Scam? Seems like a good one if it is.

Hmmm the bit for me that rings alarm bells a bit is this.

"Could you confirm me you have full Lotus history, and the car is in mint condition? Never used on track?"

And the willingness to pay practically asking without even seeing it.

I'd be extremely cautious tbh. Lot of money!
 
'Practically asking price' is still crazy dirt cheap because of the exchange rate. Offering askind means they will likely geta sale, and its still going to be a lot less than buying one in France, or what it would have cost to buy one here 2 years ago...

£16,500 is currently around 18,500 Euros

back when the exchange rate wasnt so rubbish (0.6 Euro to the £ ish) that 18,500 euros would be around £12,000...

So effectively, hes getting a £16,500 car for £12,000, so why bother even haggling, just offer asking and go for it.
 
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Skeeter said:
'Practically asking price' is still crazy dirt cheap because of the exchange rate. Offering askind means they will likely geta sale, and its still going to be a lot less than buying one in France, or what it would have cost to buy one here 2 years ago...
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Exactly, put yourself in the position of a legitimate buyer in France who was about to get a decent bargain. If he is saving thousands which he will be then he can afford to worry less about seeing the car beforehand.

It's extremely common for buyers from Europe to do this. Of course there is a possibility it's a scam but just use your head and you'll be able to find out. There is no point in people here speculating that he may be a scammer without any proof whatsoever.
 
Berger said:
Take him to the bank with you to perform the transfer? Win win that way?
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Was about to suggest that. Speak to the bank beforehand to make sure there is a watertight way to conduct the transfer, and do it that way. If frenchy is reluctant to do it on your terms then smell a rat.
 
Grammar/writing style etc. looks very similar to that used by my French colleagues.
I think the word "Immatriculation" is used on the certificate of import to France so I wouldn't read into that too much. Think about it, if you ran the word "logbook" through a translator the person in France would be scratching their head at your use of words so this is ptobably similar.
 
The_Dark_Side said:
That's the only reason the OP posted the thread.....to get opinions/information from others.
By your logic, we should've all ignored him and not replied at all.
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I think people have been scewed by the fact hes just offered asking and to collect without seeing, but as ive explained, when your saving 25% on the price of a car because of the favorabvle exchange rate, why bother with haggling, just take it. Forgetting this aspect, there doesnt seem anything dodgy in the offer...
 
Lopéz said:
Grammar/writing style etc. looks very similar to that used by my French colleagues.
I think the word "Immatriculation" is used on the certificate of import to France so I wouldn't read into that too much. Think about it, if you ran the word "logbook" through a translator the person in France would be scratching their head at your use of words so this is ptobably similar.
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Hmm, tell me Mr. Lopéz.....what's the name of the tailors shop at the end of the high street in Lagos?

:p
 
Bank Transfer is much safer than paypal for this transaction. That's if it is real...... Paypal seller protection does not even apply since the transaction will be outside ebay I presume. Furthermore I doubt paypal would even authorise the transaction from personal paypal account to personal paypal account.
 
Skeeter said:
I think people have been scewed by the fact hes just offered asking and to collect without seeing, but as ive explained, when your saving 25% on the price of a car because of the favorabvle exchange rate, why bother with haggling, just take it. Forgetting this aspect, there doesnt seem anything dodgy in the offer...
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Hey it could be a bona fide offer, I just think that extreme caution (plus a little research on the part of the OP) is necessary here.
 
The_Dark_Side said:
Hey it could be a bona fide offer, I just think that extreme caution (plus a little research on the part of the OP) is necessary here.
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I would be asking for photocopies of passport, driving liscence etc etc. If he's legit he'll provide these due to being keen to do the transaction.

As I understand it, unless immediately recalled a bank transfer cannot be reversed (unlike a cheque or paypal or an iffy bankers draft). I am talking about a direct bank transfer from his account to your bank account. So surely if you wait a few days and confirm with the bank that funds have cleared and the transaction is not reversible you should be fine.
 
To be honest, I'd quite like this to be a legitimate offer.
It'd show that these things do happen, and that everyone and his uncle are not con artists.
 
mattpc said:
I would be asking for photocopies of passport, driving liscence etc etc. If he's legit he'll provide these due to being keen to do the transaction.

As I understand it, unless immediately recalled a bank transfer cannot be reversed (unlike a cheque or paypal or an iffy bankers draft). I am talking about a direct bank transfer from his account to your bank account. So surely if you wait a few days and confirm with the bank that funds have cleared and the transaction is not reversible you should be fine.
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It can't be recalled if it's a bank transfer from his account. If it's an account he has got access to then the money could be recalled months later.

However this isn't the common MO for a car scam - usually it involves you paying a fee to their 'shipping agent' which comes out of the money they send you. This is how they make the profit - they're not at all interested in the car.

I would certainly be very, very sceptical since he's willing to buy a very specialised car which he hasn't seen or driven but there's a good chance, in my opinion, that the buyer is genuine.

My next step would be to speak to him on the phone, talk about the car and his circumstances, make sure he's really French and go from there.
 
The_Dark_Side said:
To be honest, I'd quite like this to be a legitimate offer.
It'd show that these things do happen, and that everyone and his uncle are not con artists.
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Cars from England (especially things like Loti) are being sold to Euros all the time thanks to the exchange rate, it won't need this one particular instance to show these things do happen. I've seen a lot of threads like this one on other car forums and in fact maybe even on here I seem to remember someone talking about someone coming over with a transporter and picking up a load of cars.
 
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