OT- Is this an ebay scam?

Ray · Mar 25, 2012

I have a 1975 model VW on ebay with a high
bidder of 4000.He only has two feedbacks for about 100 dollars worth of car parts.I got an email from him saying he is vacationing in mexico and would like to fly in to get the car after the auction.I don't know where he's from,but sounds fishy to me.

Billy Shafer · Mar 25, 2012

Scam. Must be the same guy trying to buy the tractor I don't have.

Dieselrider · Mar 25, 2012

If he is willing to fly in and pay you cash, in American dollars, I don't see a problem. That is what you would want anyway right, cash in hand.

If he is wanting to send you a check for more then the cost and then have you send the difference to someone else or back to him, then I would cancel his bid.

farmall100 · Mar 25, 2012

I"d say sure-bring 40 100 dollar bills and you can have the keys, then you will find out how serious he is.

Jason the Red · Mar 25, 2012

Even if he does have cash, make sure the bills are legit and not counterfeit.
No offense to any VW enthusiasts, but would you be willing to take time out of a Mexican vacation to purchase a '75 VW??

TomH in PA · Mar 25, 2012

If the car is actually worth that, and if he's just asking for a few weeks to arrange a time to pick it up he might be legit. But I'd ask for an immediate down payment and a few weeks for the check to clear unless he happens to live near you.

My parents used to spend winters in Mexico after they retired so that's not necessarily suspicious. But if he takes that car across the border it's gone forever.

Ultradog MN · Mar 25, 2012

Is it the one below?
You might reply to his message with your phone # and tell him he needs to call you. Just tell him the truth - that there are so many scams on Ebay that you are a little suspicious is all.
I don't see why he wouldn't bring his cell phone along on vacation and I don't see why he couldn't call from there.
Might put your mind at ease to talk to a real person.
1975 Beetle

Ray · Mar 25, 2012

Yes,that's it.His email starts out--"I have read good reviews and feel pretty good about your ebay standing".I don't know,sounds kind of fishy to me.

Ultradog MN · Mar 25, 2012

Yeah I agree, sounds odd for sure.
Tell him he must call you before say, noon tomorrow or you will cancel his bid.
That should get his attention.

onefarmer · Mar 25, 2012

I'd ask for a $1000 down payment via paypal and cash on pickup.

bobs old iron · Mar 25, 2012

in god we trust--all others pay cash...if they have cash when they come to pick up and drive back to Mexico to finish up his vacation,, that"s his problem, along as you have the cash in hand, if it"s a phony, go to the next one in line with the best bid, you just start over,,,as others stated,too many fake checks, m/o with send back difference,,,my answer to them I"m not your bank..

MSD · Mar 25, 2012

My son sold a pickup on an online auction. Buyer was from Mexico. He hitched a ride with a trucker going to Canada and on the way back, he stopped and picked it up. It was payed for before it left the place of course-actually sold it in Feb. and he just picked it up Sat.

George Rausch · Mar 26, 2012

Sold a nice truck to local Mexican folks, and they actually lived a short ways away. I wanted cash, and 2/3 of the hundreds were counterfeit. They were sooooo surprised, but made it up with good ones. Make sure you get one of those marker pens, and check every one of the bills. And no, the local police could not have cared less.

Stephen Newell · Mar 26, 2012

I don't see anything unusual. At one time everyone has had only two transactions on ebay. It wouldn't be unreasonable to require the car to be paid for in cash. Most large sales require a sizable deposit immediately after the sale and the balance at the time the item is picked up. I would just email him back and give him your terms.

mkirsch · Mar 26, 2012

I don't know what's so fishy about vacationing down in Mexico...

Makes perfect sense to me. Instead of flying home at the end of his vacation, he flies up to you, picks up the car, and drives it home from there.

What better vacation for a car enthusiast than a road trip in a classic automobile? I'd take a road trip in a '75 Beetle over Mexico any time.

Heck, I use my vacation time to chase after farm equipment.

Mike (WA) · Mar 26, 2012

I probated an estate one time for a guy who lived here in summer, and in Mexico in winter. He had a VW down there, and after he died, it just "disappeared"- police didn't know, nobody knew.

He had a Honduran housekeeper who lived in his house here, with her 7 year old kid. She thought she would get the house after he died (she hinted that she was a "housekeeper with benefits"). No will was ever found (don't know if she destroyed it), but 4 nephews in Nebraska ended up with his estate. Only one of them had ever seen him, and that at a family reunion when nephew was a little kid. They were quite pleased when 60 grand apiece fell on them, from out of nowhere.

OT- Is this an ebay scam?

Ray

Well-known Member

Billy Shafer

Well-known Member

Dieselrider

Member

farmall100

Member

Jason the Red

Member

TomH in PA

Well-known Member

Ultradog MN

Well-known Member

Ray

Well-known Member

Ultradog MN

Well-known Member

onefarmer

Well-known Member

bobs old iron

Well-known Member

MSD

Well-known Member

George Rausch

Member

Stephen Newell

Well-known Member

mkirsch

Well-known Member

Mike (WA)

Well-known Member

Similar threads