Greetings!

I have been on the hunt for an SL, and came across a 2009 SL63 in my local Craigslist. I have bought and sold many things there, so have a sense when something too good to be true comes along.

The car in question is a 2009 SL63 in a great color combination and low miles, but the asking price feels a bit low for a legit deal. My pre-retirement life included time as a fraud investigator, and instinct has me searching for confirming information to be able to either pursue the car, or report it as a scam. The VIN is WDBSK70F99F154957. The VIN was obtained from a picture of the door jamb tag among those the "seller" sent me a link to. I know it was sold in NY originally, and again later by a specialty dealer in Georgia, and the NY DMV shows registration to a new owner in 2014.

Any insights and further information I can dig into is appreciated.

TC Johnson

The 09 have a known issue with the head studs if this has not been fixed on this car it may be a factor for the low price.
Just don't buy site unseen is the best way to go about it.

Thanks, Hendrik, I am aware of the head bolt issue on these cars. From my reading, this seems to occur with higher mileage or hard use. Supposedly, this car has fewer than 30k miles, so may not be an immediate problem. A PPI with a compression/leakdown check should help determine if the problem is beginning. It is to early in the production to have had the new bolts come from AMG.

Thanks again.

TC

you need to talk with the guy, get a feel for him and see if he is a nut. Get a car fax. Then have him take the car to mb dealer and get a complete inspection. Then you can consider it sensibly.
personally, I dont thing any body with any credibility would be selling a good car on CL

I think I may have come across this car in question. Looked too good to be true.

Craigslist is a tool and there are great vehicles listed for sale on there. The problem is that the great examples are the minority.

Do your homework. Decode the VIN and see if the factory specs match the specs in the listing. Then search the VIN in a browser and see if any auction links pop with it (caught a flood damaged salvage vehicle this way before wasting my time to go see it).

If the above check out, run a CarFax.

There was a case mentioned in another thread of an SL63 with under 10K miles that experienced a failure. The risk is there regardless.

HLG600,

You may have seen it in the S. Jersey CL. I have only communicated through CL, as I have no desire to give out email or other contact information in this kind of situation. Based on the pictures the seller sent me, I was able to determine the VIN and where the pictures came from. The dealer in Georgia, whose pictures were in the Google pics link the seller sent, answered my email questions and confirmed they sold that car in 2018, and also provided me with a Carfax. Although the Carfax looks good, and presents the possibility that the car is indeed in NJ as claimed, its actual location is still unknown. I followed your suggestion and decoded the VIN, and it lines up with the car's features and equipment. Since the VIN was obtained through a pic of the door jamb tag, I was confident it would match up.

My email conversation with the seller continues, and I requested the name and location of the broker where the car is supposed to be so I can set up an appointment to see it. Also extended a bit of a carrot in the form of my readiness to buy if it checks out, and willingness to wire funds to make payment. Of course I have no intention of sending a single dollar anywhere without seeing and inspecting the car first. Perhaps it is showing signs of the dread head bolt malady, and that inspiring the low price sale.

To be continued.

TC

If the car is local that's easy, go look at it. If the sale is a scam he'll balk at you seeing the car and then you'll know.

Greetings!

A quick update on my research into this deal. I heard back from the seller, who indicates the car is now with a broker in Ft. Lauderdale called SouthEast Auto Brokers. His link to their site takes me to the same pictures taken from the Georgia dealer who sold the car in 2018. Seller says they have all the paperwork, including a signed title, and can facilitate a Carvana-like shipment and 7-day review period.

I called SouthEast, but no answer at their published number, and no voicemail. Will try again later and see if a human is there who can confirm if they actually have the car, or again where it can be seen.

This broker business is interesting, since the seller has now roped in what appears to be a legitimate business to this possible scam. Perhaps I should let the seller know that I am purchasing the car for my cousin, Prince Abed Ayagonye of Nigeria, and will send him the cash if he gives me his bank info.

TC

Most likely the same car and good that the VIN is clean/checks out.

How dated is the CarFax? Heard of a scam once where a buyer was tricked with a 6 month old CarFax report provided by a seller. Of course, in that six month gap, there was an accident.

Even in scenarios where a seller provides a report, I always run my own to verify.

Sounds sketchy. At a price that aggressively low, there would be little to no need for a broker.

Definite scam, they are pushing you towards sending them some amount of money so they ship the car to you "for review".

See the car in person or no deal

This. Yes, for sure a scam. Have some fun with them until they stop returning your email. You may also want to sign them up for every free giveaway out there so the scammer will get loads of spam emails.
Worldwide Official Scammer / Fraudster Reporting by the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams - AnyScam Universal Scammer Reporting - Part of the SCARS Anti-Scam Reporting Network
Making a living scamming the scammers | Engadget
5 safe ways to get back at spammers: a guide to wasting time - Malwarebytes Labs | Malwarebytes Labs

Another update.

No return of my last communication with SouthEast Motors. I tried calling again, and phone just rang and rang, no voicemail. Sent a note through their website and asked for info on seeing the car, or setting up the video walkaround. Used a Gmail account I rarely visit, just to keep any potential spam out of my regular account. Nothing so far.

In my heart, I want this deal to be real, but my head says "Dream on."

The reason I continue to pursue the legitimacy or not of this deal is also to be able to flag it in Craigslist with justification. Curious about any other possibly bogus deals at SouthEast, I checked out the pics of an SL65 they also list. (notice I didn't say "have"). The pictures they are using are also pulled from a previously sold car at a different dealer. Pattern?

TC

I currently own this vehicle. I purchased it in Freehold NJ in July 2021. If there are questions, please reply and let me know. Thank you!