Discussion
I'm selling a high mileage 6 cylinder BMW on Autotrader. I'm not going to say which model as there are few enough of them you might be able to work out which one it is.
It's one owner from new. It is a nice and well looked after car with a reasonable spec and it is priced to sell. But still, it is a well used car.
I had a call from a guy about 200 miles away. Story sounded half plausible, although he did ask for my postcode which I declined to give. Wants to take train down on weekend to look at it and buy it on the spot if ok. No problem from my side there.
However I told him there is somebody looking at it tomorrow. He offered me a deposit on the spot, without looking at it. Suggested PayPal. I said no. Suggested bank transfer (which would mean I need to give my account number). I said I'd think about even accepting a deposit from somebody 200 miles away who needs to take a train to see it and hasn't seen it yet. We did talk about the logistics of train travel and he knew which mainline station he needed, so he had at least put some thought into logistics.
Is this a scam?
It's one owner from new. It is a nice and well looked after car with a reasonable spec and it is priced to sell. But still, it is a well used car.
I had a call from a guy about 200 miles away. Story sounded half plausible, although he did ask for my postcode which I declined to give. Wants to take train down on weekend to look at it and buy it on the spot if ok. No problem from my side there.
However I told him there is somebody looking at it tomorrow. He offered me a deposit on the spot, without looking at it. Suggested PayPal. I said no. Suggested bank transfer (which would mean I need to give my account number). I said I'd think about even accepting a deposit from somebody 200 miles away who needs to take a train to see it and hasn't seen it yet. We did talk about the logistics of train travel and he knew which mainline station he needed, so he had at least put some thought into logistics.
Is this a scam?
If it's that unusual, no. I've had people do a bank transfer deposit in advance a couple of times. One didn't work out because my description of the car as a ten year old ex race car didn't match with his expectation of the cheapest of its type being a perfect show car.
I gave him his deposit back and sold it for more the following week.
The other one went perfectly.
I gave him his deposit back and sold it for more the following week.
The other one went perfectly.
Sounds reasonable to me.
There's a thread on M3Cutters at the moment where someone is mightily pissed off because he paid a deposit by PayPal before travelling to view a car but the seller sold to someone else prior and just refunded his money.
If your model is one that's rarely for sale, I can understand the buyer's angle.
And what's to lose? You'll have his deposit, it's not him having your money.
To be doubly sure, you could always refund him by PayPal at the point of settling up if the sale goes ahead and then insist on payment in full by your chosen method, if it's a PayPal scam you're worried about.
There's a thread on M3Cutters at the moment where someone is mightily pissed off because he paid a deposit by PayPal before travelling to view a car but the seller sold to someone else prior and just refunded his money.
If your model is one that's rarely for sale, I can understand the buyer's angle.
And what's to lose? You'll have his deposit, it's not him having your money.
To be doubly sure, you could always refund him by PayPal at the point of settling up if the sale goes ahead and then insist on payment in full by your chosen method, if it's a PayPal scam you're worried about.
I bought my car through PayPal as I needed to buy it on the credit card and then sell the daily. Then felt anxious when the buyer of my old car wanted to do the same!
The reality is more people do finance on line now. If I wanted to get anything more than a few hundred in cash I’d have to go to a bank, which means taking a day off work and then being on foot/ public transport with potentially 5-15k in £20s in my bag. I’d rather bank transfer!
Can’t do much with your bank details, post code to cost up getting to you... it’s just the way it works now. I’d ring the guy, I get a better feeling of a buyer by voice than email!
The reality is more people do finance on line now. If I wanted to get anything more than a few hundred in cash I’d have to go to a bank, which means taking a day off work and then being on foot/ public transport with potentially 5-15k in £20s in my bag. I’d rather bank transfer!
Can’t do much with your bank details, post code to cost up getting to you... it’s just the way it works now. I’d ring the guy, I get a better feeling of a buyer by voice than email!
DurianIceCream said:
I'm selling a high mileage 6 cylinder BMW on Autotrader. I'm not going to say which model as there are few enough of them you might be able to work out which one it is.
It's one owner from new. It is a nice and well looked after car with a reasonable spec and it is priced to sell. But still, it is a well used car.
I had a call from a guy about 200 miles away. Story sounded half plausible, although he did ask for my postcode which I declined to give. Wants to take train down on weekend to look at it and buy it on the spot if ok. No problem from my side there.
However I told him there is somebody looking at it tomorrow. He offered me a deposit on the spot, without looking at it. Suggested PayPal. I said no. Suggested bank transfer (which would mean I need to give my account number). I said I'd think about even accepting a deposit from somebody 200 miles away who needs to take a train to see it and hasn't seen it yet. We did talk about the logistics of train travel and he knew which mainline station he needed, so he had at least put some thought into logistics.
Is this a scam?
No need to accept a deposit. Just tell him he's got second viewing and you'll call him if the first viewer doesn't wish to buy it.It's one owner from new. It is a nice and well looked after car with a reasonable spec and it is priced to sell. But still, it is a well used car.
I had a call from a guy about 200 miles away. Story sounded half plausible, although he did ask for my postcode which I declined to give. Wants to take train down on weekend to look at it and buy it on the spot if ok. No problem from my side there.
However I told him there is somebody looking at it tomorrow. He offered me a deposit on the spot, without looking at it. Suggested PayPal. I said no. Suggested bank transfer (which would mean I need to give my account number). I said I'd think about even accepting a deposit from somebody 200 miles away who needs to take a train to see it and hasn't seen it yet. We did talk about the logistics of train travel and he knew which mainline station he needed, so he had at least put some thought into logistics.
Is this a scam?
johnao said:
No need to accept a deposit. Just tell him he's got second viewing and you'll call him if the first viewer doesn't wish to buy it.
This1. You're selling a car for say £1000
2. Someone rocks up and gives you £1000 - car sold
3. They don't, you call him and say get here this weekend and wait to see if he gives you the £1000
Then you read all the horror stories on here and:
1. Only let him come alone, don't open the bonnet with him anywhere near it, never let him poke around anywhere, or drive unless you've seen a cover note and his passport.
2. Except cash (probably go to the branch and get him to hand the money to the cashier), only then for a car you've advertised correctly with all the known faults explained and no unrealistic promises (e.g. be a good investment, good for thousands of miles, buyer will be completely happy etc etc)
2. Fill in your part of the document before you hand over the keys and post it in the envelope you've already prepared, probably getting a receipt for postage
3. Make sure he drives the f
king thing off your drive, perhaps park it on the road before you hand over the keys4. Relax....
or
f
k it - we buy any car and be shagged through your trousers...Sounds pretty normal to me, not everyone lives 10 mins from where they buy their next car. Give the chap a chance. Giving out your postcode isn't going to do anything, it only gives your street, no worse than driving the car or having someone walking past it on the street. If i ever buy a car i ask for the postcode to work out best way to get there either by train or bus etc if i'm looking at buying and driving it away. Problem is when someone says i live in Y town, their interpretation of that can be anywhere within 20 miles of said town.
Mmm OK. Maybe it's OK. Just seemed strange to me as, although it is a pretty nice car, it is is getting on and has plenty of miles on it. Just didn't think anybody would travel the country for a car only going for a few thousand £££. It's not an M-car btw, just a nice, but regular 6-cyl.
DurianIceCream said:
Mmm OK. Maybe it's OK. Just seemed strange to me as, although it is a pretty nice car, it is is getting on and has plenty of miles on it. Just didn't think anybody would travel the country for a car only going for a few thousand £££. It's not an M-car btw, just a nice, but regular 6-cyl.
My 6 cylinder non M car that was only going for a few thousand 
2018-05-20_10-15-37 by ee zeh, on Flickr
M666 EVO said:
Since when did everyone become so paranoid about selling a car?
Some people live a long way from the car they want. So what if he has your postcode? Just don't give him your door number or at least offer to collect him from a station.
Paypal is safe enough.
Bit unfair. Some people live a long way from the car they want. So what if he has your postcode? Just don't give him your door number or at least offer to collect him from a station.
Paypal is safe enough.
- snowflakegeneration
There are loads of people out there willing to scam you when selling a used car.
Nothing snowflaky about applying some logical caution.
Paypal is a bloody night mare. Far too easily reversed by the purchaser.
Bank transfers all the way. Giving out your AC and Sort code is no big deal.
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