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Original poster

Posting for traffic - Is my dad about to be scammed?

55 replies

ThatsPoker · 19/12/2017 19:58

Hi everyone, hoping you might have some advice.
My dad is selling his car, he's put it on shpock and various Facebook groups.

He received an email about the car, from a man in Ireland (my dad is in Essex) saying he'll pay full price for the car via Paypal, and send someone (not him) to collect the car, once the money has cleared.

My alarm bells are ringing - it just sounds too good - the car is overpriced, a good purchase, but still.

My dad asks for some assurance the man is legit, so he sends a copy of 'his' driving licence, apparently he's a doctor. (Bell's are ringing!)

This just stinks to me - am i right in it feeling off? My dad has also called Paypal, and they said he's doing everything right.

I told my dad, if he wants it that much, just ask to pay cash, no comeback, right?

Anyone got any advice please? Or heard of a scam like this?

OP posts:
specialsubject · 19/12/2017 20:07

Convinced, I hope? Smile

CisCucumber · 19/12/2017 20:10

Well known scam
They just tell PayPal they don't have the item and you have no proof of postage
He can get a mate to collect and give you cash on collection

Original poster
ThatsPoker · 19/12/2017 20:13

Hi Pengggwn, wasn't being rude at all, just tried to explain my reason behind asking - sorry you read it that way, truly wasn't my intention.

thank you all so much for explaining the scam, makes perfect sense now, i've told my Dad to just ignore it, but he insists on asking for cash or no deal.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatsPoker · 19/12/2017 20:14

Totally convinced - my dad is clearly seeing ££££ signs before his eyes, but i've told him in no uncertain terms, STEP AWAY! Thanks again everyone.

OP posts:
gingergenius · 19/12/2017 20:15

Nope. Well known scam tactic. Avoid with as many barge poles as you can muster.

Pengggwn · 19/12/2017 20:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ShakeShakeTheMuffin · 19/12/2017 20:20

How is 'hence the question' rude? I certainly didn't read it that way.

MongerTruffle · 19/12/2017 20:22

If your dad has the money, how can the scam work?

The buyer will claim that they never got the car and file a claim through PayPal, who will always side with the buyer. They will only accept confirmation of delivery from a courier's online tracking service as proof of delivery, which you don't have if you're selling a car.

PavlovianLunge · 19/12/2017 20:23

‘Hence the question’ is pretty rude.

I didn’t read it as rude, but the OP has apologised.

Harping on after someone has had the grace to apologise is rude. And yes, I know the ‘harping on’ can be taken as rude.

Pengggwn · 19/12/2017 20:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pengggwn · 19/12/2017 20:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gingergenius · 19/12/2017 20:25

@Pengggwn only if you choose to take it that way. But the OP apologised if it sounded off. So all good.

Pengggwn · 19/12/2017 20:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PavlovianLunge · 19/12/2017 20:26

Ugh, whatever. Enjoy pulling your passive aggressive face, I’m out of this thread.

gingergenius · 19/12/2017 20:28

Ok @Pengggwn you felt it was rude. Other poster didn't read that from the OP's post. Sometime things get lost in translation on t'interweb. But as you say let's move on, so as not to derail.

IWouldLikeToKnow · 19/12/2017 20:30

As devil’s advocate here, what if the buyer is genuine....he’s unlikely to transfer money directly to your Dad’s account on the chance that he doesn’t get the car. I know I certainly wouldn’t transfer a large sum into a stranger’s account. As PP says, it’s very good value for Irish people to buy cars in the UK currently I have two friends that did it recently.

streetlife70s · 19/12/2017 20:36

Nobody buys a car without seeing it.

It’s such a well known scam. Please stop him.

gingergenius · 19/12/2017 20:39

@IWouldLikeToKnow I have sold 3 vehicles online. We organised a bank transfer whilst they were there collecting, via the faster payments bank service. It took 20 mins and everyone was happy to wait until it went through because decent people understand that naively trusting a stranger with £1000s is unwise.

That would be a good alternative

jaimelannistersgoldenhand · 19/12/2017 20:42

IWoudLikeToKnow- if the buyer was genuine he would give money to the person collecting. (He has to trust the collecting person right?) or he would get a guarantee with collecting person that it was in good condition and could organise a bank transfer to OP's dad.

It's a well-known scam. Definitely avoid.

LunchBoxPolice · 19/12/2017 20:43

If your Dad does this then he will be having scammy and chips for his tea

ticketytock1 · 19/12/2017 20:47

It sounds dodgy but I would investigate a little further before writing it off
I'm in Ireland and it's quite common to go to England and bring a car back, because lot of the time used cars from England are in much better condition than they are here. Simply because our roads are complete shite and cars take more abuse!

mummmy2017 · 19/12/2017 20:48

I wouldn't do it.
If he wants it pay cash.

gingergenius · 19/12/2017 20:50

@ticketytock1 you clearly haven't driven down the bastarding potholed roads of Sussex!!!! 😬

neddle · 19/12/2017 20:53

I sold a car to a guy in Ireland in 2015. He never saw it before buying and sent a transporter to collect it.
However, he paid by bank transfer to a dormant account I still had. I then transferred it to our main account with a different bank.
I got a photo of his driving licence, spoke to him in the phone and googled him and found his Facebook account.
Alarm bells were ringing for me from the beginning, but with the bank transfer, I figured that I couldn't be scammed and I held all the cards with the money and car in my possession for almost a week.

Definitely wouldn't recommend using PayPal though.

chickywoo · 19/12/2017 20:55

It's a scam! People also do it the other way round sell a car offer free delivery but never deliver! Think of it like this -
Who would buy a car that they'd never seen let alone never test driven?!