Car Sales: Is this safe???

[transglobal]

I've had a few interested buyers in the Elise but one of them wants to go ahead with the purchase. I'm still nervous with the overseas bit generally but one of these guys has sent me a mail outlining the details. I'm sorry this is so long but do any of you smell a rat here or is it genuine? His mail reads:

"Sorry for getting back to you late.I am glad to inform you that i am satisfied with the details and condition of the car .

Presently i am in offshore in Ireland but i will be traveling down to uk to complete the transaction,so first of all, I will like you to please put this car off advert to avoid interruptions from other interested buyers and count it sold,ok.

Concerning the price and payment ,i will be happy to pay you the figure we agreed.

I will send you a Bankers draft of £4,500.00 which i will allow to clear into your bank account .

You will deduct £1,000.00 as a deposit for it which is non-refundable.

You will send £3,500.00 to shipping agent asap the cheque has cleared because I was informed by him that, he will need the money for shipping in advance at least a weekend before i will be in UK.

The remaining balance will be payed into your bank account or by cash before it can be pick up. i will be waiting for 48hrs for you to confirmed the balance before the shipping agent can pick it up. Let me know the best way you want the balance to be paid?

You need not to worry as our prepaid shipping Agent will come to pick it up from your base for shipment asap the balance has been confirmed by you .the reason for this shipment method is as a result of the congestion at the Singapore seaport, which does not make it directly shippable there.

I will be compensating you with £100 for the time involve in paying the shipping agent and also for you to withdraw the advert.

If you accept my terms of payment, The details and picture of the car will be sent to the shipping agent and get back to me with the NAME ,ADDRESS AND CONTACT MOBILE TELEPHONE NUMBER for Bankers draft to be delivered to you .I look forward to a successful transaction with you and await your urgent response.

PLEASE NOTE,ITS WHEN THE FULL PAYMENT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY YOU BEFORE THE CAR DOCUMENT WILL BE RELEASE TO ME AND SIGN".

He then gives names and contact details inc phone numbers etc. Am I being too wary? Its the shipping agent bit I'm unsure of.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks and Regards
Stuart.

[Rusty]

shipping agent and bankers draft instantly flags up Dodgy to me!! I'd think of it as a scam!

[neil]

Definite scam. Anyone who sends you money and then wants you to pay some to someone else is trying to scam you. Presumably if you do get a bankers draft it will be a stolen one so the money will be removed from your account after you think its cleared and paid out to his mate

[j2 lot]

I smell scam. Don't go there.
I would be suspicious of anyone who buys off ad and has shipping agent picking it up so is paying money to buy unseen- especially if you are expected to pay their money to a third party or accept extra money "on their behalf' Can only end one way.

[ruadh08]

SCAM, let Tut reply to him!!!!

[gorrie]

Classic Scam... as said, "pay my shipping agent", "bankers draft", "have some money for your trouble" etc etc. .. plus the general tone of the mail, all red flags.

[scott_e]

agree its a scam , I would be worried.

[H8OAG]

Classic Scam text
If you google the first sentence...........look at the results
Anyone who agrees to pay full asking price is clearly mental in my world anyway

[Nig The Stig]

Yip, seen things like this before. Don't go there m8.

[flip flop]

Def a scam mate,

In every one of the last 4 cars ive sold, ive had that same email. Dont touch it with a barge pole.

The only worry is that with so many foreign buyers in the uk at the moment we are only going to see more of these.

Flip

[a4drk]

Definite scam. Anyone who sends you money and then wants you to pay some to someone else is trying to scam you. Presumably if you do get a bankers draft it will be a stolen one so the money will be removed from your account after you think its cleared and paid out to his mate

yup - totally agree here - definite scam.
The £4500 is a fake / stolen draft/cheque.
and you are laundering money to him.
also - you can hear the Nigerian acent in his Queens English.......

avoid. !

I sold my Elise to a Dutch guy. - Transaction went smooth as.
Basically - the buyer needs to set up a Sterling account in his own foreign bank.
He comes over, sees the car & then once happy, does a CHAPS transfer.
I was lucky, the bloke stayed in a B&B round the corner from me until it cleared - which was the following day - first thing.
He done the transfer at 9.30pm at night - I dare say, if he done it in the morning, you would have cleared funds the same day.

David

[a4drk]

Classic Scam text
If you google the first sentence...........look at the results
Anyone who agrees to pay full asking price is clearly mental in my world anyway

google finds this
http://phoneowner.info/Number.aspx/07035955975
which is almost identical to above !

It must be straight out the Nigeria Scamming Book
"Copy & paste this and amend to suit.....>! !!!

David

[tut]

Almost the same as the one for Luke's scooter.

tut

[transglobal]

Thanks gents. Advice taken.

The English, punctuation and general layout is poor and that was what alerted me in the first place. The bit re the shipping agent turned the red light on.

a4drk, had a dutch guy on last week but wasn't sure about him either. Maybe I've got too much of a suspicious mind.

Ah well, back to Autotrader etc.

Thanks again for your help. Much appreciated.

Stuart.

[a4drk]

Stuart,
There are genuine foreign buyers out there - but just be careful.
If he's genuine - he'll want to see a shoebox full of paperwork & lots of hi res photos.

the bloke who bought mine has now converted it to LHD
cost him about €1500 in parts and 25 hours labour (sorry - off topic now.....)

David