Craig's List Scams? (2007, ticket, USA, cars)

[nylonggamer]

and b is a perfect reason to never buy from a dealer

[mdand3boys]

The too low of a price to be true scams hit on Hawaii craigslist - but are really easy to spot when the background in the picture has mainland style houses and pine trees or dead grass in the winter...

Some of those scammers are simply building email lists and collecting phone numbers.
Others will try to get you to wire them money, complete the "deal" asap.

[Rogarven]

I have had pretty good luck with CL selling my 97 Accord, 00 S-10, and 03 Accord V6. The 03 V6 took longer than the others. Had it for $7,000 with 82K on the clock. I even got nervous and posted in the newspaper which is not cheap. I did sell it to acquaintance that was ready to pay the full price. I discounted the price for her and am giving her free music lessons. LOL The other posters are right though, do your homework and be suspicious. BTW, never posted the VIN but had all the maintenance records and even sometimes the bill of sale from the dealer.

[JONOV]

Some things that I look for on Craigslist to verify veracity of the post, especially with cars:

1) Phone Number. This is number one.
2)Vin Number. Also important to prove that the car is real. That way, you can see that the car was sold in California in 2003, registered in Des Moines in 2009, etc...
3)Mileage and Pictures.

If you think something is fishy, you can copy and paste the email to google and if they are scammers, you will find evidence (posts across the country, scam alerts, etc...)

[Scooby Snacks]

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

Ok, first, let me say that Craig's List, in general, is an excellent way to find good deals for used cars.

I disagree. I have tried to find deals on used cars on CL, and in my experience, the cars are in poor condition, and the sellers have tried to hide this, for the most part. You might consider looking for used cars from other sources.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

But now, we're trying to find a car for our daughter, and the "deals" keep slipping away

Everyone wants a good deal on a used car, not just yourself. And one of the first sources people turn to is Craigslist.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

First, we're looking for something around $3000, 100K---150K miles, good condition, no major issues, etc.

That is probably a little unrealistic. At that price point, you will probably have some mechanical issues going on.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

Well, twice, I saw offers for such, almost too good to be true.

Remember the saying? "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." It is very true on Craigslist.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

One had been posted 14 hours, another just 2 hours when I responded. Not only no reply, but when I went back to CL, usually within a few hours, the offer was no where to be found! I don't get it----ok, I suppose a good used car goes quickly, but don't the listings stay at least a day?

No. Cheap cars go fast, especially if buyers don't take them to the mechanic prior to buying them. Remember, since you are interested in them, so are thousands of other people. When the sellers don't reply, it's often because they have already sold the car. Another reason is that some ads are flagged and deleted for violations of the terms of service, thus they are pulled right away.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

What confuses me is, why are listings there one minute and gone the next? The one I found today, it had only been posted 2 hours. I responded, no answer, now the listing has simply disappeared. Even if it sold, how could the listing disappear in the same day?

Another odd thing---seems these "disappearing listings" occur over a weekend or holiday. How can one complete a transaction when bank, courthouse, etc are not even open?

They sold the car. The buyers had the cash, so they sold it. It's very simple. Besides, most banks are open on Saturdays.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

The car we bought from CL took about a week to complete the transaction.

The experience you had buying your previous car has nothing to do with other people's actions when buying cheap used cars.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

We meet at a Starbucks, test drove the car, then researched it via vin #, then had it inspected by a mechanic of our choice, then, met at AAA to complete paperwork, etc.

That is an excellent way to buy a used car. You protected yourself that way, and I congratulate you.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

Perhaps the listings we "missed" received responses, but you simply can't complete a sale in a matter of hours, and on a weekend at that.

Sure you can. Other people didn't research the car before they bought it.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

One would think the listing would stay up until the sale is complete.

It does. Cheap used cars just go very fast. I sold an $800 truck with a blown engine in 15 MINUTES on Craigslist. I disclosed the fact that it had engine problems and could barely run. It still sold immediately.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

What type of scam could this be? Or are used cars just selling that fast? But, like I said, you don't pull a listing the same day its posted

Not a scam. Used cars are sold as-is in most states, unless there is not a clear title. The buyer is only entitled to his/her money back if the title isn't clear.

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

We have the cash out of the bank for a quick sale, but the rest takes more time---inspection, transfer of title, pay taxes, new plates, etc, etc.......unless....well, I never reply that I have cash on hand, for security reasons, obviously....

That's because you do the right thing. Thus for you, buying a used car from Craigslist is not a scam. However, it will take longer for you to find a car. But you will find a more reliable vehicle If you check used car lots in your city as well, you might find a diamond in the rough you weren't expecting also. Good luck!

[aneye4detail]

Originally Posted by MaryleeII

Ok, I just received an email in response to the Camry for $1500.

A true sob-story, her husband died, she moved to another state, car has too many memories, she wants to sell for way under value, wants to process transaction via Ebay. Yeah, right! This is one of those "disappearing" listings, no way to trace her now. She's just phishing for suckers! She wants my name, address, phone, zip code-----

See, people, there really are "bad people" out there on CL, and they have "feelings".........

I still say any financial transaction that doesn't give both buyer and seller sufficient time to scope out the deal is not a transaction worth pursuing.

Oh, never did give the VIN number. Perhaps----there isn't one? Even one with "feelings?"

That one is definitely a scam!! I've seen those and read about them! They mightaswell say Hi! I'm a scammer!

[Buzz Bee]

Originally Posted by nylonggamer

ask for the vin number before you go see the car
if they won't give it to you move on

also get their phone numbers and google it/craigslist search it
if they come up selling multiple cars do not deal with them at all

and you guys chose to drag out the transaction, it didn't have to take that long at all.

Yep, exactly. Buy yourself a Carfax subscription if you are going to buy used cars on CL, it will be the best $50.00 you've ever spent. As mentioned, no VIN#, don't waste your time. Both cars we looked at on CL without getting the VINs upfront (excuses, the sellers had excuses! car not near me, don't have title handy) were run on the spot, both came back as rolled back Odos from last reported reading. Could have saved time and aggravation if we'd followed that rule from the start. You would think the seller would realize that you are going to run a carfax if you are asking for VIN, or maybe they just don't care.

[HappyRider]

What do you do with the VIN? I am not going to post my VIN on the internet. Are you kidding?

[nylonggamer]

you run a check with a service such as carfax

even if you don't want to post it in the ad you should give it to interested parties so they can check the cars history.

a few people wouldnt give it to me so i didnt waste my time going to see their pos cars.

i can literlerly walk down the street and get vin numbers off of people's cars- they arent some top secret big deal.

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by HappyRider

What do you do with the VIN? I am not going to post my VIN on the internet. Are you kidding?

Nothing wrong with posting the VIN.