Con or Not

[EasyRider]

So i am selling my car and put it on eBay.
Today the wife and i went out and did 150 miles in it.
When we got home i said to her that i'm not going to sell it.
Well when i was working on the top box i got a call about the car.
I said to the guy that i changed my mind and was going to keep it.
When i went in door i told the wife and she said ring him back and ask what his offer was.
so i spoke to him and told him a bit about the car. I then asked him what he would offer me for it.
The offer he made is what a dealer would sell it for which was a fair bit more than i was asking.
Now this is where i'm not sure that he is a genuine buyer.
I have his name and number and a post code. he is about 150 mile away in Nottingham.
He said he would get a courier company to pick it up.
I have messaged him and said we would bring the car to him if he pays the full amount into my bank first.
I gave him my bank info and asked him to get in touch. But i've had not reply from him.
So one of 2 things are going though my mind.
1) he has changed his mind (which if fair enough)
2) It is a con and i will get stung.
Its because he has offerd more for the car than i was asking that has got me thinking.

[Stu]

Total scam!

This is a common trick they use by conning you out of the car and you will be left with no money

[Strat Tuner]

Well... Let me see. You don't trust him, but you gave him "bank info"? This sounds risky.

The first/last time I bought from another person, (not a dealer) I went to my bank and had them issue a "cashier's check" for the full amount made out to the seller's name.

Cashier's checks are checks that banks issue for the amount and to the person you specify.

I'ma pretty sure you can call the bank once you have a cashier's check and verify that the bank issued it and for what amount. You might require one, and then call the bank as soon as the buyer hands you the check. Don't give him the keys or transfer title UNTIL you get bank verification. You'd probably have to make sure you did this during bank hours.

I'm not sure how VENMO and other pay services work, but if the buyer pays you through them, verifying the full payment is probably even easier and done on your cell phone.

You are wise to be cautious.

[EasyRider]

He asked me to send him a copy of the front page of the V5 reg Doc.
To which I said no.
I said if he wants the car he can come and pick it up and pay me when he is here.
There is just something not right about this and i feel it in my gut.

[Capt Sisko]

Go with your gut feeling. - Anyone who buys a car unseen and at more than the going rate sounds suspicious to me. Also you did the right thing about no sending him a copy of the V5. Appart from the fact it opens the car details up to cloning, it also verifies your details to the cons and that could lead to identity fraud as well.

[MikeS]

Loads of stuff on the interweb about these scams.

https://www.webuyanycar.com/guides/sell ... car-scams/

[EasyRider]

He sent me a screen shot this morning showing the money has gone from his account, But i've not had it yet.
The screen shots shows his Bank, sort code and account number.
So i went into my account and opened "make a payment".
All the bank info is correct for the bank and is matched to his name.
Also his name, post code and contact number match his eBay account.

[EasyRider]

So i'm now giving him till the end of the day to send me a deposit. and the balance when he picks the car up.
The money he said he sent yesterday did not appear.
This morning when i asked for £100 deposit he said he sent £500. no money is my account.
The strange thing is everthing adds up with his name, address, phone number, email and bank info.
Also from what i have found, he has been at that address i have for over 20 years.
I even google earth it as it look a nice well kept home from the outside.

So lets now see what happens today. As tomorrow i'm going to keep he car for another 7 years.
It has cost me £100 to put the car up for sale. £80 to take my reg number off and £20 for the Ad.

[owl]

It's a strange one.

All I can think of is that the purported "buyer" has stolen an identity.

[Doctor T]

I wouldn't do anything until you have the money in full. Give him a time limit, after that say good bye

[EasyRider]

I wouldn't do anything until you have the money in full. Give him a time limit, after that say good bye

I'm giving him untill next Wednesday to pay and pick the car up. But i dont think it is going to happen.
I've been talking to the wife and we both think if he does not have the car, i'm going to keep it.
I was only selling it as it was not getting much use. Its a 13 reg and i've owned it since it was 4 years 8 months old.

[yorkie]

As @Stu said at the beginning, this is a scam.
No way will he be coming for the car.

[EasyRider]

Just had a text from him, and he is coming Tuesday by train and i will pick him up at the local station.
If he turns up great and i will go from there. If he does not turn up then all i have lost in some time.

[Steve398]

Beware on how he pays you…

'Scammers used fake app to steal from me in person' https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn05d58jwvdo

[yorkie]

Just had a text from him, and he is coming Tuesday by train and i will pick him up at the local station.
If he turns up great and i will go from there. If he does not turn up then all i have lost in some time.

Well good luck with this one, I sincerely hope that my post above was a little pessimistic but to me the fact that he has already "paid" but you didn't receive it screams SCAM