Car Selling Experience

[Witt]

As some of you know I have my Pagoda up for sale, after seven years of ownership I am ready to move on the another project.
One thing that I was not prepeared for was the bogus offers, for lack of a better word, I am receiving.
The most frequent is a person wanting to buy the car as a present for his father offering full asking price. That alone is suspicious !
Claiming to be an officer at sea and unavailable he asks for my paypal account number to transfer the money and have the car picked up later.......yea, right....
The offer was present to me SEVERAL times on DIFFERENT websites.

Thinking that eBay is a better bet, I received several full price offers just to have the offer withdrawn as soon as I accepted them from several sources. What's the use of reporting them, that membership number disappears mysteriously and the same offer comes in under a diverent handle. Some one obviously is playing games here for what ever reason.

Then there are the ladies (?) offering their services......

Am I the only "lucky" one or did other members   have similar experiences?

Any advise?

CHEERS !
WITT !

[JamesL]

Then there are the ladies (?) offering their services......

It's OK, I'm getting used to the rejection...

Unbelievable tales. Are we to assume dealers have similar challenges? However, if they keep trying it with you it means they've had success trying it elsewhere which is really sad

[badali]

When I was selling my 1961 220 Sb I kept getting calls from brokers saying they had buyers and for a fee they would sell the car.  I finally sold it locally on Craigs list.  The first guy that looked at it bought it.  He lives less than 60 miles away.  I had the bogus offers for many months before I sold it.  I know what you are going through.  You will eventually have a real buyer.  Unless the person is coming to look at it personally be very cautious.  If the make an offer without seeing the car I would not trust them.  Keep the car and title until you have real cash in hand.

[Ulf]

When I sold my MGA I had a few bogus bidders, the silliest one was from UK offering to buy my LHD car including the expensive Danish vat and (180%) tax - that would make it the most expensive LHD MGA in a RHD country. The scam was that I was to pay for the shipping to his account and then he would pay me the full price later, yeah right...
I even got another mail from him with the same words, only was the word MG replaced with BMW - must have been sent to me by mistake.
It's quite sad that things like this happens as it really undermines the trust in other people that is so fundamental for our society.
But the best of wishes for your sale - it will happen sooner or later :-)

Ulf

[TATO]

Hi Gentlemen,
I can imagine it's not easy to sell a car, but in the other side It's also very difficult to buy one. I had received fake info and cars pics  trying to seduce me .Witt I hope you will find a buyer because your car is very nice.
Best wishes
Edgar

[MichaelB.]

I am currently trying to help a dear friend sell a '97 Porsche 911. It seems to me all I get are inquiries for photos. Which is quite silly as the ad that these "buyers" are responding to has all the photos you would ever want! I reply to some with the same photos, then others I reply asking what other photos they would like... None have responded.

The Internet has made it so its just entertainment. The actual buyer is far & few between the "shoppers" that are abundant. Its like they do it for sport. It does not cost anything to inquire and they get to look at cars and dream.

I remember when you use to have to call on an ad that you would see in a magazine, then wait for photos to be mailed from the seller, then ultimately go look at the car in person. I use to wish it could be easier in the future - now I wish it was like the past.  :'(

[al_lieffring]

The internet is not the origin of these scams, they existed back in the days of print ads too. I no longer have any photos of my cars I owned back in the 70's and 80's because of all of the "buyers" that asked to be sent photos (prints). I even had one that send me back photos of his cars, as thouh I was only hoping to trade photos, not trying to actually sell the car.

[Witt]

....here is an oldie, but a goodie:
Same guy, but now wants to buy the car for his wife's birthday and he sends me a fake but very authentic looking confirmation from Pay-Pal stating that the full asking price, plus $900.00 for shipping has been deposited in my Pay Pal account. Would I please be so kind and forward the $900.00 to the shipping company in London England.......yea, right.....
Needles to say there never was any money transferred.

Now eBay send me a serious warning about one of my "best offer" members asking me not to ship anything to that person because he is now blacklisted.

What the heck is going on, do people actually fall for these scams?

Is there a better saver way to advertise the car directed to serious buyers?

CHEERS !
WITT !

[TargaNfld]

Witt ... I am going to have the buy the car ... just to save you from yourself ... BB

[Witt]

Thank you for the kind words, glad to know that somebody is in my corner !

CHEERS !
WITT !