Unless you're doing big money and a bank wire, that's still how a transaction goes down. I once bought a truck with a front bumper made out of a guardrail, and the seller wanted to keep that. Not just price, but whether the seller is keeping any accessories. Once you've decided to commit, you now have to worry about the pick-up, so make sure you work out the conditions of the sale before you meet. It all sounded legit, but if you waver on something like that, you inevitably regret it. The seller wasn't sure if it ran, and the owner passed away with no family and his brother-in-law was flying in to sell it. For example, I once found a 1970 Chevelle SS396 4-speed, seen here, for $9,900. If you're convinced you've found a car that you want, go get it. In another case, a phone call revealed that an almost-too-good deal was probably actually for real, which brings us to our next point. I once had a seller proactively drop the price $350 once he realized he was talking to someone who would actually come buy his truck. Picking up the phone also helps to establish you as a serious buyer rather than a time-wasting texter. Asking questions in real time will help you get a sense of the seller's motivation (and possibly veracity). It's best to start the conversation over e-mail, but switch to phone calls once you're serious about buying. This guy must be having quite a tough time selling this Jetta. A Google Image search turns up the same Jetta on a site called Autozin-everyone sells their car on Autozin, right?-with a location listed as "Echo Lake Road, Alaska." The listing is also five months old. The ad meets most of the above criteria, with a $1,500 asking price that's about a third of what the car actually should cost. Here's an example: This 2006 Jetta GLI has been popping up on Craiglist in Charlotte, NC (pictured above). ![]() The scammiest listings tend to be the newest because they haven't been flagged yet. ![]() ![]() A listing that's been active for only a few minutes.A personal e-mail address pasted into the main photo-nobody does that.Grammar mangled beyond even the typical Craiglist norm.A photo that clearly doesn't match supposed location (mountains in Miami?).Here are some more hints that you maybe have just entered the scam zone: If they respond with a story, but still don't offer up a location, it's a scam. If there isn't one specified in the ad, send an email to see whether the seller will disclose the location. The first thing to look for is a location.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |