Is this a scam?

[browntrout]

I recently put my Ariel Atom for sale privately on Pistonheads and got the usual scammers but one said he had a customer interested and they would import it for them on their behalf. The importer is called Fung from OZM Group, Australia. The What's App number matches the OZM Group number on Facebook. We agreed a price, Fung said he needed time to sort some details out and it went quiet for a while. I got a message yesterday from another importor (Anton) working on behalf of OZM, he requested a copy of the V5 and asked how much did I want as a deposit. I ignored the message but today Anton phoned. I told him it feels like a scam, I agreed I will send the V5 with the document reference number and address blanked out, I jokingly requested the deposit to be payment in full. We haven't agreed how much the deposit will be, obviously the car will not be released before payment is made in full.
If genuine it appears they will arrange transport and transfer final payment on pick up.
Anton said the deposit would be sent by him in his name.
Is this a scam and how does it work?
Why would they trust a private seller without even seeing the car?

[Deranged Rover]

if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and tastes really nice cooked and wrapped up in a pancake with cucumber, spring onion and Hoisin sauce, it's probably a duck.

The quacking noises from this scenario are very loud...

[vikingaero]

Sounds scammy, but searching OZM and Fung comes up with a lot of info - Facebook, Insta accounts populated with info.

It's a rare car on the markets, so maybe ask how they plan to collect/ship? You could then ask the transport company/shipper if they have paid and are legit.

[Every day a journey]

Might be.

Might not be.

[JQ]

Like you I'd be very wary as it does sound very scammy (may have wanted your unredacted V5 so you'll hear nothing more), however a member of my family sold an Aston in a similar fashion. Advertised in the UK and purchased via a broker by someone in Germany. Broker sorted shipping, export issues and payment.

Hopefully someone here will be able to advise how you can protect yourself if you do want to proceed, but I'd imagine a full bank transfer of the full sale price prior to handover is pretty irreversible.

[v8notbrave]

Ask for a chat on the blower, a v5 blanked out is the right thing to do but pointless for them. It's when they ask you to pay a deposit to the haulage co. As they can't pay from their end etc could be one angle but there could be many others

[ikarl]

pick up the phone and call them on the publicly available number

[donkmeister]

ikarl said:

pick up the phone and call them on the publicly available number

Is the correct answer.

I like the detail about also calling the transport company (also via publicly available number) once things are progressing.

[donkmeister]

v8notbrave said:

Ask for a chat on the blower, a v5 blanked out is the right thing to do but pointless for them. It's when they ask you to pay a deposit to the haulage co. As they can't pay from their end etc could be one angle but there could be many others

Definitely one to watch out for. International payments are so easy (I've paid people in all sorts of places) and shipping, by its very nature, means that any company you deal with will have offices or affiliates in any reasonably developed country.

Someone in Australia will be able to pay someone in the UK and arrange collection and transport from an address in the UK to Australia. When it's someone whose livelihood is built on moving cars from country A to country B for sale, they'll have no bother.

[maz8062]

If the deposit clears in your bank account, the balance will too.

You bank the deposit and don’t release the car until funds are cleared in your bank account.

As you’ll be exporting the car, you’ll just need to complete the relevant section of the V5.

It’ll be an easy sale as there’ll be no tyre kicking and changes of mind. Once you have the deposit, you’ll be in control.

[tomsugden]

maz8062 said:

If the deposit clears in your bank account, the balance will too.

You bank the deposit and don t release the car until funds are cleared in your bank account.

As you ll be exporting the car, you ll just need to complete the relevant section of the V5.

It ll be an easy sale as there ll be no tyre kicking and changes of mind. Once you have the deposit, you ll be in control.

The OP is not exporting the car, the purchaser is.

[Wills2]

If there is any doubt, there is no doubt, having a social media footprint means nothing, if they want to do anything other than what a UK based dealer would, i.e. come and inspect the car, pay you and then take possession, then walk away, the export of the car has nothing to do with you that's for their agent to handle after they have clean title.