should i be worried.....

[mcsmarts]

well my smart car crossblade is up for sale....mainly as i like if i can to plan things and well....been wi the mrs nearly 11 years and married nearly for one so i can guess what may happen next so time to save some money away

anyways, i have been given a best offer but its from a chap in cyprus now he hasnt asked to pay me extra and i give him money back or for my bank details or anything sinister but i cant help but think its a scam.....

am i panicking for nothing ???

[keithd]

sounds dodge....

i take it he's collecting? he gets the car when the money's cleared. simples.

[mcsmarts]

aye but its £8.5k its a lot to make sure its all ok

i did check and it seems there are no other ones for sale in uk.... and thin on ground any other country

[appollo1]

if you do go ahead and sell don't accept a cheque as it can clear then be cancelled later.

[mcsmarts]

oh dear god no and i will need me mrs there wi me (she works in a bank)

[the_lone_wolf]

The strong Euro means it's now sometimes cheaper for the folks on the continent to come over here to buy

I had several enquiries when selling bikes earlier this year

Personally I'd prefer not to sell abroad, but if they could stump up the cash in sterling and collect then I'd probably sell

[gruntygiggles]

I'd say, if you can get the money in sterling in your hands, deposit it in your bank successfully (not be ripped by fake notes later) and he can come and collect the vehicle, then do it. Any other circumstances I would steer clear of. My sister and brother in law got very badly burned a few years back and they'd made loads of checks. Have to have money in bank before you do the paperwork or hand over keys and as has been said, don't accept a cheque. Has to be cash!

[dawn07]

Never give anyone your bank details!:hackedoff:

[SoulKiss]

Never give anyone your bank details!:hackedoff:

Sort Code and Account number is fine - its not like every cheque that was ever written didnt have them on it...

In saying that, I believe that electronic transfers CAN be revoked, so I would stick with cash only.

[simonDyna]

The strong Euro means it's now sometimes cheaper for the folks on the continent to come over here to buy

I had several enquiries when selling bikes earlier this year

Personally I'd prefer not to sell abroad, but if they could stump up the cash in sterling and collect then I'd probably sell

Completely agree.

I regularly contribute on a Harley site and there are plenty of Europeans coming over to buy high end or rare bikes and cars. One of my old Harleys is on its way to Holland this week.

I sold a Vanson Jacket to a bloke in Finland last year. The postage alone was just over £70! He didnt care because he was still up on the deal vs getting one over there.

So long as you are sensible, their money is as good as anyones.

[mcsmarts]

aye well £1000 recieved by paypal and he will be over thursday and have spoke to him on phone

as its a rare car he says its the cheapist option for him

[mcsmarts]

still worried mind

[svdemon]

How much are paypal charging you for the £1000 transfer? I would be going down the route of bank transfer myself.

[mcsmarts]

£40 but i dont care tbh as long as its there, tis only money ;-)

[600+]

if you need any help I could always talk to him as I'm greek and we speak the same language

[anna]

Sure be a bit concerned, however, as has been said lots of things are cheaper for people in europe to buy in the UK right now.

I am finding this all the time, so dont worry too much.

[CoolGirl]

if you need any help I could always talk to him as I'm greek and we speak the same language

Unless he's a Turkish-speaker, of course (I live at the bottom of Green Lanes, so the politics of this isn't lost on me!)

MCS: basic rule of private motor sales is to not hand the keys over on any account - even for a 'test drive' - until you've got the cash on the table, preferably counted and held on to by a third party. I wouldn't walk in to it on your own. If he's genuine, he won't mind.

[mcsmarts]

aye i am setting up a meeting wi the bank so he can pay it in while over just to put my mind at ease

[the_lone_wolf]

Paypal is about as watertight as a sieve

If he were to return to greece then tell paypal the car wasn't as described they'd remove the money from your account, freeze your account while they "investigate" and you'd more than likely never see it, or the car, again...

Even if it's just a deposit I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole...

[gruntygiggles]

aye i am setting up a meeting wi the bank so he can pay it in while over just to put my mind at ease

I am very glad to hear this (as advised in my post) I do think this is the most secure way of dealing with this kind of transaction.

[mcsmarts]

aye the paypal money was sent as a transaction which is funny, ie its not to pay for anything ;-)