is this a scam?

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mattbiernat · #1 Post by **mattbiernat** » Tue May 13, 2008 1:32 pm

I came back from europe and I had no car. So I went on craigslist and I found Honda Civic DX. I bought it for $3050. The guy said that he works for a dealer and that he got this honda in an auction and that's why it's not under his name. He said that his dealership will do the DMV registration so he asked me to pay the 8% tax and the $100 DMV registration fee. He signed a paper stating that he got paid the $3050 for the car, $350 for tax and $100 for registration. This entire deal happened last thursday. On saturday we went to get a smog check for which he paid. He said that my registration will be ready for sure on monday. Then on monday he tells me that the smog check did not get transfered electronically and that the registration will be ready for 100% on tuesday by 1130am. Its now 1136am, the guy is not picking up his phone and not returning my phone calls. Is it too early to worry? Or is there something really going on? And what should I do?
I have no registration and no pink slip for this car. The only proof that this is my car is the "bill of pay" which states that he sold it to me. What should I do???

#2 Post by **Kyocera** » Tue May 13, 2008 2:31 pm

matt wrote:What should I do???

Hope that he is not jerking you around. You might try to get someone to run the VIN for you if you can.

#3 Post by **Harryc** » Tue May 13, 2008 2:38 pm

I'd guess that it's possible that you bought a stolen car. I wouldn't let a stranger register a bag of (insert your favorite vulgar noun here) for me

. Call the police to check whether or not it's stolen. Do it soon.

skitty4gzus · #4 Post by **skitty4gzus** » Tue May 13, 2008 4:52 pm

have you physically seen the title for the car? even if the title is not re-written over in his name he will still have it with the previous sellers information on the back in ink. If a bank has the title that is ok too because he "should" have the lien title for the car, which is the only way to have it registered if you dont have the title outright. The title work on the car has to be done first in order for it to be registered in your name or his name from the auction house first. if the bill of sale is notarized than you have basically a receipt for a car you dont have possession of. a bill of sale isnt something that is stored on file by the dmv, so it doesnt get you very far without the car present. i would find that guy, the car, and demand to see a title for the car, whether it be an edited title or lien title. call better business bureau and have dmv or police run the VIN on the car if you have it.

ajkula66 · #5 Post by **ajkula66** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:04 pm

A couple of things here...

Bill of sale would be OK on a 40-year old car, not on a Civic. Without the title being in the seller's name, he has sold you something that legally doesn't belong to him...

I hope that you have at least some of the relevant data (name, address etc.) for this guy. If I were you I'd be going to the cops first thing in the morning...

I do hope that you get to see your money back, or take possession of the vehicle.

Good luck, somehow I feel you're going to need it.

mattbiernat · #6 Post by **mattbiernat** » Tue May 13, 2008 11:24 pm

thanks everyone for your help! i have good news, the guy finally today gave me the registration. i think i was just being too stressed out about the whole thing...

j-dawg · #7 Post by **j-dawg** » Wed May 14, 2008 1:48 pm

I would always make sure to get a Carfax on a car before buying it, though they're not always 100% reliable and if a car were recently stolen it might not show up on the report.

is this a scam?

is this a scam?

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