Is this a scam??

[dogeatdog01]

What do you all think of this?
I recently sold my FJ 45 Ute on ebay, and got a reply from the buyer 5 days later stating:


Paul or James,

I and my forwarder have tried to ring you at the number that you sent me, but have had no luck in reaching you. Is there another number to ring, perhaps a mobile? Either way, since we have not had a chance to speak, I am actually based in the USA, and will be shipping the vehicle back here.

My forwarding agent is Bluefreight (03-9419-9344) whom are based in Melbourne (Collingwood), and also need to reach you, as they will need some information for export purposes.

Because of the purchase price being $500.00, I would like to find the most cost effective, and quickest way to pay you. Would it be acceptable to you, for my forwarder to send you a company check? If so, please forward the address of where you would like it sent. If a company check is a problem, I can always send you the funds via bank wire, or Western Union, but the fees for both of those services will be quite high for me given the amount that will be sent. Please advise...

As far as the shipping of the vehicle (obviously after you have been paid, whatever the method you choose, and if that is by company check from my forwarder, than after that has cleared), will be quite easy. I will arrange for a transport company to pick up the vehicle (at your convenience), and have it transported to the wharf in Melbourne.

Can you please tell me when the vehicle was last registered (you had mentioned that you had let the rego lapse, as it had become too expensive)? I will need a ORIGINAL registration, no matter how old it is, but it must be complete (not just the sticker that goes affixed to the windscreen), and it must be a original (no photo copies), as I need this document to be able to register it here in the US, but that is the only documentation that I need.

Would you happen to have any more fotos of the vehicle? If not would you perhaps be able to take a few for me of ; all four sides, under the bonnet, the interior, and a shot of the complete bed? I will need them for insurance purposes, along with the VIN# (chassis number) to secure a spot on the next available vessel. Please forward at your earliest convenience.

Thanks Again,

Michael


Now I am aware of the typical email scams that are circulating these days but is this one???

Also, who actually keeps original registration details and paperwork???
This one seems like it may be chucked in the too hard basket

[GQ4.8coilcab]

mmmmmm
thats a hard one
for a $500 ute, why would he pay more then the purchase price to send it over to USA be careful dude

[Reddo]

look genuine to me - the US are nuts about these cars too - local wrecker in Tas is sending containers pers week of part to US for 40 series and the like (bustard).

I'd ask for electronic funds payment ASAP - to a safe account that is.

[Tiny]

seems reasonable, reply saying cheque will be fine, but the vehicle will not be released until funds have cleared.

as far as rego goes, I think he is refering to the original current rego / most recent rego as he specified not the sticker, but the paperwork so I would imagine it is the slip that holds the sticker with the notice of disposal on it.

[GQ4.8coilcab]

look genuine to me - the US are nuts about these cars too - local wrecker in Tas is sending containers pers week of part to US for 40 series and the like (bustard).

I'd ask for electronic funds payment ASAP - to a safe account that is.

why are the us nuts about those cars?

[HotFourOk]

but the fees for both of those services will be quite high for me given the amount that will be sent. Please advise...

$500 is not a high amount

The rest seems legit to me though.. Send him some pics, get the cheque, and wait til it is cleared and then take it to the shipping place he wants to use. Just don't pay them ANY money. He should arrnge all that himself.

Original rego just means the Rego papers when you had it last registered. Might have something to do with import laws over there.

[Emo]

It doesn't sound completely right but it could be. I would doubt that an Australian registration certificate would hold any weight in the US. I would try and arrange payment via Bluefreight in AUD and make sure the payment clears before handing anything over. An international cheque can take a very long time to clear. At least Bluefreight do exist and have a decent website so you should be able to confirm that it's genuine pretty quickly.

[brentz]

look genuine to me - the US are nuts about these cars too - local wrecker in Tas is sending containers pers week of part to US for 40 series and the like (bustard).

I'd ask for electronic funds payment ASAP - to a safe account that is.

why are the us nuts about those cars?

cause there da best car ever! lol
nah its just because there so easy 2 work wif and customize that they want them!
thats my opinion newayz

[Struth]

It's worded all wrong. Designed to fool gullible people.

tell him that once the cheque has cleared he can pick it up.
Also tell him that in Melbourne cars sold for $500.00 don't come with any paperwork.

At any rate don't release the vehicle until you have all the funds in your bank via a cheque. Do not give them your banking details simply to sell a car.

Cheers

[wrksux]

Because the FJ is a very rare car over there and very desirable to either restore or turn into a buggy/truggy and a ute version i dont think was ever sold there or is the rarest one.

do a search im sure a bloke here had a similar thing with an fj maybe last year i could be wrong but im sure it was on outers. the rego stickers and the like will be used to obtain a title for the vehicle (similar to a house title or deed over here) so the car can be regoed insured and possible resold over there.

if the funds clear mate i wouldnt worry about it, id ask for paypal or something similar.


edit

re read his e-mail.

its a scam both payment methods are going to be useing forged cheques. search google for scams and western union. funds will clear then the bank will take the money back because its a scam about 30 days later

[bogged]

I'd reply saying direct deposit to a new account I'd open for this, then close the day you get the bux.. no way they can recall it then.

cheques are always dodge.

or cash in an envelope.

[Shorty40]

Sounds dodgy to me. It read like most of the scams on 411eater.
But wait til any funds clear - then he can do whatever he likes.

Dont send ANYTHING til you have cash in your pocket. Or as bogged says, open and close an account specifically for this transaction if you want.

[stinger]

I had a similar thing requested of me. I said no worries, once I have the cash in hand not just in an account (either by a cleared checked in a special account or funds placed in such account). I said I would not be involved in paying anyone else like a transporter, the buyer would have to organise.

Outcome, a couple of emails back and forth then never heard anything further??? No skin off my nose, provided I had money in hand first and did not get involved in transport of vehicle.

[cwebb]

Mate, the "buyer" has a Australian registered Ebay account, and his history shows that he is an Australian purchaser.
He is almost certainly living in Australia and is attempting to pull the wool over your eyes.
As other people have mentioned, this is playing out like a scam letter.
It is possible via his email headers to identify potentially what country he sent his email from.
Lastly, he has one negative feedback on Ebay for "Failing to Pay"

Be cautious.
Cheers

[B.D.R]

Mate i would tell him to pound sand, i have a mate who imports cars from the US, and they DO have to have a bill of sale supplied with the car to regester it, even if it is OS.

BUT no shipping company will PAY for the car there shipping, for a client, i don't care who it is.

Tell him to send a cheque then wait for it to clear( about 30 day's) for an OS cheque, then wait 30 more day's while the bank's buggerise around, to get into contact with the other party to confirm they sent the doe and not some one else.

A freind's daughter and hubby got conned this way not long back over a horse, the con men sent the cheque, my mates put it in the bank but said to the bank it look's dodge, cheque clears, for 30k, mates did'nt touch the money or let the horse go, 30 odd day's later they have they bank manger on the phone saying they have been scamed, sorry but the 30k has to go back to the payyee .

Be very carfull of dealings over sea's cause it's VERY easy to get caght out

Chris

[RED60]

Scam. As a couple of others said, the cheque will eventually bounce.

[spazbot]

tell em if the forwarder can give you a company cheque then they can surely give you $500 cash when they pick up the car.

[pcman]

try contacting anyone else he has brought off on ebay to find out where he is located or has had stuff sent in the past

[dogeatdog01]

He just called my old man at home today.
Seemed very very strange on the phone. He told the bloke that he wont be giving the ute away until the money is in his hand.

I dont think i have any old rego papers anyway. ha
Anyone want a 45 for $500??

[g35me]

I can tell you with first hand experience that to register the vehicle in the US he only needs a transfer of registration paper filled out (which means nothing really just supplies all the cars vital details) and a Bill of Sale which is a typed page that has purchasers details, seller details and the make, model, year, VIN and engine numbers and its signed by both parties. Simple as that I have done at leas 50 cars like that in the last 6 years and all have been regod in the states.

[keencdk]

Get him to transfer via paypal, or have the shipping company give you cash. Nearly all scams use cheque or western union.

[MNS488]

as mentioned previously if in doubt, use Western Union. Cheques can fail 30 days later but western union is like transferring cash. I use to use it all the time transferring money home while i was in the UK.

Its like transferring cash.

He pays western union plus fees in US. You pick up CASH at a western union here. Can't fail.

No Cheques

[mattc]

Ebay usually warn against Western Union if you are a buyer but as your are the seller then by all means...but as suggested don't ship till you have got the cash from Western Union in your hand as here is an example scam against sellers http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa? ... 17#reverse

[zagan]

I reckon it's pretty sus.

Though wire transfer will give you the cash stright up though it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to send it, that is like cash, if the guy can't afford the what $300USD plus $20USD for a wire transfer I wouldn't bother, remember the exchange rates will mean he won't be shelling out heaps of cash.

Western union might be ok but it can be dodgy as well.

Paypal itself is a complete scam, they can send you the money tell paypal that you havn't completed the deal paypal return the money straight back to the buyer the seller is left high and dry.

The seller then has to goto the USA or some dodgy (no workers) office in sydney, all the while proving that you did send or what ever and have paypal turn around and tell you they can't use X as proof of sale, too bad F**k off.

The whole end parts seems bad though, like thpose people who dodge up selling pretend cars on EBay with pics they have grabbed off the internet some where.

[zagan]

Ebay usually warn against Western Union if you are a buyer but as your are the seller then by all means...but as suggested don't ship till you have got the cash from Western Union in your hand as here is an example scam against sellers http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa? ... 17#reverse

That's because they don't make any cash out of the sale.

PayPal say only they are the best way to sell on EBay with overseas transfers it could be the worse way to do it, look at the seller forum on ebay itself, heaps of seller get ripped off from over seas buys using paypal.

[Tuff Events]

This does not sound sus at all.

The OS guy offerred for his Australian forwarding agent ( shipping agent ) to send a cheque for the vehicle & wait till it has cleared...

If they do this there is no way that you getting your money could go wrong.. Nobody can take money back from someone once the cheque is cleared. especially for only $500... It would have to be handled in court...

if still unsure:
Just ask the agent to in writing assure you that all export charges re-lating to this sale are to be paid by the receiver...

Cheers

Hope it all goes well.

[pongo]

This does not sound sus at all.

The OS guy offerred for his Australian forwarding agent ( shipping agent ) to send a cheque for the vehicle & wait till it has cleared...

If they do this there is no way that you getting your money could go wrong.. Nobody can take money back from someone once the cheque is cleared. especially for only $500... It would have to be handled in court...

if still unsure:
Just ask the agent to in writing assure you that all export charges re-lating to this sale are to be paid by the receiver...

Cheers

Hope it all goes well.

I agree, Id just ask for a cheque and provide all the details as requested and then only release the car after $$ has cleared.

SOunds like a porffesional buyer with plenty of experience. He asked you for the best way to pay, which can mean only good things.

Cheers

[evil_hitman]

get the cheque from the forwarder. When it arrives, ring the forwarding company, ask for the accounts dept, and ask them to confirm that the cheque from them is legit, if it is, deposit it, wait until it clears, then do what the rest say.

Cheers

Matt

[Wooders]

Legit IMHO.
But like any sale get your $$ first.

[junior80]

this is a scam!!!

some wierdo who said he was from the benin republic in west africa sent me emails like that when i was selling my FJ45. afrter a few emails back and forth i got the shits and said i wont be happy until i have 6grand cash in my hand and the truck and you are standing in my driveway.

he wanted to wire me 10 grand thru western union (which is the hallmark of a scam as you cant trace anything thru them) , take out my share of the 6grand for the truck and give the remaining 4 k to the shipping company

well f*ck that!!

I ended up finding a pommy backpacker to buy it and drive round the country in it. it ended up at his girlfriend's dad's place in cairns being restored by her dad.

much happier ending i thought.