buying a car from craigslist (los angeles) am i being scammed?

i've contacted a number of sellers on craigslist regarding vehicles with low prices. (almost too good to be true) but am hesitant to make a deal because i'm afraid of being scammed. so far, all the sellers i've contacted want to work through ebay, where i send the money via ebay's paypal, they ship the vehicle to me and ebay holds the money until i decide i want to keep the car (if not, i'm refunded & return shipping is covered by the seller). i'm just really hesitant to make a deal where the car has to be shipped to me instead of buying a car the traditional way. however, i can only afford what these sellers are asking for (around 3-4k) for vehicles around 2004-2005. does this sound like a scam or will ebay really protect me. i can't afford to lose 3k with a new baby scheduled to arrive in 2 months. we need a car to accomodate our growing family because we dont fit in our sedan anymore. does anyone have any experience

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Asked by Anonymous at 1:24 PM on Feb. 1, 2010 in Just for Fun

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Answers (13)

Do you not read the top of craigslist, where it says in big bold letters that all offers to ship cars are 100% fraudulent? If you fall for it, after not paying attention to the GIANT BOLD CAPS AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE, then you deserve to part with your money as stupid tax.

Answer by Anonymous at 2:09 PM on Feb. 1, 2010

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nobody is going to pay to ship a car worth 3k

Answer by peanutsmommy1 at 1:25 PM on Feb. 1, 2010
Credits: 14487 Level 22 Just for Fun Minor

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It absolutely sounds like a scam. Is there any way to find a car in your area that you can go test drive and look it over in person? There is no way I would ever buy a car without looking it over first.

Answer by Anonymous at 1:26 PM on Feb. 1, 2010

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And, look the car up on kelly blue book. If it's that new of a car and selling so cheap, it's definitely a scam.

Answer by Anonymous at 1:27 PM on Feb. 1, 2010

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I don't use Craigslist because of the risk of being scammed. I tried it when I was looking for a house to rent and found some with really good prices. That should have been my first clue. Every response i got to my emails were from people who were working "out of the country." Even a missionary in Nigeria emailed me! They all sent an "application" and one of the first questions was "When can you send the money?" I didn't answer them. I would try and deal locally. When SO and i needed a bigger vehicle, we saw one on the side of the road where people always park the vehicles they are selling. We called the guy up, test drove it, and SO (mechanic) checked it out. It ran good, needed some minor work and we paid the guy in cash and he handed over the title.

Answer by Anonymous at 1:29 PM on Feb. 1, 2010

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I've purchased two vehicles from listings on Craigslist, but both were local vehicles that I saw and test drove and brought to my mechanic for a look-see before purchasing. I would not buy a vehicle sight unseen from craigslist or another kind of advertisement. It's probably a scam.

Answer by riotgrrl at 1:34 PM on Feb. 1, 2010
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I had a friend who bought a car on Ebay and had it shipped. It was just as described when he got it and he got a good deal. Its risky, but it may be worth a roll of the dice to get a good deal.

Answer by kenzie07 at 1:36 PM on Feb. 1, 2010
Credits: 5778 Level 18 Just for Fun 101

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Scam! Only buy them if you can go see them in person and make the transaction in person. Also make SURE that the person that is selling you the car is the TITLE holder!! If they are not then they will have your $$ and you will not legally own the car!

Answer by chefronswife at 1:45 PM on Feb. 1, 2010
Credits: 2039 Level 15 Just for Fun 101

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Stay away. OP! Trust your gut instinct. You're better off finding a car locally.

Answer by Anonymous at 1:51 PM on Feb. 1, 2010

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Why not buy an older car in town? Why does it have to be that new? I have a 2001 that is really nice, and my mom drives a 1998 that runs perfectly. Get a late 90's car in good condition for $5000 and get to test drive it. Used car dealerships are always looking to make a deal.

Answer by Ati_13 at 2:14 PM on Feb. 1, 2010
Credits: 21125 Level 24 Just for Fun Minor

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