Purpose of this post is a “heads up” warning to take care when contacting online sellers … especially of prestige vehicles offered at low prices. It is not intended to be alarmist, nor a lecture, but flows out of recent personal experience and later discussion around Australia.

Some months ago, I chased a particularly attractive late series Brisbane Jaguar advertised on [carsales.com.au] at a keen price. Following continued inability to contact the seller, I gained help from my colleague Clarke [o1xjr]. Between us, and despite all our phone calls, the seller had appeared to “disappear”. I lodged a formal complaint with carsales, had that acknowledged, but they made no effort to remove the listing. Inevitably, we gave up the chase. Over the next several months, I became alarmed that the same car was then re-advertised no less than 3 further times across carsales and ebay, always keenly priced, and always demanding that prospective buyers must lodge their phone number to learn how to contact seller. Does the car exist? But what could be the motive in offering with no intent to sell?

And here is where caution is advised. I am now aware that reverse-engineered versions of “telephone directory” software enable a search on any one field to reveal all. Giving your home phone number in such suspicious circumstances allows anyone to learn your name and address. Having the address of a known Jaguar buyer, observation and phone call to confirm home is empty, all provide thieves with a possible leg-up.

Call me paranoid, but after consulting with regional and even AFP, rather than reassurance I found the opposite … several staff pointing to a trend known to police ... and which has added to our concern. That neither carsales nor ebay were prepared to follow-up, seems far from acceptable. We are not bashing these selling media … we continue to use them as tools … but extreme caution seems warranted. The prudent traditional approach seems worth repeating …

• deal only with real persons and get proof they are the legal owner;
• demand documented proof that the car's title is unencumbered;
• negotiations done; is giving and accepting a deposit legally binding?;
• only for receipt of full payment, need buyer be named and addressed;
• at no stage, is it wise to give out address or phone … or worse, both.

Please feel free to post any comments or suggestions.

Regards,
Ken

 

I always advertise my cars with my mobile number only and my mobile is privately listed number so good luck with that I say but on the other hand
I have been told about people coming and looking at cars then not buying them (in the old days we would call them tyre kickers ) then coming back and stealing the car or worse emptying the house
So from now on I meet all prospective buyers at the local garage and if they are from interstate I pick them up from the airport drive them around and generally suss them out very closely
I have someone looking at XJR6 at the moment from they said Tasmania but I am not comfortable with it so will definitely be playing it by ear

 

Hi Doc, and greetings ...

Your caution and your strategy matches the advice I subsequently received from the authorities. The AFP in particular, cautioned against handing out home phone number and the merits of meeting on neutral territory.

Without being alarmist, I guess safety is best assured by ...

• use your mobile; not your home phone number;
• if selling; do not disclose full VIN (give a range either side);
• if buying; remember there are scam sellers and phantom cars also;
• do not unnecessarily disclose your home address (rego; invoices);
• meetings, inspections on neutral territory (forecourt of local garage?).
• do not disclose your full name until the sale is done.

Thanks for your feedback Doc,
Regards,
Ken

 

I put my Jeep and Mazda up for sale last night on Gumtree,so far I have had 5 enquiries from scammers. 3 wanting to pay paypal from oil rigs, 1 wanting my bank details and 1 wanting me to link my paypal to their bank account.
I did follow through with one of these scammers a couple of years ago when selling a bike to see what there system was.(with a newly created paypal account I would never use)
I recieved a Paypal reciept that looked the real deal, but they had accidently paid $5000 more than the asking price of the bike and wanted me to withdraw $5000 from my bank and deposit to Western union for them. And their agent would pick up the bike at a latter date.
I checked the paypal account,guess what? Nothing in it,not even a pending transaction. I emailed the scammer to inform them I had reported the whole thing. They came threatening legal action as I had supposedly $11500 of theirs in my paypal account.
The emails stopped coming after a couple of days.
I wonder if anyone ever fell for that?

I hope it is not Paulyling(jf member) trynig to buy my cars,I know he likes to make big purchases from offshore oil rigs,lol.

 

ha ha ya bugger I heard that!

lol! The scammer cant use telephone but can use internet for the email?? they use the same satillite dish (well on mine they do). If telephones were down so would internet be also.

 

So.....you are saying you don't want to buy my Jeep now?...lol

 

ha ha....im sorry but it doesnt have a leaper or a growler on it

 

My response was "I don't sell to sailors".

 

he he he. Tell him you dont like Abel Semen.

Yeah bloody scammers are everywhere. I recall not that long ago some of those XJS's i was looking at before I got the Goose, would tell you to leave your email address or SMS and they would give you back a phone number.

I had two where I couldnt get in contact with them at all. Probably similar type scammers to what Ken mentioned.

Besides, no body is crazy enough to buy sight unseen

 

Except "Oil rig workers", like yourself. Except you came through with the money!

 

 

Hi fellas. So ... to boil down what you two guys really mean ...

Once upon a time, we used to provide scammers with "assisted passage" half way around the world to a land that turned out to be paradise ... whereas now they pretend they have been helicoptered onto an offshore oil rig where they set out to rob us blind, while pretending to provide energy for said paradise?

Maybe we should just hang scammers by their ankles from the head of their derrick (or Wayne, Fred, Harry or whatever that pokey-up thingy is called) ...

Or did I miss something?

By comparison, I shop online with absolute confidence from China, and am constantly amazed at their polite, ever helpful customer service ethic. My brand new Mongoose Pro cable and Software has turned up in the past hour and (but for complete absence of any tortured English instructions) promises to link to the OBDII port on all 1999>2014 Jaguar models and variants, and all 2005>2014 Rovers and Land Rovers.

Hmmmmm ..... now, where did I put that 12 year old kid that knows all about computers?

Ken

 

The Derrick is the big tower thingy you can see on most drilling rigs. It has a big spinning drill inside it that is hoisted up and down called a Top Drive.

I actually had to climb to the top of our derrick the other day!

But yeah, bloody scammers are turds. It seems to be more prevalent now in the cyber age than ever before.

I had a mate the other day got his credit card scanned when he paid for a cab fare in Perth. A few days later he has $3000 racked up on it. Turns out the cab driver scammed him!

Obviously I made my purchase online, which went without a hiccup, and whilst it seemed careless on my part, it wasn't without careful consideration and plenty of friendly advice

I suppose I am a bit of a risk taker though!

 

I drove to the Gold coast today to look at a car for a family member, when I viewed the car it was a different colour to the pics in the add, the milage was different to the pics and condition was not as described.
It would be nice if he told me on the phone before I left the pics were of the same model but not the particular car. Very misleading.

Wasted 3 hours of a valuable day off work. If someone was purchasing without viewing the car they would be very dissapointed.

It is worth having a look rather than buying sight unseen,saves a lot of heartache.

 

Well, after discussions with the seller and the family member looking at buying we struck a deal for a 5 year old 4x4 Great Wall with 95000 km on the clock. 50% of the asking price, $5000 with road worthy.

Must remember to put clutch in before turning key, been a long time since I have driven a manual car

Got to store it now for a month until the new owner returns from O/S.

 

Clarke I live on the Gold Coast so am aware of the many scammers that operate from down here they are called the white shoe brigade
Funny thing most of them are from interstate and just figure they can get away with it here easier
As for driving a manual I understand when my brother drives my van for some reason he leaves it in gear lucky it has never started when I have just hopped in and turned the key could have been ugly otherwise LOL