Whats the deal with eBay Motors and people selling cars out of state rather than locally?
I am looking to buy a new car. I have been searching on craigslist a lot and all the cars that I like and have inquired about all turn out being out of state, but yet there was an ad for their car for my area. They are all different people, none dealers, none the same car, state, email, ect. But I dont see why someone would place an ad for somewhere that is not close, and where they would lose money shipping a car, rather than selling locally.
I just had this happen to me for the 5th time. - all are doing it through eBay and they cover shipping, you get a 5 day testing/inspection time, and then decide?
Whats the deal with this?
It's called a scam.
Read on Craigslist:
How to recognize a vehicle scam attempt on CL:
# Shipping a vehicle to you is suggested by seller
# eBay Motors or another intermediary is specified by seller
# Payment by Western Union or a money wire is requested
# Price is unusually low (fraction of blue book value)
If you see these tell-tale signs, flag ad as "prohibited" and avoid
Offers to ship a vehicle are virtually 100% fraudulent
eBay has no involvment in craigslist for sale ads, and any eBay or similar emails or web pages you receive are fake
Never use Western Union or wire transfer to pay for goods - only a scammer will ask for this, and any funds sent will be lost
Do not buy vehicles sight-unseen, regardless of low price. The vehicle does not exist, and any money you send will be lost.
Stories about divorcees or departing servicemen needing to sell quickly at a low price are generally fraudulent
If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
More information is available for avoiding scams
