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A company called Vehicle Network called me after I advertised in Auto Trader promising me instant buyers who never showed up: is this a scam? — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-03-30 19:49

Vehicle network called me after I had advertised in Auto Trader. They said they had customers lined up on their finance system. The said if I paid a refundable deposit of £89.99 they would organise viewers within 24 hours. I foolishly paid this and after checking them out on the web found I could have made a big mistake...

Canvassers Vehicle World said they had buyers who would pay the purchase price for my car provided I paid them a refundable £129.99 but there were no buyers and no refund... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-03-23 15:14

A company called 'VEHICLE WORLD' are operating a canvassing scam. They call regarding an Auto Trader advert provide reassuring answers and sound very feasible. The bait is a "refundable" £129.99 fee, taken by debit/credit card. They advise they broker finance and have buyers waiting for your particular car. They would then pass on my details to their client and the car would be sold via their contact. No buyers were ever sent! Do NOT give them payment details or have anything to do with them. You will nothing back and no buyers. If in doubt say you'll 'Google' the firm and get to them. If they're genuine they should accept this. I did it to late and am down £130!

Email from Sweden offering to buy my car for export: when I laid down the only terms I would deal with them I heard nothing more... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-03-18 22:18

I had an e-mail from a Ben Johnstone [guarantor4ever@yahoo.se] in Sweden offering to buy my car for export. I am fairly certain this is a scam as I replied that it was all fine but I would not pay shippers fees - these must be paid direct beforehand - and the shipper must be a member of, and check out with, the BIFA (The British International Freight Association) beforehand. I have not had a subsequent response.

Buyer wants to send us a cheque for our car plus shipping fee and send a transporter to pick it up. We then give the transporter driver the shipping payment: is this a scam? — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-03-18 21:11

A guy from Oslo wants to pay £6000 which includes £2295 for my car. Apparently once we receive funds from him a vehicle carrier will come to our address and pick the car up and we are supposed to pay £3705 to the carrier. He has asked for our details so they can send the cheque. Is this a scam or could it be genuine?

A purchaser wants to pay cash for my vehicle and collect it 2 days later to ship to Cyprus. Is this a scam? — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-03-17 15:55

A purchaser wants to pay cash for my vehicle and collect it 2 days later to ship to Cyprus. Is this a scam?

A company called cardata called me and took £89.99 off me by promising they had buyers ready who they would get to call to buy my car: they seem to have no such buyers and the money they took off me was clearly a scam... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-03-07 20:10

A company call Cardata appear to be operating a canvassing scam. They called regarding an Auto Trader advert, and took a "refundable" £89.99 from my debit card promising that they had buyers ready demanding information about my vehicle and would be sending them within the hour. No buyers were ever sent by them and now they are ignoring all calls of complaint, speaking rudely to me and putting the phone down mid conversation!

Thank you Car Scams - you saved my a**! — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-03-07 14:22

I advertised my 911 Porsche Carrera in AutoTrader and the day the advert came out I got an email from a 'Mr Lover' from Hong Kong. He stated he was so busy working he couldn't view the car but wanted to pay the full asking price of £23,995. Mr Lover wanted to send a bankers draft but over pay - I was to wire the difference to an 'agent' once the agent had checked it over. He wanted some more pictures and asked for my address to send me a cheque to. Although I was suspicious I sent him additional pictures. I did NOT send him a contact number or my address. Along with the pictures I asked for his agent's details so I could verify them (they were not included in his email which I thought weird). Needless to say I have not heard back from 'Mr Lover'. I then came across your web site and read about so many almost identical scams (the pay more than the asking price and wire me the difference scam). It would be so easy to fall into this trap had I of not read about all the scams posted on your web site - many thanks!

Car "buyer" is pregnant lady from Channel Islands who has offered to pay me more than the value of my car without seeing it: is this yet another variation of advanced fee fraud? — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-03-06 08:47

I received an email from a Mrs. Annabel Lawence who asked questions about my car for sale on Auto Trader. I gladly answered her initial questions but the response I got back was strange and I guessed from them it must be a scam! She basically said she was from the Channel Islands and was heavily pregnant with triplets so could not come and view the car. She said she would send me £7800 for my car even though it is advertised for £7650. She would arrange for shipping herself as soon as the bankers draft had cleared into my bank account: all she needed to know was my full name and address so she could send the bankers draft...

Canvassing scam: advertisement in Auto Trader led to calls from a company claiming they had buyers who wanted my car and would introduce them if I paid them £89.99... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-03-05 15:13

I recently advertised my car in the Auto Trader and was called by a company who told me they had buyers for my car. They actually stated that someone had offered £5,300 and someone else £5,500 and eventually persuaded me to part with a deposit of £89.99. It it turned out there were no buyers at all. They were simply advertising my car on their web site. I found this out when I contacted the Office of Fair Trading who said I should write to the company (recorded delivery) and request they return my deposit as this was verbal misrepresentation. I did so on Friday the 29th Feb. I have a paper trail and I have proof that they phoned me that week as I have their number on my mobile still. Do I have a case for getting my deposit back? as essentially I lost money on the sale also because I put off my private buyers for a week due to my commitment to the company. I also wrote to Honest John at the Daily Telegraph about this and he said he did not understand why no one is interested in stopping these scammers.

Buyer offers higher than purchase price to secure car unseen and wants to send shipper to collect it after Bankers Draft has cleared: so a classic advanced fee/shipping scam - except buyer claims to be in Wales... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-03-05 13:27

I have a car advertised on Auto-trader and received the following E-mail. I thought it might be a variation on the scam where someone sends over too much money and asks you to send the excess to their "shipping company?": "Good Morning, Firstly,i am very sorry for the late response. i'm having a little problem with my message box and that is why i could not response on time so i decided to email you through a new account in order to proceed with the purchase of your car. Thanks you very much for getting back to me regards the purchase of your car and am very excited that you still have the car for sale. Regarding the price of the car ,i would be glad to offer you £6,000 which i believe is fair enough for the car if i am right. Really i have read all the details of the car on the web and i am satisfied with every information i read regarding the car.So i will like to know if there is any other details about the car that was not included with the one on the web because i would like to see the car as it's described here on the web.Also i don't really know whether the mileage still remain the same on the web and also how long have you been driving the car?Are you the first owner of the car,and when will its M.O.T expires?Sorry i shouldn't be asking you this but it just that i did not know when you placed the advert if it's current details of the car or not. Pertaining to the payment of the car,i would pay inform of a Bankers Draft which i believe it is one of the fastest method to pay for the car and once the draft has fully cleared in your bank,i can instruct my shipping company to come for the pick up of the car!! I have a shipping company that will come for the pick-up of the car wherever the car is located in UK. Please Note that i agree to take the possession of the car only when the Draft has fully cleared in your bank and the money shows in your account to ensure that it's a genuine deal. So if you are ok with this kindly get back to me as i need to complete the transaction asap.. Marc Orton, Wales"

Are you a Crash for Cash victim? — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-02-28 11:29

Insurers are claiming that there is an increase in the number of deliberate accidents aimed at securing exaggerated damage and injury compensation claims.

Rented a car in Spain but now I have been charged €1,000+ because the car clutch burned out and the hirer alleges this was my fault... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-02-28 11:13

I rented a car and signed the usual hire car contract in Spanish. My card company, Saga, now claims this gives the car company the right to charge anything due under the contract. My case is that I am not liable for a clutch which burns out after 7,000 kilometres which the car hire company claims was caused by my bad driving.

Cheque was made out by buyer from much more than the value of the car and I have been told to send the balance on to him by Western Union... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-02-07 15:39

I advertised my little fiat for sale for 250 and I received an e-mail from a guy who wanted to buy it. He was adamant that nobody else was to get a look in and wanted my name, address, post code, land line and mobile number. He said that he would get his secretary to draw up a cheque. An e-mail the next day said that the secretary had made a mistake and had issued a cheque for £3,800. He said once the cheque was to clear I was to keep an extra £100 for my trouble and send the rest via Western Union Money Transfer to his shipper. I was very suspicious and have sent an e-mail saying that I would prefer he cancelled this cheque and re-issued one for the correct amount and I am awaiting a reply.

Autobuyer scamming Auto Trader advertisers by charging £80 to send buyers who don't exist... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-02-06 14:46

I have had two emails from people wanting me to pay a representative or haulage company from overseas via a bankers draft. My main concern however is a company called 'Auto Buyer' who contacted me and told me that they worked in partnership with Auto Trader and for a fee of £80 they could sell my car as they already had a list of people on their register matching up to my car. The idea is that they have registered clients looking for a particular car and when it becomes available they inform their client and pass on my details. They said that they had a 95% success rate within the first five days and my advert would be kept on the Auto Trader website until it had sold. Once the sale was complete I would then get my £80 'deposit' back. Needless to say I have not heard from them since making the payment. My car has not stayed on Auto Trader's website because they are an independent company and do not liaise with Auto Buyer. My car has not even been put on their website either as promised. Auto Trader are aware of this and have confirmed that they do not have anything to do with Auto Buyer. This was also a sham and I am now in the process of trying to get my £80 back. Trading standards have advised me to write a letter. I would be grateful for any guidance you can give.

I saw a cheap Mini Cooper for sale and apparently it is British registered but the seller and car is in Italy. He says he will ship it if I buy it but is this a scam? — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-02-06 10:16

Hi, I have recently seen a Mini Cooper advertised at £4000 on gumtree.co.uk. There was no contact number so I emailed the seller requesting further information on the car. He replied back with the following: "Hi there, First of all I have to tell you that the vehicle is in good condition, has no technical damage at all, no scratches or dents, no hidden defects, no smoking. It's fun and robust to drive. Technical inspection and emissions testing is passed and stamped as well. It has title of ownership, cleared of any obligations or fees and comes with all the documents you need to register it. The reason I am selling the car is because I really have to, not because I don't like it anymore. I have worked in UK for the last 2 years and I've purchased the car there. My company wanted me back home, so currently I'm in Rome, Italy. I've bring the car home with me. I decided that is better to sell it because I don't use it anymore (the wheel is on right side and is very difficult for me to drive it in Italy) and it's a pitty to keep such a car and not to use it. I realize that is a cheap price for such a car but my special situation makes me do things that I wouldn't do in normal circumstances. I've wanted to register it here and keep it for me, unfortunately import taxes and European regulations made me change my mind. The price I am looking for my car is £3,800 including the shipping costs,insurance and handling(delivery to EUROPE). You will not have to pay additional taxes for this (VAT reclaimable). The car has MOT, Road tax until next year. Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have. Thank you." In a second email he told me he could have the car shipped to me. Is this a scam??

Overseas buyer promises overpayment for vehicle to cover shipping and does not want to see vehicle himself as he is a "busy man": is this a scam? — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-01-23 17:46

I received an email about my car and am suspicious that it may be a money laundering scam. It reads as follows: I am interested in purchasing this vehicle ,it suits my requirements perfectly,I run two garages, one in Dublin and the other in Netherlands, i shuffle most of my time between the two .. THESE ARE MY TERMS OF TRANSACTION: 1) I WANT YOU TO TELL ME YOUR LAST PRICE OF THE CAR 2] AND I SAW THE PICTURE OF THE CAR I WILL NEED MORE IF YOU CAN SEND IT TO ME. 3) I WILL BE PAYING WITH A BANKER'S DRAFT / CHEQUE WHICH I WILL ALLOW TO CLEAR BEFORE THE PICKUP/SHIPMENT OF THE CAR. 4) I WILL INCLUDE FEES FOR SHIPMENT IN PAYMENT, THIS MY SHIPPING AGENCY WILL USE FOR PICK-UP. The excess funds will go towards covering costs for shipping,shippers fees,insurance,tax and any other expenses that might be incurred getting it down to the new owner. I want you to get in touch with the following details if my terms are okay: FULL NAME .......... .................... ADDRESS......................... TELEPHONE NUMBERS........ .............( Mobile and Land). As soon as i have your details,i can have payment effected immediately.Pls note that you'll have to send the balance of the funds that you'll get to my shipper so he can come attend to the pick up as soon as you make the car ready.I beleive that most transaction are based on trust,so i look forward to a succesful transaction with you. I want you to know that I am a very busy Man, I am presently here in uk pursuing my Real ESTATE Construction project this Real ESTATE business is really taken my whole time. And i will be going back to singapore and Netherlands very soon bcos i have a buisness over there you will get the payment as soon as i recieved your full contact details. I travel alot in my line of buisness hence the reason why i wont be able to come and view the car at your end help me say hi to your family over there have a nice day, Best Regards, Larry Powel.

Didcot Station parking company fraudsters W.J. Parking represent sham appeals process as fair hearing and demand payment of "fine" before appeal is considered... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-01-23 07:18

I parked in the WJ Parking Ltd Car Park at Didcot Station and paid £5 for 24 hours parking. I found only one space, and the car on the left had encroached into this space by about 1/3. The car to the right of the space was parked well to the right of his bay, and this left me ample room to park, although I encroached marginally into the bay to my right. The only reason to do this was because the car to the left had taken up so much of my space. When I returned to the car a parking ticket had been issued for my car with the reason "incorrectly parked over white lines of bay". the ticket specified a charge of £80, which would be reduced to £40 if I paid within 14 days. I did not notice any notices about encroachment across bays. The ticket also said that appeals would only be considered if made within 14 days accompanied by the payment. I regard the issue of the ticket as extremely over zealous, and the offence minor and only the result of the lack of consideration of the car parked to the left of mine. Further, I returned to my car at 14.40 hours and drove off, and the cars either side of mine were still there, so clearly I did not cause any obstruction. I feel I have grounds for appeal, but beleive that if I send any money to this outfit (WJ Parking Ltd) they will not take it seriously. Conversely, if I don't send any money, then they will escalate the charge. Can you advise me if (1) if you think I have good grounds for appeal, and (2) are WJ Parking entitled to request payment for an issue under appeal.

Can a fine incurred on a hire car in Italy be charged to me? Is it a genuine charge or fraudulent? — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-01-21 13:27

I have received a letter this morning from the Polizina Municilpale in Florence Italy asking for payment of €92.25 for an alleged traffic offence on 2 July 2007. The offence quotes - "ART. 7 C 9 e 14 - THE VEHICLE CIRCULATED IN LIMITED TRAFFIC AREA WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION". The car was a hire car and I was in Florence on that date in the car quoted, but I have no idea what the offence could be. I have 20 days to pay before they say they will proceed in accordance with International Conventions regarding the notification abroad of administrative documents. All expenses will be charged to my account. It is over 6 months since the alleged offence my first reaction is to ignore it but welcome your advice.

Possible overpayment fraud involving a cheque drawn on a British bank: am I guaranteed value after 6 working days under new APACS guidelines... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-01-17 10:27

I know about the overseas overpayment scam where you get a foreign cheque and then asked to send cash via Western Union, but this one is all in the UK. I am selling a car advertised for £3250. We agreed a price via email and got a cheque for £5000 from a UK bank issued by a well known chain store. If I bank this and it clears, after six days I am covered under the new APACS rules? I tried contacting the store's head office and accounts dept, but they didn't really want to know. They seemed more suspicious of me!

Suspected dealer collusion in scam: car puchased on ebay was reported stolen buy a dealer immediately after auction end and payment had been made... — by Conrad Murray — last modified 2008-01-11 11:42

I bought a car on ebay (I won it in an auction which finished on Thurs 3rd Jan 2008). I picked it up on Mon 7th paying a mixture of cash and banker's draft. Before I made the journey I ran an HPI report which come back clean. Upon arriving I closely checked the V5 document and asked questions regarding 'the sale' and why the guy wanted to sell only 3 months after buying the car (he told me he had originally paid cash and just needed some money as he'd hit financial hardship). The transaction took place at the registered keeper's address and the banker's draft was made out to the registered keeper. I drove away feeling I had done everything in my power to ensure the car was legal. Then 2 days later on Weds 9th January I received an e-mail from a car dealer 'apologising' about being the bearer of bad news but claiming that my car had been stolen from him. He gave me an incident number and the name of the CID officer investigating the case. I spoke to the officer and gave him a statement of what had happened. Today (Thurs 10th January) the officer contacted me saying that the guy that sold me the motor vehicle left the dealer on the 7th October 2007 without the finance being approved (the word the CID officer used to describe the dealer was 'negligent'). When the dealer eventually faxed off the paperwork the finance company wanted more information on the buyer of the car. Unfortunately when the dealer called, the customer either fobbed off the dealer or never answered his phone. The dealer finally reported the car as stolen on Sat 5th January almost 3 months after the buyer left the forecourt in the car. Although I have been told I can keep the car for the time being I have been warned that the dealer wants the car back and that he may well get it. My question is this: Why would the innocent party suffer? The dealer has been 'negligent' or at the very best 'slack' and the guy that sold me the car is just a conman, so why should I be the one to lose out? I also have to say I suspect the dealer is somehow involved in this scam because a) he never reported the incident to either the police or the HPI people until 2 days after I bought the car (2 days shy of being 3 full months since they last saw their car drive away) b) he claimed to have found the details of my transaction on ebay 6 days after the auction had finished, the car was advertised on ebay for weeks yet the dealer claims he found out 6 days AFTER all the details had been removed from the site c) he e-mailed me to say the car had been stolen moments (according to my bank) after the draft had cleared and I could no longer stop the cheque...