Purchasing a car from Zurich, Switzerland - Exporting to US

Greetings,

I inquired about a car I thought was being sold in the US but it turns out the car is in Swtzerland. The seller claims he purchased the car in the US, had it shipped over and wasn't aware of the import taxes and it's cheaper to sell back to the US. Is there any validity to this? If I were to go through with this transaction, what's the safest way to do it?

I'm not confortable with sending money directly to the seller without knowing the car will find its way to the dock. Is there a service that can handle the financial transaction as an intermediary? I've got a friend who lives in Germany who I could wire money to possibly. He could pay and take the car immediately. Then I'd have to get the car out of Germany. Are there any better options?

People buy and ship cars overseas all the time but it seems there's a lot of risk when it comes to private parties. Maybe there's a way to work through a dealer?

Should I worry about anything from the export perspective? What documentation is required?

Can anybody recommend an export company?

Is there anybody willing to confirm the car exists?

Thank you so much for your help.

Taylor

 

Hi Simon, Thank you for your reply. I believe it's in Zurich but haven't confirmed. I'll confirm with the seller.

 

Certainly could be a scam. I've asked for a lot of details (previous owner, title photo, VIN, shipping company he used, get a friend to come see the car, etc.) I'm treading lightly. I may never hear from him again after sending all the questions/requests...we'll see. I've got a friend at the PD who can verify the VIN.

Here's the guy's message. It's certainly written like a scam. The original ad I contacted him by is no longer there...go figure...

Regardless of how this plays out, I'm curious how people handle this when it's two private parties overseas and the seller is legitimate...
*****
The vehicle never been damaged with a clean title. It is in excellent condition both aesthetically, mechanically and very well maintained!

I bought the vehicle in US and I shipped it to Switzerland, it is currently registered in US, clean title, there is no duty or cost to re-import the vehicle to the US, the vehicle is currently being stored in Switzerland.

In Switzerland the import taxes are high, up to 50% of the vehicle value and this is the reason of the selling, Switzerland is extremely expensive to import into because they want to protect their local economy. I didn't know about the import taxes when I acquired the car. I tried to sell it at a higher price but I couldn't find a buyer because I realized he can buy the same vehicle locally at the same price so I decided to reduce the price to have a good deal and it will be easier to find a buyer.

I can organize the shipping to your location and you pay after you get the vehicle.
If you are interested please reply and I will send you the photos and more information.

 

It was a scam. The guy did call me from a Switzerland number though...

 

Hi Turbo, it was a scam.