Would you send a down payment to buy online ?

[Triplegreen500]

On a related note, just this past year an acquaintance ( a car guy !! ) who has a couple mint Mopars was buying a 6-bbl car and was scammed out of $34k !!! He told me about the unrealistic price for the car AFTER he lost his money. I told him, if you had conferred with me, I would've told you it was an obvious scam ( a "too good to be true" price ). He thought he was getting a six-figure car for a bargain.

...if it sounds too good to be true....

 

[33 IMP]

I have sold cars on eBay and been paid in full without any proof I exist other than an email exchange, or that I even own the car. These are the people who the scammers are targeting. It typically only take a brief investigation to determine if a seller is legit and save yourself the grief.

I wouldn't know how to begin a "brief investigation", which is a good reason why I never buy anything on line. And I certainly would never consider buying a car I haven't laid hands on,first.

 

[Matthew J]

The Google Earth tip from several commenters is a good one. I've seen several "dealerships" on FB that didn't actually exist. Google image search is another maybe not-so-obvious check. Most scammers crib their pictures from legit sources. Tracking down the originals is usually pretty easy.

 

[#41]

I wouldn't know how to begin a "brief investigation", which is a good reason why I never buy anything on line. And I certainly would never consider buying a car I haven't laid hands on,first.

There are lots of things to look at besides ratings and sales history on whatever site you are looking at: Business licenses, Google maps, county property records, Facebook profiles, Linked-In (or any of the multiple other social media), etc. There is public info on businesses and people available like no other time in history... most of it for free. A phone call with some targeted questions about the person's business, business history, location, etc. can yield a lot of clues into where to look. The simple lies that are used to cover identities pop up pretty quickly.

 

[1967coronet]

Especially since a PPI costs around $400, and you have the results in-hand within 24 hours of completion. Let someone else do the inspection for you. The inspector is a third-party who has NO interest in buying the car. If he is worth his salt, you can take that inspection report as gospel. A buyer is ALWAYS emotionally-involved (B-J or Mecum, anyone?), no matter what you might think, whether at a classic auction or buying a new(er) car.

BTW, where are you getting $500 plane tickets to anywhere these days? That's cheap in 2023.

True, 500 for a ticket I'm sure is low , I have not flown for awhile.
I guess my point was when there is alot of money at stake go see the car in person or like you say hire a inspection.
It's just nuts to me when folks buy big ticket items cars , boats , bikes ect sight unseen.

 

[Black_Sheep]

Fake Classic Car Dealer Scammed Buyers Out of Thousands in Deposits
How doews one separate the real from the fake ?

If you can’t inspect it yourself, hire an accredited appraiser to inspect it and provide a detailed report. There’s too much money at risk and too many unscrupulous sellers. A buddy got hosed not once, but twice. In both deals the cars were grossly misrepresented.

 

[WileE]

If you can’t inspect it yourself, hire an accredited appraiser to inspect it and provide a detailed report. There’s too much money at risk and too many unscrupulous sellers. A buddy got hosed not once, but twice. In both deals the cars were grossly misrepresented.

Absolutely. Unless a pair of eyes, whether yours or someone trusted, are on it... it ain't bought !

 

[padam]

Below is typical scammer bs for those who don’t know what to look for:

 

[YY1]

How about "no".