G55 AMG: What do you think... is this a SCAM?? | FerrariChat

G55 AMG: What do you think... is this a SCAM??

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by stokpro, Nov 15, 2003.

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  1. stokpro

    stokpro F1 Rookie
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jun 25, 2003
    4,383
    Himalayas
    Below is the original ad I inquired about....

    "This G55 has been babied and the body shows its well-kept condition, not a door ding present. Never smoked in and always garaged at night and parked in the showroom during office hours. This vehicle's transmission shifts out nice and smooth from gear to gear. The engine is functioning perfectly. No electrical problems. This is a fabulous vehicle with absolutely no defects. The exterior looks like it was just driven off the showroon floor. Interior is immaculate. Tires are in "like new" condition. It would be hard to find another G55 in such good condition. This Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG is FULLY LOADED with absolutely everything on it."

    *************
    His response.....

    > Thank you for your interest in purchasing my car. I have to tell
    > you that I have other serious offers that I have to consider and
    > I will make a decision regarding this sale function of time of
    > payment and price.
    >
    > I am the first owner of the car; I bought it directly from an
    > authorized BMW dealer. I sell the car because I want
    > to buy the next week a new car. As options the car has all
    > premium packages, premium sound, navigation system, bixenon
    > headlights etc.
    >
    > I am located in Munich, Germany. I bought the car with the
    > intention to bring it back with me in the US, but I will stay a
    > longer time here and it is time to make a change for my car.
    >
    > The car is US street legal, does not need any conversion and it meets
    > all DOT and EPA regulations. This is the reason that I want to sell the > car in USA because German people does not like it prepared this way. > The other offers that I have are also from the US.
    >
    > Since this is a serious deal in which I sell a valuable car I
    > want to use an escrow company to finish this deal. The procedure
    > is: we agree on details of the deal (price, time of shipping),
    > you make the payment to the escrow company (of my choice),
    > escrow notifies me and I will ship the car. All you have to do from now > on is to take the car and register it the same day and notify escrow to
    > release the funds to me. You can make the payment to escrow co
    > 30% in advance.
    >
    > The shipping is around $2600 and I will pay for it. When you
    > receive the car you do not have to pay any import taxes. The
    > 30% amount or the full payment are fully refundable if for any
    > reason you do not accept the car or if the car has scratches,
    > hidden defects, or it is not as advertised. I will pay for the
    > shipping back to my location if you reject the car.
    >
    > Regards
    *************

    Have I been reading about too many eBay scams and now all paranoid or do you guys think this is a scam? He leaves no name, no contact info except for some yahoo account that doesn't even reveal a name, and wants to use an escrow service of his choice. The escrow part is scary b/c you send the $$$ to some fake escrow company and say bye bye to your $$$. Also, doesn't the ad description and his email appear to be written by two different people?

    Thanks for your guys' help!
     
  2. Chiaro_Slag

    Chiaro_Slag F1 Veteran

    Oct 31, 2003
    7,789
    CA
    Full Name:
    Jerry
    I would be VERY careful. Especially since the escrow company is of his choice! I have heard of that very same scam where a doctor sent the money for a BMW and though it was ok since it was through an escrow company. But the escrow company was picked by the seller and of course fake!

    My mom saw it on Oprah, lol.

    I bought a Wrangler through Ebay and used Escrow.com and it worked fine.
     
  3. stokpro

    stokpro F1 Rookie
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jun 25, 2003
    4,383
    Himalayas
    Thanks Slag! I've used escrow.com once for a minor transaction and it worked great. Bought a Land Rover off eBay as well, but through an authorized LR dealer so no worries there since there's recourse. An escrow company I've never heard about in another country... scary deal.
     
  4. WCH

    WCH F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Mar 16, 2003
    5,180
    Sounds like a scam to me. I'd only consider it if I could see the car myself and have a PPI, then hand over a certified check in exchange for a clear title. I'd imagine this seller would never agree to anything like that.
     
  5. Kds

    Kds F1 World Champ

    Sounds like a total rip off.......here's why.

    I worked for a franchised MB dealer here in Canada for 7 years.

    As far as I know, and this is as of June 2002,....YOU CANNOT PURCHASE....a North American "spec" vehicle for European delivery thru anyone else other than a franchised MB dealer in NORTH AMERICA. There are no if's, and's, or but's to this policy. Period.............

    Furthermore, you must be known to the dealer, and they check you out and then you put up a performance bond of 20-30% to ensure that European taxes and duties are not at risk to the manufacturer if the vehicle is "NOT" exported back to NA. YOU must export the vehicle back and show MBNA that YOU have registered it in the USA or Canada to get the money back.

    He states he bought it "new" at a BMW dealer in Europe and that it is a US spec vehicle. Bullsh*t.

    Well...first of all...AMG vehicles ARE NOT available thru the European delivery program in Canada as of 7/02...and I doubt that they are in the US either. This was to stop people from picking them up and dumping them in Europe for a fat profit.

    The story does not line up from word one. Total and utter BS IMHO.
     
  6. Agent Smith

    Agent Smith Formula 3

    Apr 20, 2002
    1,569
    Sounds like bull(cough)$h!t
     
  7. Juice It

    Juice It F1 Rookie

    Sep 22, 2002
    3,233
    Maryland (DC Suburb)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    I have a G500 and know that it could not be a US spec if bought in another country. This is a scam, don't consider it. You can get decent deals on G's here anyway.
     
  8. cohiba_man

    cohiba_man Formula Junior

    Jan 23, 2003
    937
    Canada
    Full Name:
    John
    Thats definately a scam, offer to fly up, your expense and see it, have it inspected, AND pay to ship it home, which saves him $2600, and is a very good deal for him, and see what he says. Alternatively, offer him a really low number, I guaruntee he'll take the offer as long as its not suspiciously low.
     
  9. tvrfreak

    tvrfreak F1 Rookie
    BANNED

    Mar 31, 2003
    3,879
    Arkansas
    Full Name:
    F K
    Why would you not have to pay import duties if you import a vehicle?

    SCAM.
     

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