As you may know i'm in the long process of trying to sell my Esprit. I got an email from a guy that lives 190 miles away wanting to buy it. We have reached a deal money wise but he wants me to drive it up to him and then i'll get the train back. He sounds genuine enough but it's just a bit weird especially as he hasn't even seen the car only in pictures. What do you reckon?

What do I reckon?
He should get the train to you and drive it back. Thats how most car sales go.

Exactly my point but if he is genuine i don't mind driving that far. He says he wants me to drive it to him so he can sort out insurance and so he knows it reliable. Here one of his emails.

'Thanks for that Dave.

I'm up near Chester, which according to the Website is 150 miles from your goodself.

Would you be in agreement to accepting £8500 in cash for the car and driving it up here..call it one final farwell drive?...it would show me that it's reliable on the one hand and then allow me to get it insured etc from here. I'd be happy to take you to the train station and pay for your return trip. I am willing to purchase the car for this price 'irrespective' of whether the cabin is a bit cramped as don't have that much head room in my Celica GT.

I will have the money by Friday, as my parents fly in from New Jersey the day before so anytime from then on which is convenient for you.

Let me know what you think and please note I am 100% genuine.

If you are ok to do that then I will give you my contact and address details.

Many thanks'

+1, He should be driving to you and he should get train back. If you think hes that genuine and your really wanting to sell it, Say you'll drop price by £x maybe?
Just a thought...
Have you tried mags?

I'd be wanting a few hundred by way of deposit in my bank before I set off!

I see his point and he does look genuine but im fooled easily so dont know... Maybe a deposit before you drive it up?

Get him to send you a deposit via paypal before you go any further.

as scootz said. a deposit id needed...

500 deposit in cleared funds with receipts either way.
cost to deliver and return charge taken off the agreed price too.

I've just messaged him about the deposit, lets see what he comes up with. Alarm bells are ringing though but maybe thats just me being cynical.

sounds dodgy....you can sort insurance with a phone call...............if he is prepared to pay for your trip he can pay for his own down........you will be somewhere you dont know with 8.5k in your pocket..........not good........down to you but you did ask............

No £9500 in my pocket is what we have agreed on! And i agree insurance can be sorted out with a 10 minute phone call.

[Edited on 29/3/10 by Davegtst]

I would never agree to this.

1) He's at and advantage if he "sees something you didn't mention". You go home out of pocket.
2) See above - he'll try to knock the price down to £9k or less knowing you don't want to drive it home.
3) The insurance is not an issue!
4) Anyone who says I'm 100% geniune is avin a larf!
5) Nice car!

[Edited on 29/3/10 by SeaBass]

quote:

---

Originally posted by SeaBass
I would never agree to this.

1) He's at and advantage if he "sees something you didn't mention". You go home out of pocket.
2) See above - he'll try to knock the price down to £8k or less knowing you don't want to drive it home.
3) The insurance is not an issue!
4) Anyone who says I'm 100% geniune is avin a larf!
5) Nice car!

---

i too think he sounds dodgy. He tells you he's 100% genuine because he knows his request is odd. Id just tell him to stuff his dough where the sun dont shine, but then, im not trying to sell your car!

never ignore alarm bells. I did once and got robbed for about £400, even after id told the missus i thought it was dodgy.

[Edited on 29/3/10 by JoelP]

It's been nothing but hassle trying to sell it. I must have had about 8 people aranging to come and view it but never turn up

If you do it in the way he ask's I would make him pay the cash into your account whilst you are stood there with him so the cash can be confirmed none dodgy by the bank.

£500 non refundable deposit & take a large mate with you just in case!

dodgy - he should show faith and come to you.

Ok got a reply.


'If you let me have your bank details and your address then i'll transfer £500 into your account next week. As i say my ma and pa need to put it into my account and what with it being a big bhol weekend it may take a few more days to credit. I was going to go to the back with them on Thu/Sat to withdraw the cashbut i'll need to wire it to you now. Cheers'

you get there with log book ect and he has 5 big mates there waiting to duff you in....

Or at least a large a mate as you can fit in an esprit!

Sounds a bit dodge to me! Problem with your car is that its a lot of peoples dream car, so they agree to view it on a whim and then they realise they can't actually afford it so don't show up!

(£500 non refundable deposit & take a large mate with you just in case! )

I agree. Also be cautious if he wants to meet you and do the deal at a petrol station, leisure park etc. TBH he sounds like a timewaster...

the email you posted says 8.5k not 9.5k it also reads like english may not be his first language............old motor trader trick is to get people to mess you about as much as poss so that when they turn up with cash you are so relived you let it go cheep........money "wired" in can be taken back..............good luck

If the deposit is cash then he can put it into your account via the counter of his local branch and it will show up straight away no worries about how long it will take to process/clear etc.

As they have updated google then you might want to get the address he has given you and check it out on streetview along with cross referencing name/address.

As people have mentioned the norm is them to come to you, the other way round is just lazy or dodgy!

Cheers

G

I'd never consider asking someone to bring the car to me with a view to me buying it. Whenever I've sold something they've always come to see me.
The only exception I've ever thought of making would be me offering to take a car to them for a quick look if it is'nt out of my way so they know if it's worth a proper look (I do live in the back of beyond!) & I'd still expect them to come to me to do the deal.
I sold my mk2 Golf GTI last October for £900, the buyer came from Liverpool to the top of Cumbria & had no problem with that, your car is 10 times the value & he cant make the commitment to travel to you?
It's your car, your money & your decision but if it were me then he'd have to come to me.

dont even think about going up there. Sounds far too suspect to me. As said by others, insurance is only a phone call away, and if he is 100% genuine then he will without any problems come to you. Dont go up there with a pocket full of cash, your car and all the documents otherwise you will loose the lot......please please please.....if you think for one second it sounds odd, and you hear alarm bells, just walk away.

i know what its like to really want to sell and if this guy is 100% genuine he will come to you......

Just my thoughts

walk away mate. Tell him either he comes to you or you wont sell to him.

You dont even need to pick the phone up now adays for the insurance do you. 5 mins on confused.com will get you something to drive home with.

My bet, youl get mugged.

i will give you 11grand on arrival if you drive it to me in Nigeria

quote:

---

Originally posted by ashg
i will give you 11grand on arrival if you drive it to me in Nigeria

---

The car is advertised for £10000 but he tried haggling at £8000 before i knew he wanted me to deliver it. I told him i could have sold it 4 times last week for 8k so he came back with 8.5k. I then emailed back and said it's 9.5k and thats as low as i will go to which he replyed we had a deal. He sounds like he's American from the way some of his other emails sound and that his 'Ma and Pa' are coming over from new jersey.
I don't have to sell but i really want to sell asap so i can start building.

[Edited on 29/3/10 by Davegtst]

sounds young too, relying on ma and pa for the money. And we all know young people are tossers who make up new words as they go along

Not that im feeling like an old b*****d nowadays or owt

If he's a yank then don't sell it to him. End of.

I wouldn't go there - if he's "100% genuine" he will come to you.

Sorry to sound cynical, but I am cynical

Ok here's a couple of emails.

'Hi David

I've just inherited some money after my older brother died at the tender age of 40. I always loved the Lotus Esprit growing up watching the James Bond Films and know that my brother would have wanted me to take this opportunity to own one. However, the sentimentality is there but I'm not sure about the practicality...what I mean by that is would you suggest that somebody 6' 2'' and around 16 stone could drive the Esprit in comfort? The car looks great by the way. Look forward to hearing from you, Jim'


I replyed that he may struggle to fit comfotably but i have had someone who is 6ft 5 drive it and to see if there are any Esprits around near him to sit in.



'Many thanks Dave!

I think I may just do that...between you and me I think I would buy it to have the pleasure of looking at it on my drive every day and let the girl friend (5ft 4) drive it....will be in touch...please let me know if you sell it in the meantime.

Thanks again


Jim'

I'd not deal with him at all - It's far from the money you wanted and it doesn't sound right at all. I'd politely say that you're not comfortable with this and move on to sell elsewhere. If he's keen and genuine he'll come back.

It's all already been said but i agree with the majority.

Either let him come to you or not at all.

Yanks don't appreciate cars like we brits do. To them they are white goods. Would be better to go to someone who will love it as much as you do.

Just my two-peneth

Dan

Think about it! If your brother died, would you really use such flippant language as 'tender age of 40'? The guy must be a total cock.

Thanks guys you have all been very helpful. I will send him a message and tell him i'm not happy with the deal and if he wants it he will have to come to me. There are so many 'what ifs' and i wouldn't expect someone to bring a car to me. I really appreciate you help, you may have saved me from being mugged

Guess what ?
This idiot once did that very thing, delivered car to someone.

Yep, I once sold a car to someone who asked me to deliver it to him, sight unseen.
I told him that it was a stupid idea and that he really needed to see the car as pictures only give a vague approximation of the true condition of the car.
We spent many long phone calls with him insisting he wanted the car and me saying come and see it first.
I eventually agreed to a non refundable deposit and a fee for me delivering it on a trailer.
I duly did so, took the car to him, a round trip of 450 miles all in if I recall.
Met up, pleasant enough fellow, did the deal and I walked away quite happy.
A few days later, I get an email moaning that it wasn't quite what he expected.

He promptly got another email back reminding him of the exact circumstances of the sale and my endlessly having asked hime to come and view the f**ing car first.

I've never heard tell of him since.

Seriously, don't do it.
Or if you do decide to go for it, expect any amount of grief.

P.S. In my case, it was my GTM K3, which I sold him for £1500 having bought it a year earlier for £1800 and fitted a replacement cylinder head to. You won't see one anywhere for that sort of money.

So where's he getting the money from his mum and dad or his brother?

If you really want to deliver it to him though arrange it for a saturday and u2u me where you're meeting and I'll hang around (not far from chester)

calling all local members..., I'll second that

[Edited on 29/3/10 by 001Ben]

He lives in ellesmere port.

where? did he give you an address.

Yep, 16 snowbury way. Apparently he's an electrician or there is a company registered to his house.

[Edited on 29/3/10 by Davegtst]

yeah i know where that is, not too far from me.

Hi,

I love the Esprit, is it in Mediterranean Blue? I had an SE Turbo on an F plate in med. blue, some 18 years ago. Bloody loved that car.

(I never had a problem fitting in, and i'm 6ft 2.)

Good Luck with it.

[Edited on 29/3/10 by Tipster69]

No it's pacific blue, the best colour they ever made

im up in the london area this weekend if you need a minder???

sounds like BS.

who is in their right mind is goona spend almost 10 k on a car they have never seen?

I wouldn't drive it up there, regardless of how many fat blokes I could fit in the back.

He has probalby seen your ads so knows you must be failry desperate to sell.

I say wait, lower the price if need be and get a proper sale. In the end its only money, not as much as you may like but a safe sale.

Ok so i told him today that i would not be taking the car to him. He now says he doesn't really want to drive it all that way but he will now come to me if we can organise for it to be trailered back to his.

I've been in business over 11 years now. When there are alarm bells, even if things work out, the stress isn't worth it. It is just not worth it. Don't be desperate.

If he's willing to come and get it then it should be alright, as said before he comes across as a bit of a nutter from what you've posted.

I noticed the use of 'we' in aranging trailers, be careful that your not the one footing the bill, especially if he sees it and changes his mind. Also, if he's paid out for a trailer you can hold your price better, anyone who turns up with a trailer is pretty much garanteed to buy the car for asking price (Assuming its close to as advertised).

Alot of what you've posted of his emails does make it sound like he's either out to con you or off his trolley.

He's 15mins from me.
We could have quite a gathering !

TBH they sound like the emails I sent to the sellers of my Pug and my Dax.

I must work on sounding more uninterested and coy so that you cynical lot don't think I'm being "too genuine"

P.S. On that note, don't blame me if things do go badly!

He now says he's bring the cash down next week and going to drive it home. We'll see, to be fair he phoned me today and sounded genunine not American either.

[Edited on 1/4/10 by Davegtst]

not american? nigerian perhaps?

He was due to come down tomorrow and guess what, he's not coming anymore. Got a text today saying how he has the money but his mum doesn't want to loose another son because the car is too fast and dangerous so he can't buy it now! What a prick!
Just glad i didn't drive it up there even if he paid a deposit. Why do people insist on wasting so much of my time?

Just checked back on this one... Surprise surprise - what a tool...

It's a great motor. Do you ever take it to classic car shows. I've known quite a few cars sell in this way with a small note on the window while on display. Especially if we get a good summer.

[Edited on 14/4/10 by SeaBass]

I'd missed this one. I went through something similar last week. Succesfully too.

A guy and his mate flew back to the UK (UKAF spending time in Germany) and then got a train to my local station where I met him with the car. I then drove them to a Supermarket car park where they checked that the car was as advertised. After a brief test drive I walked away with the cash in a ruck sack.

To be fair, I was lucky - super-nice blokes. I was a bit uncertain about it all but he sent copies of his booking confirmation etc and I, like the OP, know how frustrating selling a specialist car can be.

Would I have gone 150 miles? If I had £500 in the bank then probably. A friend did this when a wealthy (and very busy) entrepreneur bought a car off him.

I'd have been happier if I had a mate with me but everyone was working.

Yeah, I would do exactly what tim has done. And drive it if i had 500 in the bank aswell. Maybe im too nice but i still believe there are nice people in this world

I bought a car on ebay in newcastle, contacted him to ask to collect me from the station and then booked a bus ticket from glasgow. Arrived in newcastle station on derby day to meet a total stranger who would have been aware I had the cash on me, went round, viewed the car (which was a shitter but I bid unseen) paid, made it 4 miles, called the AA and that was that