis on a cable in the boot and the rear lights.

I should have guessed that this was a decoy tactic.... But when you have 3 people checking over the car, it's quite over whelming with all the questions being fired all over the place.

We go for test drive and he goes on about it need bushes and this and that which I just ignore, as this an auction and the highest bidder get the car, not for them to come and view and then negotiate.

Quick test drive and back and checks under the bonnet again, saying there is no oil (which there was, as I had just serviced the car). They he checks the coolant, and sticks his finger in and pulls it out and it's black with oil... I automatically think, balls, the head gasket has gone, and I've wasted these peoples time with an inaccurate description of the car. Again, should have known better, as if the head gasket had gone, then it wouldn't be pure black, as usually this mixes and goes a gunky colour.

They said they still wanted the car, as for spares and repairs. In the end sold the car for half the final bid price.

From this I've learnt that selling anything on a auction site, even if the final bid, if they have just create a account, then it's not being sold to them. More then 2 people come and view a car, then I'm standing back and not getting sucked into looking at something in the boot (having no vision of what is going on at the engine bay).

I know the car was in good condition, as I've done a fully service on the car just a couple of days ago, and I always check everything before a potential buyer arrives (oil levels, water in washer bottle, coolant, all fluids topped up, tyres pumped at correct psi, etc.)

I'm annoyed that I've been hood winked/duped/scammed, but it's a lesson learnt and I won't be falling for any of this again!

I suppose I didn't get the memo on this scam of pouring oil into coolant expansion bottle (which I'm sure is old school), and I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else... Warning to others, make sure when the bonnet is up, you watch them like a hawk!

[James Bush 95]

Reminds me of the time I was selling a Silver Vectra SRi, full vaxuall service history etc and 2 guys turn up in an almost identical car apart from his is red. He wanted to px it with mine and when I ask why he tells me a story of how he's just purchased it and his wife hates the colour, anyway naively I believe him and we go through the whole sales process to a point where they're sat in my office and we've eventually shook hands on a deal at £800 to change. The orders printed off and just before he signs it, he asks to have one last look around the car. After 5 mins they both pop back in, he's full of apologies and says he can't justify spending £800 to just change the colour, he offers me £30 for the petrol for test drive and for the time wasting which I decline, we shake hands and he disappears me thinking he's a decent chap and I never think anything more of it.

The following weekend I have another customer on the same car, he likes it and asks to see the service history. Yeah its in the book pack I tell him, he fumbles through it and its nowhere to be seen then it dawns on me the sneaky not so decent git who wanted to swap his Vectra must have swiped it.......

I now keep every service history in my car envelopes in my office.......

[umesh 336]

I always remove all the books/book pack and put them all in a cupboard and split the keys too - Every car - every time ! You just never know.What a shocking story ! I'm always very cautious when you get a 'gang ' of men looking and they're all over the place !

[It's me 615]

yes split the keys

its so so easy to be busy and customers always seem to slip these in their pockets after a perusal if youve given them the keys,keep them in a safe like i do and its an extra carrot to dangle them in the conversation that you do indeed have another set as you close the sale

with regards the internet scam its one of the reasons i would never sell a car on auction,i use buy it now if its a trade p/x i dont want to bring up to spec

[Markypickard 1]

Hi. Would just like to share our story as we have nearly been scammed twice with selling our car! I saw on other websites and forums some people referring the oil in coolant trick as a Facebook click bait and it's not true but I can tell you it certainly is! Tonight 3 guys (Romanian/Turkish I'm not sure) turned up at 10:30pm tonight (should of been 9pm) to view my wife's Audi A4. They had been calling texting her up to this point to view and sounded desperate to view it. When we both went out to meet them they saw me approach them and one guy muttered "typicle" almost like they were only expecting to deal with my wife. We had been done before by a similar group who distracted us and ruined the coolant with a bit of oil, dipped there finger, then tried to buy it for £200 (we're selling at £1500) saying the head gasket had gone. (Head gasket would make the coolant gooey like mayo not pure black oil and clear water) Well tonight was frosty and stupidly when the bonnet was open and they were checking they asked I de-ice the screen with warm water. While I ran in to get that (big mistake) they asked my wife to open the boot and have a look there. 2 was round the back one under the bonnet. My wife was wary of them and as I come back out one guy jumped away from the bonnet so my wife lost it and asked what they were doing to the car. They all started to get very annoyed saying we were discriminating and waving money at us saying that they were buying for one of their wife's etc. my wife took a pic of there car and they drove off swearing and shouting stuff. We then checked the coolant and the cap was done up real tight so we know they fiddled with it as we had it looser. Hey presto! it had black oil in the coolant so we know we had been scammed as before they arrived we made sure it was clear as it's happened to us before. So this is the 2nd time and no, the head gasket hasn't gone. This is 100% real and no Facebook scam. Just thought we'd share our story as we saw other articles similar to ours and we don't want these f***ers scamming others out there. 

[Max Branning 149]

You will always get these kind of things going on. Unfortunately where there is money to be made there will always be crooks who try to take advantage of peoples naivety. 

I have had all sorts of people trying things on. So called mechanics that come out with clever terms to describe something wrong with the car. I normally just ignore them and wait for them to say "whats your best price mate bearing in mind its gonna need some work" I then just point to the board in the window and say "that is the best price" if you dont want it dont buy it.

If at any time when selling a car the buyer points out any faults that you dont understand then DONT take their word for it get it looked at yourself. Tell them "thanks for pointing this out" and that you will take the car off sale while you investigate the so called "fault".

If they still want to buy the car but at a knock down price then it is your choice. No one is forcing you to sell the car. If you aint happy just say NO.

 

[GreenGiant 287]

If you aint happy just say NO.

 

And this, people, is what a lot more of us should be saying to a lot more customers/suppliers/timewasters a lot more often.

Jeez, if the Greedy, Greedy boys or legislators don't get you, the scammers will. How have we ended up here? This job is no fun anymore: all work and no play. I think I need a holiday. Just so I can be ripped off by some other scumbags somewhere different...

[Rory RSC 596]

And this, people, is what a lot more of us should be saying to a lot more customers/suppliers/timewasters a lot more often.

Jeez, if the Greedy, Greedy boys or legislators don't get you, the scammers will. How have we ended up here? This job is no fun anymore: all work and no play. I think I need a holiday. Just so I can be ripped off by some other scumbags somewhere different...

I have got a cracking deal on a timeshare it will be perfect for you.....

[It's me 615]

ive got some cheap flight tickets available,i cant go so would be willing to take a dipper on them too

[GreenGiant 287]

Too late.

Already booked it, packed it and effing off next week.

[Steve92 80]

Just watch out for the scratch cards, everyone's a winner.