I'm selling a vehicle on autotrader, and I get this email from a "buyer" after replying to his email with details on the car. Here is the lineage of the emails.
His 1st:
Comments: Compliment of the day.l have a
customer who wants to purchase your car
Please, let me know your asking price,
Present conditiomn and location.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Regars
My reply:
Price: $16,800 non-negotiable. Like car-max, this is my no-hassle price.
Present Condition: Mechanically sound with no issues. Minor body flaws, all shown in the pictures on autotrader
Location: Laurel Maryland
His reply:
Thank you for your response. I have forwarded the features of your
vehicle in autotrader to my client for evaluation and due to time
constraint on the fact that we are running short of time , i am
delighted to tell you that my client has commended your vehicle and he
has instructed me to carry on with this transaction, he also instructed me
to inform you that payment will get to you in a cashier check of $24900 which is a refund payment of a cancelled order earlier made by my
client.
Due to company policy this check has to be made out in this amount to
you because company policy only allows a refund payment on one cashier
cheque. So you are required to deduct the cost of your vehicle $16800
when payment gets to you and refund balance $8100 to the shipper for
him to be able to offset shipping & tax charges, and other cosmetic repair
costs. After payment has reached you and balance sent to shipper, the
shipper's agent will come for inspection, pick up (of vehicle & signing of title papers), make some cosmetic touches and drive to a prepaid
shipper to be shipped to my customer, while title papers and other
necessary documents will be handed over to my agent at the time of
pick up.
Please Confirm this and provide Name, Address and Phone
number for payment to be delivered to you via fedex courier service.
Anticipating your favourable co-operation.
Best regards,
My brain tells me "This seems too easy. He is buying a car he hasn't even seen yet." However, I can't see their "angle". I'm suspicious, but I am also eager to sell the car.
Can anyone see the flaw in this arrangement, and does this look like a common scam that I'm not aware of?
PS: No, I'm not selling my Cobra
His 1st:
Comments: Compliment of the day.l have a
customer who wants to purchase your car
Please, let me know your asking price,
Present conditiomn and location.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Regars
My reply:
Price: $16,800 non-negotiable. Like car-max, this is my no-hassle price.
Present Condition: Mechanically sound with no issues. Minor body flaws, all shown in the pictures on autotrader
Location: Laurel Maryland
His reply:
Thank you for your response. I have forwarded the features of your
vehicle in autotrader to my client for evaluation and due to time
constraint on the fact that we are running short of time , i am
delighted to tell you that my client has commended your vehicle and he
has instructed me to carry on with this transaction, he also instructed me
to inform you that payment will get to you in a cashier check of $24900 which is a refund payment of a cancelled order earlier made by my
client.
Due to company policy this check has to be made out in this amount to
you because company policy only allows a refund payment on one cashier
cheque. So you are required to deduct the cost of your vehicle $16800
when payment gets to you and refund balance $8100 to the shipper for
him to be able to offset shipping & tax charges, and other cosmetic repair
costs. After payment has reached you and balance sent to shipper, the
shipper's agent will come for inspection, pick up (of vehicle & signing of title papers), make some cosmetic touches and drive to a prepaid
shipper to be shipped to my customer, while title papers and other
necessary documents will be handed over to my agent at the time of
pick up.
Please Confirm this and provide Name, Address and Phone
number for payment to be delivered to you via fedex courier service.
Anticipating your favourable co-operation.
Best regards,
My brain tells me "This seems too easy. He is buying a car he hasn't even seen yet." However, I can't see their "angle". I'm suspicious, but I am also eager to sell the car.
Can anyone see the flaw in this arrangement, and does this look like a common scam that I'm not aware of?
PS: No, I'm not selling my Cobra