When you sell a car over the car over the internet, how do you know if you're being scammed? Because my brother's got a Cruiser and a buyer from the Uk. But UK guy is offering to send him about $4000 extra for "shipping costs" but I kind of think something's weird about that.
Kaylee: Captain seem a little funny to you at breakfast this morning? Wash: Come on, Kaylee. We all know I'm the funny one.
'Heart Of Gold'
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Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
erikaj - Nov 11, 2007 11:06:59 am PST #1819 of 10001
I'm a fucking amazing catch!--Fiona Gallagher, Shameless(US)
meara - Nov 11, 2007 11:09:04 am PST #1820 of 10001
That sounds pretty scammy, Erika--who buys a used car from another country? And would your brother actually ship it to the UK?
Laga - Nov 11, 2007 11:10:11 am PST #1821 of 10001
You should know I'm a big deal in the Resistance.
Dana - Nov 11, 2007 11:10:14 am PST #1822 of 10001
"I'm useless alone." // "We're all useless alone. It's a good thing you're not alone."
erika, how is payment going to change hands?
tommyrot - Nov 11, 2007 11:15:29 am PST #1823 of 10001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
That's extremely scammy. That's one of the most common auto buying scams right there.
erikaj - Nov 11, 2007 11:18:04 am PST #1824 of 10001
I'm a fucking amazing catch!--Fiona Gallagher, Shameless(US)
Okay, thanks. At least we can head this off before he does anything.
megan walker - Nov 11, 2007 11:18:57 am PST #1825 of 10001
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist
I don't get how that works. Once a check "clears" a bank, how can they come after you for the money? Isn't that why, even in this electronic age, some checks take days to clear? Or, are people not really waiting for official clearance?
tommyrot - Nov 11, 2007 11:21:46 am PST #1826 of 10001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
Often it's a foreign cashier's check. Many people think a cashier's check is as good as cold hard cash. They're not - they can be counterfit. The bank makes the money available as a courtesy, but when the counterfit is discovered the seller is now out the money for the check.
eta: Laga's link explains it in more detail.
Wolfram - Nov 11, 2007 11:25:15 am PST #1827 of 10001
Visilurking
I don't get how that works. Once a check "clears" a bank, how can they come after you for the money? Isn't that why, even in this electronic age, some checks take days to clear? Or, are people not really waiting for official clearance?
Counterfeit certified checks can take weeks for banks to pick up the fraud. Meanwhile the scammers push the marks to wire them some of the "excess" funds. The mark figures that a) certified means the check is pre-cleared; b) a few days should be enough time if it still needs to be cleared; and c) if the bank screwed up it's their problem. Wrong on all counts. And once the "excess" funds are wired overseas, they're non-recoverable.
ETA: inevitable x-post
Theodosia - Nov 11, 2007 11:27:55 am PST #1828 of 10001
'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"
If you read the example listed above, they used a faked cashier's check from a defunct bank -- so that it would take much longer to get cleared/rejected than usual.
I hope erika's brother reads through that whole example, it's eye-opening.