Buying 'scams'

[Roscobbc]

Most of us will be alert to buying scams........but every now and then a new one appears to 'con' potential purchasers.
I've been looking for a small economical Ulez compliant, post 2004 petrol (or post 2016 diesel) daily driver to replace my non-compliant Ka diesel.
I looked on the usual places, eBay, Pistonheads, Autotrader and FB Marketplace. Many of the sellers are obviously smaller traders - no issue with that. Many of the smaller adverts predominantly seem to be people whose first language was perhaps not english and advertising poorly photographed, frequently battered vehicle. Most were obviously trading cars from home. A surprisingly high number of cars were insurance 'write-offs' (rarely mentioned in the adverts) even though as a trader it is a legal obligation. Many of the sellers were obviously a bit dodgy when looking in depth at their details.........and yes I had the usual "sent me £200 to secure your car" responses - or meet-up outside a garage somewhere.
The bottom line has to be "If the advert and price look too good to be true.......then 99% chance it's a scam" - one advert however was a 'new' scam to me.
A Nissan Juke automatic at what seemed to be a reasonable price was quite sophistically advertised, pictured in front of a large house supposedly in Ascot. Advert was by the sellers daughter, explaining how her mother had recently retired and moved overseas. She gave her email address saying that she would reply with her mother details and where to contact her. The message section of her FB advert was locked-out. I replied to the email address and received the supposed mothers email details, contacting her (email once more) asking for more information (and specifically about the CVT auto box) and recieved this reply.
"Hi, I'm Amanda and I appreciate your interest in my 2014 Nissan Juke. There are no problems with it, no accidents, it is in outstanding condition. Full documented service history (61k miles), HPI clear, 1.6 petrol engine and new mot until January 2024. Registration number is KS14 VJV.
I retired and moved to Portugal a few months ago. My plan was to keep it here but as they are driving on the other side, i found it very difficult... Since I can't use it here, I have changed my mind, so I decided to let it go and sell it back in the UK, it's not worth keeping insurance and paying storage fees for nothing...Vehicle along with all other things like 2 keys, V5 and service history books are in the UK, at the logistics company. All registration documents have been pre signed by me and will be delivered along with the vehicle.
My asking price is £4,925 (delivery and handling included). Unfortunately, being here, I can't conclude this transaction personally but the vehicle is in the UK at the logistics company and they are mandated to manage the sale.
Get back to me if you are interested and I will explain the process to you. More photos available upon request. Kind regards"

Very suspicious now, I replied, asking for further information, like where the car was was located and recieved this reply

"Hi again, you will find all the photos attached below. As I've mentioned in my first message, the vehicle, both keys and V5 log book pre-signed by me are already in the UK at the logistics company. Here are their details, you can contact them for a better understanding on how the transaction can take place.
www.logrdb.ltd
office@logrdb.ltd (open 24/7)
+44 2921 281652 (open Mon to Fri from 9am to 5pm)
I required them to allow my buyers to go there for inspection or to pick it up but they refused as they're not authorized as a car dealer and don't have a showroom facility...
I have a contract with them and according to it, they will handle the transaction on my behalf. They will also deliver it at your address. Closing the transaction through them will provide you a 5 days inspection period. If the vehicle won't match my description or if you will find any other problems and you won't agree to keep it, they will refund your payment and it will be delivered back on my costs. I'm sure that won't happen since it is in excellent condition. They will also do an inspection before proceeding and they will forward you the vehicle inspection report. Along with the contract, they will also send you a copy of my driving licence. Only if you agree to keep it, after the testing period, your payment will be released to me.
You must understand that I'm very interested in selling my vehicle but if you can't accept their terms and conditions it's a waste of time for both of us. Also feel free to contact them with any questions. Thank you".

There was no response to my questions relating to the auto transmission and the reply confirmed to me that is was a quite envolved scam. Amusingly, later the following day the exact same advert appeared once more on FB marketplace - this time with a male selling it. So was this the same 'seller' with an additional scam? - or another 'scammer' scamming the original advert.
Me? - I've given-up on trying to find a vehicle from these kind of sources......too risky!

 

[Nassau65]

Nice scam, and in some ways very plausible to the uninformed. I’m quite sure they will hook somebody, glad it wasn’t you.
This bloody ULEZ expansion is a bloody nuisance. My daily’s are diesel’s and are all compliant, but quite a few friends will have to get rid of their cars for compliant ones.

 

[C5Steve]

Thats a really impressive scam, website appears genuine on the face of it, the company registered at companies house some time ago etc etc......

Bit of digging and interrogating the website shows it's a sham though, however, that's going to catch a few people out I suspect.

 

[Roscobbc]

Thats a really impressive scam, website appears genuine on the face of it, the company registered at companies house some time ago etc etc......

Bit of digging and interrogating the website shows it's a sham though, however, that's going to catch a few people out I suspect.

Imagine the car was, say a Corvette - any year but perhaps a good few £K less than going rate........it could potentially catch a few of us!

 

[Nassau65]

I consider myself very lucky as I’ve bought cars from Europe, Middle East and USA/Canada and never been turned over. In the early days of “the net” pictures of a “nice car “ were posted or sent, when the car arrived it wasn’t the car in the photo’s . A friend got caught like that, we found him a beautiful black T/A ( original T-Top etc) offered it to him at a very fair price. He thought it was too expensive. Showed me the photos of his “find” much cheaper than ours. He bought it. When it arrived at Southampton what a POS. Not even a T/A, just a firebird. No T’s a wreck.
A fool and his money are ( or in his case were) easily parted. We did feel sorry for him, but you live and learn.
As Mr Roscobbc said, if something’s seems to good to be true, it usually is.

Always Caveat emptor . Buyer beware. It will stand you in good sted.

 

[Roscobbc]

I remember many, many years ago when Mini's were 'the' car to have I bought an 8 year old 'Cooperised' 850 Mini. Great fun, I did a few things to the engine like milling the head to raise compression, twin carbs, Cooper exhaust etc etc. Only had the car for 4 or 5 months, a long time when you're 18. A couple of years later I had a knock at the front door and a police detective was asking me about the car.........seems that it was either previously stolen or a 'ringer' and he was asking who I had sold it to.......

 

[phild]

Not so much a scam but more of a warning.

A couple of years ago I was interested in a Dodge Viper being sold by a bone fide dealer on behalf of a client. All seemed well and the dealer was very helpful in providing me with the VIN and other details. I did an HPI check which came back clear and I also did a US Carfax check, thankfully, as it had recently been imported.

Result of the Carfax was that the car had been in a serious accident and was not legally allowed to be repaired and used in the US. Where it was repaired, UK or US, I don't know but I told the dealer who was mortified and sent him the Carfax report. No idea what happened to the Viper.

 

[Roscobbc]

Not so much a scam but more of a warning.

A couple of years ago I was interested in a Dodge Viper being sold by a bone fide dealer on behalf of a client. All seemed well and the dealer was very helpful in providing me with the VIN and other details. I did an HPI check which came back clear and I also did a US Carfax check, thankfully, as it had recently been imported.

Result of the Carfax was that the car had been in a serious accident and was not legally allowed to be repaired and used in the US. Where it was repaired, UK or US, I don't know but I told the dealer who was mortified and sent him the Carfax report. No idea what happened to the Viper.

I seem to recall a similar story with a CCCUK member some years back who bought then, a late model Vette from a dealer. He was very happy with the car for the years he owned it........untill he tried to PX it against a newer Corvette (being sold by a different dealer).........this dealer did his checks and found that the proposed PX had been an insurance write-off and adjusted his PX value significantly downwards (or rejected the car.....not sure which). The owner of PX Vette was then naturally £'s out of pocket and I far as I recall went legal on the dealer who sold the car to him, citing that he hadn't been informed that the car was a 'write-off'. Not sure about the legal situation back the.....but now I believe a vehicle trader is legally obliged to disclose to the potential buyer that the vehicle on sale is a 'write-off'. Perhaps someone can advise as to whether that only applies to UK or European categorised write-offs - not sure about USA sourced write-offs. We've had a few avdertised on these pages where someone has joined the CCCUK specifically to advertise and sell a USA write-off to a unsuspecting CCCUK member. Not saying one should buy a insurance write-off. If properly repaired it can perhaps for some be the only opportunity to afford a Corvette.........and there lies the issue of value, as any car with a insurance write-off cagegory will be worth less money and be less desireable to most buyers. Insurance for the car may be more expensive too...........