AIBU to think DH was scammed

[Cath2907]

We were selling our old car yesterday through autotrader. I took out kid and dog to reduce distractions. DH was dealing. He rang to tell me car was sold for £450 less than advertised but to some lovely people.

I got home later to find they'd had trouble transferring money to our account. He'd seen them set up the transfer on their side but that the payment was delayed until today. Basically he let them drive away without paying.

No money has arrived today. Have emailed them to express concern there's been a mix up and ask them to confirm the details of the transferred money and no answer.

DH said he saw their drivers license, checked it had the same address they'd asked the car to be registered to and overall they seemed a lovely couple. He is sure the money will show up and this is all a mix up. I think they have scammed him and am quite upset and frustrated that he let someone drive away with a few grands worth of our car without actually handing over a penny.

Please tell me I am a suspicious whatsit and this is bound to be a mix up?

Report the car stolen.

Silly man.

Report it stolen. Fast.

He's got to give descriptions and any details he can remember.

As someone else said, if the car is being used for any illegal activity, it's in your husband's name.

Ring and report it stolen.

Ring the police and report it as stolen?

it was probably a fake license. What a muppet.

Actually, I was going to say scam but I sold my van last year and the transfer didn't come through. I'd given the van to the guy but only because he's known to us...even then, we had a couple of squeaky bum days. We hassled him!

Yes if he hasn't signed over the reg yet report it stolen.
If he has, I'm not sure what your rights are.

Ring and report it as stolen.

I'd be getting on to the police and bank sharpish! What a numpty!!

Poor you, do you remember their address?

What the hell was he thinking!!!!!

I would be livid.

CCTV on your road or nearest main road?

Bank transfers are very safe ways of transferring money and, unless the buyers did some sleight of hand when setting up the transfer, it should arrive in time. The buyer can’t stop a transfer once it is underway.

Check with your DH how the transfer was set up. If it was foolproof then there’s not a problem.

did he get them to sign their bit of the logbook? Has he contacted the DVLA to get the car off his name RIGHT NOW? What about the tax cancellation? Has he phoned the insurers?

dear oh dear...

I really hope not- but id say he’s possibly been scammed. They wouldn’t look dodgy- kinda the point of being a scammer. You don’t turn up u washed in dodgy trench coats but as respectable people.

If I do an online transfer between 5pm on Friday and 1am on Monday it can take until the next working day to show up in the other parties account, especially if it's a one-off payment/large sum/ different bank. It pops up as a notice during the transfer, and the funds aren't available to me once I confirm the transfer.

Act as if its not an honest mix up and report it to the police.

Definitely s sxam, of course they are ‘lovely’ as they do this as a ‘living’!
Report it to police, DVLA etc if by some chance it comes through then probably no harm done!

Phone the police

Do call your bank to ask if they can see a transaction coming through. I recently made a big transaction (also car related) on a Sunday via online banking and the bloke at the bank could see that the transaction had been made, though the money didn't actually leave my account until the Monday. Hope it's not a scam.

at the idea of being "too stabby", what a brilliant phrase!

I've transferred money to my son this morning that was received instantly. I did the same to my daughter who is with Lloyds TSB and won't get it until tomorrow. Is it Lloyds TSB involved? Definitely contact your bank anyway they could have specified that the money was to transfer at a later date and then cancelled.

At least you have the reg of the get away car!!
Sorry!

The bank should be able to tell you what is in the pipeline so to speak. Unfortunately it may need DH to ring if it is his account and if he’s being an ostrich...

Often it depends on the bank - yes he very well may have been scammed but a lot of banks don't process Faster Payments on Sunday/the weekend, so the money doesn't go through until some point on the Monday.

You could ask them for a redacted screenshot from their banking app which shows the payment has been taken at their end even if it hasn't come through to yours yet (the funds are ring fenced from the senders account even though they haven't been received). Dp and I used to buy/sell things online and this happened annoyingly frequently with some banks. Give your bank a call as pps have said and they should also be able to see something coming through.

If neither of these are fruitful then call the police. Good luck!

Even if the money does turn up, and he hasn't been scammed, he was an utter fool to let them drive away with the car before he had payment.

With any car I've ever bought, the seller has either insisted on cash in full at pickup, or pick up after the bank transfer funds have cleared into their account. I always prefer paying cash in case the seller is a scammer instead.