Scammers with strange car report requests when selling vanagon

[sbianco4022]

Hi! I have had three scammers so far trying to get me to purchase car reports (not carfax) from their web sites. I haven't been falling for it, but... Should I be getting a report for a 1990 vanagon? My auto shop is willing to tell a new buyer anything. Wondering how long it takes for others to sell Vanagons on this site? Any other sites to consider for VW lovers? It is scary out there

Thanks for any guidance/support! Stephanie

[tdivan82]

Stephanie, I would recommend selling through a reputable venue, rather than person-to-person. Too many scammers out there nowadays. There are several online car sales venues I have used with success. CarsAndBids.com is a good one and so is BringATrailer.com and both sites cater specifically to interesting enthusiast vehicles, like a Vanagon.

There's a really nice one on BaT right now: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-volkswagen-...nts-anchor
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82 Westy TDI (ahu)

See my Classified ad for a super deal on a Burley Motorsport Front Disc Brake Kit!

[Abscate]

[Phishman068]

"How long it takes to sell vanagons" is entirely impossible to know. It depends on the model and its desirability, the desirability of its condition, how good a deal it truly is (compared to comps), geographic location, and season. Yes, vanagons sell seasonally. There's absolutely more interest early in the spring through mid summer then there is in the fall and the winter.

Someone just listed a syncro Westy for $90,000 and sold it in 24 hours.
And that one may be a good deal at $90,000, while another one is a piece of crap at $15,000 and will sit around for literally years.

The quality of your photos, video walk throughs, and descriptions make a big difference.
Overall the vanagon market is soft right now, so you're either taking a loss or you're sitting on it for a year.

You absolutely don't want to or need to buy a carfax from anyone, but if you do- do it through carfax directly, or through AAA (You get a discount! Actually I think you get one or two free car fax's per year!).
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569774
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6864936#6864936

"Along with the ability to go fast, one looses the desire to hurry."

[tdivan82]

Be aware of the current scams for private party car sales:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p2TbU73yZo

Use your intuition when dealing with individuals - if the situation doesn't feel right - it isn't. If a car pulls up with four dudes inside, walk away. If a prospective buyer is pushy and aggressive and making demands, walk away.
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82 Westy TDI (ahu)

See my Classified ad for a super deal on a Burley Motorsport Front Disc Brake Kit!

[mrinnovation1]

I have NEVER had a problem buying from a private owner in 54 years of driving and that includes our latest '85 Westy. I should point out that in all cases, I was dealing with one person, not a carload. Dealers have been a mixed bag including family relatives. Take someone with you who is knowledgeable on the type of vehicle you are looking for. Accident reports don't tell the whole story. I had a '72 Vette where the entire front clip was wiped out. I had a Vette body shop do the work and the car came back better than before the accident.

[MarkWard]

I state in my samba classified section that I will only reply to logged in Samba members. I then check their profile, before getting back to them. I sold my classic Boston Whaler on Bring a Trailer. No reserve auction. Got 3x what I would have gotten locally. It was a clean quick transaction. No reserve you let the market decide the value at a given moment. All of the BAT bidders have a verified credit card on file with BAT. About as good of a stranger filter you are going to get. Good luck and trust your instincts.

[Glenn]

My agent will come by with a bank check for $50,000 for the purchase of your vehicle. Please give him the signed title and a bank check for the $26,000 over balance. We'll make arrangements to pickup the vehicle in a few days.

Scammers will scam... so don't be surprised.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

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עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[?Waldo?]

The OP is attempting to sell a 1990 tintop for ~2X what I would expect it to actually sell for, or said another way, they are trying to sell it for what a similar condition Westy would sell for. They have an ad that does not show a picture of the passenger side of the van. The ad reads like an AI hallucination, focuses almost entirely on what they have spent money on in the last 6 years, and almost completely ignores what the actual condition is of the various systems.

Given the above, I would expect a higher-than-normal scammer to legitimate buyer ratio.

Given my own nature as a skeptic along with the fact that starting this thread was their first post in the forums, I also wonder at their motive in posting this thread. Is it just an attempt at increasing exposure to their ad? I obviously don't know this way or that, but wondering is healthy IMO.

If the OP's question is straightforward, then the answer is that a vehicle history report is not necessary for selling a vehicle. I've sold quite a few older vehicles and have never gotten a history report. I have also bought quite a few older vehicles and never cared about a history report. In the case of selling, I accurately described the condition of the vehicle including the exterior, interior, and each mechanical system along with pictures that supported the descriptions. In buying vehicles, I made personal observations of the same.

[mrinnovation1]

Of course, then you have people like me. Since I don't want to hear complaints after I've sold the vehicle, I tell the prospective buyer everything wrong with it and I mean everything! You would be surprised how many people laugh when I give them that list but I don't hear back after it is sold.

[Steve M.]

[jimf909]

[Abscate]

I’ll concur that your ask is 2x high but you never know what fish are in the water. You are in the Mecca of T3 sales so I would ask high, too.
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[vanagonjr]

[alaskadan]

Ha yeah full disclosure. I listed a spawned out nissan truck for 500 bucks on Craigslist. I mean seriously rusty and flapping fenders. Dude came down to look at it. He wanted to do the dance and starts to point out some issues. I laughed and said that's nothing look at this as I pointed out the rest. Should've seen his face. Bottom line everything still worked, I let him kick me down to 450 and sent him on his way. Oh and I told him he gets the 50/50 warranty. If it breaks in two he gets to keep both pieces.

[Abscate]