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MG MGA am I being scammed ? BBS discussion at MG-Cars.info
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MG MGA - am I being scammed ?
| Hi all I am advertising my MGA for sale, a victim of the current economic climate I'm afraid, and have received a phone call from a lady who says shes from Italy wanting to fly over with her boyfriend after xmas and buy my car for cash , I mentioned that it was a long way to come for a car they had not seen etc, could be genuine but I'm just waiting for a phone call asking if I will take a cheque Gordon |
| g c pugh |
| Gordon Not again. The selling, not the scam. How much for your King Dick Jack? Is it an original? Steve |
| Steve Gyles |
| Just make sure that you are always in the car when they go for a test drive, and borrow one of those marker pens for detecting dud notes. And only accept cash unless they wire the money first and your bank has confirmed it's arrived in writing. Sorry to hear you are giving up the A again after such a short time. |
| dominic clancy |
| Gordon, looking at your advert, the car looks great and really good value, especially with the Euro/pound exchange. So I would not be surprised if the buyer is genuine. However, as recommended, only let the car out of your sight when the money is in your bank! |
| Neil McGurk |
| Don't take a cheque for more that your asking price and make sure that the funds (not the cheque) have been deposited in your bank before letting the car go. |
| David werblow |
| Gordon, you're family isn't endangered is it, after all you selling your A and the post about that nice twin cam a couple of weeks back, makes one wonder? ;-) |
| Bill Young |
| Hi Steve, going to hang on to tools etc in the vain hope that I might one day equip another A, fat chance lol, not original from Moss, very good though thanks for all the messages of sympathy all donations to the Gordon(tools) Trust gordon |
| g c pugh |
| Gordon, Remember a MGA will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no MGA! |
| M Gannon |
| Gordon, Listen to M Gannon! Of course my car is not nearly as economically valuable as yours (hell its not even done) but... good times or not I'll won't ever part with it! Stay the course brother... |
| gerard hutchinson |
| You would think that a genuine buyer in Italy would look for a sale in Europe of a LHD MGA, not a RHD UK car. Mick |
| M F Anderson |
| Hi , trouble is the plasma tv doesn't fit very well in the MG Gordon |
| g c pugh |
| Gordon The wife obviously found out that she was for sale. I did not realise that you were now sleeping in the car and needed a few more creature comforts. The others are right, hang on to it if you possibly can. I don't know how much more stress we can all take on the forum with your car selling and buying. Will you tell the Italian buyer about the toothpaste you have been using to fill the paint cracks? Steve |
| Steve Gyles |
| Hi all the phone calls continue, from Austria, someone claiming to be chairman of the MG owners club there, although they haven't heard of him, from Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, they may all be genuine but it's a long way to travel for a RHD car, there must be lots for sale in europe that would be better. Gordon |
| g c pugh |
| Gordon I see from your amended advert that you now believe them all to be scammers. Steve |
| Steve Gyles |
| Hi Steve, they all talk with strange accents lol |
| g c pugh |
| Gordon, Don't wait until the bank clears the check, wait until they let you take the money out of the account. I've heard of banks clearing the check, only later to say it never cleared and to backcharge the account holder. |
| mike parker |
| If you take a check and deposit it and it is returned, which can take weeks, you are responsible. Your bank does not guarantee the check just because they accept it for deposit. Why? You warrant the check to be good when you deposit it and you are in a far better position to know who gave you the check and whether it is legit. There are good check counterfeiters (regular and cashier's checks) out there and they know how to work the system. Don't rely on a bank phone number on the check to verify it, the number may go to a fellow scammer. Unless you take cash and have a pen to test it, have the money wired to your bank account and use a segregated account so you aren't giving out too much info about an account that regularly carries a balance. (I have one account I use just for eBay and PayPal and I clean out the balance on a regular basis.) If the buyer complains about how you could just take their money and keep the car, too bad, they know where to find you but you may never see your car, or your money again. Tough times bring out crooked opportunists looking for victims, don't get desperate and become one. After all that, I wish you good luck in your sale, even under these circumstances. |
| Steven B |
| Hi Gordon As I am an ex-pat living in Belgium I can tell you that with the current exchange rate and with the fact that Europe based MGA's are often more expensive than those in the UK there is a good chance a lot of these enquiries are genuine (well at least some of them). Take all the advice here though as there are always some people around who will scam you. Personally I am taking a wad of cash with me to the UK to buy up parts at Christmas as they are now 35% cheaper than at the start of the year. Neil |
| Neil Purves |
| Hi Neil and Steve thanks for the advice, all duly noted, it is also the fact that the people concerned don't seem to want to know about the car i.e. it's condition, originality etc that sets alarm bells ringing Gordon |
| g c pugh |
| Oh, well, I guess that they never ask about that type of thing. Condition is not as important as owning an MGA. |
| mike parker |
| Hi Gordon, Sorry to hear you are selling once again - whereabouts are you advertising it? Hope you get what you want for it - at least you will get to keep the wife and kids!! cheers Cam |
| Cam Cunningham |
| Hi Cam thanks for that , needs must etc, it's now on this site and the the MG owners club, or will be soon, and the Abingdon MG club site as well as localy, I got fed up of phone calls and emails from all sorts in europe genuine or not I don't know but too risky to take a chance Gordon |
| g c pugh |
| Hi Gordon Sorry to hear you are contemplating selling the "A" -when I advertised my TC (1947 T type not twin cam) I had dozens of enquiries from Europe and eventually sold to a guy in France He did the transaction through a UK old car dealer who paid me some 6 weeks prior to collecting the car !!! With the state of the pound British Cars must be cheap in Europe Paul |
| P D Camp |
| Hi Paul thanks for that info, perhaps I was too worried gordon |
| g c pugh |
This thread was discussed between 16/12/2008 and 22/12/2008
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