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We’ve recently heard from several MBCA members who have listed cars or merchandise for sale in the Trading Post. They reported that they were attempted targets of an e-mail scam that’s becoming common in the online classic car marketplace.

It works this way: You list your car in an online marketplace – eBay, Craigslist, or the MBCA Trading Post – and put in your e-mail address. In a day or two, you get an e-mail from someone, usually outside the country, saying that they saw your car in the listing and it’s exactly what they’ve been looking for. They’re willing to pay full price, and will arrange to have the car picked up by a car transport company for shipping to them.

To complete the sale, they suggest what seems like a reasonable process. They will mail you a cashier’s check for the price of the car and will also include the cost of the shipping, telling you that the shipper requires payment in cash at pick-up. All you need to do is deposit the cashier’s check in your bank, pay the truck driver out of that money when the car is picked up, and keep the rest.

The only problem is that cashier’s checks can easily be forged, and your bank is not responsible for checking their validity; that’s your responsibility. If the check is no good, you’re responsible for reimbursing your bank. Bottom line, you discover after a week or two that your car has been stolen, not sold, and you’ve paid to ship it to the thief.

Be very suspicious if the buyer’s English is a little rough, if they give you a complicated story about why they want to buy the car sight unseen, or if they don’t make any effort to confirm the car’s condition or negotiate the price.

If you don’t know the buyer, then insist that the buyer deal with you personally and inspect the car before purchase. A reputable buyer will be happy to do this. If they can’t meet with you personally, they can arrange for a reputable local agent – a club member or local appraiser, for example – to inspect the car. The scam artist has no interest in doing this; they just want the process to be as simple as possible.

After you have made the deal, then demand that you be paid in cash, or that the money be wired from the buyer’s bank to yours. No Wells Fargo money orders, no certified checks, no international bank drafts; these are too easily forged. To be absolutely sure, have your bank set up a specific account for you to handle the transaction, and have your banker help you with the transaction.

*Our advice: The best buyer is someone you already know or with whom you have friends in common. The best buyer is often a person in your local section.

If the deal appears to be too good to be true, it probably is, and you’re better off just ignoring the contact and waiting for a real buyer.

Gary Anderson
Editor, The Star

MB Canada has announced its version of the “Loyalty” program MBUSA has been offering to USA club members. It’s called the “Preferred Association” program. Here is a PDF about the program. I believe continuous membership in the MBCA for at least a year will be a requirement for eligibility.

Stacy Rollins
NW Regional Director
Mercedes-Benz Club of America

(The date at the bottom of the pdf indicates July 31 as the end of the offer, but it is not correct.)