I need a lil advice is this a scam?

[Silverlsinva]

Ok so here it goes im planning on buying a winter beater 4x4 and i email someone about their ad on a car selling website. So i ask a few more questions and say im still interested in the vehicle in questions and this is the response i get im gonna copy and paste it below

Hi,
I'm currently located in Augusta, ME because I got a new job here and the car is here with me. From the beginning you have to know that I prefer the payment to be done using eBay services. We will use a safe payment method because I am affiliated at eBay and I have a purchase protection account. I supposed to ship the car to other buyer but then he told me that he has a financial problem and is no longer interested. He already paid the shipping charges. So, the shipping is free. I will take care of it and I will send the car with all the papers ( title, bill of sale, full service records, owner's manual, books, etc ). You will have a 15 days inspection period after delivery. During that 15 days testing period I will not be able to get any money until you confirm to eBay that you are satisfied with the product you received. If you are a serious buyer, you have to email me your full name and full shipping address in order to open a case with eBay. They will contact you and give you more details about terms, buyer protection, payment instructions, shipping, invoice, etc. I await your email with the requested details so we can move forward.


So is this for real anyone ever deal this way with someone it kinda sounds too good to be true type of things.

[Rogue Leader]

Originally Posted by Silverlsinva

Ok so here it goes im planning on buying a winter beater 4x4 and i email someone about their ad on a car selling website. So i ask a few more questions and say im still interested in the vehicle in questions and this is the response i get im gonna copy and paste it below

Hi,
I'm currently located in Augusta, ME because I got a new job here and the car is here with me. From the beginning you have to know that I prefer the payment to be done using eBay services. We will use a safe payment method because I am affiliated at eBay and I have a purchase protection account. I supposed to ship the car to other buyer but then he told me that he has a financial problem and is no longer interested. He already paid the shipping charges. So, the shipping is free. I will take care of it and I will send the car with all the papers ( title, bill of sale, full service records, owner's manual, books, etc ). You will have a 15 days inspection period after delivery. During that 15 days testing period I will not be able to get any money until you confirm to eBay that you are satisfied with the product you received. If you are a serious buyer, you have to email me your full name and full shipping address in order to open a case with eBay. They will contact you and give you more details about terms, buyer protection, payment instructions, shipping, invoice, etc. I await your email with the requested details so we can move forward.


So is this for real anyone ever deal this way with someone it kinda sounds too good to be true type of things.

eBay does offer an escrow service, but its only available if the transaction is physically done on eBay. If not, then yes its a scam.

[toesuf94]

Unless the guy is Obama's undocumented Uncle...this person's English "skills" leave a lot to be desired. I smell scam with a side order of NO CAR and you out of winter beater money.

What's the person's ebay account rating? Did you check with ebay on the person?

[Sir Nuke]

Since they are having you go through EBay, and that THEY will be contacting YOU, and he doesn't get ANY money till YOUR sitisfied....sounds to me it on the Up and Up.

[CFD]

Many transactions are done on e-bay using the service he is mentioning and it protects the buyer and seller, the thing I find odd is the freight, using this service I believe the previous buyers shipping charges would have been refunded so this sends up a red flag. I would contact e-bay and inquire with them

[BowtieBelle]

I'd just find a different beater and not mess with this; there are tons to choose from.

[SILVERHAWK]

Originally Posted by Ark5thGenGirl

I'd just find a different beater and not mess with this; there are tons to choose from.

+1

[fielderLS3]

Originally Posted by Silverlsinva

Ok so here it goes im planning on buying a winter beater 4x4 and i email someone about their ad on a car selling website. So i ask a few more questions and say im still interested in the vehicle in questions and this is the response i get im gonna copy and paste it below

Hi,
I'm currently located in Augusta, ME because I got a new job here and the car is here with me. From the beginning you have to know that I prefer the payment to be done using eBay services. We will use a safe payment method because I am affiliated at eBay and I have a purchase protection account. I supposed to ship the car to other buyer but then he told me that he has a financial problem and is no longer interested. He already paid the shipping charges. So, the shipping is free. I will take care of it and I will send the car with all the papers ( title, bill of sale, full service records, owner's manual, books, etc ). You will have a 15 days inspection period after delivery. During that 15 days testing period I will not be able to get any money until you confirm to eBay that you are satisfied with the product you received. If you are a serious buyer, you have to email me your full name and full shipping address in order to open a case with eBay. They will contact you and give you more details about terms, buyer protection, payment instructions, shipping, invoice, etc. I await your email with the requested details so we can move forward.


So is this for real anyone ever deal this way with someone it kinda sounds too good to be true type of things.

Going through that e-mail line by line, I think you are right to be suspicious. Telling you part of his life story for no reason (where I live and why, why I didn't sell it to some other guy), typed in broken English, 15 day inspection/testing period after it ships??, free shipping, we only communicate by e-mail (no phone number), and then a third party will handle the arrangements....

No way to confirm 100% if it is a scam but I'd probably put it at about 99%. There are more than enough red flags there to say run away from this. Not that I don't trust anyone, it's just that I don't trust anyone, particularly not an anonymous internet ad and e-mail. Think of it this way: if someone where trying to push something like this on you face to face, would you do it?

There have to be plenty of good winter cars for sale within driving distance of where you live. I'd never buy a car without 1. Seeing both the car and the seller in person, and 2. Having a transaction in which I got the keys and drove off at the same time the money changed hands. Otherwise, you are just asking for it.

[Shu71]

I swore I read on eBay that if the sale doesn't originate on eBay then they have nothing to do with it period. Check out the eBay website and I think it was in the FAQ section or similar. If you do not hit "Buy Now" on the eBay site, then there is no protection by eBay.

[Fast1]

Keep looking.

[AnnaBear@SpartaChevy]

SCAM!

[NoUCantDriveIt]

I'd pass on it, scam or not it's just more complicated than need be. Like others have said, I'm sure there are good (or better) deals near you.

[insidethreat07]

run, run fast and far away

[Mr_Draco]

He says he has "Ebay buyers protection" but if the car is not posted and purchased though Ebay then yes this is a scam.

Shipping cars cost a ton. No seller in his right mind would pay for shipping. He says his other buyer already paid for shipping, this is a lie. That money would have had to be refunded when the deal fell though. This is a scam tactic.

Get a map and find a city or town about an hours drive from where he says he is. Tell him your wifes parents live there and that you two are planning on visiting them next week and ask him for his address and phone number so you can stop by and see the car while your visiting. I almost guarantee you he either wont answer back or will make up an excuse. An alternate idea is to make another email account and email him again pretending to be a different person that saw his ad in ME and lives close by and wants see the car. I bet you he will say he's somewhere else.

Also google image search the car make and model. Most scammers "borrow" pics from other websites so if you see the exact same pic somewhere else then it's a scam.