Rustspecs13
Rustspecs13 New Reader
10/29/10 10:51 a.m.

Hey I need a quick carfax or vin check done on a car- I'll post the CL add when i can later, but basically I might get my hands on a 01 maxima for $1800.

It seems kinda weird but doesn't have the giant massive signs its a scam, and the seller wants to use Ebays buyer protection to protect us.

The car needs to be shipped to us, as hes in the military and isn't in ohio. But theres a 4-5 day period to check out the car and test drive etc etc.

I can post up more details later but I need this vin checked : JN1CA31D91T820237 It should be a 01 maxima gle with something like 50K miles.

Thanks alot GRM you guys rock.

~Alex

m4ff3w
m4ff3w SuperDork
10/29/10 11:04 a.m.

Not to be a Debby Downer, but we have some (at least one) Carfax employees on the board. I don't think they'd think kindly of this post.

EvanB
EvanB Dork
10/29/10 11:14 a.m.

Definitely sounds like a standard scam to me. Ebay buyer protection outside of Ebay doesn't mean anything. How are you going to check out the car and test drive it if it needs shipped?

jrw1621
jrw1621 SuperDork
10/29/10 11:30 a.m.

Really, you do not think this is a scam?
Note that the listing is on CL but the protection is coming from Ebay.
Ebay will not protect something not bought through Ebay.

Run away!

I just dropped the VIN number into a standard google search. What came back was a CL posting in Lansing, MI that has been shut down and a CL listing in Atlanta that was shut down.
The VIN is fine and the Carfax check will come back fine, the problem is that the person trying to sell you the car (and take your money) does not actually own the car or ever intend to deliver it to you.

Gimp
Gimp Dork
10/29/10 12:27 p.m.

Also, if you're making a carfax request, never put the VIN in the post. It's rumored that carfax logs these happenings, and it could jeopardize the account of anyone who later runs that VIN for you.

barrowcadbury
barrowcadbury New Reader
10/29/10 12:34 p.m.
jrw1621 wrote: Note that the listing is on CL but the protection is coming from Ebay. Ebay will not protect something not bought through Ebay.

eBay wouldn't even protect something I did buy on eBay :p Nor would PayPal. Visa stepped in for me finally. I would not put any faith in protection from eBay or PayPal...

jrw1621
jrw1621 SuperDork
10/29/10 1:11 p.m.

In reply to Rustspecs13:
Re-reading, I just want to be sure that we do not come off as talking down to you.
I think I speak for all when I say that we just want to help.

internetautomart
internetautomart SuperDork
10/29/10 2:04 p.m.

FYI. If you go to list a car on ebay and give them the VIN they run an Autocheck on it for free. List it up then cancel the auction

Klayfish
Klayfish SuperDork
11/14/13 6:45 a.m.

It's a scam, no doubt about it. Sorry, I thought everyone knew how to spot those. They're fairly easy. Price too good to be true...wants to use only one part of a service (i.e. Ebay)...car has to be shipped...1+1+1 = SCAM!

JThw8
JThw8 PowerDork
11/14/13 6:55 a.m.

Entirely a scam. Well documented, well known scam. Stay away.

SVreX
SVreX MegaDork
11/14/13 6:56 a.m.
Rustspecs13 wrote: The car needs to be shipped to us, as hes in the military and isn't in ohio. But theres a 4-5 day period to check out the car and test drive etc etc.

The inspection period will be after he receives your "deposit". You will not see hte car or your deposit again.

Virtually all of these scams are "in the military" (or, recently divorced). It's a pity play.

Total scam.

wae
wae Reader
11/14/13 7:02 a.m.

My boss was just telling me the story of how he got taken on this exact scam a couple years back. He was looking at a 5k car that had to be sold in a hurry because the owner was being deployed or changing bases or something. He sent 2500 as a deposit and then wised up before sending the other half. The seller would only communicate via email and refused to talk on the phone. So he got (I think) the FBI involved and they were actually able to get his money back, amazingly enough.

Apparently it's the new Nigerian scam. I guess all the deposed princes have found all their heirs and got their money out of the country...

wae
wae Reader
11/14/13 7:20 a.m.

Zombie watercraft, I assume? Oops.

(In my defense, the mobile site dosen't show the year of a post, just the month, day, and time :) )

Klayfish
Klayfish SuperDork
11/14/13 7:35 a.m.

???? It shows I'm the first to respond since 2010, but it was at the top of the board when I saw it. Canoe that got deleted? Stupid me for not looking at the date.

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