Buyer from Holland con or not

[BGB autosport]

I'm stuck and I hope I have not just made a bad call.

I have my TVR up for sale and a guy from Holland is very interested, seems like a nice guy. We agreed a price over the phone and I said I would hold the car for a while so he could arrange collection and pay cash on collection. There have been a few problems with this but he has kept me well informed, again he seems like a genuine, nice guy. I spoken with him monday and he said he was going to try and arrange for his friend to come Tuesday or wednesday but i heard nothing back.

Last night I had a couple of missed calls from an unknown number, then today I get a call from him saying his friend had been at Robinhood airport in the UK last night and needed my address but he had now gone back.

I said that I needed a deposit and he said that he spoke to the bank who said it would take till monday which is when he is planning to have his friend come pick the car up with a trailer so there was little point. I agreed that I would continue to hold the car if he emailled me the confirmation or the channel crossing booking and left it at that.

I have since been thinking and a few things just dont add up and im getting cold feet so have text him (on the number he only gave me today)dropping out of the sale.

Have I done the right thing?

[Pvapour]

dutch are pretty trustworthy tbo, they have a big interest in TVRs and dont mind RHD, they have different organisation to us (they smoke allot)

Might be worth asking if he has a profile on a car web site somewhere if he's an enthusiast.

I'd say stick with it but keep the car on offer to others if you have other interest, paypal is an instant way of deposit by the way.

[anonymous-user]

If you still sell it, yes, if not, no! Seriously, go with your gut feeling every time IMO (last time I ignored it I nearly got 3 points).

[8400rpm]

I've known of sales in similar circumstances to people from Holland buying cars only available in RHD, all above board.

Can't comment on this particular case though.

[Somnophore]

If you're not happy better not take the risk. I would only sell to someone in the UK

[Dr.Doofenshmirtz]

Never hold a car until you have a deposit - why turn away potential buyers?
Just treat this guy as any other potential buyer. It makes no difference if he's coming from Holland or Harrow. The first person who puts down a deposit or buys outright is the winner.

Edited by Dr.Doofenshmirtz on Wednesday 28th July 12:32

[900T-R]

Hmm, when I bought mine I arranged a date with the seller to look at the car, went there, took a short test drive to see if there were any obvious faults (as opposed to do a full-on road test of the car model at the seller's inconvenience and only then find out I'd rather have a Boxster...), decided I liked it, so we agreed a price, I left a few hundred pounds as a deposit and made arrangements to pick it up at a later date.
If I were selling to someone who didn't bother to look at the car and agreed a price unseen, I'd want to see a deposit on my bank account before arranging further procedures.

[BGB autosport]

Hmm, mixed bag, My concerns are:

1. He's never seen the car and wont till it arrives in Holland a day after he's paid alot of money for it.
2. He can fly but cant go on a ferry because he has developed an ear problem in the week or so since i first spoke to him.
3. He told me he had rung a company to confirm that some undocumented work had actually been done, when i checked he's not contacted them.

[Flintstone]

As Dr D said continue to offer the car for sale but be honest with him. Stranger things have been known but you're wise to be suspicious.

Years ago I was selling a kit car and received a call from Holland. Convinced it was a (Dutch) work colleague I told him to ps off He persisted, I checked him out online and the guy he said would be coming to inspect it. Turned out to be a well known car designer/builder. They bought the car with cash and shipped it off to a museum in the USA.

Nowt queerer than folk.

[northandy]

BGB autosport said:

Hmm, mixed bag, My concerns are:

1. He's never seen the car and wont till it arrives in Holland a day after he's paid alot of money for it.
2. He can fly but cant go on a ferry because he has developed an ear problem in the week or so since i first spoke to him.
3. He told me he had rung a company to confirm that some undocumented work had actually been done, when i checked he's not contacted them.

Does sound fishy, surely an ear problem would cause more problems with flying rather than on a ferry.

If you are wary you did right to back off.

[GreigM]

Quite simply you say to him that until you have at least a decent deposit then it is an open market - the first to show their cash gets the car...so he turns up on monday and its still for sale then fine, but until then anyone else can pay and take it away.....definitely don't turn away any other buyers.