Possible Scam - Blue Delorean on carsforsale.com

[uhhair]

So I think this is definitely a scam, but I'm not exactly sure what the scam is. Here is the story, I inquired about this car:

http://www.carsforsale.com/used-cars-for-sale/1982-delorean-dmc12-pleasantvalley-ny-237498024

Here are the important emails I have received from the guy:

1. 5 Months. Due to the high volume of internet scams, i will send the car to your home address COD ( CASH ON DELIVERY ) so in this way this will be a safe transaction for both of us. As you probably noticed, the price is rather low, the reason I selling the car at this price is because i have to pay 18000 usd for registration here in Portugal. The car is here in my garage in Portugal. I can drive the car here, the insurance is still available until next month. When insurance expire, i can't drive it, so i have to register the car here. I can't spend 18000 usd for registration so i have to sell it. Now, I can't come to USA to sell the car because I'll spend money and lose more time, my only chance to sell this car is to find a buyer in the U.S. or another country. I can send the car to your home, transport will take approximately 10 working days, after you receive the car you will have another two days to inspect it. When the inspection period ends, the transport company will contact you and if there are any issues with the car. If all is good, I'm sure it will be, you will be able to transfer your name in the title to your local DMV.
I give you the chance to receive the car at your home address BEFORE i receive my money for it.
PLEASE SEND ME YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND WE WILL TALK ALL DETAILS.

2. Car details :

1982 DeLorean DMC-12
15000 usd included shipping taxes
3,758 miles on it
Clean New York title

I am ready to ship the car to your location.
I will ship it with all necessary documents in order ( Clean title, all bills, contract of sale, insurance... ).
I will put your name in the title and i will sign the back page of the title before delivery.
All documents will be notarized before delivery.
As soon you receive the car, you will be able to go to your local DMV for the title transfer !
You don't have to pay any import taxes, because the car is still registered in United States.
All you have to pay are the DMV fees for the title transfer.
I love it, i hate to sell it, but the only reason i decide to sell it is because the people from my country change the law this year, and they put a very big tax for imported vehicles, and i have to pay around 18000 usd to register this car here in Portugal.
Please let me know a good time when i can call you.
I am available to make the delivery this week.
I will receive my money for the car after you receive it, and after 48 hours inspection period ends.

Now I am pretty certain this is a scam, however I am wondering what the scam actually is? He doesn't seem to want any money from me upfront and hasn't asked for a cent and even said he is aware he has to pay the shipping fees and such over here. So my question is, does anyone know where this is going? I'm interested in following through just to see what the end result is going to be, but I thought I would see if anyone else here has any insight as to what might be going on here. Please let me know, thanks!

[Rich_NYS]

I remember that car.....


http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?8367-Half-Painted-DeLorean&highlight=painted

[OverlandMan]

My guess would be this is a plot just to get you to reach out to him/her... then the terms change (ie: the car is already in a sealed shipping container, which used to belong to a Nigerian Prince, and all you need to do is wire 50% of the $ in order to start the transaction).

[Rich_NYS]

When it was on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Delorean-DMC-2-3-758-Orignal-Miles-/131186507158?vxp=mtr

[Rich_NYS]

3,758 miles on it


There was 3758 miles on it back in May...lol



Now I am pretty certain this is a scam, however I am wondering what the scam actually is? He doesn't seem to want any money from me upfront and hasn't asked for a cent and even said he is aware he has to pay the shipping fees and such over here. So my question is, does anyone know where this is going? I'm interested in following through just to see what the end result is going to be, but I thought I would see if anyone else here has any insight as to what might be going on here. Please let me know, thanks!


I think it's like Jeff said: the terms will change. First he'll get someone "on the hook," then socially-engineer them into sending some money.....maybe a smaller amount to cover some kinda expense that occurs "over here" and not "over there." If he has a few others on the hook, he could run the same scam on multiple people at once.

[uhhair]

I contacted the original seller on ebay. Pretty easy way to see if he sold it internationally or not, that'll put an end to this right here hopefully.

[Dangermouse]

My guess would be this is a plot just to get you to reach out to him/her... then the terms change (ie: the car is already in a sealed shipping container, which used to belong to a Nigerian Prince, and all you need to do is wire 50% of the $ in order to start the transaction).

this is what I did when I was looking at a DD. The car was in Spain, so for fun, I told the seller that I would happen to be in Spain on business next week and would love to inspect it and take it for a test drive. Lo and behold, the car was suddenly in a sealed container and couldn't be taken out without paying that $18k tax.

he says he can drive it in Portugal, so go on, ask him for a test drive :)

Even simpler, but not as much fun, ask him for a photo of it in Portugal

I guarantee that this is a scam

[PeterBiggerstaff]

I had the same thing when I was looking for a DeLorean. Different photos and it was in Holland, but those emails are almost word for word what I had.

[Shep]

I literally only got this far:

1. 5 Months. Due to the high volume of internet scams, i will send the car to your home address COD ( CASH ON DELIVERY ) so in this way this will be a safe transaction for both of us.Before coming to the same conclusion, minus the word "possible". Yup, it's a scam :thumbdown: I get spam emails that start with "this email is NOT fraudulent!" all the time, that kind of introduction is a dead giveaway that something's fishy, plus using some off-brand website to sell it.

Nice move contacting the eBay seller. Most definitely, he would remember selling internationally, and if not, I'll bet the purchase price of it that the new owner didn't take it all the way across the ocean just to have it sold and shipped right back. I mean c'mon, anyone stupid enough to do that might as well just throw the money for shipping, customs, taxes, etc. into the ocean. Twice. At least it would save you a few months of time spent on the high seas! :)

[David T]

I literally only got this far:
Before coming to the same conclusion, minus the word "possible". Yup, it's a scam :thumbdown: I get spam emails that start with "this email is NOT fraudulent!" all the time, that kind of introduction is a dead giveaway that something's fishy, plus using some off-brand website to sell it.

Nice move contacting the eBay seller. Most definitely, he would remember selling internationally, and if not, I'll bet the purchase price of it that the new owner didn't take it all the way across the ocean just to have it sold and shipped right back. I mean c'mon, anyone stupid enough to do that might as well just throw the money for shipping, customs, taxes, etc. into the ocean. Twice. At least it would save you a few months of time spent on the high seas! :)

There are enough Deloreans for sale in the US that I would not take the chance trying to reimport one. On top of having to pay for it there is the cost to ship it and who knows what taxes and duty you may have to pay before you could touch it. And all of that if it is LEGIT. Since it is an international transaction you will have almost no recourse if you send ANY money and never get the car. They know you will not spend the money it can cost to try to prosecute the case and you will never find them anyway. Another problem may be trying to Title and register it in the US. Especially if it was never imported to the US in the first place. I know when people import cars to Australia it is a big deal. They must be inspected and up to their rules to register it.