Would you be susopicious?

I've been considering replacing the Explorer with... another Explorer.

My first plan was a personal import, thousands of them around in the states for po.cket money prices and a 2005 would be well specced if I got an "Eddie Bauer" version.

Then I saw one for sale in Autotrader.

Then I saw it again on ebay.

Then it disappeared from ebay before the auction finished.

Now it is back on Autotrader.

What do you reckon? Something seems wrong with this one. The seller was claiming that he had to sell it in a hurry to raise funds for his next personal import but he's turned down a chance to sell it at auction and keeps putting in back into Autotrader.

The on topic part is that he claims it's the Eaton supercharged version in Eddie Bauer trim, which makes it a rare beast. But I'm not sure I can trust the bugger.

Reply to
Steve Firth
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stay clear if i was you, if it looks and sounds fishy it probably is! wouldn't risk it myself!

Reply to
Vamp

People like you Steve, are just the sort of buyers Ebay scammers are looking for........................lol

k
Reply to
Ken

"Steve Firth" wrote in message news:e04hq6$nil$ snipped-for-privacy@genet.malloc.co.uk...

Why replace a perfectly good vehicle if it still works? Surely you're not a numberplate snob! Auction sites are full of scammers and con merchants on one side and people that want to make themselves a victim on the other. It's mainly people from certain social classes displaying greed that fall victim to cons. There was a recent one were a man paid £250 for two ebooks - he thought he was getting two phones and would have put them back on seperately. If the car is in auto trader then it will have a home phone number - if it's a mobile, forget it. Call the person and ask for his address, then arrange to meet in a few days. Keep going past the house to make sure it is parked there before the meeting. Next do a check to see he lives at the address. Call the day before the meeting and ask for him to confirm the time. Then run the HPI checks and learn how to inspect a vehicle to ensure it isn't stolen. Make sure all the documents are correct. The only problem you have is deciding if he is the owner and can sell it, also if the vehicle is the one on the paperwork! Make sure the specific trim levels are OK for the year and that they were fitted. Too many people go fitting scrapped interiors now, or silly looking bodykits. A lot of 4WD that are imported often turn out to be stolen. You would be better going to a proper dealer or keeping what you have and saving a fortune. If you're buying at a lower price to try and sell on again in the UK then think of the market. From what you say about the number of times it has been advertised - there isn't a market for that vehicle or it would have gone by now, so you would be stuck with it. If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is - walk away. That's the hardest thing to do with cars, but it's better than buying hlf the rubbish people on here do because "it looks nice". Good luck anyway.

Reply to
simon

Fancies a change? Bored with the old one? Wants the more powerful version?

Do you have anykind of proof to back that up? Bearing in mind we're talking about an American import here?

Reply to
DanTXD

In news:lbwVf.12423$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net, simon wrote something quite bizarre, possibly in an effort to confuddle the world. It went like so;

I despise this kind of "advice", I really do.

Why shouldn't someone buy a car if the contact number is a mobile? I don't give my home number to anyone I don't know *very* well. There's f*ck all chance I'm going to stick it in the paper and get loads of phone calls from companies like the Auto Trader and the like trying to make me buy things I don't want. My girlfriend who I've been with for the past 9 months doesn't know my home phone number - neither does my boss who I've worked for for 3 years, the mobile number is good enough for them, why isn't it for someone who wants to buy a car? My home number is just for emergencies - I'm rarely here anyway.

HPI checks are not gospel, go to any salvage auction and you'll see plenty of badly damaged cars there as "not recorded", but they are handy for outstanding credit checks and theft indicators.

Check the chassis and engine numbers, check a few random parts of the car to make sure they're the right age i.e the seatbelt tags, glass, and random plastic trim parts - stuff like ashtrays, petrol flaps etc very often have indicators of the cars age on - give or take a few months. Needless to say if bits of the car are newer than the registration then there's quite probably a problem.

If you like the look of the Eddie Bauer Exploder then ring the guy, have a look, check the car thoroughly, hpi it, and if the price is right then buy it.

He's probably pulled it from fleabay because it wasn't reaching enough money and he'd listed it as "no reserve". Cars make more money in the Trader anyway most of the time. Poor guy's just trying to get some money back, can't blame him for that.

Reply to
Pete M

What, people who look and question before they buy?

Why not use your brain for something other than keeping your ears the right distance apart?

Reply to
Steve Firth

No, the reason is that the current Explorer is much improved over the one sold in the UK *and* I want a left hooker. The 2005 Explorer had coils all round, and electrically operated third row seats. It's a genuine 7 seater, mine is a five seater.

I need more seats because of a new business we're starting, and the supercharged engine would be a benefit for crossing Europe.

Other points taken, I just wondered in anyone had any insights into what he's pissing about at. As to depreciation, I've run several vehicles that depreciate vertically so it's not a worry to me.

Reply to
Steve Firth

Yes, but pulling a car from the auction was what made me suspicious. It's acting in bad faith IMO and leaves me feeling the blokes not to be trusted.

Reply to
Steve Firth

Ah right, so i'm an Ebay Scammer now because people have been asking me loads of questions.

God you can be rather stupid at times.

Reply to
NeedforSwede2

On reflection Steve, go back to the 'stang idea, and buy this -

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Reply to
DanTXD

Nah, cars in Italy can't have front air dams like that one, well not for long anyway.

Reply to
Steve Firth

But *look* how cool it is :D

Reply to
DanTXD

Yes, but I'd prefer the Shelby Cobra GT500, huge power and it can be parked nose in to the kerb and take a "white road".

Reply to
Steve Firth

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