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Selling a car on facebook- What am I missing?
tegwin - 7/12/21 at 08:26 PM

The other halfs '04 honda Jazz needs a new home. Every panel has a ding in it....she denies all knowledge of how the dings got there...
Anyway... I popped it on facebook marketplace for £900... seems about right for the year, mileage and aforementioned panel damage. Other than the scuffs its actually a pretty good little car.

Within seconds I have dozens of messages from people with foreign sounding names. Their profiles clearly are not real people. All of them want my number and want to buy now, want to come collect, want to know what my best price is....

Alarm bells be ringing as they all ask the same questions but never ask anything specific about the vehicle.

Is there some used car sub-culture I am totally naïve to? Are they all really interested in buying the car or is something else going on here? Is there really an industry out there that buys cheap cars and then somehow flips them for a small profit?

Given the lack of English ability and the sheer number of enquiries I wonder if they are in a 'call centre' somewhere working on commission to pass on a good lead to someone in the UK?!

Lets assume they do come to look at the car what is the safest way to take payment without being scammed.?


[Edited on 7/12/21 by tegwin]

mcerd1 - 7/12/21 at 10:25 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
Given the lack of English ability and the sheer number of enquiries I wonder if they are in a 'call centre' somewhere working on commission to pass on a good lead to someone in the UK?!

far more likely automated bots fishing for a scam

rf900rush - 7/12/21 at 10:30 PM

One thing / scam to watch for is.
They get you to go get something, then when you are not looking slip some oil in the radiator.
Then try to get you to let it go real cheap.

My brother had this happen, when he refused to sell it they got quite pissed off.

theconrodkid - 8/12/21 at 08:35 AM

somewhere along the line they will mention a transport co picking it up and you paying the co, it,s a bit complicated but they are all scams so avoid and go with the ones that ask sensible questions, cash only at pickup etc.

nick205 - 8/12/21 at 08:36 AM

Never sold a car (or anything for that matter via Facebook).

Call me old school, but I sell cars on Autotrader.

Still have to put up with some pointless people trying to hassle you way down on price. If you're asking £900, then no you're not going to accept £200. Autotrader just still does selling cars for me.

Sanzomat - 8/12/21 at 08:47 AM

quote:
Originally posted by tegwin

Within seconds I have dozens of messages from people with foreign sounding names. Their profiles clearly are not real people. All of them want my number and want to buy now, want to come collect, want to know what my best price is....

Alarm bells be ringing as they all ask the same questions but never ask anything specific about the vehicle.


[Edited on 7/12/21 by tegwin]


I had the same when I put my Son's old Golf on Gumtree about 18 months ago. Just had to ignore them as clearly dodgy. When selling cars that are only worth a few hundred it doesn't seem worth paying for an advert so free listing sites are attractive but they do have their downsides. I did sell it for a reasonable price within a week though, to someone fairly local. Saw it driving around sometimes but haven't seen it for a few months so guess it has finally died!

ianhurley20 - 8/12/21 at 08:48 AM

I had a similar thing when selling a 2 berth yacht - first there was an offer to pay full price - then they could not collect as they were at sea, they would get someone to collect - they will pay by paypal. I did some background and the ship they mentioned did not exist etc etc. I think its a regular type of scam where they get the goods but you don't get the money

SJ - 8/12/21 at 10:44 AM

I had similar issues on Ebay. Absolute idiots bought car then turned up to negotiate. Told them to wee off and they weren't happy.

mcerd1 - 8/12/21 at 10:49 AM

my last 2 cars got sold on this site and pistonheads - both were put on cheap to sell quick and both sold within a day...

I only looked at pistonhead's classified bit to compare the prices with autotrader/ebay and the likes - but as I'd had an account on the forum for a few years they let us have the add for free (don't know if they still run those offers now, but might be worth checking )

Stuck it in the shed's section and had a serious offer in 12 hours, picked up for cash a couple of days later

quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
Every panel has a ding in it....she denies all knowledge of how the dings got there... Other than the scuffs its actually a pretty good little car.

^^^ Just how I like to buy my cars
if its good mechanically and structurally then I couldn't care less if every panel has dings / scratches as long as it not serious accident damage or totally caved in

I'm actually seriously looking for a new car now as well - just a pity a Jazz is way too small for what I need
(anyone got a petrol, manual estate/MPV for sale ? )

cliftyhanger - 8/12/21 at 12:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1


I'm actually seriously looking for a new car now as well - just a pity a Jazz is way too small for what I need
(anyone got a petrol, manual estate/MPV for sale ? )


Don't underestimate a jazz. Got mine when mil stopped driving a year ago, it is 05 vintage.

Back seats fold down flat, create a very decent load area. Reckon as good as the grand c max we had before, nearly as good as medium estates.
Only downside is they all have whiny gearboxes, and I had to weld the exhaust every pipe to box joint was fractured. Only 16 years old. Took a couple of hours, all good for probably another 5 years.

tegwin - 8/12/21 at 01:16 PM

Current message count is 36.....

Took a punt on one of the chaps who seemed to be vaguely real... said he wanted to come and look and would pay cash no question.

Turned up, looked at the car for about 60 seconds (the photos on the add don't hide anything)... Said it was dented and offered me £500....

He went away without the car....

Had a couple of messages from actual sensible human beings now so lets see if they can come and have a sensible conversation.

40inches - 8/12/21 at 04:25 PM

quote:
Originally posted by cliftyhanger
quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1


I'm actually seriously looking for a new car now as well - just a pity a Jazz is way too small for what I need
(anyone got a petrol, manual estate/MPV for sale ? )


Don't underestimate a jazz. Got mine when mil stopped driving a year ago, it is 05 vintage.


We took 4 adults with luggage for a week in the IOM a couple of years ago, in our 06 Jazz, plenty of space.
They apparently have the internal space of a C Class Merc!
We have replaced it with a new hybrid Jazz, even more space than the old one

Simon - 8/12/21 at 04:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
If you're asking £900, then no you're not going to accept £200.


Same with ebay - had my 'busa up for £9500 and some chap offered £7000. I said no and perhaps he ought to be looking at bikes for his budget rather than hope someone will drop that much.

mcerd1 - 8/12/21 at 07:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 40inches
quote:
Originally posted by cliftyhanger
quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
I'm actually seriously looking for a new car now as well - just a pity a Jazz is way too small for what I need
(anyone got a petrol, manual estate/MPV for sale ? )

Don't underestimate a jazz. Got mine when mil stopped driving a year ago, it is 05 vintage.

We took 4 adults with luggage for a week in the IOM a couple of years ago, in our 06 Jazz, plenty of space.
They apparently have the internal space of a C Class Merc!
We have replaced it with a new hybrid Jazz, even more space than the old one

rather than 4 adults I've got 2 adults and 2 young kids with all the crap that involves

at the moment I've got the old C-max - google says 582l with the seats up, 1692l all down - and I'm thinking about something a little bigger....

google recons the jazz is 304l and 1205l - good for the size of car, but not going to cut it for me (I wish it would, all the bigger cars seem to cost a premium right now )

tegwin - 10/12/21 at 05:19 PM

Happy end to the saga.

A nice teenage lad came with his dad and adopted the car.

I can now block all the weirdos on Facebook and move on with my life 🤣