When I sold my car, I met the prospective buyer in the parking lot of the local police. I figured it’s neutral ground—I don’t need to know where they live or vice-versa. Plus there are cameras everywhere. If anybody decided to blow my brains out and dump my body during a test drive, the PD would have the license plate of the car they drove, pictures of the perps, etc. I tend to trade cars rather than sell them to private parties, but I imagine this approach would remove a lot of chaff.
Because it’s a PITA to go and meet you in order to read this VIN, only to find out when I plug it into CarFax or AutoCheck that’s it’s a salvage title, or got hit with 10K of hail damage, or any other thing that’s a waste of my time to deal with.
So, I wouldn’t be doing business with you. Clearly, a lot of people do though, so congratulations. I finally got my old car sold, and it was a big pain. Though I did end up getting more than either the dealer offered in trade or one of those give me your VIN shops, so that was good.
I will run the vehicle history report if I’m buying the car. Ditto my paying for my mechanic to look at it. Buyers actually expect you to do that for them?
It’s different for everyone. But, as I mentioned, if I have 3 or 4 emails asking if they can come look at the car or seem honestly interested in buying it, I don’t have a lot of motive for responding to the ones asking for the VIN or a picture of the steering wheel or offering me $600 when I asked for $3000. I’m not mean or rude or anything, I just don’t reply. I keep those emails in my back pocket in case the other ones fall through.
Buyers don’t, scammers do. All the people that have ever asked me to get a VIN report either don’t mention carfax or specifically ask me not to use it. Also, every time it’s happened, they’ve directed me to a website to use. I don’t know for sure, but I assume they’re either getting affiliate kickbacks or the site exists only to collect credit card numbers. My money is on them getting affiliate kickbacks so they’re just emailing everyone on craigslist with their link. Last time it happened, my plan was to make a fake report and send it to them. I assume if I did that, I’d never hear back since they weren’t actually interested.
In any case, that’s just me. I’m not selling things on craigslist as a full time job or doing it to make the mortgage this month, I’m just doing it because to make a few extra bucks. If I have to leave a car (or other item) posted for a few weeks instead of a day because I’m not bending to every request, it’s really not a big deal.
And, just to be clear, if I’d been emailing someone back and forth about a car and they asked for my VIN that’d be one thing (especially if I’ve managed to find something on the internet about them so at least I know they’re a real person, near me). It’s all the initial emails that are little more than “need vin number thaks” that I mostly ignore.
This thread reminds me of John McCutcheon’s The Red Corvette.
*One morning while reading the paper
In search of a new set of wheels
My newspaper ahd a most curious ad
In its listing of automobiles
I read it with suspicious amusement
At what looked like a great stroke of luck
Corvette Stingray - it said - low mileage, bright red
Eighty-three model, sixty-five bucks*
Good heavens, I hope not. A criminal could just cruise the airport long term parking lot logging VINs and have the police ‘run’ them for a list of addresses to burglarize.
I’ve heard of people just doing it at the buyer’s bank. Agree to meet, withdraw the funds, use the available counters for paperwork. Cams, neutral public place, no carrying around currency, no potential for police hassle.
There’s a difference. “I think this deal is suspicious, can you confirm this car is not stolen” is not the same as “i’ve got a hundred VINs, can you give me the addresses”.
I’ve also seen them where someone is deployed overseas and the ex or BIL or whomever, who has the car and all the papers, sells it and skips out. Later when the person comes home they find their car is gone and when they trace it down, the new owner has legal title to it.
Can be a heck of a mess to get it back.
Interesting thought experiment - As I was thinking about this scenario, it’s a pretty fantastical stretch but it’s not different than protecting yourself against buying any stolen property:
- Verify the “seller” has legit title to the goods (normally through the DMV - which can’t happen in your scenario since it hasn’t been reported stolen.)
- Verify the seller is who they say they are (as best as you can) with proper ID. I’d say in this case, ask for 2 pieces of govt issued photo ID you’re personally familiar with (In Canada, I’d say a passport and drivers licence, both of which are common and very tough to fake.)
- As a final insurance, insist on taking your own photo of the person so at least you’ve got an independent picture of the perpetrator to show police if it comes off the rails.
Also, I’d say the first flag would be they’d likely insist on cash. Having you do a cheque or direct payment creates its own paper trail whereby they can be tracked or they’d have to risk getting the money out of the legit owners acct.
[Although as I think about that, if they did have all that ID capability, why would they screw around selling a car on Craigslist? Why not just find some rich person and clean out their bank account?]
Bottom line is if they have they capability to monitor someone’s home:
Waiting for them to take an extended vacation, then have the ability to break in and have an extended period to search the house to find the keys and ID, and knowing there is not an alarm system, or being sophisticated enough to defeat it and hoping the neighbours don’t notice the Fotheringay-Phipps have returned from their vacation 3 weeks early and then having the capability to quickly make high quality fake passports and DL’s: you’re dealing with a very sophisticated and professional thieves and you’re screwed.
The cops will knock on your door as soon as it’s reported stolen. Just show them the picture (unless of course they can also hack your phone and delete it:))