NIGHTMARE ON FACEBOOK STREET
My Brief Netflix Horror Movie Selling My Car
I reckon it could be a great Netflix Horror Movie. There are so many true elements to this story that would make great cinema or TV.
Ok, the picture here is not my car. Would have been fun though if it was and it would have been a very reluctant sale for me let me tell you.
Let me begin by saying if you are thinking of selling your car or something valuable on Facebook then DON’T. JUST DON’T! Not unless you really know what you are doing and you are prepared to sift through the virtual pests that will harass your messages.
The question is so why did I choose to sell my car on Facebook? Answer: I’ve done it before over the years and it has always worked well for me. Luckily, it did again this time, but was it really worth dealing with all those greasy schemers? For me it was, but I worry about people who are less experienced than me. If you aren’t, make sure you have someone who is close by or use another platform to do it.
We know that Facebook and X are the worst at monitoring activity on their sites to ensure that justice, or niceness, or dare we say, honesty prevails. They are freemarket examples of the bullpit where survival of the fittest is the motto and guide.
That said, I have valued social media for the opportunity to keep in touch with friends and family, make more friends and to share stories like this one with you. It’s just that I think these virtual spaces could be much better managed.
My dream as you can read in the notes at the end is to promote a Children’s Kindness Movement based on my Zorzle books. You can find Kindness on Facebook, and possibly X, but you have to look very hard and that’s why I’m exploring other places like BlueSky and MeWe and more.
Back to my car ad and the myriad of people stalking me and my vehicle.
My experience teaches me that from all over the globe there are those people waiting like Zombies ready to attack - the Apocalypse is Nigh.
Buyers from Hell
I crafted the perfect listing. Clear photos, a detailed description, and a price that screamed, “Negotiable, but don’t insult me.”
The post went live. I was optimistic. Within minutes, (was it seconds?), the messages started pouring in. And they kept coming in and totaled over 450 in two days. How much time did I waste in responding to these - that’s another story.
The trouble is, it was as if a Robot was creating the messages as they all followed the same pattern. Maybe it was a Robot, all part of a diabolical scheme to rob me of finances and sanity.
Robot Messages One After The Other
Each one began: Is this still available? And I clicked the autoreply “Yes it is available, are you still interested?”
And whoever they were replied in kind “Yes” and then the questions:
“Is there anything wrong with it?”
“Does it need anything done?”
“Is the price negotiable?”
And the most telling: “Will you take cash or bank transfer?”
The last question should have been enough each time for me to realise there was nothing for you to see here, David. Lights are on but no-one’s home. Who asks about payment before they’ve even seen and checked the goods?
The VIN Report Scam
The most telling requirement from these rogue buyers was “Please send the VIN report” and most of them provided a url link for me to get the report.
A VIN is the vehicle identification number, a unique 17-character alphanumeric code that identifies a specific vehicle. It's sometimes called a chassis number because it's stamped on the car's chassis.
Early on I did get the VIN report from two sites. It cost me $9 from one and something like $70 from another. Now I know better. When I last sold a vehicle on Facebook that question never arose. Getting suspicious I checked and discovered the scam.
The ‘buyers’ wanted me to use their link for the VIN report. If I’d done that most likely they would have pocketed the money I paid for the report and I wouldn’t have got a report. Fortunately I used legitimate sites that I searched and found before I realised that people don’t need these reports and if they want them buyers can get their own.
Nevertheless, despite this these rogue buyers were insistent on getting the report.
I started checking out the buyers further. Most of them had locked profiles on Facebook so you couldn’t check them. A few didn’t, and one I discovered was apparently in Houston Texas. That’s a long drive from Melbourne and just a bit of water in between. Bit difficult for him to test drive my car!
I questioned “Are you in Australia or overseas?” with several who had been insistent on getting the VIN Report. They replied that they were in Australia but the vagueness of their responses made me know better.
One asked me where I was located - a sensible question if someone is coming to check the car. I told him my suburb and asked him where he would be coming from? A few minutes later he quoted a village 10 minutes away. 10 minutes away! Amazing, a neighbour really, but he insisted on seeing the report before he came.
Knowing now he was rogue like the rest of them, I decided to play with him. I would provide him with it when he saw the car, I wrote.
He insisted again he needed the report first and resent the link. Some Rogues don’t have much between the ears, do they?
Now with him as my fish on the line I told him he was only 10 minutes away and I would drive the car to him for him to see it and give him the report then. Suddenly the chat went quiet. So quiet. Then he asked for the report again. I started blocking these people. They can go to ….. (be nice David).
It really can’t be that hard for platforms to put in safeguards so people from all around the world can’t get away with their skullduggery. I escaped, but how many people don’t? An article from February 2024 on Australia’s ABC website says it all:
What has Facebook done about this in the past 10 months? Nothing could be an over exagerration. What will 2025 reports show?
The ABC article quoted the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) spokesperson: "Scamwatch is aware that scams circulating on social media and online marketplaces are prevalent and varied". There were 11,532 reports of classified scams in 2023, up 8.3 per cent on the previous year. Total losses were down 8.5 per cent, to $7.7 million. Scammers were stealing smaller amounts more often.” Again, this was 10 months ago, America elected a convict for President since then!
So, would I do it again? Not unless I’m prepared to lose another chunk of my soul. For now, I’m sticking to selling smaller, less soul-draining items—like old toasters or slightly used umbrellas.
My Car Sold For A Sandwich
To finish with good news, yes I sold my car. And yes, it was very quick in my case, but then I think I know what I’m doing. I think I do. My buyer drove over an hour and a quarter to see my car. He was a retired tradesman with his wife and son-in-law with him. Lovely people. He drove the car and came back and said they wanted to buy it. The man’s wife then asked whether I’d like a sandwich? Not thinking of sandwiches I politely declined and then she insisted - the cash was in the paper sandwich bag. And I felt just a little foolish.
Facebook, please do something to tidy up your Marketplace so it is better for everyone. Heaven knows you make enough money out of the platform - just a little sweeping and dusting wouldn’t hurt every now and then, would it?
And to the Scammers out there: Scam Off, the lot of you!
David Ayliffe is a writer with a background in charities and disability. As a husband, father, and grandfather, I champion kindness and dream of a loving world. My website www.zorzle.org explains the Zorzle vision with the motto "Growing Up, Growing Kind."