jwdwight

I am selling my 1998 C4S and it seems like every other inquiry is a scam. I have someone who is interested and we have agreed on price. I have talked to him on the phone for a couple hours and he seems real but I am just a bit skeptical. It really bums me out to think this is what our county has come to and instead of just selling my car to a new owner who will appreciate it, I have to work hard at making sure I am not getting scammed. Pretty sad. Nevertheless, any thoughts or any of you who are aware of the current scams or names of people pulling scams right now, I would love to hear from you.

By the way, here is the link to my ad on Autotrader:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=303123151

The only reason I am selling is financial. Otherwise, I would keep this car forever.

Thanks

Canyon56

Scamming has been going on since the dawn of civilization. It's nothing new. Just more sophisticated with newer technologies and to progress beyond all the known techniques, and also larger populations now, too.

Use your instincts and be cautious as you would with anything, selling or buying. It'll go fine. Maybe only sell to a RLer or a PCA member. That's what I did and through word of mouth. I simply didn't want to deal with posting ads and constant phone calls and tire kickers. You have a nice looking car there and with a unique color, it should sell easily.

Slow Guy

The annoying thing for me is the "services" that want to "help" you sell your car. Even though I put in the ad for them not to call they still do. I report them to the Do Not Call registry but little good it comes of it.

Best of luck on the sale.

RJT

It's also a two-way street......We are looking at a 993 on ebay that we are hesitant to bid on because we're afraid it might be a scam.

jwdwight

Which one on Ebay?

jwdwight

I know its an age old practice, but I have never seen it this bad. I would say over 50% of the inquiries are scammers. That's sad...

NP993

There's an easy, foolproof way to avoid getting scammed. Cash.

shu

jw, pm me so we can compare notes.......

Meatball964

Even cash would need to be transacted at a bank for fear of counterfeit. Sad.

Mark in Baltimore

Cash is not always foolproof. Buyer arrives with cash, you sign over the title, buyer pulls out a gun and takes cash, car and title, and maybe your life.

race911

Or, buyer shows up with gun and takes your life (lives in my example), then takes car.

Twin brothers I went to school with in AZ (beyond rich from UAE, but nicest most trusting guys you could imagine) wanted new '86 930, but the dealer was dicking them around on what their '84 coupe was worth. So they tried a local sale. Scum-of-Earth told his roommate, so the story goes, he's "going to get a Porsh today somehow." Goes over with a gun, shoots them both (one while trying to flee), and takes off. APB results in Nevada HP spotting the car about 10 hours later in Boulder City. Dude shoots himself in the head, thankfully killing himself, and car crashes into a totally heap.

So no, this isn't anything new. It's just the wonderful internet makes dicking people around so easy.

And of course my frustration last week with a real, in person, multiple Porsche owner.

(My wife listed a week for our Hawaii timeshare on Craigslist. I can't believe people are trying to scam vacation properties.)

Opo

ok guys it goes both ways, we have scam buyers and scam sellers, I have bought my 4 porsche's this year and I'm on the process now of getting #5 from a RL member, So in the same way when I'm buying I wonder if the sellers are telling the truth about the car I'm buying, and yes is sad what this world is coming too..

goofballdeluxe

This one is easy. Have the buyer wire the funds to your bank first. No way to scam a bank to bank wire transfer.

vincer77

If you are lucky enough to have a local buyer, what I have done in the past is meet the buyer at the bank and complete the paerwork there then deposit their check/cash immediately. Ebay has an escrow service. Does anyone have experience with it?

racer

Its unclear to me if the OP is annoyed at those obvious scam emails in response to your ad placement or is the OP afraid of being scammed after you've "met" a potential buyer.

Since folks have learned NOT to trust anyone, it sure makes it hard these days doesn't it.