WARNING! USED CAR SCAMSTERS

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

THIS IS A BIT ODD I KNOW.....BUT.....

AS YOU PROBABLY ALL KNOW BY NOW; WE ARE LOOKING FOR A SMALL RUN-AROUND FOR CYNDI WHO IS IN MATRIC AT THE MOMENT BUT IS HOPING TO BE GOING TO STUDY AT ONDERSTEPOORT NEXT YEAR. OUR BUDGET IS VERY LOW AT R25 000 - R35 000 AND SO WE EXPECT THAT OUR OPTIONS WILL BE LIMITED AND WE HAVE THEREFORE STARTED LOOKING EARLY (ALREADY) TO TRY AND GIVE OURSELVES EVERY OPPORTUNITY OF GRABBING ANY BARGAIN THAT MAY COME ALONG AS YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THAT MAY OCCUR.

WELL, HERE IS THE HEADS-UP.

WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY LET EVERYONE WE KNOW, KNOW, THAT WE ARE LOOKING; BUT WE HAVE ALSO BEEN LOOKING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.
IN PARTICULAR, GUMTREE AND OLX.

OLX IN PARTICULAR HAS A MIRIAD OF RIP-OFF ARTISTS/ SCAMSTERS WORKING THE NET.

THE OBVIOUS SIGNS TO WATCH FOR ARE THE FOLLOWING:-

THE VEHICLES ARE MOSTLY PHOTOGRAPHED IN A DEALERSHIP OR OUTSIDE A DEALERSHIP (NORMALLY QUITE WELL!)
THE VEHICLES ARE ADVERTISED IN THE R30 - R40 000 PRICE RANGE BUT SHOULD BE IN THE R55 - R65 000 RANGE
THE MILAGE IS ALWAYS QUITE LOW FOR THE MODEL IE. 80 -130 000KM'S FOR A 2005/6/7/8/9 MODEL
THE CONTACT NAME IS ALWAYS EUROPEAN
ONLY A CELL NUMBER IS GIVEN AS A CONTACT
WHEN YOU MAKE TELEPHONIC CONTACT YOU SPEAK WITH A NON-WHITE, SOMETIMES WITH AN ACCENT BUT NOT ALWAYS (FRENCH MOSTLY)
IF YOU SEEM DESPARATE THEY WILL TRY TO GET YOU TO MAKE A DEPOSIT," AS THERE ARE ALREADY SEVERAL PEOPLE INTERESTED."

THERE ARE WAYS TO CHECK THESE SCAMSTERS OUT AND KEEP YOUR MONEY SAFELY IN YOUR POCKET.

ASK FOR THE LOCATION OF THE VEHICLE (STREET ADDRESS)
ASK FOR A LAND LINE NUMBER
ASK FOR THE DEALERSHIP DETAILS IE. TRADING NAME, NUMBER ETC...
CALL TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES (1023) AND ASK THEM FOR THE NUMBER OF THE DEALERSHIP GIVEN OR TO CHECK THE NUMBER GIVEN
GO ONTO THE NET AND CALL UP THE BUSINESS OR STREET ADDRESS (MOST BUSINESSES ARE MENTIONED SOMEWHERE, FOR SOME REASON)
CHECK GOOGLE MAPS AND SEE IF YOU CAN SEE THE PLACE THERE
LOCATE OTHER BUSINESSES IN THE ROAD MENTIONED AND ASK IF THEY KNOW THE BUSINESS CONCERNED
GET HOLD OF THE BUSINESS AND ASK ABOUT THE VEHICLE ADVERTISED


NEVER PAY A DEPOSIT TO SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW (AND BE CAREFUL WITH THOSE YOU DO)

I HOPE THIS HELPS TO SAVE SOMEONE ON THIS FORUM A BAD EXPERIENCE AS I'M SURE THAT WE AREN'T THE ONLY ONES LOOKING FOR A LITTLE CAR FOR OUR BABIES AS THEY PREPARE TO LEAVE THE NEST.

GOOD LUCK AND SAFE DEALINGS.

MARK

[Muderick]

Was the low mileage Corsa a scam Mark?

Muds

[Cyndi Kritzinger]

HI MUDS.
NO, I THINK THAT WAS JUST A CASE OF REALISING THAT THEY COULD GET MORE FOR THE VEHICLE. THE LADY CONCERNED THERE ACTUALLY WORKS AT MY BANK.
THE PERSON IS REAL (WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE), THE CAR WAS/IS REAL (WE ACTUALLY PYSICALLY CHECKED THE CAR) AND WE MET AT HER HOME.

IN THESE SCAMS THE VEHICLES ARE ACTUAL VEHICLES BUT DO NOT BELONG TO THE PERPETRATORS, NEITHER ARE THEY AT THE PREMISES OR BUSINESSES THEY'RE PURPORTED TO BE AT. THE PHOTO'S ARE USED FROM OTHER AD'S OR HAVE BEEN TAKEN AT DEALERSHIPS AND THEN POSTED AS THE SCAMSTER'S VEHICLE/S.

SOME OF THE BUSINESSES I CONTACTED SAY THAT THEY ARE INUNDATED WITH VISITS AND CALLS FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN CAUGHT OUT PAYING DEPOSITS FOR VEHICLES SUPPOSEDLY AT THEIR DEALERSHIPS BUT ARE NOT AND NEVER HAVE BEEN; SO MUCH SO THAT THEY HAVE A NUMBER TO CONTACT TO REPORT THE FRAUDULENT TRANSACTION. 082 331 9942

[retrovan]

If it sounds too good, it is too good.

There is no such thing as a free dinner.

Herman