We’re trying to sell our much-loved little Echo at the moment and it’s listed on a few car websites. I”m finding that people now email you to make first contact, rather than call. I’ve had a bunch of emails, some actually wanting to negotiate the price in the first email, but very few calls. Anyway, a ‘car broker’ in the UK followed up his initial enquiry with this doozy:

Greetings……..Michelle 
 
Thanks for your time, effort and anticipated co-operation….I am very happy to tell you that we have concluded with our client and he has instructed me to carry on with the transaction. He said that I should inform you that the payment will get to you in an Australian Bank Cheque of ($12,950 AUD) which is a refund payment of a cancelled order earlier made by my client, He informed me that he intends using the refund payment to pay for your vehicle.
 
Due to company policy this Cheque has to be made out in this amount ($12,950 AUD) to you, because company policy only allows a refund payment on one Cheque, so you are required to deduct cost of your vehicle ($8,750 AUD) when the payment gets to you and refund the balance of ($4,200 AUD) to my customer’s Agent VIA MONEYGRAM INTERNATIONAL MONEY TRANSFER OR WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER, for the agent to be able to offset shipping/pickup charges, contracting of the Pick up Agent, procure a temporary registration permit tag, taxes, commission charges and any other handling bills.
 
After payment has reached you and balance sent back to my client’s agent – the agent will contact the PICKUP AGENT who will come for the pick up of the vehicle and be shipped to my client. My client is making necessary arrangement with some of the agent(s) and will provide me with the pickup/test driver agent information as soon as he decides whom to use as an Agent for the pickup of the vehicle.
 
NOTE: MY CLIENT ADVISED THAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DEDUCT THE TRANSFER CHARGES FROM THE REMAINING BALANCE OF ($4,200 AUD) YOU ARE TO SEND TO THE AGENT VIA MONEY GRAMINTERNATIONAL MONEY TRANSFER OR WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
 
Please confirm this whole arrangement and provide the details below for cheque payment to be delivered to you.
 
1. LEGAL NAME IN FULL………
 
2. POSTAL MAIL ADDRESS………..
 
3. PHONE NUMBER (S)……………….
 
Mr Terry Goldman
117 Boston Road,
Hanwell, London,
W7 3SB, United Kingdom
Ph#; +44-7024055503
Fax#;+44-87-0912-2737

Gee. What do you think I should do? Moneygram International or Western Union? ;)