Avoiding Fraud When Buying a Car Online

This past week, my wife and I have been searching for her a vehicle. I buy used all the time, so we were searching several sites like AutoTrader.com, Cars.com, Ebay, Etc. Well, I came across a deal that seemed too good to be true so I was very curious about it. I decided that my best bet was to contact a local dealer friend and have him handle the deal for me. I always like dealing with a local dealer because, he has tools at his disposal to make sure I'm not getting scammed.

Well, after we contacted the seller, he responded with the attached email. My suspicions were confirmed when I realized that he didn't want to do this deal in person and wanted to have MSN Autos Escrow department. Luckily, I've been in the business long enough to spot the scam, and my dealer friend confirmed it for me, but I thought it would be helpful to pass this information along to anyone else who is interested.

How to know an online deal is a scam:
1. If the deal is too good to be true, It Probably is (Doesn't mean it is a scam, but be very careful)
2. The individual doesn't want to have any phone conversations, only email or chat.
3. The individual won't provide you with a copy of the title before the deal.
4. In my case, the car was listed in Franklinton, LA, but when the owner contacted me he said the vehicle was in Surprise, AZ.
5. If the seller wants to use an escrow service (NOTE: There are some legitimate escrow servies out there. You should do your research before you agree to use one. Don't rely on a link the person sends you, in my case, he sent me a link that had MSN Autos in the URL, but the URL wasn't actually associated with MSN. If you haven't heard of the Service, and can't find somoene that has, the don't use them.)
6. If the seller offers to ship a vehicle for free without any haggeling.
7. If a buyer offers to send you a check for more than your car is worth! (BIGGIE)

How to Avoid a Scam:
1. Find a local dealer to help you work the deal. You can usually get one to do this for $250-$500. It's a little extra to pay, but it could save you $1,000's of dollars.
2. Speak with the person on the phone, don't try to do the whole deal over email.
3. If there's any feed back opportunities on the website your looking at make sure others have had positive experiences.
4. If you receive an email that seems suspicious, Google it. That's how I discovered this guy was trying to scam me. Most of these guys aren't smart enough to change their email, they just send out the same one every time and wait for someone who's so excited about getting a good deal that they forget logic.
5. Check Whitepages.com, and Google for the name and phone number of the person you're dealing with. I've used the reverse phone tool on Whitepages for many different things, but mainly to confirm who I'm dealing with and where they are located.

These are just some suggestions, but it could save you a lot of money if you at least consider a few of these things before you send your money to someone you don't know.

Rob Zehentner
http://www.pinebeltrides.com

Here is the Email I received from the seller I contacted.

Hi Rob,The car is still for sale. The asking price is $20,100. It is located in Surprise, AZ and the VIN is 1GKER337X7J100816. The car is registered on my name and the title is clear (no lien). It is in great condition, no dents or scratches. It was always garaged and the regular maintenance was done in time. It wasn't involved in any accident and has never suffered any kind of damage. Also this is a non-smoker car. If you have any questions regarding the car or you want extra photos or the CARFAX report (for free) just let me know!I'm a pilot on cargo flights. My wife broke up with me recently because I'm always away from home. We just sold our house and split the money. This is the last thing I need to sell and split the money with her.Because I'm away most of the time I will not be able to deal in person. But I've already arranged the shipping and the title transfer anywhere in the US. I will pay the shipping fees.I want the payment to be handled by MSN Autos. They will keep the money until you will receive and inspect the car. You will have 7 days of inspection period. If the car is not like described you will have to ship it back on my expense and they will give you a full refund. This way, you will be able to inspect the vehicle before committing to buy it and I know that you have the money and you aren't just fooling around.Giving the nature of this transaction please note that my sale terms are final and nonnegotiable. In order to move forward I will need your full name, address and phone number.I don't want to offend you, but the car is priced for a fast sale so please if you intend to apply for a loan or financing do not reply to this message!Chris Larsen

Why Buy Local?

http://www.pinebeltrides.com

Autotrader.com, Cars.com, Usedcars.com, Getauto.com, Edmunds.com, Yahoo.com, MSN.com, GoogleBase, Etc....

So what is this list you ask? This is an extremely short list of nationwide internet automobile advertisers. You can log onto any of these sites and find cars from almost any city in the USA, WOW, right?

Maybe there's some advantage to that if you're looking for something very specific, say a 1980 Pacer with Neon Green Exterior and Pastel Pink Leather on the inside. Sure I could see the usefulness of the selection, but what about the average guy who's looking for a well maintained car to go back and forth to work in, or something to send his daughter off to college in? Maybe in that case, these sites become information overload.

Having worked with local dealerships for the past 6 years, I've come to realize that most of these guys are a lot like me. They work hard, they're honest (most of them are), and they just want to go home at the end of the day and enjoy their families. But right now, it's really hard to make a living in the car business. Sites like the ones listed above open up markets to customers like never before and to a certain extent that's good, but when you consider the truth of the matter, buying a car outside of your local market means a lot less value for you.

What value is there in buying local?
This questions could be answered a lot of different ways, but here are a few things to consider.

• Buying local means you have somone to fix your car when you have problems and usually you get priority since you're a customer.
• It means your investing in a company that invests in your community. Check out the local paper and see what they're involved in. Many support local charities, churches, activities etc.
• You're supporting more that just the local dealer, How about the salesman that lives next door, the mechanics that work in the shop, the receptionist, the cleanup guys, the heating and air guys that service the dealership, the guys that cut the lawn, guys like me that offer services to the dealerships. Most medium size dealerships directly employ 40 or 50 people, but they support literally 100's through their operations.
• Overall value - First of all, you may be surprised that you can buy the same Pontiac Grand Prix locally for the same or better price locally. But even if you pay a couple hundred more, consider how it will affect you and your community in the long run.

All I ask is that you consider our local dealers before you venture out into the world of foreign car dealerships. The Pine Belt has a lot to offer and a great selection, not just of cars, but of quality dealerships to work with.

Welcome to Pine Belt Rides!

http://www.pinebeltrides.com

Pine Belt Rides is a website dedicated to connecting car shoppers in the Pine Belt with local car dealers. Contrary to popular opinion, you don't have to go 500 miles to get your best deal. We have numerous local dealers that have been serving our area for 20, 30, 40, or even 50+ years. Why have they been here so long? Because they've been treating people fairly, because they understand that this community has supported them and because they've supported our community.

So if you're in the market for a new or used vehicle, please give one of our local dealers a chance. I think you'll be surprised, and maybe even enjoy the experience.

You can find many of our local dealers right here on Pine Belt Rides. If you'd like to see another dealership in our area listed on Pine Belt Rides, please let them know, we'll gladly work with them to make it happen. Pine Belt Rides is free to our dealers and shoppers so you can rest assured this is about supporting our local area dealers and shoppers.