Everyone Please Read!!! Scam Alert

Re:891/2 Testarossa with 23K miles for sale on Ebay

I have enjoyed numerous posts here and do not want to see any of the fine people on this forum get stuck with a piece of crap so for what it is worth I will put in my two cents.

That 89 Testarossa was up for sale in May(Hemmings). I called the guy up to inquire about the car and he seemed to be inconsistent with the information he gave me when I compared it to what he told my friend(a mechanic) when he called.

Inconsistencies:
Why are u selling the car?1)I'm buying an Enzo and need the $ 2)I'm in the music business and I'm relocating
When was the 30K done? 1)A year and a half ago 2)8 months ago
His name was 1)James 2)John
Do you have all the paperwork and service records?1)Yes 2)No(when I told him I wanted to see them when I came down
Do u have the tool kit? 1)Most of it 2)no

Despite the inconsistencies I arranged to drive down to see the car. I told him if the car checks out as described he will get his 47K(that was his asking price) no haggling. When I told him I wanted to have a PPI done he started to get shifty. He said there wasn't an authorized dealer for 250 miles and that it was impratical to get that done. When I insisted in having a PPI done, (I found a place 20 miles away and told him I would flatbed the car) he said he would call me back.

I had my Broker wire $ into my account to write a bank check out for the full amount. When I called him he stated he wanted an all cash deal. I told him he could cash that check same as cash while I was there and if they didn't want to clear it(which would never happen- certified bank check) I would leave the car with him till it did. I asked him what name I should make the check out to. He told me to write it out to his software company. When I told him that he told me he worked in the music industry he denied ever having told me that. He then asked me to call him later and hung up abruptly. It was 7:30 pm. When I called him at 8:15 pm to confirm the appt for the next day, he told me he just sold the car to someone from NJ for more money than the asking price- all cash deal.

I knew this guy was full of it. A couple of weeks later I saw it for sale on Ebay. A little bit of a different storyline but the same car. Interesting to note, when I called VA to find a place to take this car to for the PPI the owner of the shop identified a guy who had a white TR for sale whose name was John who owned a few exotics who flips them on a regular basis. He told me he believed that TR had more than the stated 23K miles. I wondered if it might be a roll back.

Think I'm done? Not quite. When I saw this ad for the white TR come up again I knew it was the same POS. I left him an email saying I was interested and received a call. When I told him I knew who he was and identified who I was he claimed he never had the car up for sale before and never spoke to me. He is at the very least a liar or a scizophrenic.

If you read this forum John/James and contest what I have said I will pull my long distance phone records, the check sent to my bank from my broker, pull up Hemmings/May ( I also believe it was in either Ebay or Dupont at the same time)for the ad as well as our conversation from two weeks ago and embarrass you for the POS that you are. I do not play. I am straight up and would be remiss if I didn't add the experience I had with a guy who wasted my time and lied to me.

I wish you luck if you still want to go down to VA. Do your due diligence and get a PPI from a Ferrari dealership. Full compression and leakdown test. For $500 it will be well worth it.

There are many F enthusiasts on F chat who are awesome. If this car was/is as described 89 1/2 TR 23K miles with full service done never in an accident all records etc. at $47K it would have went in a day. Be careful.

Has anyone else seen this car or have any experiences with the owner.

 

If you thought that it was a scam why even waste your time on investigating the car/owner and just walk away.

 

Well, that's not so friendly against someone who makes a long strory to help everybody here... (?)

 

First of all, you missed the point of my thread. My suspicions were raised as time went on and the deal progressed. I wanted to see if this was going to be the "buy of a lifetime" that the owner presented it to be. I know I do my due diligence and was not worried about covering my ass in protecting my bottom line. Because of that diligence, the owner backed off.

Thanks Henkie. It did take a lil bit to write but I feel it was worth it. For all the great threads you guys put up on a regular basis, it was the least I could do. I hope I spared someone the airfare of what might have been a wasted trip or at least made a point of the importance of Q&A and PPI's to weed out the good from the bad.

 

Hi there, thx for the warning, but do you have a link to that Ebay-ad, so we can see what car you're talking about?
Jurgen

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ferrari-1989-Ferrari-Testarossa-USA-Spec-CA-Emissions-Legal_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6212QQitemZ4580066838QQrdZ1

Is this the one?
Ciao
Eugenio

 

Also, have you seen the topic from the guy "gonna buy a 89 TR next monday" ?

Same car if you ask me. Same mileage etc. Don't we think that that guy would love to read this alert ?

 

If that is the car then here is the report. It shows to have been in Puerto Rico. I would recommend staying away from this one. Here is part of the report.


Report Run Date: 10/11/2005
VIN: ZFFSG17AXK0081389 1989 Ferrari Testarossa



Event Date Event Location Odometer Reading Data Source Event Detail
01/19/1994 SPRINGFIELD, MO 276 Motor Vehicle Dept. ODOMETER READING FROM DMV

05/24/1995 LAS VEGAS, NV 1,016 Motor Vehicle Dept. ODOMETER READING FROM DMV

05/15/1997 BLUE BELL, PA 1,910 Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Title #:50806009)
REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL (Leased Vehicle)

10/24/1997 TRENTON, NJ 6,579 Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE

02/11/1998 SAN JUAN, PR Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL

 

Enzo, the link that Flying Boa posted is the car in question. Henkie's reminder to read "Going to buy a 89 TR Next Monday" is right on target. That thread was the original reason I posted this dog alert.

308GTS thanx for providing more info. IMHO, this is what makes this site, the best F site on the web. Great F enthusiasts coming together to help one another out.

Take a look at the odometer readings and locations where this vehicle has been. I would like to see if GrandSportC3 ever went down to check this car out.

 

Appreciate the post and the time you took to write it. I wasn't considering that car, but it's a good case study in red flags for Ferrari buyers.

And, it may have saved the guy from Florida a lot of grief and a wasted trip up to Virginia (at the very least...)

 

I can't help but wonder... if the owner is a scammer and has the car illegally (no title, tax situation, etc.) couldn't one of us go and literally steal the thing from him? What's he gonna do, call the cops?

Come on guys, it'd be like Robin Hood.

 

And check these places out:

http://www.miamioffices4rent.com/cavallino/invent/08_10_testarossa.htm

http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/10988341/Ferrari.html

 

Click on Craigs links. Just more proof of what I said. This car has been for sale all over the globe. From Indonesia to the USA. First link says, it has no receipts. Miraculously, by the time it appears on Ebay it has all the service records, tools etc. The condition seems to change with each ad yet the mileage never changes.

 

That first ad is from Martin at Cavallino Motors - he is a sponsor here. His description will be correct...

Cheers
Kevin

 

i feel like i am watching one of those detective programs.
thanks for the info testarossa4life, members like you really make it worthwhile
for being part of this community. hope we both end up with great trs.

 

Without being able to verify that this is indeed the VIN, but by the Carcheck it looks like it, this car was sold by us early this year to a wholeseller in NJ. The car does not have had any service work in 2004 from what I remember. Indeed it came to the US in late 2004 from PR. The owner there, a car dealer, decided to sell this car and had it shipped to us for consignment.

No paintwork is also a stretch. There was little paintwork, although the car overall is pretty nice. The lower front valance was damaged when the car was picked up at our warehouse. They fixed it.

Since we sold the car this baby has gone from one owner to the next. Looks like nobody ever registered the car. Ask if the car has a NJ title or a PR title.

The car is real. I drove it. Not the nicest example but not a beater either. I can not say who owns the car right now but the car is real. Description is incorrect as for the service work. That is for sure!
See if you guys can get those invoices faxed to you and fax them to me at 305-867-7901. I would love to see who is writing bad invoices for service work never done.

 

Okay, I double checked and yes, this is our car.

 

Good cars can have all kinds of strange stories behind them. I would be very careful with this one as far as paperwork goes. Even if the car is a great deal, I'd check the title and look for liens carefully. Obviously it's the seller more than the car that is questionable.

Ken

 

Thanx Calabasas for the kind words. I just didn't want to see anyone get stuck with a lemon.

Cavallino, thank you for your input. I know your integrity is greatly appreciated here. I too, would like to know where those invoices are from.

If anyone finds the service receipt info out, please post it and I will follow up on it to see if there is a wolf amongst the sheep. It's always good to know where the honest dealers/service centers are. You never know where your search for your next F might lead you.

Once again, this site is awesome.

 

To make sure none of us (present or future buyers) get burned!!!! DINK!!!!