I think I got scammed... (2 Viewers)

[chubster]

Howdy folks, would like to know what I should do in this situation. I'm sorry if this is the wrong location for this thread. Please don't bash me for not stopping myself after all the red flags..

I've been looking for LC200s for a few months now. I found one recently that was such a good deal and posted in the LC200 most recent purchase price thread about this car. https://www.affordablecarsalesllp.com/Inventory/Details/a327cba6-b2ff-4616-81d2-2437a914cb37 I first saw it on auto-trader. It is now no longer on auto-trader. I don't know if it got taken down because it's a false ad or if the dealer took it down because I paid a deposit on it.

With it being a 3-4 owner and a northern owned car, it was still priced well below the market for only 37K miles. The price is honestly too good to be true. Had a good conversation with the owner Chadd, and he even offered to ship it to me for free. There were red flags I should have caught along the way that this deal is too good to be true. The owner told someone traded for a classic car valued at $60K so he's looking to make quick sell at $70K. At the time (3 days ago) I looked up reviews on the dealership and the latest one on Google was from 11 months ago and they seemed fine. His website seemed fine. The nice cars on the site are also listed lower than the market. Also, the pictures for the nice cars on the website were taken in different locations whereas the more economically priced car looks like it was from the dealer lot.

I asked for a video of the cold start and he uploads it on his . It's hard to tell if it's the exact car but I saw the driver side mirror and it has the HE trim. The battery looks similar to the one in the ad. I was trying to get a look at the headlights but it was barely shown. The youtube channel had videos of the cold start for the other nice cars as that have been listed as well...

He told me he'd begin loading the car for delivery once he gets the down payment. The buyer's agreement stated that I have five days upon delivery to inspect the vehicle. If it's not to my liking, I can get a refund. I thought this was enough to protect me so I went ahead and wired the $20K deposit yesterday around lunch. Fast forward to today, he didn't send me the delivery order until the end of the day because he had to go to the DMV to do something with the title. In my mind, why does he need to go to the DMV for title work? As the dealer, he should have the title on hand. It shouldn't delay the process. The delivery order said the car would be shipped tonight and arrive by Monday. I had asked for a picture of the car once it's on the delivery truck but I didn't get one.

I decided to look up reviews again and guess what.. yesterday there were two posts that said this dealer is fraudulent. So what should I do in this situation? At this point, I just want my down payment back... can my bank do anything?
-Play dumb and just wait for the car to come. If it doesn't come by the delivery date, then call the dealer? The problem with this is that the dealer may disappear by then
-Call the dealer tomorrow and ask about the recent fraudulent review?
-Is it worth hiring a lawyer?

 

[Casey E]

I would contact your bank immediately, you can stop a wire transfer. You have to be fast.

Those reviews are telling you the dealer is just a front for a scammer.

 

[chubster]

I'm on the phone with the bank right now. They're going to try recall the wire but cautioned it's rarely successful. It's been about 32 hours since the wire completed...

 

[Eyedaho]

I would contact your bank immediately, you can stop a wire transfer. You have to be fast.

Those reviews are telling you the dealer is just a front for a scammer.

This!

 

[WkndProject]

Cars and Bids

Looks like it sold in 2022 and they just used the photos from that listing.

 

[7000ft]

I'd be on a plane in the morning. For a FTF conversation.

 

[Polecat]

Is the address on their website legit? I’d contact local law enforcement there asap

 

[golfer2000]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[tacoduck]

Anyone in Indiana that can lay eyes on the dealership and the actual vehicle? In hindsight you needed a 3rd party PPI to verify details of the vehicle. Good luck!

 

[TimCFJ40]

I'd be on a plane in the morning. For a FTF conversation.

Is the address on their website legit? I’d contact local law enforcement there asap

It's highly unlikely that the scammer is at the dealer's location. They may not even be in this country. They've just co-opted the dealer's site and are using it to lure in customers to scam.

I've bought some vehicles from afar, but I always send a small enough deposit I can afford to lose, and picked the vehicle up in person with a cashier's check for the balance. Exception would be nationally known businesses such as Carvana.

Definitely try and stop the wire, but you don't have a lot of options to track down the actual crook in this case. Because this is a federal crime, you could also try and contact your local federal prosecutor.

 

[tacoduck]

That website has a bunch of desirable cars at too good prices. They have a challenger hellcat red eye for $50k, a jeep track hawk super cheap, and a gmc Denali diesel for $35k. If it sounds way too good to be true, it usually is.

 

[Eyedaho]

That website has a bunch of desirable cars at too good prices. They have a challenger hellcat red eye for $50k, a jeep track hawk super cheap, and a gmc Denali diesel for $35k. If it sounds way too good to be true, it usually is.

It's pretty easy to do an image search and see that the photos were grabbed from the internet and not taken by the "seller".

 

[lx200inAR]

There also is not a car dealership at the address according to google earth.

 

[Polecat]

There also is not a car dealership at the address according to google earth.

That's what I was wondering... Bummer

Lots of 20/20 hindsight here, but I think the suggestion to contact federal law enforcement along with following your bank's lead (not necessarily to recover the funds, but to report the fraud) are the right course of action.

 

[TheIcemanCometh]

There also is not a car dealership at the address according to google earth.

The address shows up in the wrong place. The dealership is a hundred meters down the road. When doing a street view one can see the signage.

 

[lx200inAR]

The address shows up in the wrong place. The dealership is a hundred meters down the road. When doing a street view one can see the signage.

View attachment 3768163

Ah, i went up and down the road a little bit, but didn't go far enough I guess.

 

[lx200inAR]

The address shows up in the wrong place. The dealership is a hundred meters down the road. When doing a street view one can see the signage.

View attachment 3768163

Doesn't help the case much though. The google earth of the dealership shows a much "lower rent" car dealership and not one that is in the business of selling 50-100k cards.

And all the cheaper cars advertised are taken from a dealership in Indianapolis. Used Cars Indianapolis IN | Used Cars & Trucks IN | 2EZ Auto Sales - https://2ezauto.com/

 

[TheIcemanCometh]

Doesn't help the case much though. The google earth of the dealership shows a much "lower rent" car dealership and not one that is in the business of selling 50-100k cards.

Many times the addresses for scam sites are a mismatch thus an obvious red flag. What is shows is that there is an actual business located at the website address. So not an obvious red flag.

 

[stellite]

Apparently, Indiana seems to be plagued by these frauds. I would get a hold of the Indiana BBB.
Also, these guys are advertising on edmunds and other sites, so they are still active.

Due dilligence. I always do a ton of research on the seller before even contemplating. I buy lots of swiss watches and some from dealers overseas. I have gone as far as to call the business next door to ask about the seller.

 

[customcruiser]

Unfortunately you will likely not see your Wire returned.... the bank can recall an ACH within 5 days but a Wire is instant.