# Where's the scam in this? - For surely that is what this is. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 5, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-scam-in-this-for-surely-that-is-what-this-is/559617 "2010-11-05T19:49:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2010, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-scam-in-this-for-surely-that-is-what-this-is/559617/21 "2010-11-07T07:11:45Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > If the guy shows up and offers cash (and it’s real cash), then cash is cash. If he breaks out a check, on the other hand, or if he tries that “Okay so I’ll give you a money order for 7,000 and you give me 2 grand back…” thing, well, you know. I would bet that had you pursued the transaction something like this would have happened. The whole $5000 thing is just to see how easy you are to manipulate. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-scam-in-this-for-surely-that-is-what-this-is/559617/22 "2010-11-08T21:28:13Z")
> [@Like\_Fry](#): > > There is a far better way to determine the price of your car. Do a little research and see what other cars of the same make, mileage, condition, and year are selling for. Even better if you can get sold prices. > > Blue book is usually high, NADA is often wrong. > > Fry Yah, I used Edmunds and the Kelly Blue Book value for a car in “Good” condition. According to their criteria my car is somewhat less than good as it definitely needed a new set of tires, plus had cosmetic issues (scraped rims, dented trunk hood, peeling window tint, a patched tear in a leather seat); I hoped the 7-year-old custom audio system (still sounds great but none of the components are still in production) would offset it. Apparently I was right, it sold to the first person who came to see the car at asking price. In fact that would suggest I set the price too low. But I’m fine with getting what I got for it. I guess I’ll never find out what the deal was with those two guys offering $5k even sight unseen. In a way that’s better, I get to invent lots of back stories with no evidence necessary. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-scam-in-this-for-surely-that-is-what-this-is/559617/23 "2010-11-08T22:10:28Z")
I don’t think it sounds like much of a scam but more of just how these guys haggle. Seeing if you will accept $5K tells them how willing you are to negotiate. From that point even though they make a verbal agreement for $5K it’s still not guaranteed. They can now come over knowing you’re holding the car for them and start to pick it apart telling you why it’s actually worth less now that they are looking at it and all they’ll give you for it is $4400. ---
**Author:** ![Saratoga\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Saratoga\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saratoga_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-scam-in-this-for-surely-that-is-what-this-is/559617/24 "2010-11-09T00:32:21Z")
Maybe the guy is insisting the price be $5000 cash because he wants to pay you with one of [these](http://www.coinsite.com/content/coinpics/specimen5000.asp). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-scam-in-this-for-surely-that-is-what-this-is/559617.md?page=1)