Hi all, I'm hoping some of your guys (and gals) might have had some experience with this before. I'm in Australia and looking to import a vintage car from a private buyer (say, eBay or craigslist). I have spoken on the phone to a number of owners about their listings, and am pretty sure I've found the right one. The biggest problem is that thanks to all of those Nigerian Princes out there, it seems as though ANY form of international interest is automatically assumed to be a scammer at work. I guess my question is, if YOU were selling a car to an overseas buyer, what is the usual process when it comes to payment? I realise some people work as brokers for this, and there are escrow agencies, but the fees usually seem quite exorbitant. Obviously things like Western Union are only used by scammers, so that's an obvious no-no. I thought PayPal would be an obvious choice, but I've recently read that people don't trust it either. I'm a genuine buyer, and most of the people I speak with seem genuine (although sometimes skeptical). Is there a method that gives both parties some form of security and comfort about the process? Any thoughts would be appreciated... Regards, Rewey
The only way to protect both the seller and buyer is to do a Telegraphic funds transfer between your bank and the buyers bank. I have purchased some cars this way, but if there is no trust in the transaction do not do it. As Kerrynzl says getting on a plane is good, if you can't you better do your homework.
The best method is to deal through your importer/ shipping agent such as auto ezy here in vic, they can handle payment, do a pre purchase inspection and do all customs paperwork. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Speak to the import companys in WA,many of them will do all the dirty work,including making payment and inspection for you ! Gaz!
I bought my Galaxie off a guy in San Fran from here in NZ. I got it checked out up there by a local then paypaled a deposit. I paid the rest in cash when I flew up and picked it up. I think he was pretty sceptical til the money came thru, but paypal is reasonably safe i think for sellers. Have you got someone at that end who can help out? What about someone tied in with the freight company? I think Mainfreight have a guy on the ground in the states who can help, but not sure if they cover Oz as well though.
If I were to import a car, I would personally go see it, pay for it, get all the paperwork, make the shipping arrangements and put the car into the container myself or at least have some type of insurance that will reimburse me for any loss during transport/shipping.
He sent me his bank details, I paid a deposit through my bank with all his details and bank details. You need heaps of details before you can transfer money. I transferred the deposit, few days before I picked it up I sent him the rest of the money. Spoke on the phone a few times to try and ensure he wasnt shifty. Then crossed my fingers and hoped my car arrived,.....thankfully it did
With respect a wire does not protect the seller other than in providing proof the funds were sent with a transaction ID. If the car is then not shipped OR is not as represented then it becomes an international legal issue, costly. I bought maybe 15 cars when living back in Ireland from the US and each time used an escrow service or shipping agent. If you use a professional escrow service then they take receipt of the payment and release it to the seller once the buyer receives the car. This link might help: https://www.escrow.com/services/vehicle-escrow/how-vehicle-escrow-works.aspx If your buyer is unwilling to go through escrow (in which case I would ask them why) then from their perspective the wire probably is the best thing. The main reason they might balk at escrow is the delay in receiving funds compared to a domestic sale. If you are wiring a LARGE amount I would do as I think someone else has suggested. Send a small test transaction, maybe a few hundred dollars. Confirms the details to be correct etc. From the seller's perspective PayPay is (or should be) a **BIG** no-no. There is a scam being used at present where people make an eBay purchase, receive the item and a month or so later raise a dispute with PayPal saying the charge was not authorized. PayPal as almost a matter of default reverse the payment leaving the buyer with both the goods and money. Nearly happened to me on some gold but the international shipping address had me leary. Western Union isnt even worth getting into... Good luck, hope you get the car you want.
Ive personally bought about 5 cars from mainly California all were paid with Telegraphic funds transfer or in simple terms a wire transfer ive had this problem myself where most private ads on craigslist etc most sellers are very skeptical and will not deal with an overseas buyer even though the buyer is more at risk than the seller remember we are sending the money to them they dont have to give the car up till they have the money in their account. So most of the cars ive bought are through ebay.com or dealers where alot of the sellers are savvy and know they can make more money by selling to overseas buyers although you usually pay a premium as most times you are bidding against other Aussies or Swedes. Ebay do offer protection for seller and buyer but a bit of a grey area for an overseas transaction and also i think it needs to be paid by Paypal , so your best insurance is seller feedback on Ebay.
I think I'd be getting on a plane too, especially for the price of airfares to and from the USA these days. The other concern I'd have would be with parting for a large lump of cash for a car I hadn't been within 1000 miles of... Some guy's ideas of 'restored' or 'mint' leave a lot to be desired from what I've seen, both on Ozrodders and here... If a $1200 airfare stops you from buying 1200lbs of bondo or expired registration plates,, you'll be well and truly in front! Good luck, Glen.
Wire transfer is best. I would get on a plane. I had a guy last that took all the right pictures. The cars was total shit! It cost 1,100.00 get on a plane. Or have a HAMB member look at it for a couple of bucks!
FROM the thread you quoted: <TABLE id=post2374798 class=tborder cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thead style="BORDER-TOP: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 0px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e5e5e5 1px solid; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; BORDER-LEFT: #e5e5e5 1px solid"> 11-20-2007, 01:15 PM <!-- / status icon and date --></TD><TD class=thead style="BORDER-TOP: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e5e5e5 1px solid; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; BORDER-LEFT: #e5e5e5 0px solid" align=right> #7 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-TOP: #e5e5e5 0px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e5e5e5 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #e5e5e5 1px solid" width=175>Ryan<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_2374798", true); </SCRIPT> Administrator Join Date: Jan 1995 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 13,634 </TD><TD id=td_post_2374798 class=alt1 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 1px solid"><!-- icon and title --> Re: Recovering cash from rip offs??? <HR style="COLOR: #e5e5e5; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e5e5e5" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Step 1... Contact me. See if I can help... This isn't eBay man... I actually try to help out in situations like this... Especially for an Alliance member. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________ Ryan Cochran "Skating the same line since 1976..." .................................................. .... www.jalopyjournal.com - www.garagejournal.com - www.gearjournal.com - www.fordbarn.com - www.DOGFIGHTmag.com <!-- / sig --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> READ THIS: @ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=630479 I have a HAMB Alliance member since joining in 2008 .... Jim
John Fleming at Classic US Imports has helped me sort out purchases when I couldn't do it personally. He's in the US frequently, and if he's close, he'll inspect; if not he has contacts who can. I agree with the recommendations in the posts above - getting on the plane yourself is ultimately the best buying experience - especially if you sample some US hospitality and car culture.
I sold a '34 pickup to a fellow in Australia and a '41 Ford sedan to a guy in Massachusetts last summer. Both transactions were done by email, phone, and wire transfer for $$ and worked out very well. I trailered the '34 from Montana to Long Beach for overseas container transport. Feel free to email me for information on how we handled details. [email protected]. I agree that the most secure way to buy a car is to physically look at what you are getting....but not always possible or practical. If you can establish a healthy relationship, you can operate on trust. But be careful and remember that there are scammers in our midst.
Man I get bitchy when there is a car in Georgia I want to check out. I forget how good we have it sometimes.
This. Let the shipper help you, ask around who people use and recommend. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Do you like a bit of a gamble? I bought a Model A coupe from a HAMBer in California a few short years ago. It was a "garage find" and unrestored, so you could see the general condition from the photos, and was a non-runner. I decided to risk a few thousand dollars on the basis that it would still have some value over here, even if much worse than it looked. I guess you'd be shipping out of the west coast, but whatever port used, I think they're very strict on the paperwork on anything leaving the country. Mine was coming in a shared container and it was held up for a while when the VW bus that was booked with it turned out to have something amiss with the title and was stopped. Luckily, my seller had some experience of exporting cars so was able to ensure that all the T's were crossed and I's were dotted, and the paperwork was up to scratch. Mine worked out OK, with no nasty surprises, but I know of a "nice" 5-window here that looked great until a small accident meant it had to be stripped to bare metal: they had great trouble finding any metal under all the filler. Sorry, forgot: I paid by direct transfer to the seller's bank. I had spoken to him and had details of his address, and his bank details (contrary to popular belief, you need more than someone's bank account number to get money out of it), so all the risk was actually mine, not his.
Hi all, Thanks for all the advice so far! Does anyone know of any reputable brokers for this sort of thing near San Francisco? I've talked to the owner and he does seem very genuine and seems to know his stuff, but a second set of eyes and an impartial third party would certainly help the process. I've had a very decent price to ship via container from Long Beach, CA, and to ship RORO out of Port Hueneme, CA - both roughly $1800 to Fremantle port. Or are there any senior HAMBers near San Francisco who would want to make a buck for swinging by to have a look? Jim - is that courier in your avatar able to make deliveries??? Cheers, Rewey
Rewey, Sorry but she do not even make deliveries to me .... When I haul cars to California, they always go to Long Beach for export, that is where you should look for a U.S. Broker. Better still, try to find someone in your country. That way, you are dealing " locally ". You might want to look thru this thread started by a Seller here dealing with an overseas Buyer: @ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=780636 Jim
I bought a car last year in San Francisco, and had it inspected by this guy- Scott Brown Auto Inspection Service P.O. Box 2508 Grass Valley, CA 95945 Tel: 530-477-7538 Fax 530-477-7539, He sent a heap of photos after I rang him and told him where to look specifically. If you send a deposit via Paypal and mark it as a "gift", then you cant be shafted. Bank transfer was how I paid the balance.
Thanks again, Jim. That last thread link was a great source. I'll look into the wiring process and see what I can find... Cheers, Rewey
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