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Pre-Scam or is this for real? 2004 Prius under $5K

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by newbipri, Jul 30, 2007.

  1. FL_Prius_Driver

    FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member

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    Let me make a clear point. When someone wants to offer a good deal (like a $5k Prius) they always offer first to friends or someone that would appreciate the deal. It only takes a little word of mouth to make an instant sale. To offer something like this to who answers the fastest on the internet is to learn a permanent lesson.

    P.T. Barnum stated that a sucker is born every minute.
    There is the old saying that a fool and his money are soon parted.

    When you combine these together, do you know what you have......

    A BUSINESS PLAN.

    Like this one
     
  2. Prius 07

    Prius 07 Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(newbipri @ Jul 30 2007, 08:38 PM) [snapback]487717[/snapback]</div>
    I agree with everyone - this is probably a scam. An additional clue may just be in the picture you posted - the nice house in the background is probably financed by the scam and people taken for a ride :(

    Don't be the next victim!
     
  3. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    Since no one else brought it up, I will say that you cannot trust a CarFax Report at face value. It my alert you to a problem, but it also may not alert you to a Salvaged vehicle. If the vehicle is not officiatlly Totaled through an insurance company, it can be rebuilt and never recieve a Salvaged Title, so CarFax believers, be ware.
     
  4. newbipri

    newbipri New Member

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    Again: thanks everyone.

    I noticed the person selling did some light pressure: she wrote:

    Hello,

    I must sell my car as soon as possible,because i will leave town with my job. I find the price resonable. I did receive some questions from possible buyers and they asked for a disccount. I won;t negociate on the price,is 4300 usd.shipping included.
    Let me know

    Jessica

    USD. strange.
    re. the house: i do notice sometimes folks with money don't care as much about selling thing at their 'value'. put a note into ebay about this...and will post their answer tomorrow...
    AND I did check out the ebay fraud site, http://www.geocities.com/krazzykats/13signs.html had a ton of info...

    SO. this is a no-brainer.

    Unless it gets driven to me, and is in mint condition and comes from a friend. this is a no-thankyou good riddance.


    thanks!
     
  5. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(newbipri @ Jul 30 2007, 09:30 PM) [snapback]487786[/snapback]</div>
    You spotted the tell.

    First, obviously not a native English speaker. That alone doesn't really prove anything. Could be a foreigner in the U.S. But no one in the U.S. would write 4300 USD. That's a dead giveaway to Europe or Asia. We write $4,300 or $4300. She doesn't have a "$" key. If she had written 4300,00 that also would be a giveaway. Sometimes in Europe they use a comma instead of a period for the decimal point before the cents.

    Spelling: resonable, negociate.

    Punctuation: 4300 USD and won;t.

    Grammar: will leave town with my job.

    Where did she say she lived? Did you offer to fly out there to test drive the car and then drive it back home? I imagine the reply would be amusing.
     
  6. alexstarfire

    alexstarfire New Member

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    Yea, unless you can by the car face to face I wouldn't even consider it. If she really wants to sell it for $4300 then you should looks into flying out there to drive the car back.
     
  7. newbipri

    newbipri New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 30 2007, 10:49 PM) [snapback]487814[/snapback]</div>
    This were a couple of notes back to her...I haven't heard back...
    1. If the car is in Nevada it says that it will take 14 days to arrive, and that it will be dropped off in Linden, NJ (I’m in nyc).

    Do you have different information?

    also: do you have all the info of the service history of the car?
    I’m interested, but need more info.

    Thanks.

    B
    2. Yes, am interested, but I need to check your credentials, ie. ebay buyer feedback: do you have any?
    Will we do this through ebay itself? If not, is it protected by ebay?
    In the list you sent me it said the car was not under warantee: in your first note you said it was: please describe.

    Are you located in Battery Park, NY as your note says, if so, I can meet you tonight or tomorrow, any time to discuss the details.

    Thanks!
     
  8. Stringmike

    Stringmike New Member

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    Earlier this year, someone hacked into my eBay account and listed a pile of bogus stuff under my user name. They were all expensive items sold for a fraction of their true value and even the photos of the items were stolen from other listings. The common thread was a requirement to transfer money quickly outside of the eBay system and a user whose first language was not English.

    I am certain that this Prius exists, but probably not in Nevada or anywhere else the scammer says, and the photos aren't theirs but stolen from another online listing. A quick way to check is to try to ask to view the item in person (since they don't have it, they'll give all sorts of excuses). I tried this approach on a suspect listing that was supposedly not far from me and you won't believe the lines they tried.

    Run very fast in the opposite direction!!

    Mike
     
  9. newbipri

    newbipri New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stringmike @ Jul 30 2007, 11:17 PM) [snapback]487827[/snapback]</div>
    Done!

    Thanks to you and everyone. crazy what people will do to other people....