The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Possible scams when looking to buy

I'm just recently in the market for a 1952 3100. Twice I've come across a truck that looked good for a good price. I got an initial response from the "seller" saying the truck was available, in great shape and if interested I'll tell you how to send money. One guy sent me a copy of his passport .... hmmm ... I' didn't ask for that. I asked for more pictures and a pic of the door plate and engine serial # and said that I could have someone check it out in person. Now CRICKETS. No follow-up emails nothing. My theory is that they can't produce add'l pics because it was a bogus picture or it was not as nice as advertised.

It never hurts to be skeptical. Spending a few hundred for a third party inspection is usually money well spent.

Never send money first!!

Ed

Never buy an old truck on the sellers word and pictures alone. You or a good friend must go look at it. Even if you agree to purchase and go to fetch in person be prepared to walk away, come home empty if your not satisfied.
Having something you've never seen shipped to you is quite risky, near impossible to undo a purchase once it's in your driveway.

I've been to look at a number of trucks that I wanted to buy but most all turned out not to be nearly as nice as what I was expecting to find.
Years ago I did buy one without seeing it, and it was a bad purchase... eventually sold it for what I had in it and felt fortunate to get that.

If you find one in mid Mo.
I'll go look at it, call you when I'm standing next to it and answer any questions you have.
Take a lot of pictures and send them to you when I get home.

Don

Don, Thanks for the kind offer. I'll keep that in mind. BTW my daughter just moved from Columbia to PA.
cuzin

A bit off topic but still related, make sure it has a title. By that I mean a clean title in the hand of the seller.

When I bought my 58 Burb it was advertised as having a title. Turns out the title had been misplaced and had to be reissued by the state. We were eventually able to work it out but it was a pretty emotional 90 days. Like Grigg said, my check had cleared my bank and I had a truck sitting in my driveway. Couldn't register it because I didn't technically own it.

I'm sure others will respond for/against my position. I know titling rules vary by the age of the truck (VIN vs. no VIN; frame stamped vs not stamped; titled off the engine serial number instead of the VIN etc.) and the state in which it was registered. That being said, I wouldn't buy a truck without a title. Make the seller do all the necessary leg work before paying for the truck.

If your goal is nothing more than getting a parts truck to strip, I guess you could buy one without a title. If not, insist on a title. Food for thought.

It is curious to me that some advertise things for sale and then when you call to confirm condition or status or try to make arrangements the seller turns cooler. There must be buyers that just agree and send money. I would like to think selling and buyi g is a mutually agreeable experience with the buyer and seller being equally motivated if not somewhat skepical. Anyways the minute a seller stops reaching across i hope i am smart enough to put my wallet away. I had griggs experience just last month and was happy to have turned around without buying regret.

A sudden drop off in communication or failure to send additional images should be a major red flag warning.

You weren't clear whether or not he sent the first pic. If he did and won't send more, he probably pulled it off the 'net.

What do passports have to do with old trucks? hmmm is right.
Break the contact and look elsewhere.

I'll look at one in the K.C. area for you. I find that if you keep looking in your area you can find one close by. These are not that rare.
George

Amen to what all you guys are saying. I agree, the wallet comes out LAST regardless of what they say or the "pressure to buy" from them. The minute a guy starts talking "sending money" in the first sentence I'm gone.

....don't be afraid to "miss out on a buy" and something stupid.
Like bolters above, I have drove several miles to look at a vehicle for a fellow bolter who then spent many thousands of dollars. All things considered a plane ticket is cheap compared to "nothing to show for nothing".

..and thanks to everyone for the reminder to always be on our toes regardless of how "experience" or "aged" we may be. Don't ever let our/your guard down for a second.

Let me just add to what Larry said. Require the seller to present to you a clear title IN the seller's name, particularly if he/she is out of state. You also need to take the trouble to find out a little about the titling laws in that state and yours before you get in a situation where the seller has your $$ and you have expensive yard art.

I know someone will have an exception, but this is my rule.

Tim is right, a lot of states are different when it come to buying out of the state you are in.
In Missouri, I can buy and instate vehicle and just take to title in, pay the sales tax for a title in my name.
If I buy an out of state vehicle, I have to have a VIN verification by a licensed state inspector.

A few years ago, I bought at an farm auction a what they said was a 1951 with title. Did not pay much for it, hauled it home and unloaded it a field, did not check the VIN.
Straight to the DMV and got a title in my name.
This past fall, I put an ad in the swap meet threads, offering it up for sale at a very fair price.
An interested member here, that live in Virginia contacted me and since he is out of state, let me verify the VIN to the title.
Well, nothing matched up.
Turns out that VIN numbers before 1954 went by the engine S/N.
The door jam S/N number is just for tell what, when and where the truck was built.
Also pre 1954, GM did not stamp the frame for a VIN.
So, I load it up and take to the Missouri Highway patrol inspection station.
The officer was very nice, I already had the front left tire off, to look for a stamped frame, the door jam S/N cleaned and the block S/N clean and easy to read.
No luck.

The truck is a 49 by the door jam S/N, the title says it's a 51 and the motor S/N is a 53.
It's a parts truck now.
Truck without a title and a title without a truck.
I call it the Frankentruck and it is on the trailer ready to head to the Homecoming.
Funny thing is, I can make it street legal in Missouri by putting Historic tags on it, state inspection is not required.

Sorry for the long story, but if you buy out of state, check the VIN and know your state laws.
Don

I have spent my entire life buying equipment as well as old play toys. I spend at least a half an hour on the phone with people. If you let people talk long enough, it isn't that hard to separate the genuine people from the scammers. One dead give away is that most scammers are compulsive liars and they can't remember what they said 15 minutes ago. It is really difficult to explain to people what specifically to look for, but scammers usually trip themselves up in less than 10 minutes of conversation.

Asking you to send money to an account is nearly always a red flag. Showing you his passport was an instant red flag!! He's probably out of the country and has nothing but a picture of a truck up on a website like Ebay. Don't fall for it! The internet is full of scammers, especially Ebay and Craigslist. If it's not local either drive to see it or pay a fellow 'bolter to do it for you. And don't fall for the scam where a serviceman is having to leave for deployment and needs to sell quick. He will tell you that the truck is already either at the dock or in a freight container ready to be shipped but that he's changed his mind at the last minute to take it and needs to sell. He won't be able to take any specific pics for you because of that he will say. He will want you to wire him money to a Western Union account or to some place specific. RUN!!!

And the container is probably full of bricks and scrap iron, neatly secured so it doesn't rattle.
He'll be long gone with your green stuff by the time you open it.