NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – As online car sale trends pick up, there is more opportunity for buyers to be swindled by fake sellers.
Knowing things are not always what they seem online, be cautious when buying on e-commerce sites, even if it’s a purchase you’ve made before. Unfortunately, one Nashville woman had to learn that the hard way, and she doesn’t want others to go through the same experience.
The woman, who doesn’t want to be identified, said she’s out at least $1,000 after sending money to a seller for a Toyota that never came.
“It wasn’t like a naïve stumble into a scam,” she explained to News 4. “I made them send me the Carfax, I asked a lot of questions, and I was getting back and forth from the alleged owner of this vehicle.”
She said she had purchased a car on Facebook Marketplace before. However, in that case, the owner drove it to her.
This time, the seller said in an email that her husband died, and the price is reduced because she was leaving on military duty.
The buyer wasn’t too concerned about that, thinking about companies who send cars like Carvana.
“These advertisements you see on television, on the internet, ‘buy your car online and we’ll ship it to you,’ so it seemed like it’s the new normal.”
In a second follow-up, the seller said she had prearranged the deal with eBay Services, where the buyer sends the money, the car is shipped in at least three days, and the buyer has five days to inspect the car before the money is…
