Buying car using google wallet...

[Brother D]

A friend is looking to buy a car from Portugal which was advertised on Autotrader at a very good price...

Seller told him he needs to use a Google checkout as a means of escrow, - friend wants me to set him up with a google account.

So I asked my friend if he was going over to collect the car. 'No they are going to deliver the car to me, let me test it then if it checks out I can agree to pass the money on to them using google wallet'.

Personally I think this sounds fishy, and advised against it, but the car is something they really want and the price is good and they are going ahead with it.

So question is, can the google wallet be used as an escrow service? Or are they setting themselves up for a fall?

Also if you want to buy a car from abroad (euro area) whats the best method? Cash on delivery?

[randlemarcus]

Really? Yes, it's all true, aside from the Google WAllet bit. He needs to use my new London Bridge Escrow service, and pay in sixteenth century Dutch tulip bulbs. FFS.

[Roo]

Scam.

[matthias73]

If you send me 200 dollars so I can acess mah bank account, I will send you mah monies.

[Brother D]

You're not helping much...

[frosted]

I can't believe I'm reading this, he deserves everything he gets or should I say doesn't

[Output Flange]

What's the car, and exactly how much of his money is he about to give away?

[playalistic]

Seriously? You're uncertain whether this is a scam? Seriously?

[LeoZwalf]

If it feels, smells and looks like a scam, then it is one.

Please tell your friend to run away!

[trickywoo]

OP your friend is a mug

http://googlecheckout.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/stop-...

"Note: Google Wallet does not accept wire transfers/bank transfers or payments via Western Union/Money Gram, nor does it use any escrow type of payment."

[benjj]

[tercelgold]

Google don't do escrow

[Roo]

Brother D said:

You're not helping much...

Look at it from the sellers point of view.

Brother D said:

A friend is looking to buy a car from Portugal ....... 'No they are going to deliver the car to me, let me test it then if it checks out I can agree to pass the money on to them

If you were selling a car would you do that?

[mrmr96]

Brother D said:

the car is something they really want and the price is good

No fking st. Imaginary cars do TEND to be attractively priced. FFS.

[sealtt]

Hi, sorry for my english. And I selling this car. You can stay calm because this is not something criminal, I'm honest. You can trust in me. Thanks, Christiano.

[Garlick]

Avoid.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/fraudwarnings.asp

[frosted]

sealtt said:

Hi, sorry for my english. And I selling this car. You can stay calm because this is not something criminal, I'm honest. You can trust in me. Thanks, Christiano.

I selling car, not you

[Brother D]

Jeez, relax people, no money has changed hands, I gave him my view but he's quite strong-headed.

I asked him to forward the email chain that had been going on between them.

The seller sent them the following link to show they were genuine...

http://google.com-inc-wallet.co.uk/Virtual-Wallet....

I *think* I have actually convinced him its not actually legit...

[Output Flange]

Surely just the link is enough to convince him?

That's a sub of com-inc-wallet.co.uk - nothing to do with Google.

The real URL is www.google.com/wallet/

[sealtt]

Brother D said:

Jeez, relax people, no money has changed hands, I gave him my view but he's quite strong-headed.

I asked him to forward the email chain that had been going on between them.

The seller sent them the following link to show they were genuine...

http://google.com-inc-wallet.co.uk/Virtual-Wallet....

I *think* I have actually convinced him its not actually legit...

Im not sure what the link proves? I don't think there was any doubt that google is a reputable company.

Could always just use a credit card and then do a chargeback if anything goes wrong. Though it sounds very much like a scam... or maybe you just explained it badly.