Overhaulin'

buying a car online (craighslist)?

this guy is selling 2003 mini cooper has 35k miles for $2900 but im in California and he is in Georgia. he told me the VIN. this is our last conversation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The transaction will be closed only through Secure-Escrow and this way we will both be protected. I work in the army and my current job doesn't allow me to do otherwise. I have way to little free time to handle home visits and my phone calls are very limited. As I said before the car is as described and you will be able to inspect the car before a final decision. To begin the transaction I'll need your full name and shipping address, I will forward the details of our transaction to Secure-Escrow and then you will receive an invoice from them. The car will be shipped insured to your location with DAS and you will have 5 days for inspection. I have already payed the shipping fees so there is no shipping cost for you. SCAM?? how should i check to see he's scamming or not?

Public Comments

1. Scam
2. yes. SCAM. if its doen through secure escrow, he can easily tkae your money, then cancel the transation with the car. many of this has happened. spend the extra few thousand and go over there and meet him in person. if he says no, that DEFINATELY states its a scam. plus, the super low price gives it away. no one really sells a mini cooper for that price.
3. Any reference to escrow service is like 99% certain indication that it's a scam. And the fact that you're talking about a long-distance sale on Craigslist is also about maybe a 90% chance of it being a scam. So you're around 99.9% certain that this is a scam. edit: christ, didn't notice the price. A price less than maybe 2/3 of what you'd expect for a late-model car is a virtual certainty of scamdom in and of itself. Also this is almost verbatim the text of another "is this a scam" post from a couple days ago.
4. dont do it cant trust people on there.
5. complete scam run away run away
6. SCAM!!!! Run away. Far, far away (like in Shrek... j/k). Though this story is a bit of a fairy tale... I'm guessing this car is priced under market value, which is what made you bite in the first place. That's how they lure you in. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. No one is just randomly going to give up profit selling their car. There's always a catch.
7. NEVER BUY A CAR with out driving it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8. Yes, definite SCAM! You need to find a car near you where you can test drive it and look under the hood. You're going to get screwed if you dont!
9. It probably is. Always deal locally. That way, you can meet up and see the car before you even make a move. I highly doubt that his only option is secure-escrow because he probably has a personal life too and i doubt is work life is also his personal life. I dont think his job limits his personal options and he can do something else besides a secure-escrow ON HIS OWN TIME. DONT DO IT.
10. Absolute, 100% SCAM SCAM SCAM Wanna have fun with the "seller?" Tell him you have an uncle very nearby that will come and inspect the car for you. Being in the Army doesn't limit anyone's free time. Or that you'll be happy to open the escrow account yourself. You'll watch him squirm. Either way, report this idiot to Craigslist as a scammer.