#257649 - 03/06/2005 20:56
Selling a car privately
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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What's best, cash or bankers draft? I few weeks ago I'd have said bankers draft but after reading some stuff on Autotrader about people buying cars with fake drafts I'm not too sure.
Hopefully I'm not jinxing the sale by talking about it but I'm a little worried as the last thing I want to do is end up with no money and no car.
_________________________
Cheers,
Andy M
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#257650 - 04/06/2005 02:45
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: andym]
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veteran
Registered: 08/05/2000
Posts: 1429
Loc: San Francisco, CA
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Quote:
What's best, cash or bankers draft? I few weeks ago I'd have said bankers draft but after reading some stuff on Autotrader about people buying cars with fake drafts I'm not too sure.
Hopefully I'm not jinxing the sale by talking about it but I'm a little worried as the last thing I want to do is end up with no money and no car.
Funny this just came up here. I am selling a motorcycle, and have a dude in France that wants to buy it - the deal smells very fishy to me. What's the best way to protect myself in a deal like this? Escrow service? Do they take the responsibility for a good payment? Is there no way to get burned that way?
- Jon
Does this seem fishy to anyone else? No haggle, no nothin...
First email:
Good day,
i found this bike advert. I need to know if really it's still for sale,the last asking for it and the current condition..Please let me know your method of payment.I preffer paying via a cashier's check . Is this your personal property? In term of shipping i have an shipping agent that take good care of my GOODS, he will be coming for the pickup in your location.Let me know whats on your mind concerning this enquiry..
Thanks.
My reply:
Hi Shawn,
Yes, it's still for sale. The condition is very good - I'd say close to perfect. There are only a few small scratches on the muffler.
I would accept any method of payment - cashier's check is fine as long as you give my bank time for it to clear properly. Yes, it's my personal property. No problem with your shipping method.
I attached 2 pictures so you can see the bike in more detail.
- Jon
His next mail:
I appreciate your mail,The price is ok by me and i have decided to pick it. Also i will take care of the shipping,I got on phone with the shiping agent and talk to him and we agree on that he'll be coming to your location for the Pick up.Which i don't want you to bother yourself about the shipping. I have also make an arrangement with an insurance company.Let me know if there Is any papers that back up this HONDA so my shipper will take care of everything ok. Get back to me so that we continue this transaction....Then forward all this following contact on how the check will get you such as:
Name in full
Adress...
City...
State...
Country...
phone#...
Zipcode..
Greetings.
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#257651 - 04/06/2005 02:51
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: jbauer]
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veteran
Registered: 19/06/2000
Posts: 1495
Loc: US: CA
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Nope. Drop it. He's probably phishing.
_________________________
Donato MkII/080000565 MkIIa/010101253 ricin.us
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#257652 - 04/06/2005 02:54
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: ricin]
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veteran
Registered: 08/05/2000
Posts: 1429
Loc: San Francisco, CA
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Quote:
Nope. Drop it. He's probably phishing.
All that effort to do what? Put my name on a mailing list? What else can he do with that info?
- Jon
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#257653 - 04/06/2005 04:06
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: jbauer]
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member
Registered: 06/04/2000
Posts: 158
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Ask your bank if they are able to confirm on the spot that a draft is genuine (ie by calling the issuer). If they will do that then have the shipping agent meet you at the bank to verify the draft before handing over the goods.
Regards
Mark
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#257654 - 04/06/2005 04:32
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: jbauer]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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Sounds like a scam to me too tell them cash only 
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Matt
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#257655 - 04/06/2005 07:12
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: jbauer]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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He will send you a bankers draft and tell you that he has included the fee for the shipping agent in it as well. He will ask you to do a favour for him and write a cheque for the shipping agent and send it on to the agent's address. The bankers draft will turn out to be dodgy, but not until after your cheque to the shipping agent has cleared... ...you'll then never hear from the buyer or the agent ever again. At least, that is what he is hoping will happen. It is obvious from the first message that it is dodgy, he doesn't even mention what sort of bike you have. P.S. he won't be in France of course and he doesn't want the bike 
_________________________
Remind me to change my signature to something more interesting someday
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#257656 - 04/06/2005 12:00
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: andy]
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veteran
Registered: 08/05/2000
Posts: 1429
Loc: San Francisco, CA
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Quote:
He will send you a bankers draft and tell you that he has included the fee for the shipping agent in it as well. He will ask you to do a favour for him and write a cheque for the shipping agent and send it on to the agent's address.
The bankers draft will turn out to be dodgy, but not until after your cheque to the shipping agent has cleared...
...you'll then never hear from the buyer or the agent ever again.
At least, that is what he is hoping will happen.
It is obvious from the first message that it is dodgy, he doesn't even mention what sort of bike you have.
P.S. he won't be in France of course and he doesn't want the bike
Wow, that sounds right. Now when I re-read the emails again, I completely agree with you. Thanks for the help.
- Jon
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#257657 - 04/06/2005 12:36
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: jbauer]
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addict
Registered: 04/09/2004
Posts: 527
Loc: Oklahoma
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This almost happened to a co-worker last year. Almost identical...the only thing is my co-worker asked for a phone number, and the business license number of the shipper and the shippers address, so he could have them investigated before any further discussion....he got one more email that said 'F**** You!' and that was it. My co worker was glad about 5 of us ragged on him until he sent the email about investigating the shipper....
Bottom line, stay away from these kind of transactions.
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#257658 - 04/06/2005 15:33
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: Ladmo]
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old hand
Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
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A friend was nearly hit with a similar scam. He advertised a Jaguar and mentioned that somebody in Syndey was interested in it. I said
"what, and he has said that somebody in the UK owes him money is getting them to send you a cheque and you need to wire him the difference?"
"Oh dear, is that dodgy?"
I told him that when the cheque arrives he should drop it off at whatever bank it is supposed to have come from just in case they collate that kind of information.
Gareth
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#257659 - 04/06/2005 15:56
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: Ladmo]
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veteran
Registered: 08/05/2000
Posts: 1429
Loc: San Francisco, CA
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Quote:
This almost happened to a co-worker last year. Almost identical...the only thing is my co-worker asked for a phone number, and the business license number of the shipper and the shippers address, so he could have them investigated before any further discussion....he got one more email that said 'F**** You!' and that was it. My co worker was glad about 5 of us ragged on him until he sent the email about investigating the shipper....
Bottom line, stay away from these kind of transactions.
Ha!
My email:
Hi Shawn,
Sounds great!
Before you send your check, can you send me the phone
number, the business license number and the shippers
address?
Are you in France? Can you give me your number so
that we can talk before we continue?
- Thanx
- Jon
His email:
Thanks for the mail.I intend to start on how you'll be recieving your payment as soon as possible through my associate who's in US. I'll instruct him to issue out an american funds cashiers check in your name the total amount his oweing me on our last transaction which is closed at $8900 ...You'll receive it as soon as possible, Immediately you get this check i want you to take it to the nearest bank and get it cashed and deduct your $5875 for the honda and extra $50 for your running around then deduct $100 for western union charges,you'll wire the remaining balance to the shipping agent through Western Union Money Transfer.For them to come for the pickup in your place without giving you any stress. They will use the funds to settle some customs problem and transport their self down to your place with immediately effect. Let me know if this is ok with you.
Greetings.
- Jon
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#257660 - 04/06/2005 15:59
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: jbauer]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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Guys, this isn't inspiring me with much confidence. Any chance of answering the original question as this thread has been well and truely hijacked.
_________________________
Cheers,
Andy M
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#257661 - 04/06/2005 16:01
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: andym]
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veteran
Registered: 08/05/2000
Posts: 1429
Loc: San Francisco, CA
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Quote:
Guys, this isn't inspiring me with much confidence. Any chance of answering the original question as this thread has been well and truely hijacked.
Oops. Sorry Andy!
- Jon
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#257662 - 04/06/2005 16:34
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: andym]
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old hand
Registered: 16/02/2002
Posts: 867
Loc: Oxford, UK
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I think you should stick with what you know and insist on cash. I've used a bankers draft before (buying a house) but I probably wouldn't recognise a reasonable forgery. Unless you are there at the bank when the draft is issued, I can't see how you can be expected to know that it is legit.
I've bought two cars recently and in both cases there was no discussion about payment methods, both myself and the seller assumed it would be a cash deal. If I had a buyer wanting to give me anything other than cash I'd be very suspicious nowadays.
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#257663 - 04/06/2005 17:23
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: AndrewT]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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Assuming a sale happens (fingers crossed) I'd probably insist the buyer accompanies me to the bank to pay it in then and there and then do the V5 thing and he or she can give me lift home from the bank in their shiny new(ish) car...
_________________________
Cheers,
Andy M
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#257664 - 04/06/2005 17:58
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: andym]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
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The only time I ever privately sold a car, it was to a friend I'd known for several years, so I wasn't too concerned about fraud. I support the idea of meeting in person with the seller and watching them take money out of their bank (or a cashier's check) and then hand it straight to you. It's overkill, in some sense, but it does protect you from each other. You see that it's legit money. He sees that you've got a legit bike.
Now, if it were a car, you'd let him test drive it and you'd go along as a passenger. For a motorcycle, that doesn't work as well. The last thing you want to do is give a stranger the keys to your bike and let him zoom off without having paid you first...
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#257665 - 04/06/2005 20:23
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: DWallach]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 16/06/2000
Posts: 1682
Loc: Greenhills, Ohio
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I'd agree following them to the bank is a good idea. When I sold my car the buyer gave me a cashiers check a week before he picked the car up, that way it had time to clear the bank. I also held his drivers license while he took it for a test drive.
_________________________
Laura
MKI #017/90
whatever
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#257666 - 04/06/2005 20:59
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: Laura]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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Quote:
I'd agree following them to the bank is a good idea. When I sold my car the buyer gave me a cashiers check a week before he picked the car up, that way it had time to clear the bank. I also held his drivers license while he took it for a test drive.
That would probably be the best, but trust is a two way thing, the buyer could also be worried that I'm ripping him/her off and running away with their money. It seems that paying the cash in immediately in the presence of the buyer would be the quickest and most reassuring for both parties.
_________________________
Cheers,
Andy M
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#257667 - 05/06/2005 15:32
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: andym]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14496
Loc: Canada
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I always go to the bank together with the other party and have the transfer (whichever way) performed in front of a cashier, and the deposit confirmed by them.
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#257668 - 05/06/2005 16:26
Re: Selling a car privately
[Re: mlord]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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I second what Mark says. Close the deal in the bank parking lot with bank confirmed funds in hand. I once sold a car for cash, because it was only $900.
_________________________
- FireFox31 110gig MKIIa (30+80), Eutronix lights, 32 meg stacked RAM, Filener orange gel lens, Greenlights Lit Buttons green set
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