suspect car buying scheme
 

I am selling my 87 300sdl and recieved a strange letter from a company in Belgium offering to buy my car. "after I recieved the funds they would pick up the car. I thought someone in this group may either know if there is legit exporting of these cars or have heard of a scam and could e-mail the particulars to me.
Thanks

Any ad in autotrader.com is a magnet for such scams. Nobody in Belgium wants your car. Someone in cyberspace wants your money.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL
83 300SD ... $950, see cars forum

There are legit companies that sell diesel cars and trucks from the US to people in Central and south America.But Belgium sounds like taking coal to Newcastle to me............
William Rogers.......

beware
 

I'm sure there are a few eccentric, rich, and frivolously wasteful Belgians who would want to buy a car they could easily get nearby and import it at twice the cost of picking one up at the factory, BUT... I doubt you've come across one...

This sounds like the good old Nigerian scam: Offer is for either selling price or more, payable via U.S. Money order or Cashiers Check from a U. S. Bank. There are many variations- some have a third party in US complete the transaction- some have a third party the buyer apparently 'owes money'- and you are to be the conduit for all of it.
Anyway, the money order or cashers check arrives, you deposit, and your bank clears it. Then, within 2 weeks, the buyer backs out- "Oh dear sir with greatest apologies I must retract and ask you kindly refund via wire transfer forwarded balance to acct# ...."
Honest, you figgure why not? the check cleared right? Well, no.

The bank only holds cashiers checks to accrue interest in overnight transaction accounts. They don't actually hold checks until they clear through the issuing bank. So, you think it's cleared, but the check returns as counterfeit 3 weeks or a month later, and you've already wired the money away, and the bank wants its money back. So, now you've got your car still, AND you've got a debt to the bank, AND your life is put on hold until you clear it up. And, who knows who you are funding or what your money is going to pay for.

Sell to someone you can see. Take cash.

cheers,
Kevin

It would be interesting to respond with instructions for doing a Western Union MoneyGram to your location. :)

Ken300D

I am familiar with this scam. This is how it works.

They say they will buy your car. Something like this will happen.
Let's say you want $10k for your Yugo. They will tell you that there is someone else in the states that owes them money, say $15k.
The scam works like this. They tell you that that person will send you a certified check for $15k that you will deposit your local bank. A check does indeed come. You then "wire" them $5k to Belgium (Nigeria, etc.) as a favor. Furthermore, they say they will take care of getting someone to pickup the car and ship it to Belgium.

The certified check turns out to be bogus and you are out $5k and you still have your Yugo.

Jen

Still having the Yugo is the worst part of THAT scenario!

Yugo — Czech for trebuchet ammunition.

Randy, If you will quit starting new projects and buying little boats.. we need to have our trebuchet ready before the spring get together.... or for sure before the watermellons get ripe.... Do you have any spare parts for ammunition at this time ?

ROFLAMO-To the untrained observer, it would appear that you already have access to a rather complete depot for trebuchet ammunition.

LOL:D
I'm going to remember that one!! Thanks for starting my day off with a laugh:D :D

I'll bet a new Bowden cable that the Yugo will some day be collectors items...........

William Rogers........

Yugo (Zastava Jugo 45 as a matter of fact) is (was) an export version of Zastava. Made in Yugoslavia, not of Czech origin. 3 doors, 903 ccm, 33kW, max speed 87 mph. Licensed Fiat from the 1960s and 70s. First introduced to public on Paris show in 1982.

I've seen a few, while on a holiday in then Yugoslavia. They moved people from A to B. What I didn't like about them was the plastic interior. Not so much the looks of it but the stench. The plastic, including upholstery was of such matter that it kept disintegrating, producing horrible smell. Like in any old car interior of which noone took care.

BTW - this is a great page with stories on Nigerian scam:

http://sweetchillisauce.com/nigeria.html

Some tidbits from drivfour's thread

any bidders for this collector's item?
 

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