Possible export scam. Please help!!

[m3eezer]

I am currently selling my e60 5 series on pistonheads and have had an interested buyer from Hong Kong who is claiming he wishes to buy my car. He has requested a picture of the V5 and has said he will arrange for a transport company to pick up the car. To test if he is genuine, i asked him to transfer a £200 holding deposit into my paypal which he did immediately. He also claims that he will transfer the rest of the money to my account before collection of the vehicle. I am slightly dubious and want to ask advice before i go any further with this deal. Please help!!!

[andy43]

Look at it this way - would you buy a car from Hong Kong based on photos and possibly faked docs?

[tonys]

Isn't there something with Paypal that means a buyer can dispute the 'goods' and prevent release of the funds to the seller??

Whether there is or not, I wouldn't even contemplate such a sale. Not worth the potential (probable?) risks. If it doesn't seem right etc. etc.........................

There are lots of foreign buyers, but most would actually look at the car first, although that might ot be so easy from Hong Kong. Assuming, that is, that the buyer is actually in Hong Kong and not 50 miles away from you and a mate collects it with his flatbed for 'onward shipping'.

Ask yourself what you would do

[Stu R]

andy43 said:

Look at it this way - would you buy a car from Hong Kong based on photos and possibly faked docs?

You mean like thousands of folks do from Japan and the US every year? Perish the thought

I'd have serious doubts about buyers from HK purely because it's so bastid expensive to get a car out there. Unless you're selling something special or something that's easier to import of course.
I'd also trust nobody unless I was paid either by wire transfer or cash. I wouldn't trust paypal as far as I could throw them either.

[Nedzilla]

Dont use paypal,open a new or use an empty account,ask him to transfer the full amount,then transfer the money from that account to another of which he has no details.The money is yours and secure,then and only then tell him he can arrange collection of the car.

[BE57 TOY]

This is a weekly topic.

In short - don't use PayPal because they can get the transaction reversed very easily and you've lost everything.

Do a bank transfer, or don't do anything.

[ufoufo]

What type of 5 series is it? Why would someone from HK want a 5 series from the uk with all that shipping costs?

[TheTurbonator]

If he's paying by Paypal he'll dispute the sale and reverse the funds leaving you with no car and no money.

[All that jazz]

TheTurbonator said:

If he's paying by Paypal he'll dispute the sale and reverse the funds leaving you with no car and no money.

I was just about to ask the OP if the guy's name was George Agdgdgwngo too. I just need to take your bank account detail and sort code then I will wire you the monies as soon as possible!