Is this guy dodgy? (help)

[anonymous-user]

My friend shall (hopefully) be buying a new car on Wednesday. http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201... if anyone is interested.
We went and inspected the car (though I insisted on a MK1 but he wouldn't listen) and all with the car was well. Dodgy area in Birmingham but the man seemed decent until we started to talk about money.
We could only agree on the £2600 and we left a £200 deposit.
The seller was insisting on a bank transfer and said we can just transfer when ever and the just collect the car. That rang my alarm bells.
I advised my mate to say no as he could just accept the money and then move. We settled on cash and he wants to take my mate to the bank at 0900 to put the £2500 in the sellers account to make sure the money is 'okay' as he worded it. Now I've never heard this before, I've bought 3 used cars and never has the seller taken me to the bank to make sure the money will go in.
I'm a obviously very suspicious of this whole situation and would like to know if anyone has heard of anything like this before? But it was the bit that he kept wanted to have a direct bank transfer that made me think. I did tell my mate how suspect this guy seemed when discussing money he just agreed but by then left deposit...

[king arthur]

Put yourself in the seller's shoes - what would be the best way to protect yourself from someone giving you a bundle of dodgy notes, or a bouncy cheque?

[saleen836]

Fairly common nowadays for people to want a bank transfer as bankers drafts can be faked,cheques can look as though they have cleared then 'bounce', also fairly common for cash to be deposited into a bank account with the buyer present as there is a lot of fake bank notes (very good fakes) going around, I would say the seller is just covering himself.

[anonymous-user]

I did consider those but you have to wonder. Wouldn't be normal if I didn't.

[jas xjr]

if the seller wants the money paying into a bank account he should not be that dodgy. at least that can be traced , unlike cash.

[Gaygle]

king arthur said:

Put yourself in the seller's shoes - what would be the best way to protect yourself from someone giving you a bundle of dodgy notes, or a bouncy cheque?

This. I can't see what's "dodgy" about him wanting to go to the bank with you, letting the bank verify the notes and then paying the cash into his account?

Good on him for taking such a security conscious approach to selling a car - if more people were like him, there would be a lot less risk buying/selling a car.

Edited by Gaygle on Monday 3rd October 19:04

[anonymous-user]

Gaygle said:

This. I can't see what's "dodgy" about him wanting to go to the bank with you, letting the bank verify the notes and then paying the cash into his account?

This may be one of those you needed to be there moments to explain how dodgy he seemed.

[andye30m3]

If I'm selling a car I either want cash, which I'll have the bank check before the car goes or a bankers draft if I watch it being written.

I'd consider a bank transfer but I understand even these can be reversed.

[attym3]

Sounds to me like the seller has been stung before, and is just paranoid.

[o0myles0o]

When I bought my first car, I paid cash and the seller took me to the bank with the car, V5 and cash to pay in before she released the car and paperwork to me. Sensible selling I think, although I can never get Liz's hair right when drawing tenners.

[Gaygle]

andye30m3 said:

I'd consider a bank transfer but I understand even these can be reversed.

When my mother sold her car, we looked into this a lot and it appeared as though if the payment is done using the Faster Payment System (near under 3hr cross bank transfers) it is almost impossible to get the money back.

[anonymous-user]

Does nobody do cash in hand walk away anymore then?

[Mr2Mike]

PSBuckshot said:

Does nobody do cash in hand walk away anymore then?

I'm sure people still do, but would you like to be landed with a large pile of counterfeit notes?

[seeby]

If you say you done a deal at £2,600 and left a £200 deposit ,your mate only needs to put £2,400 in the sellers account.If I were you Iwould go with your mate along with the seller to the bank in case he (or someone he knows). ,might turn your mate over and nick his cash.IE knowing your mate is carrying nearly 2and a half grand.Specially as you say its in a dodgy area.

[anonymous-user]

seeby said:

If you say you done a deal at £2,600 and left a £200 deposit ,your mate only needs to put £2,400 in the sellers account.If I were you Iwould go with your mate along with the seller to the bank in case he (or someone he knows). ,might turn your mate over and nick his cash.IE knowing your mate is carrying nearly 2and a half grand.Specially as you say its in a dodgy area.

Yeah I am going with him for that reason.