I just followed a pop-up to a site advertising cheap cars. This SL 500 AMG looks fair, to me.
2002 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS SL 55 AMG 2dr Auto Amg Convertible
£9,999.00
What about the others
cars-sales-direct.com/convertible.html#1
I thought the VW EOS well priced but I don't know!
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If you can afford to run that you can afford to buy a brand new one hence why its so cheap.
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£106,820 for a new one, the £10000 one looks easier on my budget!
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The wording in parts is strange as if English was not the first language.
My mind says "scam"..
Last edited by: madf on Sun 6 Nov 11 at 20:00
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I wouldn't know but I'd not feel comfortable with that site. Can't explain why but if it looks like a fish and smells like a fish it's probably a fish...Might be wrong of course.
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There's a Porsche Boxster 3.2S on there listed for £8100 on a 2005 plate. A quick look on Autotrader finds similar age/spec for £13500. Hmm.
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FWIW it states that the cars are "repossessed vehicles from banks, Credit Unions, financial institutions or the government".
cars-sales-direct.com/about-our-company.html
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Thanks for that Focus! I googled for the name and came up with a dealer in Knaresborough, which is the one I have linked to. I have owned 3 Merc convertibles in the past I was really window shopping, I don't plan to buy a convertible but I am interested in opinions of these prices, Repossessions might explain them
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>> Repossessions might explain them
Doesn't mean it's not a scam though - I'd be very careful based on what others are saying.
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Repossessions might explain them.
Why? Nobody sells for less than market value however they acquired it
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First thing I notice is that the pictures of the stock have all been taken in different locations - many in residential areas (borrowing the pics from autotrader / ebay?)
Also the address is a managed office center when you can rent space. www.normanbygateway.com/directory.htm
Car sales direct do not feature in the list of tennants
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Also the website appears to be an off the shelf template type
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Could be a trading name of a company that is listed as a tenant though, however if all the cars are different locations that does scream scam.
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The LTD company is listed there, so it suggests they are based there
wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/4e0b1f447a1132ad769abca0a6d90e4c/compdetails
Been going since October 2010 and nothing on google which suggests it is a scam.
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Thanks everybody! It has taken less than an hour to change this from a twinkle in my eye to a big AVOID!
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ZoneAlarm doesn't like the site advising caution and not entering any personal details.
The site was first registered on 2nd Nov. this year and is located in the US.
That BMW 330d 2008 with only 31k miles for £8.5k sets off my too cheap to be true radar.
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Just read the FAQ's.
You pay them for the car, then after 2 days they will deliver it to you - no mention of being able to collect it......
It will also come with all the papers you need to register it?????
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And will it have all the keys and service records? Maybe not it it is a Repo? Can you inspect before buying or reject on delivery? Lots of questions and niggles and not enough info methinks
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They claim to be established 7 years, so incorporation in Oct 2010 doesn't chime.
No phone number. Address is shared by at least 10 companies. FAQs don't include how to inspect the car before paying/buying.
Website up since 2/11? No testimonials, let alone checkable ones.
If they are genuine, they are going about it a funny way. Target market must be people who came up in the last bucket.
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They are cheap because valid title is suspect. IE ownership is unclear.
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How, Z? Do you think the repo story is a cover?
I have repossessed quite a few cars, among other things. Few were any good. But they would be sold (usually in a normal auction or by tender) with clear title. The finance company selling them owns them.
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Not saying they are nicked, not saying they are proper HP, Lease, finance company repo cars either.
There is a middle ground, cars taken in lieu , cars put down as collateral, cars taken in ownership disputes (divorce, company break ups), that kind of thing. Much less clear cut.
Either way, most of these cars will come with an HPI warning, and with such slashes the value of same.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 6 Nov 11 at 21:20
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I don't think the cars exist. Or rather, they do, but for sale at other dealers. Its clearly a scam to part people from their money for a car which will never be delivered.
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Would anyone really buy a car without a) inspecting it and b) having clear and unambiguous title to it? these are well underpriced. Surely it doesn't matter where they come from - if the source is legitimate them why would the seller offer them below market value?
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Of course it's a scam and it's been operated from (well via) the Isle of Man and USA over the past year or more. Other forums have been winding their live chat up for months.
As mikeyb says the photo locations do not match the claims of the car sources and the address given is just an accomodation one. The only way to buy is via live chat and this is an example of what you'll get if you engage with them...
Please wait for a site operator to respond...
Operator Sammy has joined the chat.
Sammy: Hello
Mark: Hello, Unfortunately I got cut off earlier but am still interested in this Audi
Sammy: I have found the car as: 2004 AUDI A6 2.5 TDI Quattro 5dr Auto Diesel Avant
Is this the vehicle you are interested in ?
Mark: Yes thank you, does it have an MOT and Tax
Sammy : yes i see in our data base this car was MOT tax until july 2011 and road tax until november 2011
Mark: Is there any way I can see the car before I go through with the sale online?
Sammy: We win vehicles at auctions all over the country. The cars have been taken over by the government or by financial institutions or banks from people with financial woes and cannot pay for the loans that they made. Local pick-up is not available. Most of the vehicles are stored at the parking lots of banks and financial institutions. They don't have showrooms or specialized people in order to offer this service. They are pressing us to take the car from there as soon as possible. In order to avoid unnecessary shipping costs, we prefer to find a buyer and deliver the car directly to his address. You will be able to inspect the car at you home and if you decide not to keep it, we are going to refund your payment and take the car back free of charge.
Mark: Oh Wow, that is such a good deal, what is the best way to pay arrange payment
Sammy: Payment must be completed by Bank Transfer.
.... and on it goes.
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Yup, and if you actually did get the car ( some hopes ! ) You can bet your bippy that in a couple of weeks, with the help of a duplicate set of keys/blippers, it will be off to West Africa in a container for it's holidays !
Ted
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An identical website with the same vehicles exists under the name Used Car Warehouse registered to this address... Isle of Man: 54 Castle Court Apartments Farrants Way, Castletown Isle Of Man, IM91PE, United Kingdom. Phone: 01623 276 997.
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Also googling "883031223 mercedes" turns up 5 sites selling the same car. Not good...
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>> Also googling "883031223 mercedes" turns up 5 sites selling the same car. Not good...
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And the sixth site is no longer working. Otherwise there were six identical sites apart from name.
Anyway I've got this bridge in London for sale. Any takers...?
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>> Also googling "883031223 mercedes" turns up 5 sites selling the same car. Not good...
4 of the sites share the same name server... ns1.incrediblens.com It would be interesting to see what else is on that ns. Chances are everything on there will be bad.
Last edited by: merlin on Mon 7 Nov 11 at 00:22
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So are there still people stupid enough to pay for a car via bank transfer (never seeing it) and then expect it to be delivered? I assume there must be enough people thinking they are getting a bargain.
And I assume the live chat bit means there is little come back when you lose your money.
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Meldrew, you're a bit of a MB fiend by the look of it, good for you.
Be wary of the W230, 2002 on SL they are not the bomproof W219 in any way shape or form.
The petrol tank baffles break off and it's a several thousand pound fix, the front bottom ball joint is part of the strut which if it's air sprung is around a grand...each, that's two regular faults that i know of for your pleasure, there's likely dozens more and all will be expensive.
I haven't seen the cheap car site referred to here, but i stick to my rule of it's too good to be true etc.
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>> The petrol tank baffles break off and it's a several thousand pound fix, the front
>> bottom ball joint is part of the strut which if it's air sprung is around
>> a grand...each, that's two regular faults that i know of for your pleasure, there's likely
>> dozens more and all will be expensive.
>>
Roofs leak - filling the boot with water.
There's a few ECU's that live at the bottom of the boot........
Pumps and pipes are also good sellers, remember this is not a cheap car to fix no matter what goes wrong - and its a very technical car.....
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The last one I had must have been a W129, bought it new in 1997, a well specced 320 and it was a pleasure to own and drive.
What a nest of vipers you men have found while I have been off line/in bed! I was only asking for comments on prices, which I got, plus now all the grisly and perhaps predictable background to the whys and wherefores of the low prices. I hope your research keeps people away from these shysters!
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Fascinating! Dodgy Cars have got this Vauxhall Insignia for sale @ £12K, the e bay seller has declined an offer of £21K for it! Plus, e bay seller is described as having No Items for sale! What is going on?
Last edited by: Meldrew on Mon 7 Nov 11 at 06:55
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>>>e bay seller is described as having No Items for sale! What is going on?
Google found the ebay listing but it's one that's now finished. As it's a classified not auction listing you don't see any dates. Note the images are taken on a bright spring day.
As the seller hasn't any feedback for selling for over a year I wondered if the ebay ad was dodgy as well but there are clues the seller really has owned that car.
So who has a disposable e.mail/ip address for winding up the live chat??
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Hoe about someone pretends being a Nigerian with a lot of money that needs transferring somewhere. Could 'buy' a few cars.
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Are Any of These Good Prices? - RattleandSmoke
