Originally Posted by thorsen

So I put my 280SE on eBay last week. No reserve auction, the ad clearly stated a $500 PayPal deposit and the balance due in cash at my bank.

The auction ends and the buyer contacts me. He's not going to give me a deposit via PayPal, he wants to pay me everything at the bank. I remind him of the terms of the sale and he says he knows, but he's not going to give me the deposit.

We were supposed to meet at noon today but I knew he wasn't going to show. I take my video camera to prove that I'm there with the car and the title and he's not. It's obvious to me that I'm going to have to open a dispute with eBay and I want absolute proof that I was there when I was supposed to be.

Meanwhile, his messages to me become more and more erratic. This is his last one, the reply to which instructed him to stop contacting me.

"This appears to be nothing more than a PayPal scam. I called the Lombard police asking them to be present at the transaction suspecting a robbery attemp. They advised not to go or make an appointment without having your name and address, and afterwards,they would consider having an officer available.
Since you refuse to identify yourself, I am returning with $3,050 cash in hand to my bank to make a deposit. I have already advised ebay of suspected fraud. NO ELECTRANIC TRANSACTIONS WILL BE MADE. "

What do you guys think? The way his emails seem to deteriorate makes me wonder if kids hacked his account or if he is genuinely off his rocker. He never asked for my name or address until after it was time to meet. It's strange - I always had the best luck selling cars on eBay, it's a shame when you have an experience like this.