Scams to get your porsche and/or your cash
Discussion
There was an interesting article in the Telegraph motoring section a couple of weeks ago about a guy who lost his Boxster to fraudsters,
see:
www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml;jsessionid=NOP0J2L0RO4EHQFIQMFCFFWAVCBQYIV0?xml=/motoring/2006/01/14/mfscam14.xml
and there's a rather strange Cayenne Turbo ad knocking around (see Cayenne prices thread).
Has anyone here got personal experience of being rolled-over (or know of someone who has)?
>> Edited by Deutscher on Friday 3rd February 13:53
see:
www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml;jsessionid=NOP0J2L0RO4EHQFIQMFCFFWAVCBQYIV0?xml=/motoring/2006/01/14/mfscam14.xml
and there's a rather strange Cayenne Turbo ad knocking around (see Cayenne prices thread).
Has anyone here got personal experience of being rolled-over (or know of someone who has)?
>> Edited by Deutscher on Friday 3rd February 13:53
A little bit on our website about some of the methods used :
http:www.911virgin.com/buyer.htm
And yes it does go on. I had to make a little trip up to Birmingham crown court last year as a witness for the prosecution on one of the rare occasions the bad guys got caught. They`re now enjoying HM catering services for a little while but sadly only the minority ever get caught.
Henry
http:www.911virgin.com/buyer.htm
And yes it does go on. I had to make a little trip up to Birmingham crown court last year as a witness for the prosecution on one of the rare occasions the bad guys got caught. They`re now enjoying HM catering services for a little while but sadly only the minority ever get caught.
Henry
cuneus said:
It's been known for some time that bankers drafts are not worth the paper they are written on, as the 419 scammers seem to know all to well.
Providing you take the right precautions that is so untrue
Just go steady. If you are minded to do so there are a number of steps you can take with a bonkers draft to win a free car. Things aren`t helped by bank`s increasing unwillingness to involve themselves in confirming a draft`s validity.
Henry
I fell for a nasty trick a few years ago when selling my Toyota Celica Carlos Sainz, and a really nice chap who had arranged to buy my Caterham fell for the same trick with his 993 C2.
It isn't exactly a scame, but its obviously a common trick and I think people should know about it. I fell for it because my car had been on the market for 6 months and I was getting desperate to sell it.
Basically, you get a call from a garage that says they match "buyers to sellers" and they've got a guy interested in my car. Now, rather than arranging for the buyer to come to my house, they ask for your car to be dropped off at the showroom, where it will be valeted and the prospective buyer will view it and test drive it. You will be left with a courtesy car for a few days. You check the garage out - seems good - they've got a nice 911 in the window and it looks neat and tidy, so the next day you drop your car off. Later that day you get a call that the guy's test driven your car and loves it, so he's arranging the finance. For the next week, they fob you off that they're awaiting the money to be cleared etc. They keep fobbing you off with this story and eventually in my case I had to go round there and virtually steal my own car back.
The situation is that there never was a buyer (of course), and my car was advertised on their forecourt for sale for £1000 more than I was asking for it. When I initially dropped it off they asked for the V5 and the spare keys - which I obviously refused to give them, so something more sinister may have indeed happened.
I did actually consider getting my revenge on this dealership, but when I went round there a few weeks later they had gone... moved on probably to operate the same scam under a different name. The Porsche in their showroom I discovered was actually theirs, they had bought it to make themselves look good.
The guy with the 993 C2 had exactly the same thing happen to him. He'd arranged to buy my Caterham for a fair price, and we'd agreed to settle up when he had exchanged money for his 993. It never happened and he had to pull out. It sounds obvious writing it here now, but they tricked me and they tricked him, so be careful!
It isn't exactly a scame, but its obviously a common trick and I think people should know about it. I fell for it because my car had been on the market for 6 months and I was getting desperate to sell it.
Basically, you get a call from a garage that says they match "buyers to sellers" and they've got a guy interested in my car. Now, rather than arranging for the buyer to come to my house, they ask for your car to be dropped off at the showroom, where it will be valeted and the prospective buyer will view it and test drive it. You will be left with a courtesy car for a few days. You check the garage out - seems good - they've got a nice 911 in the window and it looks neat and tidy, so the next day you drop your car off. Later that day you get a call that the guy's test driven your car and loves it, so he's arranging the finance. For the next week, they fob you off that they're awaiting the money to be cleared etc. They keep fobbing you off with this story and eventually in my case I had to go round there and virtually steal my own car back.
The situation is that there never was a buyer (of course), and my car was advertised on their forecourt for sale for £1000 more than I was asking for it. When I initially dropped it off they asked for the V5 and the spare keys - which I obviously refused to give them, so something more sinister may have indeed happened.
I did actually consider getting my revenge on this dealership, but when I went round there a few weeks later they had gone... moved on probably to operate the same scam under a different name. The Porsche in their showroom I discovered was actually theirs, they had bought it to make themselves look good.
The guy with the 993 C2 had exactly the same thing happen to him. He'd arranged to buy my Caterham for a fair price, and we'd agreed to settle up when he had exchanged money for his 993. It never happened and he had to pull out. It sounds obvious writing it here now, but they tricked me and they tricked him, so be careful!
rich 36 said:
Charming.
sounds like a sort of lucky escape mate
yeah.. thinking back now it seems so silly that I fell for it. I'm wiser now.. I tell you what though, there are more reasons than just convenience for trading your car in rather than selling via other means! I'm currently changing my car and there's a £4k difference between Parkers price (£14k) and trade in (£10k); it's up privately.. let's hope it goes ok!
>> Edited by RobM77 on Friday 3rd February 16:54
rumplestiltskin said:
An interesting read but have to say anyone who accepts a bankers draft without at least checking the issuing bank actually issued it, is asking for trouble.
dont even do that little!
Friend of mine owns a computer components distributor, got a Barclays Bankers Draft with a limited company details as the accounts it came from (computer company too) 54 grands worth of stock later and barclays saying it was a middle eastern ring who forged the draft (how the f*** all numbers where correct in order etc) he lost the stock and the company was nothing to do with it, 54 grand mistake says only hand the keys over after the cash is cleared in your account, go with them to get the bankers draft from their bank, then you can see them taking the money and make them go to your bank to pay it in (and ask your bank to make all the neccisary checks omitting liability)
somtimes you have to sell for other reasons and are blinded by the fact that you sold for the money you want etc and need their cash quickly, you need to keep your wits about you or loose the lot.
Different car, same dilemma. Now that I have my 3.2, I'm considering selling my BMW. Don't really need two cars, you see. Anyway, do I sell privately and take an extra degree of risk with the unknown buyer for a bit more money, or sell to a reputable independent who's been in business at the same location for years and forfeit some cash for the peace of mind of getting a bona fide deal? Decisions, decisions...
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