Be aware of this scam when trying to sell your car privately!
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- Опубликовано: 27 янв 2024
- My wife makes fun of me for being a bit gullible and trusting and even for all my experience in buying and selling cars, for a few minutes, I was nearly on to being scammed by someone trying to “buy my car”.
In this video I’ll tell you the story so that hopefully it saves you the pain of either falling for it or just simply wasting having your tme with one of these clowns when you are trying to sell your car.
I look forward to the comments on this one and if you enjoyed the video, don’t forget to give it a LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
Thanks to www.bensound.com for the royalty free music and www.artlist.io for more great background tracks. 
Авто/Мото
I’ve sold a couple of cars privately in the last 6 months. It’s easy if you stick rigidly to a couple of rules. 1. Do not discuss price with anyone who has not seen the car in person. 2 A legitimate buyer should be contacting to arrange an appointment to see the car - anything else is a scam. 3. Ignore any questions asked by text / email about things which are clearly already mentioned in the advert. 4. No transaction sending money either way with anyone you haven’t met, that is most definitely a scam. 5. NEVER give sensitive information like the V5 serial number, bank details etc to anyone until they are with you and have the money to make the purchase. I sold my 996 recently and it attracted numerous attempts to scam me - but it’s really simple to avoid if you remember that a scammer will never actually visit you they’ll just come up with excuses - if they don’t want to see it, they don’t actually want to buy it - end of story.
Top comment.
Absolute tosh. I have bought many cars site unseen and negotiated the price before I go, especially if it is a long journey
@@AIGuys-Online Not from me you wouldn’t. Oh, and it’s ‘sight unseen’ not ‘site unseen’.
Sold one or two cars as a private seller in the past, best possible way I've found in filtering out the time wasters is done in my very first reply. They say they're interested, I invite them immediately to test drive, telling them to bring a driving license and proof of adequate insurance before we discuss absolutely anything else about the car, including the price. Those that turn up usually end up buying. No time waster wants to waste too much of their own time!
Exactly. To go even further I can tell from the first message they send to me if they are genuine or they’re going to be a pain in the backside. If the first message they send to me isn’t polite saying “hi/hello/how are you” then I don’t reply. I sell a lot of cars and I don’t have many problems at all.
Yeah, I think that's where I'll be at the next enquiry I get.
My car insurance doesn't cover me test driving another car if I get into a wreck!.
You really need to know the price before someone sees the car. Otherwise they may suddely find out the car is being sold for way more thanthey can afford and be like "Nope"
@@MrTripleXXX no the price is already advertised what he means is he won’t discuss moving on the advertised price until the buyer is in front of him with cash
Absolutely never click any link sent by anyone that isnt a friend in any circumstance.
yep, time to throw all hard drives away and start again.
Quite often, don't click on any link your friend sends you.
Especially at work.
You'd have to be a total idiot to be conned by any scammer...or even contemplate on clicking on links, or get involved in other very obvious dodgy dealings🙄 It's not rocket science! 😂
We're all experts and know-it-all's when its someone else who's done something silly.
Yip, that's the lesson.
Soon as he said he wanted me to pay for the car Report I would refuse to sell the car to him even if he was genuine.
It's always the buyer who gets their own independent HPI report. Never ever accept a seller's Hpi report.
Hindsight
it's the main scam in the USa here.! entering codes, etc.
Bradford says it all 😂😂😂
He wasn’t from bradford at all… probably a chinese/indian scammer
Asia's capital 😂
Lmao as soon he said Bradford thought exactly the same 😂🤣🤣
💯🤣🤣🤣
You said it🤣🤣👍👍👍👍
Good on you fella. There's so many scammers nowadays. Especially on Facebook..
Good for you, brother! Similar thing happened with me here in Canada. I wasn’t aware of it in the beginning of the texting back and forth. But when I insisted we speak on the phone, he suddenly ‘disappeared’. Wow! These low-lives are everywhere.
Thanks Mark!
You ain't selling shit with your attitudes
Eh?
I know times have changed but I’ve sold a lot of cars over the years & sticking to… you turn up with the cash & we can have a deal… no links no credit card no hassle 👍🏼
Nooo! You have to take the buyer with the cash to the bank to make sure the cash is not counterfeit. Bank transfer is my preference.
I tend to just do bank transfer
@@mikereeder4337 How many scam car buyers have turned up on someone's doorstep with counterfeit money? The chance of that happening is remote in the extreme. I would accept cash or bank transfer.
@@mikereeder4337bank transfers can be reversed
Imagine you’ve got 30k of fake cash though bank transfer all day or go to the bank with them
Selling a car privately today terrifies me
It shouldn't terrify you, just be vigilant. If it sounds / seems fishy, it probably is.
Personally I may never do it. Too risky for me
I ask the buyer to turn up in person. Hand over the requested cash and only then do they get the keys and registration papers.
I also tell the buyer that I am going to change the registration to their name the very same day. That way they cannot abuse my insurance.
Apart from a massive toothache there’s Nothing worse than trying to sell a second hand car!!
@@TraitorFelon.14.3 Requiring them to show up in person will elim the majority of scammers. Having them bring cash may have worked 20 yrs ago when used car prices were lower and we hadn't given away our privacy to the govt, but with regular used cars costing $30K plus you couldn't get that kind of cash out of a bank, you wouldn't want to drive around with that kind of cash (and be carjacked), and the seller couldn't deposit that kind of cash. Requiring cash sounds good, but no where near today's reality.
It’s like the scam about paying a courier for redelivery, they just want all your credit card details
Yeah I had this when selling a motorbike. Bike was only £1500 : he wanted to send payment for bike + £500 for his courier so he would send me £2000. I said " no thanks, you pay your courier £500 and then pay me £1500 : it's simple" ..... he then claims that by doing that it sends him over his banks daily payment limit ........ so I said to him "£1500 + £500 over the limit but £2000 is under the limit you stupid C***" .... and that was the end of that sale !!!
when I was trying to buy a car I kept getting people who's cars where all over the country they would be selling a car but lived in Manchester but the car was in Scotland
and I just kept saying oh I'm in Scotland next week ill just pick it up but then suddenly its not in Scotland next week its down in London where I would say oh my wife is in London
and id have a relative in every single new location they kept giving
until they stopped talking to me
@@darkzim3872 so many scammers, I keep getting phone calls saying I'm your local energy advisor for your postcode, so I say. What's my postcode and they ring off, also I keep getting called about smart meters and I don't know if they are scams or not but usually you can tell by their accent that they aren't in the UK despite spoofing a London number
@ron2256 Actually the scam has nothing to do with your credit card details. They are selling you a report for $20 that they bought for $2. Scam? Yes. Illegal? No.
Stock answer for the "What's your best price" is "we can't talk about price until you have seen the car and evaluated for yourself" If the purchaser is genuine they will usually accept that.
Anyone that’s genuine will already understand that in the first place and won’t actually say something that stupid to begin with and will wait till after they’ve viewed the car
I love that question. I say the best price is the price I currently listed. If you want me to set a lower price before you even see it I am haggling with myself then.
@RMD-uw5np great response
the first thing that comes to my mind is the links hes sending you are actually his, they probably save your bank info after you pay for a report. also i wouldnt click dodgy looking links, that alone could give you trouble.
Had exactly the same thing about a month ago. Thankfully I twigged on to the scam...be careful out there folks!
Yep, for that reason I Would rather trade it in with a loss than go through a hassle of being scammed.
Thanks for that - asking you to click on a link , was where the line was crossed..can't be that interested if he doesn't even want to pay for a report - good to get a reminder about this kind of thing.
Very useful. Most scams begin on a plausible, "test the water" basis as the scammer reads the potential victim and will profit from the volume of success. While most of us communicate via text or social media, an interested party will get in there first by phone. We can learn alot about the seller and buyer this way. Word of warning, if you are desperate to sell or buy, you are more likely to be scammed. Have your wits at hand!
I had one the other week, it's all I'm out of the country, sending a transporter, American type speak, I said I'd sold it to a Nigerian Prince who'd flown in.
When I was a teenager I used to buy and sell cars, to make a bit of money. Then I went to University! After about 30 years years I sold a car privately a few months ago. The arrange was exactly the same and I sold without difficulty. 1) Cash only acceptable. 2) Bought as seen and, the buyer signs off on it, (duplicate book). 3) If you show the cash I take you for a test drive. 4) The appropriate part of the Log Book I always sent to DVLC. I never had any comeback, I sold decent cars. I had no problem selling, I remember a Mark two Cortina, they were queuing up with their cash. People who come with the cash are always genuine. So, that's how you do it. Happy selling. Oh and don't be desperate to sell. Re-advertise if you have to.
The only thing is, as a buyer, I'm not gonna feel safe walking into an unknown situation with a wad of cash in my pocket. That seems dangerous too especially because there are scammers who also post pictures of cars they don't own. I would rather come, test drive the car and then go to the bank.
Always good to hear stories like this. Makes you think. Great channel btw subbed!
Appreciate the sub mate!
After clicking on a link from this guy, I would run a deep, virus scan on your device.🤔
Done!
So many scammers everywhere!!
My recent moto is, dont trust anyone until u get a reason to trust them.
And then be cautious!
Wen ever I sell my old phone, i get inundated with messages from other countries and wen i point it out, they say their friend/relative lives nearby.
Or they will arrange a courier to pick the phone up.
I must block 9 out of 10 people who message!
I just tell them to send the money to their courier so that the courier can then pay me cash since the ad says cash only. I never hear from them after that.
From a scammer's perspective it's quite a "good" scam. Requires minimal effort from their part except for a dodgy link and then they can just sell the bank card details on (or use them themselves).
Thanks for sharing. The more info is shared about this sort of thing the better.
You're welcome Richard. Hopefully it helps someone!
I am from Manchester and i didn't know that they even had cars in Scotland !
Hahaha!!!!
They ride about on large dogs
We do that in Manchester too but mostly after a skin full @@oliverearnshaw6189
@@oliverearnshaw6189 obviously your not scottish either. we ride haggis
@@wearethepeople7761 🤣🤣 love it!
I would never sell a car privately these days. Too much risk for so many reasons. I sold a Golf GTI in 1995, buyer came round with a wad of notes including a few fakes. You can get hijacked and have the car stolen on a test drive EVEN with you in it, forced out at knife point. Far too risky. Thieves will go to any lengths now so I only go to dealers and would rather get a lower price for a car than put myself at risk. I also don’t want dodgy people coming to my house.
Omg, you must be paranoid 😳
The fact you pretend to not be fooled by it at first is hilarious 🤣😂😂
Think what you want chief. I'm a pretty open book and call things how they are.
Such a good video!! Good to learn and funny too - nice one
Thanks Graeme
"sounded like a regular buyer".. no way!
Gave me many red flags and I ignored them... don't you be like me.
Genius video dude.
Thanks buddy
Link in email, nope, never click them, unless you know the company the email is from and you have history with them.
You know why it's a massive pain in the hole as you said it? It's because people are involved. If I ever become rich, I'd move away from people, they are horrible and a bunch of hypocrite. Almost everything they complain about, they do it themselves. They complain about how people treat them bad, they do the same, they complain about corruption, they're corrupted. Etc etc. I should know, I'm a person too.
Extreme solution, but yes, people really can be awful.
A couple came to buy my suv so I let them take a test drive. When they came back the woman got out if the drivers sear with a smitten, nasty attitude. They never said a word and left. It had just been serviced and checked out so I knew there was nothing wrong with it UNTIL they test drove it. It cost me $800 to have it repaired.
The next couple left their infant with me! Then came back from their test drive claiming something was leaking and wanted me to reduce the price considerably. I couldnt smell anything so apparently he poured water on something. I told him to get the hell out of here and stop leaving your baby with strangers.
That's absolutely mental. Thanks for sharing.
Ran into the same scam last year, the history report websites either take that $30-40 for the report and don't send you anything or just take your credit card number and go on a shopping spree until the card gets locked
Watching you tell the story makes me feel like I’m back in Edinburgh!
Haha I take that as a compliment!
Enlightening video! I had no idea vehicle sellers had such weird "clients" as this. As someone who has only ever bought vehicles privately the main obstacle I find most recently is if the vehicle is actually real! Many times it is a scam. I have enjoyed previously many a bargain buying privately though, they were fun times. Makes me worry for when my kids are driving, I hope we can still find genuine adverts!😂
Glad it was helpful!
I advertised my car on ebay and within a day I got a text message saying they wanted to buy the car at the asking price. Not a single question was asked regarding the car, which immediately gave me red flag. He than text saying could he have my PayPal details to transfer the money and a trailer would come to collect the car as he would be to busy. Oh how I laughed 😂😂😂 these scammers think we're born yesterday.
I listed a car on an ebay classified ad once. Some guy messaged me to say he was going to pay for it on his wife's Tesco credit card so he could get the clubcard points.
What's wrong with that?
@eIucidate It would have cost me a prohibitively large amount of money in paypal fees. The listing clearly stated that it was cash on collection only.
Isn't the world a horrible place at times.
I'd bet my arse this person is in a call center in India somewhere, and is absolutely convinced they're a really good muslim/hindu/Christian/whatever despite being a career criminal.
The scam was for bank details. They don't care about your car at all.
It certainly can be, Matthew!
Charming, coming from a person whose ancestors stole trillions from India.
Good video mate I was in exactly same situation few weeks back tonnes stupid questions and link for IN report I thanked him straight away
Cheers pal
Excellent - there were quite a few points of concern you seemed to have raised in “real time” that gave you doubts as each new scenario came along.
I had a trusted garage do a pre-sale check with the brief - tell me before a buyer says there is something that needs attention. I had 3 buyers referring to different non-existent problems, from road tests. I told each I had a thorough pre-sale check and each indicated by their body language “worth a try”.
Where’s Aberdeen ?
I’m in Bradford
Say no more 😂
Should have said where's Bradford? 😂
Pak pak
"I'm not a scammer". What a give-away _Monty P_
The same thing just happened to me today so I'm glad I watched your video plus Craigslist warned me also when I put my phone number.
Haha you have more patience with these than me. I would of told him to F off after the email thing
It was fairly amusing :)
Thanks for sharing this with us, very helpful. Its all about getting your bank details i think. (Free gifts that are advertised, but you just have to pay for postage with your credit card)
No worries Nick
The second you entered those credit card details, it was all over.
Luckily I didn't enter my cc details then, eh?
You had me at Muppet 😁
Sound advice. I adhere to budget motoring using a trusted mobile mechanic. My buy/sell arena is 3 to 6K. If selling I'm always polite but I don't get too involved. Here's the car, test drive it, I'll present all the documents/MoT/ services bills and that's it. Yes, I'll give a little leeway but take it or leave it. Also beware when the buyer (especially if they arrive with an 'expert') and starts to overly criticise the vehicle - needs new tyres, steerings out, clutch slipping etc
I've heard all sorts of rubbish - 'waiting for a legacy to come thru, can my brother come and test it' No, there's the car and I have others arriving to see it. Don't in any circumstance feel intimidated - stand your ground
Thanks for the feedback!
Nice one mate well done.
Our private sale scam was aided by our own government, but for $13, we fixed it.
The buyer did not transfer ownership of the car and began racking up parking tickets and toll booth running. We got the bills in our mailbox.
The State used to have a form on the vehicle title to remove and submit to the Motor Vehicle Department indicating your release of interest in said vehicle, but they have a $13 fee which I initially refused to pay.
After the violations started pouring in, I submitted and sent the State their $13 fee.
It never ends.
In the UK the seller transfers ownership. This is free and can be done on line instantly or by post (it takes a few days but is backdated). They get those tickets as soon as they leave your drive. 🚗💨🚓💨
Thank you for the heads up 👍
No problem 👍
This happened to me. Fake buyer wasted half my day by scheduling a test drive but then demanding a $50 car history report from some company in India.
So frustrating!!
Check out this. My neighbour was selling his BMW and two guys turned up. While one distracted the owner the other poured oil in the radiator. Then they said it looked like the head gasket needed repairing because of the oil. While they were checking the car out I spoke to his partner informing her that they were scamming the owner to get the price down by £1000s using tricks.
Bastards
Thanks for that. Will watch out for this sort of thing when I sell my van
No problem 👍
Man am I glad I watched this a few days ok - some arse wipe has just tried pulling this exact same stunt on me responding to a car advert I’ve got out at the moment 😅
So glad I could help someone not get had 👍
I love the fact that you said “he sounded Scottish” as if that adds a layer of trustworthiness. It used to but now all the scammers watching this will now be doing the same. 😂😂
Sadly, it made a difference to how I perceived it a bit.
Because all the issues you mentioned I didn't want to go through the hassle and took our 2003 WJ GRAND CHEROKEE 4.7 V8 to the breakers 5 years ago. Perhaps I lost some money on this move but at least I got rid of it. Same happened last year with our Audi A3, engine gave up the ghost and just called Redcorn and they collected the car 2 days later.
Thanks for the comment!
Hi. After watching this video and reading the comments, I'm surer than ever that most problems in the world today aren't caused by a lack of love, forgiveness, or respect, but from a lack of HONESTY. Cheers, P.R.
Well said!
first warning sign whenever I have sold anything is if first contact is by text.
Nowt wrong with that. Some people can be proper arsey, I'd much rather message someone about it and reply in my own time
fair enough, I understand that, Everyone's experience is different, the majority of my negative selling experiences have been with people who contact through text first, but I accept that doesn't mean everyone that does is going to be a problem and I don't immeiately think they will be,, but it's my first warning sign that they may be.@@davyhoogy
The point is Tony, that I won't do that again and hopefully no one else will. Thanks for the comment.
Yup, you're on to it, Golden Rule: don't ever click on random links (especially in emails or other forms of messaging) - or if you accidentally do, don't fill in any details. As a former software engineer, I can confirm to everyone: it is extremely easy to create a fake website that emulates a genuine one.
Good advice 😃
Cheers for that mate very useful 👍🏼👍🏼
No problem 👍
LoL! Once you have to start jumping through hoops to sell something..you are being scammed...Don't play scammer games...
Great heads up... Whenever I've sold cars and bikes privately, any text message gets a reply with "call this no". If you speak to them you can weigh them up pretty quick. If they keep on texting, they're ignored.
Only get them to come to your house. If they want to genuinely see & buy they will turn up. Tell them if you want to pay cash then please come when the banks are open so the cash can be checked in one of their machines. If banks are closed then bank transfer on tablet or phone. Do not give any keys or paperwork until the money shows up in your account. Do not give them your phone or tablet. Have a witness with you. Ask for Id like passport or driver’s license.
I would only accept bank transfer.
It sounds that he was trying to harvest car details your personal information. Probably getting ready too clone your car?
The world is full of scammers and Muppets
Thanks for sharing your story 👍
It's a jungle out there
I suspected that when I tried to sell a bike on there that it was actually autotrader calling just to prove there was some level of interest when there actually wasn't.
They tried the same scam with me. I immediately smelt a rat. The link is to a dodgy Canadian site and all they want are your card details.
I always sell my cars private and I’ve had great experiences, best advice is to be patient. I took a few calls with questions and low offers but sold my old cars for several thousand pounds over trade in values. Even bought a bargain Mazda in 2022 from the dealership, drove it for a year and sold it for £1250 more. Prior to that I held tight for 8 months selling my 2010 X6 and got £13,200 for it despite an £8k trade value 😎 they were both very well looked after cars though.
Very interesting. Tend not to have that palaver in NZ. Too small a population I'm guessing...
Bought and sold several cars here privately. Also traded in, but always feel ripped off there, so still prefer private deals.
Sounds like you've played the game well pal! Patience is important in this game to get the deal you want for sure.
Thanks for the informative video - youve earned a sub!. ;)
Awesome, thank you!
‘Never Ever’ click a link in a email - that’s the scam. He’s probably already looking through your computer.
If you are selling something for more than £500 get them to visit you personally, and ensure you take a photo of their face, if no go by them you know they are likely to be bent. (not an infallible method, but you have evidence for prosecution).
First sign of a scam, if they are talking money before they see the car.
I have to disagree here. All cars I've sold from distance buyers have had a price agreed before seeing the car.
@@car_babble Did they ask a hundred question before discussing the price?
@Moondoggy1941 no, not many
I won't buy privately. They try to get close to dealer prices, and you miss out on the warranty.
Great story. Here in Australia a buyer comes to look with the money , you go for a test drive and they push you out.
Thanks mate
It's a business. I posted a vehicle on f/book and within five minutes I had at least six messages, some with phone #'s some without numbers. At least three offered the exact same amount, one was in broken English, another wanting to send me a code. I believe the one wanting a code is something where they can take over your computer and retrieve all of your information. Although I got excited, It didn't smell right and I kept my guard up. Beware of the quick on the trigger buyers after posting. It's a scam.
Seems to be everywhere. Thanks for the comment.
If someone isn't prepared to have a talk on the phone LIVE WELL NUF SAID
No one tells a good story as a Scotsman! respect to you sire, legit.
Thank you, appreciate that!
You're welcome mate, cheers@@car_babble
I had the same! 😂HPI link 🤣
‘Richard’. Yeah sure. 😂
After describing the car i have for sale. I also put the following information in my ads. No scams, no car salesmen hoping to buy low to sale high. No third party arrangements. No trades, no low ballers, no test deposits into my bank account, no endless text messages, no checks for more than the agreed upon price, i will not lie on legal documents about the true price you paid for the car. My simplified buying process: you come see the car, we agree on a price for the car, you return with cash or cashier’s check for the car. I call to verify that the check is real. I sign over the car, you get the key fobs. You drive the car away.
A solid process indeed. Thanks for commenting
Many people aren't aware that "stop payment " can be applied to cashiers and certified checks. It only requires buying a bond from an insurance company. The one time I did it was to out game a dishonest mechanic. The bond was $50. It saved me $500 I was being charged for work not performed.
Scammers are so sophisticated you have to be really careful
Never click on those links. Never. Even if you don't fall for the fake website, there is a high probability of malware being downloaded to your computer or phone.
Thanks for sharing this info.
You're welcome
30 years ago, my friend wanted to buy a car and took me along for a second look. We took car ramps with us to have a quick look underneath. We did not suspect anything would be wrong. My friend had the cash in his hand and was totally legit and asked to have a quick look underneath. The guy went nuts and refused to sell the car.
Well played
To be fair, I’m 34 and still have no idea where Aberdeen is. 😂 one for Google.
Aberdeen is an area on southwest Hong Kong Island. I know this because I used to live in Premnay, before I moved to Guangzhou. When I lived in Premnay I needed a trailbike - a BMW would have been wrecked within a week. You know where Premnay is, of course.
@@m2menuiserie540 no idea 😂 I’ve been to HongKong and Guangzhou though.
Its in Jockland
Go as far north as you can and understand what they are saying then look for the oil rigs
It's where Angus's come come from.
Happened with me as well. All they want is for you to put ur credit card details on that fake website that is made to look legit and there goes ur credit.😂
Swines!
Yeah as people have said never click on a link in an email from someone you don't know (and sometimes even people you do know, especially if what they have written is out of character). Also don't rely on Microsoft Defender to block dodgy websites, sometimes just clicking on a link can put trojans on your machine that basic protection doesn't pick up. In this case they were definitely after your card/bank details. Good luck selling the beemer!
Thanks!
Ye wanted your card details, nice vid!! 😊
Thanks!
I've been looking to buy car now for months but it's a minefield not just with scammer's but also people trying to offload their overpriced high mileage junk.
WOW..i just had exactly that happen to me here in Sydney Australia.
Guy wanted to buy my car super keen just wanted a report from HIS LINK told him i got one already but he insisted he trusted his report its the best so i put in the VIN and it found the car but had the wrong year of manufacture i did not go further told the guy use my report and cash only on pick up.
Never got back to me after that.
Thanks for confirming what i was starting to suspect.
Holy moly, gutted you had the same but glad to hear evidence that this is obviously a coordinated effort and all the more reason to be careful. Thanks for sharing!
Exact same thing happen to me this morning. Foreign accent and lots of stupid questions. I Googled the number they called from and many have had the same issue. I blocked them.
My rules: keep it simple and brief. No back and forth chit chat. Meet in person. Cash or bank transfer. Done deal. Adios, thanks for shopping. 🎉😂
I live in Canada, same scam here. When I try to sell a car there is always someone who asks me to send a report to them from their preferred, online report site. They want my money and my credit card details.
It's rife!
good information; will help us from future scammers👍
Thanks mate
Thanks for that!
No problem!
Anyone who talks price before they've seen the car... move on! That's your first alarm bell.
Mostly agree but I've negotiated price before seeing a car before.
I had a “Buyer” asked me to ride my Harley 150 miles to him so he could see if he would like it??? Had another was sending his “Buyer” to check it out. Another would come 4 States away to check it out. And the beat goes on.
Wowsers
When callers ask me, "What's the lowest you'll take for it?", I reply, "Why, what's the most you'll pay for it?". This is quite good for filtering out time wasters.
Great response!
I got called a 'Times waster' recently when I decided not to buy someone's car.
You're not a time waster if you don't want to buy the car. A time waster for me is someone who is either making a silly offer or enquiring about a car they haven't properly considered the feasibility of buying first.
Welcome to 2024 a land of scams and time wasters, i am starting to give up on it but lately it's got worst with idiots who just love asking questions and not once view the cars some right crazy people who just randomly ask rubbish i have no time anymore for it i know the feeling mate
I'm certainly losing hope on selling my 3 series
I might be old fashioned but whenever I sell an old car, I will not do anything until the buyer views the car and leaves a deposit and then pays in full. I will give the reg plate details to them so they can do their checks but thats it. If they try to send any links to me they will be instantly blocked.
There are even scams using legitimate hpi check companies. The scammer send a link with referral code that earns them a few quid each time they get a victim.