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Original poster

‘Mr.Shark’ coming to view my vehicle for sale. Advice?

318 replies

0500hours · 19/06/2025 14:16

My husband died in April leaving some business debts. I have to sell his work truck.

’Mr Shark’ is driving from an hour away to view at half 3 today - does anyone have advice that’s done this before?

It’s parked outside my house. Like 99% of others who enquired he wants it for Ukraine he said.

Its taxed/MOT’d/insured/alarmed etc but how does he test drive it? Does he bring his driving licence and paperwork from his own insurer to prove he’s insured? He’s just come over from Ukraine he said and wants to drive it back there for the war. What if he damages it on driving?

Should I drive it instead with him as passenger?

I’m still waiting for the DVLA new owner papers to come back so it can’t be sold today anyway, he’s just viewing it.

He wants to leave a small deposit to secure it, but then how can I be sure he’d pay the balance?

Any advice welcome. There’s nobody I can call today to help me when he views.

Thankyou so much
posted on chat for traffic

OP posts:
2dogsandabudgie · 19/06/2025 18:14

OP, do you not have your Facebook set to private so that only friends can see it? Even my friends list is set to private on there. I'd be worried if some stranger tracked me through Facebook.

nightmarepickle2025 · 19/06/2025 18:14

Don;'t let him test drive it, you'll never see it again, he'll have it on a transporter to Romania before the end of the day.

Isobel201 · 19/06/2025 18:15

Ledwood85 · 19/06/2025 17:51

Agree. These all seem perfectly normal steps for a sale. Suddenly every buyer now is only out to steal, rape, rob, etc. Just take common sense precautions.

As for the stalking element, I'll wager OP has underpriced the vehicle, either doesn't know its worth/wants rid of it.
If her hesitations in this thread are anything like in real life, the buyer is probably desperate to buy this if it is indeed underpriced - but she's not giving him her address.
He seems business name on side of van. Looks it up. Gets an address. Double-checks Google Earth to make sure it's the right address and decided to head over there to buy it before someone else does.

The only fishy thing for me is the Ukraine piece - but as others have said, that's a line that's being fed to negotiate lower.

Show quote history

It is perfectly normal, I can't believe some of these posts. The business was linked to the facebook profile which automatically gives the location, that's why its so easy. Him looking up the location on google earth is fine, and tbh I'd do that as well if I was looking up where a business was and if its genuine. I'm not sure about the Ukraine excuse though.

babystarsandmoon · 19/06/2025 18:15

Why would it be a scam? I’ve lost count of the amount of times my partner and his friends drive hours to view a car.

MascaraGirl · 19/06/2025 18:15

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Do you want it for the Ukraine?

cyvguhb · 19/06/2025 18:16

Obviously I have no idea if this person is a scammer but I'm surprised at all the horror about looking people up on Facebook.

I have family members who often trade in vehicles and that sounds quite normal to me. They've never had any bad experiences selling vehicles on Facebook, as long as you have your wits about you, its not like every potential buyer is out to con you

Hope all goes well @0500hours

Isobel201 · 19/06/2025 18:17

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I think you need to start your own thread 😉

TheFormidableMrsC · 19/06/2025 18:18

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Perhaps try the beauty boards!

cyvguhb · 19/06/2025 18:18

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May I suggest that a thread about Trucks for Ukraine might not be the most useful option for you enquiry

Whosenameisthis · 19/06/2025 18:19

nightmarepickle2025 · 19/06/2025 18:14

Don;'t let him test drive it, you'll never see it again, he'll have it on a transporter to Romania before the end of the day.

Can we stop with the racism please. This is the second post on this thread which suggests certain ethnicities steal cars or buy them for use in terrorism.

bridgetreilly · 19/06/2025 18:20

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I think she’d be best looking at WeSellAnyRazor.com

Londonrach1 · 19/06/2025 18:22

You ok op

FairKoala · 19/06/2025 18:22

BadSkiingMum · 19/06/2025 17:47

I am afraid that you are the naïve one, especially if two 'buyers' turn up. Once you have the car engine started and the key in the car all they have to do is distract you so that you get out of the car for some reason ('I need you to look at this') then the other one hops in and they are gone. Or verbally threatens you to get you out of the car, or physically pushes or pulls you out of the open door...

We were once walking through a hotel car park attached to a large family leisure attraction. This place is known to be quite expensive to visit, so there were a lot of large family cars in the car park. A man was standing by the open bonnet of a car that was parked on one of the roadways, jump leads in hand, asking if we would mind giving him a jump start. My DH said no and wouldn't engage. I spun him a random reason and we walked on. Why? There was just something 'off' about it - the car was not parked in a space (it was a hotel car park, so why would it need a jump start if it hadn't been parked?), the car was far older than the other vehicles in the car park and, frankly, the man didn't seem like a typical visitor to this family attraction. The scenario just didn't fit the situation.

One possibility is that this was a guy who needed a bit of help with his car and we were wrong to refuse. The other possibility is that he suddenly jumps into the driver's seat of your car once you have it pulled up, engine still running of course...

It's just not worth the risk.

Show quote history

Are you for real.

If someone wanted something surely you would turn the engine off, remove the keys from the ignition and get down from the drivers seat

In the scenario you witnessed maybe , being an older car the car wasn’t working properly and the driver had driven into the car park of the hotel to get off the road but the engine had cut out before he was able to get into a parking space and he genuinely wanted a jump start to get him on his way.

I have done similar (golf course instead of hotel).

Notsuchafattynow · 19/06/2025 18:27

I've sold a couple of cars through motorway.com very simple and straightforward and no shenanigans.

Twonewcats · 19/06/2025 18:28

@Ledwood85 and @Isobel201
The point is that he didnt "double check" the address in GE, and there's no mention of the business name being on the side of the van.
The op clearly says "he found it because he looked at my Facebook profile and just tracked down the address of my husband’s business then saw the truck parked outside our house on Google earth!"
Yes, that's maybe what you'd do if double checking, but if the op had advertised her van with no actual address info, I wouldn't be rushing to speak to a potential buyer who told me he looked through my Facebook to find the business name, and then found the van on Google Earth at her house.

1976a · 19/06/2025 18:29

0500hours · 19/06/2025 15:01

Thankyou for replies

I’ve had a look at we buy any car and similar

I can’t stop him visiting he’s already on his way

I have decided no test drive today but he can check engine and underneath etc I won’t give him the keys at any point

When it does come to selling I would r accept anything other than direct bank transfer

i never gave him my address he found it because he looked at my Facebook profile and just tracked down the address of my husband’s business then saw the truck parked outside our house on Google earth!

ah well it’s a small cul de sac everyone’s retired here except me so I know if there’s any trouble someone will probably come outside and investigate .

I’ll update after he’s been. But looks like it will be going to we buy any car type platform after today based on advice here.

Thankyou for replying I am grateful

How have things gone op? X

Mrsbloggz · 19/06/2025 18:31

Mr S sounds distinctly stalker-ish from what you've told us OP.😕

Ledwood85 · 19/06/2025 18:38

Twonewcats · 19/06/2025 18:28

@Ledwood85 and @Isobel201
The point is that he didnt "double check" the address in GE, and there's no mention of the business name being on the side of the van.
The op clearly says "he found it because he looked at my Facebook profile and just tracked down the address of my husband’s business then saw the truck parked outside our house on Google earth!"
Yes, that's maybe what you'd do if double checking, but if the op had advertised her van with no actual address info, I wouldn't be rushing to speak to a potential buyer who told me he looked through my Facebook to find the business name, and then found the van on Google Earth at her house.

Ok, splitting hairs, whatever, Name on van and tracked that way - we don't know. Click through Facebook marketplace profile to OP's personal profile and see she's "liked" the business and gotten the details what way? Maybe.
So many ways the buyer could have tracked down the location.

End of the day, OP advertised something for sale. Buyer wants to buy. Only now there's so much drama.
Fears? Arrange to meet the buyer in the car park of a local police station for the viewing. Heaven forbid a buyer wants to see it running or give it a test drive before parting with the cash.

Clearly if this is a truck the person buying is a "get it done" person buying for their business. Time is of the essence and wants to move with a different urgency to the seller. If the OP is umming and ahhing chances are he's just gotten on with it.

Could the buyer have suspicious motives? Never say never. But if I was looking to perform a crime, I wouldn't be leaving a massive digital footprint of my Facebook ID, IP addresses, etc. Hardly covering his tracks, is he?

LemonDrizzleSlices · 19/06/2025 18:38

Hope you're ok OP

BadSkiingMum · 19/06/2025 18:40

Whosenameisthis · 19/06/2025 18:10

trying to picture this.

when I’ve jump started a car you pull up, facing the dead car. switch the engine off this is key, because you’re about to touch the live terminal of a battery. Connect the batteries with your jump leads.

you get back in your car and start the engine. He gets in his car and starts the engine. Run for 10 mins then switch off engines before disconnecting. At no point do you leave your vehicle empty and running. And even if you did, what’s he going to do, leap in and reverse away with the bonnet up so no forward vision and jump leads connected to another car?

Show quote history

I am sure an element of distraction would be involved. His demeanour was a bit helpless/dopey, so I think it would be a case of 'Come over here and help me attach these jump leads, I don't know where they go.'

Reversing away with a bonnet open? Pretty feasible in a car park. All you need is an accomplice waiting around the corner to push the cover down and jump in too. Or it might happen even before the jump leads were attached, once the other driver is out of their vehicle. The old jalopy has served its purpose and is abandoned.

My DH is sharper than most so would never leave a set of keys in a car, but I am sure plenty of people would if they were distracted.

It might not have been a car sting, but something was 'off' about the situation and we weren't prepared to find out.

Witchling · 19/06/2025 18:44

never gave him my address he found it because he looked at my Facebook profile and just tracked down the address of my husband’s business then saw the truck parked outside our house on Google earth

Christ!!

2dogsandabudgie · 19/06/2025 18:45

How would he know if it was for sale on Google earth unless they've filmed recently. Am I missing something here.

Just realised OP advertised it on Facebook Marketplace. Think the heat's got to me today! 😃

Magixx · 19/06/2025 18:51

Hope OP comes back to update us soon...

BadSkiingMum · 19/06/2025 18:55

@FairKoala Of course I am for real - I am telling the truth.

This hotel car park was not somewhere where you would pull in just off the road, it was somewhere you would only park if you were staying at that particular hotel and visiting that particular attraction. The hotel was based quite a way inside the grounds of the attraction. Parking needed to be pre-booked and people tended to stay for 1-3 nights.

He didn't have any children with him so seemed a rather unlikely visitor for a major family attraction.

But feel free to help someone else in the same situation and risk your car, luggage, treasured personal possessions, ID documents, cash/cards and potentially face a very difficult journey home!

cyvguhb · 19/06/2025 18:56

Witchling · 19/06/2025 18:44

never gave him my address he found it because he looked at my Facebook profile and just tracked down the address of my husband’s business then saw the truck parked outside our house on Google earth

Christ!!

Pretty basic entry level online research, you aren't really surprised are you?

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