So many darn Autotrader scams!

[PhillySingle]

Just have to vent for a minute...



I recently put my previous daily driver ... a snazzy '97 Kia Sephia 5spd on Autotrader.com, since the CTD has replaced it



Now, I'm "asking" $1500... and willing to go alot less... yet, I must have rec'd at least 5-6 emails from supposed buyers who are either:



1) Buying or searching on behalf of their "client"

or

2) Guys over seas willing to buy it and ship it to their home overseas...



I got into it with a few of them... such total BS. Let's be honest - NO ONE is shipping a 7 year old KIA anywhere! Not exactly a collector / rare car. NO ONE has a hired hand looking for a friggin thousand dollar car either!



I should post some of their BS emails for you all to read...



whew... thanks for listening...



Jay

 

[Sled Puller]

I'd like to read them!

 

[rfoust]

THey did the same thing when I sold my last CTD.

I got more calls from other companies trying to get me to use them to sell my truck than buyers. Drove me crazy.

 

[rrausch]

I sold a Ford F-350 Dually with a 14 foot, moving-van type box on the back of it a year or so ago, and you wouldn't believe the number of inquiries I got from overseas offering to buy it sight-unseen! I didn't bite on most of them, but every once in a while I would reply with a nasty message telling them to go "F" themselves. One idiot actually CALLED me at 2 in the morning--he called from Africa!! When I found out where he was calling from I hung up.



These are all scams designed to get your checking account number which they then somehow get all the money out of. And you can't do anything about it once it is gone.

 

[jponder]

This must be different than all the mexican and central americans buying all sorts of buses and vans and trucks and driving them all the way to central america, I think those guys are for real

 

[RustyJC]

Originally posted by jponder

This must be different than all the mexican and central americans buying all sorts of buses and vans and trucks and driving them all the way to central america.

Yeah, you oughta see some of the convoys heading out of Houston on US59 going southwest toward the Mexican border. I've seen a clapped out Ford Ranger pulling 2 clapped out F-150's! Temporary plates on all of them. About half of them seem to wind up on the shoulder of the road.



Rusty

 

[jponder]

Hey if ya buy 10 vehicles and they are all running then you only need 5 to be able to make Guatemala asl ong as they can all pull something. Run em till they drop.

 

[AggieJustin]

Originally posted by RustyJC

Yeah, you oughta see some of the convoys heading out of Houston on US59 going southwest toward the Mexican border. I've seen a clapped out Ford Ranger pulling 2 clapped out F-150's! Temporary plates on all of them. About half of them seem to wind up on the shoulder of the road.



Rusty

And the best part is when you see a big group of them all pulled over on the shoulder switching the lead tow vehicles to the back of the pack so they can start towing with the next vehicle. Apparently this is how you triple your range between fillups.

 

[rrausch]

At least a FEW of 'em are going South and not North!

 

[AggieJustin]

Originally posted by rrausch

At least a FEW of 'em are going South and not North!

On Friday they're heading South... . but on Monday or Tuesday they're heading north. All packed in one vehicle loaded down with people and tow hitches.

 

[GFrance]

Originally posted by rrausch

[These are all scams designed to get your checking account number which they then somehow get all the money out of. And you can't do anything about it once it is gone. [/B]

Why would anyone give out their checking acct# ?

I've sold several bikes in cycle trader. Have had brokers trying to get me to sell thru them after seeing my add. Told them to take a hike. All my transactions are certified checks that have to clear the bank before release of title. I did take $12,000 in cash checked bills with a bill checking pen & still didn't sign off on the title until money was in my bank.

 

[rrausch]

People still give out their checking account numbers because they are too trusting. I don't completely understand how the crooks manage to wire money out of your account, but I have read enough news stories about it to believe they can do it. And Certified Bank Checks are also suspect. These are being forged also, and if not detected at the teller's window often take days or weeks to show up as fraudulent.

 

[Jeff H]

A motor cycle mechanic who also restores old Harleys got ripped off several years ago. He recieved a bank check that did not even exist. It was a loss of $19,000

As far as giving out personal info. I don't care if yer god. Ain't gonna happen. Never do it on a phone. Never under any circumstance give out any info on any cordless phone or cell phone. Just like talking on a c/b radio. Thieves with the right equipment can listen in easily. I used to have a scanner that could pick up signals over 900 megahertz. Got it at Best Buy no problem.

If yer selling a car or what ever.

-Get There Name.

-Get The Name Of The Bank and Get The Phone # Of The Bank They Deal With . To verify that the bank actually exists. Make sure they have an account in the customers name.

-Get there license plate number off the vehicle or vehicles and trailers they are driving. You could have it run at the local law enforcement. Just in case things go bad. Never know what yer dealing with these days.

 

[DJW]

Don't use your key fob (automatic lock and opening device) on your vehicle, use the key, as the signal can be scanned, the horn sounding on activating is a dead give away. Scrum Down

 

[GOLIATHGMC]

THIS IS A SCAM.

Jay...

My sister just went through a similar situation with a car she was selling on EBay. She got emails and then Phone calls from someone that was a third party representing someone from the middle east. She was selling an UNRESTORED 1973 Chevy Nova. Not a collector car and NOT in real driveable shape. The car was listed for less than $1000, and it was not very pretty. The "party" she dealt with didnt want her checking acct # up front; They wanted to send her a check from the "Third Party" buyer for about 10 times the listed ammount (nearly $10,000), and then she had to return the remaining ammount (about $9,000), along with the car title. I dropped the phone laughing when she called me on this one. I can't imagine who would fall for a stunt like this, but it would really interesting to chat with the idiot who does. In reality, this falls into two OLD categories: 1) There is a sucker born every minute, and 2) Anything that LOOKS too good to be true usually is.

Just my $0. 02 -

George

 

[klenger]

I would tell them to send the check, and then pin it on the bulletin board over my desk.

 

[rrausch]

Classic Nigerian scam! (That's where it started) The Money Order, or "Certified" Check turns out to be no good--sometimes it takes weeks for the bank to determine that, in the meantime the crooks have got $9,000. And all the victim has is an e-mail address or phone number and phony name. But that is a great idea to get their check and then keep it.