Selling a car what's the safest payment option: check or wire transfer?

[lsd]

I have someone who's bidding on my car on fleabay, however he has zero feed back and I'm extremely suspicious. However he doesn't have the telltale writing characteristics of scammers and I'm starting to believe he's not a scammer. He's offering to pay with a $500 paypal deposit and the balance with a cashiers check or wire transfer. He also says he plans on driving down here and trailering the car back.
I'd prefer a cashiers check but I'm weary of giving a stranger my address. So with the information given for an incoming wire transfer is there anyway a scammer to withdraw from my account?

 

[Brainonska511]

Why not have him pay with a USPS Money Order? I'd say that would be best.

 

[guyver01]

Cash.

/thread

 

[Vette73]

You don;t want to give your address but you are selling a car?

If you are that scared then just turn the computer off and go to the basement and hide till you think it is safe or you starve to death.

WTF

 

[MotionMan]

Cash.

/thread

If he is coming in person, why is this not an option?

MotionMan

 

[Numenorean]

Cash money, in my hand. Period.

Go to whatever bank he wants. They can withdraw from savings/pay out on loan/whatever, hand you the cash - you sign and hand him the slip/bill of sale, give the keys. Done.

 

[BoomerD]

Cash money, in my hand. Period.

Go to whatever bank he wants. They can withdraw from savings/pay out on loan/whatever, hand you the cash - you sign and hand him the slip/bill of sale, give the keys. Done.

If it's a local sale...this is the best/safest way.

 

[mmntech]

Cash or certified cheque. /thread.

 

[lsd]

You don;t want to give your address but you are selling a car?

If you are that scared then just turn the computer off and go to the basement and hide till you think it is safe or you starve to death.

WTF

I'm not selling a hunk of junk. There's a TON of money in this car. only a fool would give someone their address.

I always sell local but I NEVER have someone come to the house. How foolish are you?

 

[Thump553]

I think the more appropriate question is how foolish is it to give a stranger your bank account information vs. giving them your address? I've sold and bought tons of stuff over the years, I can't imagine dealing without someone so paranoid not to give their address-that certainly makes my scam signal tingle.

If you are that paranoid about giving out your address then rent a PO box, for Pete's sake. Odds are your address is on the registration and title anyway.

BTW the answer to your question is cash first, then USPS money order(s).

 

[MaxFusion16]

I'm not selling a hunk of junk. There's a TON of money in this car. only a fool would give someone their address.

I always sell local but I NEVER have someone come to the house. How foolish are you?

pretty sure your address is on the vehicle title........which you'll be handing over to the stranger.

i sell things locally all the time and have people come by to pick up in person, no problems yet. you are only fooling yourself if you think your address is some secret information.

 

[spaceman]

op ru fermenting our potato here or what
ur selling a car
you think cashiers check wire xfer is safer than having them come local?
GTFO

 

[lsd]

No the address is old on the title. But I don't care what happens after the exchange. What I'm worried about is if I do give him my address and he doesn't pay. Then he decides to take a test drive when I'm not home. Yes I know it's unlikely but that's how I feel.

The point is he has zero feedback and made the account 10 days ago. I would not be as paranoid selling to someone who had feedback.

 

[slayer202]

No the address is old on the title. But I don't care what happens after the exchange. What I'm worried about is if I do give him my address and he doesn't pay. Then he decides to take a test drive when I'm not home. Yes I know it's unlikely but that's how I feel.

The point is he has zero feedback and made the account 10 days ago. I would not be as paranoid selling to someone who had feedback.

are you stupid? you think hes going to go out of his way to steal YOUR car? if he was gonna steal a car he would go steal a car, probably a nicer one than yours. not to mention he could probably find your address if he really only wanted YOUR car

 

[Vette73]

I think the more appropriate question is how foolish is it to give a stranger your bank account information vs. giving them your address? I've sold and bought tons of stuff over the years, I can't imagine dealing without someone so paranoid not to give their address-that certainly makes my scam signal tingle.

If you are that paranoid about giving out your address then rent a PO box, for Pete's sake. Odds are your address is on the registration and title anyway.

BTW the answer to your question is cash first, then USPS money order(s).

Yep paranoid people think if you give out your address they will know you have stuff. Cause everybody else lives in a bare house yet THEIR stuff is really worth something.

 

[Meghan54]

are you stupid? you think hes going to go out of his way to steal YOUR car? if he was gonna steal a car he would go steal a car, probably a nicer one than yours. not to mention he could probably find your address if he really only wanted YOUR car

Not only that, but I'd think he'd steal one a bit closer to home.

The notion that everyone who has just joined ebay is a scammer trying to scam is just ignorant. Guess that also makes the OP a scammer since at one point he, too, was a new user on ebay with zero feedback.

 

[CRXican]

I'm not selling a hunk of junk. There's a TON of money in this car. only a fool would give someone their address.

I always sell local but I NEVER have someone come to the house. How foolish are you?

address is on the title and reg

how foolish are you?

 

[Nebor]

address is on the title and reg

how foolish are you?

For reals. OP, tuck a pistol in the small of your back and man up. I've sold cars for cash at my home before. To illegal hondurans at that.

 

[alkemyst]

You don;t want to give your address but you are selling a car?

If you are that scared then just turn the computer off and go to the basement and hide till you think it is safe or you starve to death.

WTF

Fuck yeah...seriously OP?

The safest is cash or western union transfer. Anything else can be fraudulent. Then again so can cash.

 

[DrPizza]

I'm not selling a hunk of junk. There's a TON of money in this car. only a fool would give someone their address.

I always sell local but I NEVER have someone come to the house. How foolish are you?

How freaking paranoid can a person be? I've sold a ton of stuff on Craigslist & had ever last thing picked up at my house. I *never* have the people come into my house though. But, what's the freaking big deal? Is your house invisible? Cloaked? What difference is it going to make if some stranger actually knows your address? Billions of people can hit the whitepages and know that same information.

Re: certified checks - only if I'm 100% sure of who I'm dealing with & where they live. I take checks in advance when people mail deposits, but when picking up, cash or money order only.

 

[alkemyst]

I'm not selling a hunk of junk. There's a TON of money in this car. only a fool would give someone their address.

I always sell local but I NEVER have someone come to the house. How foolish are you?

How you going to handle him getting the title?

 

[0roo0roo]

 

[Jumpem]

The buyer pays, but you keep the car until everything is cleared.