The odd people you meet when selling a car

[ws23rt]

I've had a few tugs on my fishing pole with one of my cars for sale. But this one is worth sharing.
I got a text that said I want to buy and to respond to an email. ( A womans name at gmail).
She? want's to buy my car for her husband as a supprise. (So we need to get this done asap).
I responded to the initial text and her response was from service@paypal.com. She said that she was an archaeologist working in the field and had no phone service. (only internet?) And that I needed to click on the paypal link and she would send the funds to me.
My response was that paypal had a 10K limit on transactions.
She responded no problem. I will make seven transactions.
So what do you folks think. Should I just let my paypal account bulge to overflowing and than try to find out how to complete the deal?
Some things come to mind like Bill of sale, inspection, transport, Etc.

I just looked at my post and the service@paypal.com shows up as a link. It is not intended as a link! It is the source/ sender email that I got and is not from paypal.
BTW I did have a long and fruitful chat with paypal about this.

[cdr]

i just dont sound right to me.

[Mopar Nut]

it's a scam

[Ghoste]

Internet in the field but no cell phone service?  Run screaming.

[F8-4life]

Anyone saying "im out to sea" or in the dessert doing great work" or any other nonsense, thats a sure sign of a scam.
Also the fact that she included a sense of urgancy (for a suprize yea right)-really means she wants to make quick work of ripping people off.

[elacruze]

it's a scam

Scam. I had exactly the same one run on me, although after steadfastly insisting on a one-way with the money they gave up and went away. I could dig out all the correspondence and paste it up, for funzies.

[Old Moparz]

I thought you were going to tell us about some strange character that showed up on your doorstep. 

Yeah, I have to agree that it sounds like a scam & wouldn't waste anymore time with it.   


I have a story about an actual odd person that showed up at my house to buy a car.     I was selling a 1976 Dodge Dart Sport with a 4 speed about 20 years ago. It was a decent car that ran great & was originally from Texas & rust free. My wife needed to replace the 245,000 mile Duster to commute & I found this car, but we ended up buying a brand new Civic & listed this one. I was asking $1800 for it & had it in the local paper. I had a few calls on it & one guy said he wants to come see it so I give him directions. When he gets to my house & gets out of the car I realized he's the same nutjob that came to all the local car cruises.

I call him a nutjob because he never showed up with a car, just a small white poodle that rode on his shoulder like a parrot. To make it even more obvious, the guy was like 6' - 7" tall & appeared to weigh around 130 pounds. He would stand quietly near anyone with a Mopar at the cruises who was talking cars & listen to the conversations. He didn't talk, he just stood there with this poodle on his shoulder & would sometimes move close so he could hear what was said.

So he looks the Dart Sport over & then tells me, "This thing is a stick shift & you'll never be able to sell it. I need an automatic for my niece & will have to convert it because she can't drive stick. That will cost me around $900 to do, so I'll give you $900 for the car, not $1800."

  I don't recall what I said exactly but something like, "Sorry, I'll take $100 off & that's it. The paper has lots of automatics in it, so good luck."

[elacruze]

I had my Sunfire Convertible for sale some years ago, at a high price-I wasn't having a fire sale-and one day I see a Mom and Daughter looking it over. I didn't speak to them. Next day, a guy drives up in a new 3500 Dually 4x4 (so he had income) Tells me I want too much for the car. I told him he couldn't buy a different one and equip it with the upgrades mine had, even if he did his own work. He gets mad, stops short of calling me an idiot but follows me from the front yard into the back still talking about it. I realize what's happened, the girls were his wife and about-to-graduate daughter who's fallen in love with the car and daddy's being forced. One of my very large friends eventually showed him the way back to the front gate with a short explanation of free markets and personal property rights.:/

[Indygenerallee]

I run so many cars for sale on CL and other sale sites I can tell you from first hand experience it's a scammer, I just delete the message and go on.

[F8-4life]

I call him a nutjob because he never showed up with a car, just a small white poodle that rode on his shoulder like a parrot. To make it even more obvious, the guy was like 6' - 7" tall & appeared to weigh around 130 pounds. He would stand quietly near anyone with a Mopar at the cruises who was talking cars & listen to the conversations. He didn't talk, he just stood there with this poodle on his shoulder & would sometimes move close so he could hear what was said.

^^
Oh man that was a hilarious scenerio in my head, but actually probably pretty weird in real life. What was his deal?

[ws23rt]

I am always interested in how scammers intend to get money out of my pocket. It is sometimes fun to push them along to find out.
Usually there is a sense of urgency ----(I'd better pick up that twenty before the next guy comes along)
This one feels like someone that is just looking for a response. ( please someone talk to me).  Or they are just learning their scam.

[ws23rt]

I thought you were going to tell us about some strange character that showed up on your doorstep. 

Yeah, I have to agree that it sounds like a scam & wouldn't waste anymore time with it.   


I have a story about an actual odd person that showed up at my house to buy a car.     I was selling a 1976 Dodge Dart Sport with a 4 speed about 20 years ago. It was a decent car that ran great & was originally from Texas & rust free. My wife needed to replace the 245,000 mile Duster to commute & I found this car, but we ended up buying a brand new Civic & listed this one. I was asking $1800 for it & had it in the local paper. I had a few calls on it & one guy said he wants to come see it so I give him directions. When he gets to my house & gets out of the car I realized he's the same nutjob that came to all the local car cruises.

I call him a nutjob because he never showed up with a car, just a small white poodle that rode on his shoulder like a parrot. To make it even more obvious, the guy was like 6' - 7" tall & appeared to weigh around 130 pounds. He would stand quietly near anyone with a Mopar at the cruises who was talking cars & listen to the conversations. He didn't talk, he just stood there with this poodle on his shoulder & would sometimes move close so he could hear what was said.

So he looks the Dart Sport over & then tells me, "This thing is a stick shift & you'll never be able to sell it. I need an automatic for my niece & will have to convert it because she can't drive stick. That will cost me around $900 to do, so I'll give you $900 for the car, not $1800."

  I don't recall what I said exactly but something like, "Sorry, I'll take $100 off & that's it. The paper has lots of automatics in it, so good luck."

[ws23rt]

I thought you were going to tell us about some strange character that showed up on your doorstep. 

Yeah, I have to agree that it sounds like a scam & wouldn't waste anymore time with it.   


I have a story about an actual odd person that showed up at my house to buy a car.     I was selling a 1976 Dodge Dart Sport with a 4 speed about 20 years ago. It was a decent car that ran great & was originally from Texas & rust free. My wife needed to replace the 245,000 mile Duster to commute & I found this car, but we ended up buying a brand new Civic & listed this one. I was asking $1800 for it & had it in the local paper. I had a few calls on it & one guy said he wants to come see it so I give him directions. When he gets to my house & gets out of the car I realized he's the same nutjob that came to all the local car cruises.

I call him a nutjob because he never showed up with a car, just a small white poodle that rode on his shoulder like a parrot. To make it even more obvious, the guy was like 6' - 7" tall & appeared to weigh around 130 pounds. He would stand quietly near anyone with a Mopar at the cruises who was talking cars & listen to the conversations. He didn't talk, he just stood there with this poodle on his shoulder & would sometimes move close so he could hear what was said.

So he looks the Dart Sport over & then tells me, "This thing is a stick shift & you'll never be able to sell it. I need an automatic for my niece & will have to convert it because she can't drive stick. That will cost me around $900 to do, so I'll give you $900 for the car, not $1800."

  I don't recall what I said exactly but something like, "Sorry, I'll take $100 off & that's it. The paper has lots of automatics in it, so good luck."

I guess I should have called this topic something other than the odd people you meet. After all odd people are the only kind there are.
If we moved in that direction we would need another forum
I pushed the scammer a bit and have not heard back for several days. So I am thinking she will bring a bone or rock back from her trek for her husband. Happy Birthday honey.

[flyinlow]

I played with a Craigslist scammer Once . Got this email from the scammer " I will send you $2000 money order for your $200  item , you refund difference with a  money order minus part cost and $100 for you trouble, my movers will be in your area bla, bla, bla . Please email the refund Kmart (had to be Kmart) Money order number asap. Your honesty and transparency are appreciated".... huh?

I agreed , Had him send the money order to Edsel Ford at a friends business address. F*d  **  brought the overnight package, refused it . Cost the scammer $20, maybe, if he did not use a stolen credit card to pay for it.

Do not give them any valid information.

[Indygenerallee]

I played with a Craigslist scammer Once . Got this email from the scammer " I will send you $2000 money order for your $200  item , you refund difference with a  money order minus part cost and $100 for you trouble, my movers will be in your area bla, bla, bla . Please email the refund Kmart (had to be Kmart) Money order number asap. Your honesty and transparency are appreciated".... huh?

I agreed , Had him send the money order to Edsel Ford at a friends business address. F*d  **  brought the overnight package, refused it . Cost the scammer $20, maybe, if he did not use a stolen credit card to pay for it.

Do not give them any valid information.

I love it!!! 

[Old Moparz]

I call him a nutjob because he never showed up with a car, just a small white poodle that rode on his shoulder like a parrot. To make it even more obvious, the guy was like 6' - 7" tall & appeared to weigh around 130 pounds. He would stand quietly near anyone with a Mopar at the cruises who was talking cars & listen to the conversations. He didn't talk, he just stood there with this poodle on his shoulder & would sometimes move close so he could hear what was said.

^^
Oh man that was a hilarious scenerio in my head, but actually probably pretty weird in real life. What was his deal?

I don't know, but with a poodle & not a pit bull, the guy seemed harmless.   

[CB]

I wonder how many sellers have thought me being a scammer.
Because of the disadvantage living overseas sometimes I wanted to close a deal fast before a local guy comes in with a handfull of cash...
As I bought several cars in the past I always paid for the car prior to pickup.
And I had help of some good guys here on the board!

Imagine a guy who finds a Charger on CL, calls the seller to hold the car, takes a couple of days off from work, jumps on a plain, flies 17h, looks at the car and puts down a wad of 100's on the table,...SOLD! that was me... Really crazy traveling with 20K in my pocket