1.5 Roadster for sale on eBay

[ecarfan]

Does anyone know this 1.5 Roadster? Stated to be "gray" with a "tan" interior. VIN 5YJRE11B781000179

Tesla Convertible | eBay

 

[kp.sfo]

Re: price: Description says

Priced for a fast sale..I will let it go for 40 k

 

[ecarfan]

Yes, the price seems very "reasonable". I have sent an email to the seller asking some questions. Unsurprisingly the bidding is already up to $40K with over two days to go.

Seems like a comparable Roadster to this 1.5 with a hardtop and low miles Tesla Roadster Roadster 1 5 | eBay

That one got up to $50K but seller wants over $70K.

 

[Benjamin Brooks]

Yes, the price seems very "reasonable". I have sent an email to the seller asking some questions. Unsurprisingly the bidding is already up to $40K with over two days to go.

Seems like a comparable Roadster to this 1.5 with a hardtop and low miles Tesla Roadster Roadster 1 5 | eBay

That one got up to $50K but seller wants over $70K.

Sooo tempting...

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Does anyone know this 1.5 Roadster? Stated to be "gray" with a "tan" interior. VIN 5YJRE11B781000179

Tesla Convertible | eBay

I just bid it above $40K, but apparently the reserve is higher...

 

[TEG]

Does anyone know this 1.5 Roadster? Stated to be "gray" with a "tan" interior. VIN 5YJRE11B781000179
Tesla Convertible | eBay

Yup...

Too bad the eBay seller has 0 history / feedback. Hopefully it isn't a scammer, but the details look legit.

A little concerned by the # of vehicles they suddenly have listed on eBay:
stefreedavi | eBay
If they say that they are stuck overseas and ask you to wire money out of the country, I suggest that you run away!

 

[772]

It looks like he selling 5 cars at the same time, all discounted. Wonder what the story is. Sent him a message anyway.

 

[ecarfan]

So by "yup" you mean you know that particular Roadster? Can you say where it is located? Reveal anything about it? Seller is legit?

Thanks!

Yup...
View attachment 44744

 

[ecarfan]

I looked at the sellers other cars. One is a 1965 Porsche 356 SC Coupe at Porsche 356 Coupe | eBay

Ad states "Priced for a fast sale..I will let it go for 35 k".

I have owned multiple 356s. The car described and pictured in that eBay ad is worth twice that.

The other two cars the seller has listed, a BMW M3 and a Z3, have similar come on lines and also appear way underpriced.

When an online ad offers what appears to be an outstanding car at way under the average market price...draw your own conclusions.

eBay is full of such "deals".

My apologies for even bothering to post about that Roadster before doing some additional research. I hope no one gets cheated.

 

[Benjamin Brooks]

I looked at the sellers other cars. One is a 1965 Porsche 356 SC Coupe at Porsche 356 Coupe | eBay

Ad states "Priced for a fast sale..I will let it go for 35 k".

I have owned multiple 356s. The car described and pictured in that eBay ad is worth twice that.

The other two cars the seller has listed, a BMW M3 and a Z3, have similar come on lines and also appear way underpriced.

When an online ad offers what appears to be an outstanding car at way under the average market price...draw your own conclusions.

eBay is full of such "deals".

My apologies for even bothering to post about that Roadster before doing some additional research. I hope no one gets cheated.

Yeah... :/
Roadster #179 with $42K Reserve on eBay - Beware SCAM

 

[jeremyz]

This listing is pretty obviously fraudulent. When you see things like this, you can report them to ebay. On each auction item, there's a "report item" link; one of the options is fraudulent listing. I'm not sure that Ebay actually does anything with a single report. I hope that if multiple people reported a listing as fraudulent, ebay would take notice.

 

[TEG]

The description of the car matches the pictures. But the whole thing could have been lifted / copied from some earlier ad some time ago.

Along with this 0 history / 0 feedback of the seller, and the multiple cars listed, other warning signs include:
#1: Priced for quick sale. (Trying to get buyers to make a quick decision)
#2: Multiple cars listed with pictures that seem to be taken in very different places.
(For instance, the Roadster pix are old from the SF bay area... I find the Red BMW pix previously from this Texas listing: BMWCCA Classifieds )

I don't know for sure... It could be a new consignment seller... But it sure has a lot of warning signs as a questionable listing... If someone here is bidding on that car, I would consider extra steps, such as seeing the car in person first, before sending any money somewhere. Also, probably not a good idea to meet anyone with cash in hand.

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I find that some of the cars they have listed on eBay also show up on 2040cars.com web site. That site seems to be hosted in the UK, and has registration details hidden behind some privacy protection services. (Further fishiness)

Doing a google search on their tag line "Priced for a fast sale..I will let it go for"
I find other listing like this:
http://www.2040cars.com/Infiniti/QX56/2012-infiniti-qx56-804781/

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http://findyourauto.net/Tesla-CONVERTIBLE-2008-Tesla-Roadster-ZZc-171573-ZZi-121290155843.aspx

 

[TEG]

Beware of ‘virtual car seller’ scam | Action Fraud

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http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-24662263

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The eBay listing was showing $42K high bid, but then dropped back to $5100. Looks like some bid were retracted.
Anyways, #179 was listed for sale back in 2012:

http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/15926-Roadster-179-with-42K-Reserve-on-eBay-Beware-SCAM
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/12775-179-Thunder-Grey-Saddle-Leather-Los-Altos-CA
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/8810-179-Thunder-Grey-Los-Altos-CA

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157632533862458/

The photos in the current eBay seem like they are from that old flickr set.

 

[carnut4ever]

It looks like he selling 5 cars at the same time, all discounted. Wonder what the story is. Sent him a message anyway.

Autocheck has the DMV records from 4 different cities. Seller did not return my email wanting to know vehicle location.

 

[kp.sfo]

What amazes me most is why would someone spend their time posting these scam listings? What does he get out of it...?

 

[ecarfan]

A sucker comes along often enough to make it worth his while. He gets the deposit or gets full payment (without delivering the car of course) and then disappears and resurfaces under a new username.

This scam is nothing new. Online car marketplaces are full of such crooks, though fortunately they are only a small percentage of all sellers. Most people are honest. Some are not. The buyer should always verify that the seller actually owns the car being sold, and the condition of the car, before making payment.

 

[ecarfan]

I just got an email from that eBay seller. Here it is:

----------------------------
On Tuesday, March 11, 2014, NHT <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi,

If you're still interested the vehicle is available.
I have a clean and clear title in hand.The vehicle is flawless not one ding, dent, scratch, or any other sort of mechanical or cosmetic issues.
Never involved in any accidents.

Asking price is $40k.

Let me know if you have any questions.
--------------------------------------------

 

[ecarfan]

My reply to that person who emailed me:

---------------------------------
If you are the eBay seller "stefreedavi" who listed the car shown here 2008 Tesla Roadster | eBay

Then all my questions have already been answered in this topic:

1.5 Roadster for sale on eBay

Of course of you are a legitimate seller than you can answer the questions I asked you in my email sent to you via eBay.
----------------------------------------

It's interesting that the bidding in your ad ended at $40.1K but you want to sell me the the car for less.

 

[bart513]

Ohhhhhh. Now it's getting really interesting. I feel like it's a soap opera unraveling!

 

[ecarfan]

Car sale scams are a widespread problem online. All we can do is publicize the scams online in enthusiast communities like these forums and hope potential buyers get the message.

 

[nbostaph]

I can't believe you guys! Here I am, finally within reach of a dream I've been chasing for half a decade, and just as it's within my grasp...you all have to go and crush it. How could you!

Thanks for posting this thread, and to everyone for posting their thoughts. When I saw this I figured it was, more likely than not, a scam. Then again, I've seen people sell cars for unreasonably low amounts before, especially when they need the money (I did this to start a business once), so I figured it was worth a shot. I don't know Ebay very well at all, so all the investigation you guys did saved me a lot of research.

Just to toss some additional information out there, here's the email chain I've had with the seller so far:




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is my personal car (i'm not a dealer) and i am the second owner.
I'm located in CA ..VIN#:5YJRE11B781000179
The car is flawless and the only reason i'm letting it go at this price is because i need the cash.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Nicholas ***" <***@hotmail.com>
To: "NHT"
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2014 12:28:52 PM
Subject: RE: 2008 Tesla Roadster

Hi,

Could you please answer the following questions for me:

- Are you a dealer or private party?Are you the original owner?
- Where (city/state) is this car currently located?What is the VIN number?Can you verify authenticity?
- Why is the price considerably lower than other, similarly equipped Roadsters?

If you could provide a link to any other "for sale" posting you have on the car I would appreciate it. I would like to provide that information to Tesla Motors directly to have them help me determine the authenticity of the car.

Thanks,
Nicholas



> Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 15:41:07 +0000
> From:
> To: ***@hotmail.com
> Subject: Re:2008 Tesla Roadster
>
> Hi,
>
> If you're still interested the vehicle is available.
> I have a clean and clear title in hand.The vehicle is flawless not one ding, dent, scratch, or any other sort of mechanical or cosmetic issues.
> Never involved in any accidents.
>
> Asking price is $40k.
>
> Let me know if you have any questions.