2Hand Car Cheaters On The Net.

[soi41]

As a hobby I buy old cars, mainly Jeeps but even other cars, spend a couple of months fixing them up and sell them again with a small profit. Not to make me rich, but I enjoy doing it. The cars I normally find on the 2hand carsites, and until recently never had any problems. About a month ago I found a Willys in Ranong (I live in Hua Hin), called the seller and asked him if it was possible to deliever the car to HH, and to my big surprise he said yes, if I was willing to pay the petrol. As he had just lowered the already good price of the car with 10.000 baht, GREED got the better of me and I transferred the 3000 baht gasolinemoney to his bankaccount. Surprise, surprise that was the last I ever heard of him. Phone was closed next day.

2 weeks later on the same webpage I found a Alfa Romeo 156, cheap but not stupidly cheap in Chonburi, as it was midday I told the seller, I would come the next day. He then mentioned that some other buyers were coming the same night, but if I wanted to book it, I should deposit 5.000 in his bankaccount. Having learned my lesson I said no, but I would drive to Chonburi straight away. It took him 5 minutes to call back to tell me that someone was going to check the car within the next hour, but if....yes you have guessed it!

Chapter 3. Today. A seller had 3 cars for sale, somewhere on the border to Cambodia. Again priced to sell, and as one was a Willys and another was a jeeplike 4x4, just cars for me. Called the seller and offered to buy those 2 cars if he could get them to Hua Hin. First no, but called 5 minutes later and offered me a 30.000 discount if I bought the 2 cars, BUT he needed 5.000 petrolmoney, I played along and said I would pay and the cars had to be delievered to Hua Hin policestation. (actually true) Half an hour later the phone was dead and the ads cancelled.

So be careful, do not let greed get the better of you, makes you an easy victim.

Excellent businessidea. Investment: A 100 baht simcard, some nice carpics (any car). 10 idiots like me= daily profit 30.000-50.000.

It was all on the same site, but I am not going to name it, because I have done many good buys on the very same site.

[janverbeem]

So what is the purpose of this topic?

Please post your contact details,I have some interesting cars for sale but you have to hurry as the buyers are knocking on the door right now.

[kartman]

Goes a bit wonkey in chapter 3.

[jingjingna]

I am trying to sell my car but if someone calls me and asks me to send it elsewhere in the country, I would find that equally strange. Don't you ever inspect the cars in person? Or are they that cheap that you don't really mind if the engine is missing? Lol

[WarpSpeed]

OP you should notify the site of the scams, they don't want a bad rep from these types of scams..

It is very hard to beat some to the punch here on purchasing a low priced vehicle with a decent resale value, I had a deal with someone and on my way to make the purchase he sold it to his buddy for 10,000 more then he agreed with me even though the car was listed for weeks at the price he ultimately sold it to his mate for in the end, I think that's crap ethics as to me a deal is a deal but TiT..

It seems that many Thai's do buy without review if they see a cars potential and will take a chance on depositing or transferring the funds before the deal is official as I know that's happened to me before. They seem to be more confident in being able to better deal with any scammers and not about the risk as I'm certain they know how to deal with or are willing to go further with someone who scams them better then you or I do and that message probably gets around the market to.

JFYI If these people know you're a farang you're subject to different rules of the game so if you're dealing directly with them be prepared, otherwise you should have someone else deal with them on your behalf..

[BSJ]

Name the site. Or give us some really good clues!

[stefan2519]

If you still have the account information I would notify all parties Bank, Police and the site you found the add. I'm sure they would treat fraud the same as any other country.

[katabeachbum]

some cheaters here at classfieds.thaivisa.com to. they all have in common they need cash before inspection, and 1/3 to 2/3 of ordinary market price.

one has to be genuinely blue eyed to send that money, or at least get copy of reg book and ID/passport first

[soi41]

BSJ: "Name the site". Ok, here we go, market in Thai+ something you use for fishing !

stefan2519: I was in touch with the site, they told me to go to the police and fax the policereport to them. I did not report it, partly because of the small amount and partly because I have been in Thailand long enough to know it would be complete waste of time. I was naive and greedy, lesson learned !

katabeachbum: I agree with you, but as mentioned above greed got the better of me.

BTW one of the cars are still for sale on the site.

[WarpSpeed]

Well stuck in this not knowing which direction to go myself.. Found 2 cars we wanted to buy in the last 2 days called both of them and the first one who just posted his car for sale hours before tells me he has posted his ad and is now out of province for the holiday so no can see to purchase. "We want the car" we say but need to view before agreeing (or not) on the price though we didn't tell him we might not want the price asked, what to do?

He agrees to wait until he gets back home for us to view and give us right of first refusal or purchase as we called first and certainly he can get phone numbers of other prospective buyers if we opt not to purchase, which is how it should be done ethically. We pretty much know if it isn't a complete piece of junk we'll buy it so he is supposed to be back tomorrow and we call him today to see what time we can view it and he tells my missus he has a deposit on the car but not only didn't suggest that to us but I would have still been reluctant and here's why..

Yesterday we found another one and called within an hour of the posting as we wanted it as well, though it was located in Buriram and that is several hours away so even if we went up there to view it and make the deal there's a good chance the guy would do like this other jerk and sell it to someone else before we get there as they have no business ethics what-so-ever and we don't have a second driver to drive it home anyways so another proposal was floated.

We proposed that he drive the car down and we'll pay him his full asking price sight unseen and also give him an additional 1000b for fuel (Lp), his time and to get back and all is agreed, he requests a deposit of 3000 and I'm very reluctant but agree, with him sending us all his personal info and papers for the car via fax first. He says "can not" I'm at work, he can't take off until he has money................. My thinking was this is also a good test for the car as if it can make 400k's at least it's in running order to some extent..

Of course all the bells went off in my head and there is some more contradictions unmentioned as well but I figure we have to take the chance we have no choice and we have his car plate number, the ad copy, the phone number (?) and his name (?) and it's only 3000b though it's still 3000b and it's more about principle.

Call him after sending the funds and not so surprisingly we can't get a hold of him and he's supposed to be driving the car down last night and of course he never shows or calls. We are taking it further if for no other reasons then to make a point, we have friends who have friends. We reported it to Taladrod who sadly doesn't seem too interested much to my dismay as it reflects poorly on them as well and BTW this guy has no idea it's a farang so could just as well be a Thai he's screwing.

We also reported it to the TCSD (Technology Crime Supression Division) who deal with computer fraud as it falls under their purview and have notified and will be filling out a police report with a friends police buddy. We are considering giving him a percentage of a recovery or maybe even the entire amount just to "handle" this for us just to make the point to this scamming SOB that he didn't get away with his scam and was it really worth it? And that he decided to scam the wrong people..

I don't mind telling you that what gets me most is losing the car and then compounding it the 3000b but it's also more about the business ethics and principle that grates me. We've taken all reasonable precautions and these people are just the most unethical business people on the planet as far as I'm concerned no reason to even try to patronize them or their businesses for anything more then the very minimal things you need to and never trust any of them further then you can spit and that's a very sad reality.. Whenever possible I use foreign businesses.. In essence damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[WarpSpeed]

BSJ: "Name the site". Ok, here we go, market in Thai+ something you use for fishing !

stefan2519: I was in touch with the site, they told me to go to the police and fax the policereport to them. I did not report it, partly because of the small amount and partly because I have been in Thailand long enough to know it would be complete waste of time. I was naive and greedy, lesson learned !

katabeachbum: I agree with you, but as mentioned above greed got the better of me.

BTW one of the cars are still for sale on the site.

I wouldn't call it greed so much it seems that just as in our case you're merely trying to beat others to the punch and doing it with some ethics while expecting same in return and that is a concept that escapes Thais and punishes ethical people who believe in handshakes and a persons word and values to be worthwhile..

[Murf]

Very normal to buy cars without viewing and transfer money for a deposit, sometimes transfer the whole amount.

You need to know who you are dealing with...

If it sounds to good t.............

[WarpSpeed]

Very normal to buy cars without viewing and transfer money for a deposit, sometimes transfer the whole amount.

You need to know who you are dealing with...

If it sounds to good t.............

Yeah but Murf I'm no fool on business here or anywhere for that matter, the above 2 examples are a perfect illustration of the catch 22 in place and no amount of business savvy can protect from such unethical practices and there's no defending it either it's like blaming the mugging victim for being mugged in spite of being as cautious as one can..

Out of curiosity just how does one know who are you're dealing with when they're complete strangers? Unless you treat everyone with distrust, suspicion, contempt and disregard that is? I neither like to do business that way nor live my life that way..If one ALWAYS plays it safe and never takes risks you never get ahead of the pack you're always playing catch up..