Paying for a car through Paypal?

[marshtgrade]

so im selling my e30 vert on craigslist and got a strange email so curious about what you guys think about the legitimacy of it....

email reads...

"Okay i just wanted to make sure nothing is been left out.I will be buying this for the price you have listed it for.Payment will be sent using PayPal and i will handle the PayPal surcharge as well.I will arrange with someone to have this picked up for your location once i have paid as i am out of town at the moment. In the meantime,can you send me more pictures (if available)? "


seems like a real person but never dealt with/heard of anyone paying for a car through Paypal? reeks of a scam by the language used...


any advice noted

[dnguyen1963]

Whenever someone is offering to pay more than required (e.i. surcharges) you should really stay away. Always keeps this in mind..."want my car?..I'll take cash only".

[reelizmpro]

Red flags...

"I will be buying for the price you listed it for."

"I will arrange with someone to have this picked up for your location once I have paid as I am out of town at the moment."

When was the last time you told a seller this? Private party sales are almost always a negotiation. Scammer's typically use this copy/paste language and avoid specifics.
Do you typically buy cars sight unseen and arrange for someone to pick it up while out of town? Especially a 25-30 year old BMW ?

Ok, this does happen from time to time but usually the person coming to pick up the car is the one fronting the cash for it essentially making him the buyer.

[mr.vang]

tell him to call you so you guys can talk. if its a scam, they won't have the guts to call you. i once had a buyer from the eest coast and had money transfer to my bank account, everything went by smooth.

[bmwmech1]

Yeah, I'd be doubly wary of that offer... If they can pay for it through PayPal, they can come in person with cash. And they're out of town, so they're sending someone else? Ha. Plus, no haggling about the price? C'mon, everybody haggles a little... Too sketchy for my comfort...

Garey

[nrubenstein]

No. Absolutely not.

You do not take PayPal payment for things that you are not willing to write off.

[marshtgrade]

yeah i dont play games like this. i responded saying i only deal with money transactions in person, and that we can talk more after you have someone come see the car in person.

[10Toes]

They are fishing for your personal info

Now they have your email..

[TurboJake]

I've paid for cars through paypal. If I find a car that will be sold quickly you better believe I will pay for it with paypal rather than waiting the 3 days to transfer it to my bank and go to them with cash.

That said. The email is still fishy.

[jlevie]

It could be legit, but it does sound like a scam. You could tell the seller that you are willing to do it that way, but you will keep the car until the money has been transferred to to your bank account and see what they say. And that the buyer will have to furnish a notarized affidavit authorizing the pickup of the car along with a photo ID of the person picking it up. And see what the buyer says.

Probably be a good idea to go through the PayPal rules concerning the buyer's and seller's rights to know where you stand. Also check with your bank to see how long you need to wait after the transfer to know that it was good.

[TrentW]

It could be legit, but it does sound like a scam. You could tell the seller that you are willing to do it that way, but you will keep the car until the money has been transferred to to your bank account and see what they say. And that the buyer will have to furnish a notarized affidavit authorizing the pickup of the car along with a photo ID of the person picking it up. And see what the buyer says.

Probably be a good idea to go through the PayPal rules concerning the buyer's and seller's rights to know where you stand. Also check with your bank to see how long you need to wait after the transfer to know that it was good.

I believe the buyer has 72 hours after the transfer of funds where they can get their money back no questions asked.

As others have stated, this smells of a scam.

[Nairb]

Tell him you will wait until he is in town to make the exchange, as you would feel more comfortable. Thank him for his interest.

Don't get fooled by this scam.

[Vivek]

Think about that email completely out of context. You could use it to reply to just about anything. I'm gonna say scam. Try to talk to him (like on the phone).

[e30Villain]

Red flags...

"I will be buying for the price you listed it for."

"I will arrange with someone to have this picked up for your location once I have paid as I am out of town at the moment."

When was the last time you told a seller this? Private party sales are almost always a negotiation. Scammer's typically use this copy/paste language and avoid specifics.
Do you typically buy cars sight unseen and arrange for someone to pick it up while out of town? Especially a 25-30 year old BMW ?

Ok, this does happen from time to time but usually the person coming to pick up the car is the one fronting the cash for it essentially making him the buyer.

Exactly. He didnt even mention the price you listed, let alone try to lower it.

[jeffnhiscars]

The language is quite typical of a scam. I get them on CL often that sound almost identical.

I once got a marriage proposal off a CL ad. Said I was "just the type of man I am looking for"...and I was advertising a 10t hydraulic house jack

I suspect your "buyer" is the Nigerian Finance Minister.