PLEASE VIEW THE LINKS BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR!
I am so pissed!
Many of you know that I have been searching for a 911. I look all the same places you do: eBay, here, Rennlist, AutoTrader, etc.
A few days ago I called on a car in Florida listed in AutoTrader. 1987 911 Carrera with 173,609 miles, but only $12000 asking price. The private seller turned out to be a really nice guy, a fellow enthusiast, and very honest and candid about the car. He owned the car since 1989 and had every receipt documenting its care, including an upper-end rebuild at 102K ($5400). He was even upfront enough to tell me about a couple boo-boos that required a body shop, and tell me what the car may need (A/C inop due to incorrect replacement fan w/ wrong pulley). He emailed me some pics, and the car was gorgeous. Really.
Nice guy, nice car, nice price.
THE AUTOTRADER AD (173K mi):
Monday night, someone else bought it. He was nice enough to email and tell me:
Quote:
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FYI, a guy from Lauderdale came by my house last night with a stack of $100s and drove off with a 1987 carrera. Good luck with your search!
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That would be the end of the story: my woes for missing a great car, lesson learned.
READ ON......
I continued my search. Came home tonight (Thursday) and pulled up all the new additions to eBay. A couple were of interest. One was a 1987 Carrera, Black on Black, with only 76K miles. With a Buy-It-Now of $17995. As the images loaded, I noticed the same pedestrian Michelins.... the same Alpine stereo.... the same disconnected A/C belt..... could it be?
The VIN proved it.... THE SAME CAR!
But now with only 76k miles!?
THE eBAY AD (76K mi):
So how does this happen? I understand that our VDO mechanical odometers are infamously easy to roll back. This car was a prime candidate having a 'last odometer statement' from 1989. CarFax may not pick up on it. Also, Florida treats 'old' cars as exempt from odometer statements. The guy that buys this car may have no recourse when he/she finds out the fraudulent truth.
And the stacks of receipts lovingly kept all those years by the second owner....... that 'proof' is surely in a dumpster somewhere. Like nails on a chalkboard to fellow Porsche enthusiasts.
I know A LOT of car dealers that work hard to make an honest living, and this type of activity infuriates them too. This guy bought the car Monday night, cleans it, and lists it on eBay Thursday. No value add there, I'm guessing. He paid no more than $12000 for the car Monday, and has a Buy-It-Now of $17900. Not bad. I'm all for a dealer making profit. This is America and it's a free market economy. But profit by fraud?
The eBay seller's alias is
cars4U2312 and he has
100% positive feedback over 270 transactions. How many others are fraudulent? I just imagine him paying untraceable cash to buy cars from private parties (auctions and dealers have to transfer titles and odo statements) where they have owned it for a long time (low odo statement), but have put on higher miles. Then he rolls to odo, and sells it for quick money.
I feel violated, even though nothing 'happened' to me.
Buyer beware. Caveat Emptor. We're all suckers.
I don't know what more to say or do.... I'm pissed
PLEASE COMMENT! I NEED THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY
How do you feel?
E