Need Advice, Potential Purchase!!
 

Hey guys,

Found a 2011 X5M in black that my family is thinking of purchasing. The price seemed "too good to be true" 9700 miles for $42k. Upon further research, i found that the car fax shows "inconsistent odometer reading." BUT, after doing a couple calculations, i realized that it was probably because it was all being recorded in KM, and then the new owner recorded it in miles (did the calculation, and came out to the exact number). I dont see why anyone would roll back miles on a car with this low of mileage anyway-- so i'm thinking it was just a clerical error.. Obviously there is something fishy about this car...located in Rochester, registered to Ontario..

anyway, i'm only about an hour or so from rochester, i may try to take a look. My dealer ran the VIN and said that its still under warranty. I am planning on taking it over to BMW of Rochester to do a full analysis, check for odometer rollback, etc.

Am I being stupid? should i just stay far away from this vehicle? or is it something worth looking into?

Naz

I attached the carfax.. it was given with the car, so dont worry, i'm not stealing!

$42k for 2011 X5M? have you talked to dealer? Does not sound true.
Its not showing in their inventory.
BMW of Rochester NY | Rochester NY BMW Dealer | New, Used and Certified BMW on Special Every Day.

Sorry, for clarification, its by a private seller

Then you should run away from this. Scam!

Thats what i thought...

The change in mileage did spark my curiosity though.. possibly the reason why it is being sold for so cheap (if it is not a scam)

I agree with LM...take a Pasadena on that car, Naz.
Even if it is legit, which I find unlikely, it may be a 'flood' car from the recent
'Cane Irene or, TS Lee. But, something is pretty fookin fishy, imo.
GL, mD

The part that bothers me is that it still is under factory warranty.. With a dealer inspection for flooding, issues, etc.. Then what's the risk? Besides resale? If it's proven that the problem was being recorded in KM instead of miles, then it's just a weird case.

I obviously would never buy a car with an issue.. But if dealer says, go, then what should stop me?

I don't think the price is low because of KM/miles issue.
Have you talked to the seller yet? See how far can you take this without spending any money (if you are so interested). ;)

Here's the listing with pics, for others info...

2011 BMW X5 M, $42,577 - Cars.com

thats my plan, havent talked to seller yet. Sent an email though..

part of it is pure curiosity at this point...

we'll see what happens

its gotta be a typo , maybe meant 82k lol

scam...

I bet the seller will ask for a WU down payment to "hold" the truck
or
The truck is a manufacturer buyback(in NJ it is a Lemon Law Car)
or
It was in a flood and it has been cleaned up. Does the carfax show a clean title?

I personally think it is number 1. He is asking for half of what the worth is.

Do not let a penny leave your hands. if you see and inspect car in person, then make your decision. Take a flight to Ontario to see it. if by some chance it is legit. The flight is a small additional cost considering how cheap the truck is.

Donho--

Best advice yet. Even better is that it's located in Rochester. About an hour from me. I'm not making ant moves without guarantee that everything lines up. I think it's a scam too, but it's worth some of my time to investigate

My fault. For some reason i thought truck was in Ontario

i tell you what. Even if it is a flood car, that has been cleaned up or a lemon law(manufacturer buyback) it is still well worth the price(if it is legit)

and if it is really under warranty, who cares. just do not part with any money until it is looked at, title in hand and matching VIN.

if it is legit, and you decide not to get it for whatever reason, let me know. i will pick it up this weekend.
Throw a set of off road wheels/tires, throw a hitch and a cargo carrier on it and use it as my Bowhunting, offroad blaster!:thumbup:

good luck!

From the Cars.com site:

FRAUD ALERT: DON'T FALL FOR INTERNET SCAMS.

• NEVER wire money via Western Union, Moneygram, etc. to purchase a car from someone overseas. You will most likely lose all your money.
• If a car is priced far below market value, it likely has a salvage title (meaning it was declared a total loss at some point) or is a fraud designed to lure bargain hunters.
• Cars.com does NOT participate in the transaction in any way. We do not collect deposits or payments, warehouse any vehicles, or verify the identity of any seller. If you see an e-mail purporting to involve Cars.com, please DO NOT RESPOND TO THE MESSAGE. Instead, please forward to [email protected].
  
  Even though the vast majority of listings are legitimate, there is no substitute for healthy skepticism. Don't let your guard down for a deal that sounds too good to be true, because it probably is.
  
  For more information, visit our Safe Buying & Selling blog or our Fraud Awareness tips

Good luck Naz. Its a still if this is not a scam. Would drive it down to the BMW dealer and have it inspected. Interesting to see what happens with the purchase....

Does not bode well for the resale value of any object if it drops by 50% in one year....lol

It is 99% fake/scam

he claims the car is at a warehouse and paypal will do the transaction???

paypal is not an escrow company. But i will await his response. I like seeing what the scammers are trying to pull these days.:bustingup

Did you ask him why he is selling at such a discount?

No response for me.. Donho, strange you got a response and I didn't. Definitely a scam

I will post the entire email trail.
It is quite amusing. The guy selling has not given me an address or phone number.

he asked for my contact info and I gave him false info.
Now he claims he forwarded it to Paypal and they will contact me with info on depositing the money. Of course he claimed it is fully refundable if I decide to return the truck(on his dime)
I know what is next. A fake email with a Paypal logo with details on sending money. then Poof, he is gone.
here is the emails so far:
Start at the bottom. That is my first email to him.





Hi Jeff,
Great! I will forward your info to PayPal right away and they will send you an invoice with all the instructions on how to purchase my X5. You will have to deposit the money with PayPal, they will hold your payment until you get the suv and you inspect it for 5 days. If by any reason you don't like it you can immediately send it back on my cost and PayPal will send all your money back. Once i get PayPal's confirmation that the payment has been sent i will begin the shipping process right away.


Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:24:19 -0700
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: 2011 BMW X5 M
To: [email protected]

Jeff Wayson
431 Bogert rd
Ridgewood, NJ 07450

908-***-****

Done deal, send the car.




From: amber zimmer <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 11:30 AM
Subject: RE: 2011 BMW X5 M

#yiv1185143445 .yiv1185143445ExternalClass #yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268 .yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268hmmessage P{padding:0px;}#yiv1185143445 .yiv1185143445ExternalClass #yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268 .yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268hmmessage{font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;}Hello Jeff,
Please give me a little time to explain you the process of this transaction,
As I told you in my first email, i divorced, i got a new job and moved to Omaha, Nebraska. Before leaving I had prearranged the deal with PayPal so my presence isn't necessary. The Suv is located in Omaha at the shipping company, ready to be delivered. The Suv will arrive at your address in 3-5 working days. The shipping cost is included in the total price of the Suv! You will have 5 days to test it and inspect the Suv prior to make any purchase and if by any reason you find something you don't like about it you can send it back on my cost. So if you want to make this deal I need the following details from you:
full name and address
phone #
After I will have all this details I will forward them to PayPal and I will proceed this transaction. PayPal will contact you with all the details that you need to complete this deal and also to see that i am covered by them and that I am legit seller. Waiting your email with the requested details.
Regards!!


Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:38:08 -0700
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: 2011 BMW X5 M
To: [email protected]

I am in NJ. Depending on where you are, I can fly out this week.
I can bring a dealer plate and if all is well, i will drive it home.

Let me know where you are and of you can pick me up at the nearest airport, then I will make flight plans

Please send me the autocheck.

thanks
jeff



From: Amber Zimmer <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2011 7:42 PM
Subject: 2011 BMW X5 M

#yiv1185143445 .yiv1185143445ExternalClass #yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268 .yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268ExternalClass #yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268ecxyiv774574696 .yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268ecxyiv774574696hmmessa ge P{padding:0px;}#yiv1185143445 .yiv1185143445ExternalClass #yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268 .yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268ExternalClass #yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268ecxyiv774574696 .yiv1185143445ecxyiv47138268ecxyiv774574696hmmessa ge{font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;}Hi Jeffrey,
How are you? It's nice to see so much interest for my '11 X5 M. The vehicle is in perfect shape, has never been smoked in, no scratches, never been involved in any accidents and it has clear title free of any liens or loans. The mileage is 9,834 and I'm letting it go for $42,500.
If you want I can also provide you an autocheck report(which is the same thing with a carfax).
Because of my job I recently changed my location, but let me know where are you located and I will gladly meet you for an inspection if you're close enough.
P.S. Below you can find more info about my car:
VIN: 5YMGY0C53BLK27030
Engine: 8 cyl
Transmission: Automatic
Fuel: Gasoline
Waiting for your reply.




if the vehicle is still under factory warranty, I will take it. i can come up this weekend and pay for it. Do you have title in hand? Let me know

I received two emails from a site:<[email protected]>

They look pretty decent. but I have been using Paypal for over 12 years and KNOW what emails look like. There was even a transaction number.

It did list an address and a phone number.

Name:Amber Zimmerhttp://i33.tinypic.com/91dmdh.jpg
Address:


If you agree with the terms of the transaction listed above, please call PayPal Customer Support Center toll free at : +1 (877) 278-9167, and a verified agent will confirm your transaction and send you an email with all the instructions on how to pay for your item.You can also contact PayPal for requesting payment instructions by replying to this email with your phone number, we need to call you to verify all the information.

I sent both emails to Paypal for shits and giggles and they confirmed they are scams.
If anyone wants the actual emails, leave me an email address and I will forward them to you.

Where this guy messed up was the price was too low. he should have never used a Paypal angle.
He should have said payment pending upon inspection, but then try to steal the delivery charge from you. He would have better chances of people falling for that.

This name and address and number may be legit, since he is asking for a bank transfer??
Anyone in that area?

Good pickup.....makes no sense why he would not make it sound more legitimate....he stood a better chance at someone falling for it if the price was close to what the truck was worth...

Well, there might be someone out there who will fall for it....

Just a quick update:

I called the 877 number and no one answered. Funny, doesnt paypal have 24 hour support??LOL

and ten minutes ago, a clown calls me from this number:661-584-4136

He says, "did someone call Paypal about a a car??"
(is Paypal such a small company, they know about this car deal??LOL)
I play along and mention that i am ready to do a bank transfer.
Then i ask him how come he needs one??? Paypal has never asked me for one. and i can do a CC transaction.
The phone goes silent.:rofl:

Now I call back and it is busy.

This is highly entertaining. Donho, thanks for keeping me LOLing on such a terrible week at school.

I want to see if someone in Rochester can try and "see the car"

Was bored after playing competitive bridge all morning, so I GOOG Mapped that addy in Omaha: it is a 'house'. (306 S. 95th St. Omaha NE 68114)



Then, I plugged it into a search, and it may be a residence, but an professional illustrator & cartoonist named Tom Kerr; he either lives there, and/or works out of that addy. It ain't no 'Amber Zimmer'.

Illustrator : Tom Kerr : Contact Information : Directory of Illustration

I knew it was a scam back on page 1, and I hate dishonesty...and, sort of like retribution. Everyone should drop a dime to that phone number, :rofl:

These car scams are almost as obvious as the Nigerian Lotto wins...:rolleyes:
GL, mD

Everyone should call the 877 number and the 661 number

if it is a burner, use up his minutes
if by chance someone answers, just ask "is this Paypal?"
I would love to meet this clown and give him a nice slap, for being so stupid.

Can someone post a feedback on that listing in the website so that no one else falls for it...?

Paypal calling back asking about making payment for a car..that is soooo funnnnnny

The listing is gone.

If someone wants to report it the FBI Internet Fraud Department, I will be happy to send the emails from him and the fake Paypal emails.

I was going to to do it, but you have to submit a ton of info and I am too lazy.

Having imported my X5 from the US I can tell you that something was reported inaccurate with this vehicle. When it left the US, it had a recorded 10,200 MILES... US always reports in MILES. When the car was imported to Canada (as its must have crossed the border and title stamped as EXPORT by US Customs (as thats 1 documented need for registering a vehicle here) when registering, they ask current mileage. Seems it should be 10,327... probably 127 miles driving it home to Ontario.. this would be converted to 10,327 X 1.6 = 16,524.... so looks like they LEFT OFF THE 1.. intentionally???

Anyways, BMW canada will not warranty the car until it is completely checked by them so not sure what this person is doing.

Hope this shed some light on possibilities...

Apparently s/he is also selling a 2007 Bentley Continental GTC. Search for 661-584-4136 on this link:
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-480-409-4417/3

I do not think you read the thread. There is NO CAR???!!!

The miles might be off, the price is off and the car is non existant.
The car is NOT in Canada(or the real one might be??)
The seller claimed it is in Omaha, Nebraska.

I offered to fly there and inspect and he claimed Paypal will do the transaction.
It is a scam and I knew it from the start. I just decided to have some fun with this scammer.

I did read it - I was merely trying to figure out the car fax details.. obviously this car is not in the US so the sale is bogus. The rest would be up to the original poster to tell the authorities what this guy is up to.. the one trying to sell a non-existent car". You should scare him with legal actions.