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Buying a car. Seller wants large deposit but won't take Paypal.
lsdweb - 15/12/19 at 09:47 PM

Hi all.
I'm buying a car unseen.
Everything checks out but the seller wants a 500 quid deposit (2750 purchase price). I've offered Paypal (I'll pay the fees) but he won't take it.

He's offered to deliver (from Birmingham to West Wales) for fuel costs .

Are there any other safe options or should I walk away?

Thanks in advance

Wyn

r1_pete - 15/12/19 at 10:10 PM

If he’s a trader he should take a credit card.

If he’s private he is either planning a scam, or thinks you will try to reverse the paypal transaction, but, you cannot for cars...

I don’t think I’d take the risk unless you go see it before parting with money.

ReMan - 15/12/19 at 10:29 PM

Sounds like he's covering himself on the sold unseen bit. So if you change your mind on delivery he (expects to) keep the deposit.
Or its an out right scam, but its quite a low value vehicle so unlikely.
Why dont you just go look at the car and take the deposit in cash?

lsdweb - 15/12/19 at 10:41 PM

I should probably go and see it but flat out with business and family stuff. Plus I'm waiting to get a tow hitch on my new car and a part for my trailer.
Christmas is messing me up too!

ian locostzx9rc2 - 15/12/19 at 10:57 PM

If your buying a car unseen your taking a massive risk anyway either go and see it and take money with you or get the buyer to reduce the deposit to a sensible amount say around £100 then go and look at it I’m assuming he will want the money up front if he’s delivering it to you or if he is going to deliver it to you after you give him £500 deposit and the balance on delivery I think he’s being pretty reasonable .

Mr Whippy - 16/12/19 at 12:27 PM

How do you know he even has the car to sell?

Deposit seems too high and this guy is willing to do a 6 hour round trip with a trailer to deliver a car to you for just the cost of fuel? I know wouldn't...

£2750 how do you get to a number like that? even that sounds well dodgy, £3000, £2500 fine but £2750 wtf? you haven't even seen the car did you haggle the price over the phone Is it an amazing bargain. Lets see the car.

nick205 - 16/12/19 at 01:45 PM

Sounds too dodgy to me.

As above, go and see the car first before parting with a deposit you'd never see back.

Appreciate the issues with tow hitxh, trailer, Christmas et, but is a the car a staggering bargain - staggering bargains scare me off to start with, why are they that cheap and what might be being hidden?

Be careful with your money!

lsdweb - 16/12/19 at 01:58 PM

My thoughts too hence my caution. I've bought quite a few cars unseen and never had any problems - all track / motorsport related.

£2750 was sort of half way between what he wanted and what I was prepared to pay - it's a fair price but no real bargain.

I might just sit back and see what he comes back to me with. I'm in no rush and if it is genuine, then he can contact me.

Thanks guys.


quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
How do you know he even has the car to sell?

Deposit seems too high and this guy is willing to do a 6 hour round trip with a trailer to deliver a car to you for just the cost of fuel? I know wouldn't...

£2750 how do you get to a number like that? even that sounds well dodgy, £3000, £2500 fine but £2750 wtf? you haven't even seen the car did you haggle the price over the phone Is it an amazing bargain. Lets see the car.

Charlie_Zetec - 16/12/19 at 03:28 PM

PayPal and bank transfer both non-reversible. I'd consider parting with a nominal amount (maybe the equivalent of fuel cost for either you to go and view the car, or him to deliver it to you), but nothing major and definitely not £500.

Only real way to proceed is either use an escrow service (an approved third party holds funds until item is delivered), or use a credit card to make payment fo £100+ to ensure it's insurance covered.

lsdweb - 16/12/19 at 06:01 PM

I'd thought about Escrow Charlie but never used it before and I don't think the seller would be game.

quote:
Originally posted by Charlie_Zetec
PayPal and bank transfer both non-reversible. I'd consider parting with a nominal amount (maybe the equivalent of fuel cost for either you to go and view the car, or him to deliver it to you), but nothing major and definitely not £500.

Only real way to proceed is either use an escrow service (an approved third party holds funds until item is delivered), or use a credit card to make payment fo £100+ to ensure it's insurance covered.

nick205 - 17/12/19 at 10:00 AM

Escrow

No personal experience of using Escrow for payments so don't know what the costs involved would be.

However we use Escrow agreements at my work to ensure accessibility of manufacturing information to the end customer in the event we're unable to manufacture. In that scenario it's both time consuming and expensive. Invariably we pass the cost on to the 3rd customers who understand what's involved (costs) and pay the charges to ensure their future security of supply.

As I say I've not used it on a personal payment basis so don't know what the costs would be. If there's a cost involved it seems an unecessary complexity IMHO.

McLannahan - 17/12/19 at 10:21 AM

A deposit should cover the cost of a new advert IMO, for something at this price point. Sadly so many messers and time wasters these days, but other than the inconvenience of advertising something YET again, as long as I'm not out of pocket, I'm not too fussed.

Before any deposit I would want adverts withdrawn, address and FULL details of the seller. I'd then do some digging (electoral roll, Google Maps) to make sure it all seems to add up.

Good luck!

lsdweb - 17/12/19 at 11:57 AM

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll be going up on the weekend to fetch it. Tow hitch being fitted on Thursday and new wheel bearing on trailer on Friday. I'll be missing the family Christmas get together to go. No comments please as my wife has already made them all!

Mr Whippy - 17/12/19 at 12:27 PM

ohhhh you'll never hear the end of that... never!

lsdweb - 17/12/19 at 12:41 PM

Yeah I know! It's complicated! My elderly dad had a fall 6 weeks ago so I've been trying to look after him and get him back on his feet. My brother is useless so it's all on me. We bought an old pub a few months ago and I'm flat out trying to get that converted into two houses and build another two in the old car park.

So I think a day off to try and get my plans for next season's motorsport is justified :-)


quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
ohhhh you'll never hear the end of that... never!

gremlin1234 - 17/12/19 at 07:57 PM

quote:
...So I think a day off...is justified

absolutely
not just justified, but almost essential

T66 - 18/12/19 at 07:42 PM

My joiner son bought himself a 12 month old Citroen van from a guy in Glasgow about 4 years ago, good price and the guy was really helpful.


Bought unseen.



He still hasnt seen the van, nor his money since.

lsdweb - 18/12/19 at 07:57 PM

Scary!

quote:
Originally posted by T66
My joiner son bought himself a 12 month old Citroen van from a guy in Glasgow about 4 years ago, good price and the guy was really helpful.


Bought unseen.



He still hasnt seen the van, nor his money since.

chillis - 18/12/19 at 09:18 PM

quote:
Originally posted by lsdweb
Hi all.
I'm buying a car unseen.
Everything checks out but the seller wants a 500 quid deposit (2750 purchase price). I've offered Paypal (I'll pay the fees) but he won't take it.

He's offered to deliver (from Birmingham to West Wales) for fuel costs .

Are there any other safe options or should I walk away?

Thanks in advance

Wyn


Seems to me he's given you a high deposit price as you come across as a time waster, You want it yet you can't be bothered to go and stand in front of it, you're gonna get him to waste a day of his time to tow it half way round the country so you can tell him you don't want it, If I was him I'd want you to pay £500 deposit too.
You're too busy to go see it, don't you think he might be too busy to tow round the country for a time waster. (not that you are a time waster but that's how it appears when someone doesn't want to come and look at the car you're selling.
Sorry if this offends but sometimes people need to see the other persons perspective.
As for PayPal I only use it to make purchases as too many people have lost their money when selling, myself included.

r1_pete - 18/12/19 at 09:45 PM

quote:
Originally posted by chillis

As for PayPal I only use it to make purchases as too many people have lost their money when selling, myself included.


Lets look at this from the other persons viewpoint, you expect people to offer and accept paypal for stuff you buy, but you don’t offer it to or accept it from your buyers!!!

ragindave - 19/12/19 at 08:13 AM

Would anyone on here be able and willing to go and view the car for you it would give you peace of mind we may have someone on the forum who is local.

907 - 19/12/19 at 09:42 AM

quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
quote:
Originally posted by chillis

As for PayPal I only use it to make purchases as too many people have lost their money when selling, myself included.


Lets look at this from the other persons viewpoint, you expect people to offer and accept paypal for stuff you buy, but you don’t offer it to or accept it from your buyers!!!




I'm with Chillis.

PayPal sides with the buyer every time. He/She says it didn't arrive and they hand 'em back their money, regardless.
The seller's left with no goods and no cash. That's not a level playing field.


Paul G

r1_pete - 19/12/19 at 04:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 907
quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
quote:
Originally posted by chillis

As for PayPal I only use it to make purchases as too many people have lost their money when selling, myself included.


Lets look at this from the other persons viewpoint, you expect people to offer and accept paypal for stuff you buy, but you don’t offer it to or accept it from your buyers!!!




I'm with Chillis.

PayPal sides with the buyer every time. He/She says it didn't arrive and they hand 'em back their money, regardless.
The seller's left with no goods and no cash. That's not a level playing field.


Paul G


I’ve had two claims against me as a seller, both non receipt, both settled in my favour.
One buyers address was unconfirmed, I had a signature and their printed surname on the receipt.
The other was just trying it on, and was known to paypal for it.
Always send stuff signed for and insured.
Without taking paypal my playing with cars and bikes would be over.

JonBowden - 20/12/19 at 11:21 AM

907, PayPal definitely doesn't always side with the buyer.
I recently got scammed.
The seller sent something to a nearby address and quoted a shipping no to paypal.
It didn't matter that the number was for a different address.
PayPal rejected my claim (as did eBay)
Both PayPal and eBay have not lived up to their promise of refunding my money if I didn't receive what I had bought

r1_pete - 21/12/19 at 07:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by JonBowden
907, PayPal definitely doesn't always side with the buyer.
I recently got scammed.
The seller sent something to a nearby address and quoted a shipping no to paypal.
It didn't matter that the number was for a different address.
PayPal rejected my claim (as did eBay)
Both PayPal and eBay have not lived up to their promise of refunding my money if I didn't receive what I had bought


They have both let you down, when I defended the cases I had to show I had sent the items to the buyers paypal registered address, clearly your seller couldn’t do that...

lsdweb - 22/12/19 at 09:07 PM

All sorted. I picked the car up today. Early start and a long day but it's done. Nice bloke and the car appears to be as described. We had a laugh about being cautious.

Description
Description

Mr Whippy - 23/12/19 at 07:26 AM

nice to see it ended well, still think the caution was well founded


Hopefully the wife will speak to you now

[Edited on 23/12/19 by Mr Whippy]

lsdweb - 23/12/19 at 08:53 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy



Hopefully the wife will speak to you now

[Edited on 23/12/19 by Mr Whippy]


I picked the car up really early so managed to make the family do too so bonus points for me!

ian locostzx9rc2 - 23/12/19 at 11:03 AM

Good to see it was all ok in the end