Man Buys BMW With ‘Clean Report.’ Then He Finds Out It’s Totaled. Here's What Could Have Saved Him

Buying a vehicle on Facebook Marketplace can be a roll of the dice. A man thought he secured a BMW with a clean report, only to discover the past tells otherwise. 

In a TikTok with over 938,100 views as of this writing, James Reeds (@jamesreeds) shares that he was recently scammed by a Facebook Marketplace seller. 

“Shoutout to the guy who just scammed me,” Reeds begins.

Reeds showcases a black BMW that appears to be in good shape and working condition. 

“The title looked clean on it. There’s no labels on it. No, none of that stuff. Then I do a BeSure car report, and it’s salvaged,” he reveals.

BeSure is an AI app that checks VIN reports for past accidents, title status, and dealer contract scanning. It also offers a risk analysis. After seeing this report, Reeds is clearly disappointed in himself for buying a BMW that is salvaged. 

“Never Trust Marketplace,” the onscreen text reads. 

He advises others to run a VIN report before buying a used car off of Facebook Marketplace. 

“Guys run your VINs before you buy cars. Truly, this is unfortunate,” he shares.  

Reeds reveals what his next plans are for the BMW after discovering the salvaged title. 

“This car is getting parted out now. So whatever," he concludes. 

‘Salvage Means Nothing If It Works Properly’

People in the comments section couldn’t believe Reeds waited until after he purchased the BMW to check the VIN report. 

“Dude why tf would you check after,” one TikTok commenter wrote. 

“Well, who the [expletive] checks the VIN after buying?" a second questioned. 

“Honestly this one’s on you,” another wrote. 

While other viewers believe a salvaged vehicle isn’t the end of the world. 

“It's not that big of a deal. I only buy cars with salvage titles. Once they're fixed nobody really cares,” one said. 

“I bought a salvaged BMW for 7K and drove it for 10 years,” a second shared. 

“Salvage means nothing if it works properly,” another wrote. 

Gallery: 2007 BMW 3 Series Coupe Pricing Announced (US)

How Do I Buy A Car On Facebook Without Being Scammed?

Facebook Marketplace has become a popular option for car buyers to find used cars through private sellers. Results can certainly vary, as some sellers are scammers, while other sellers will leave a handwritten letter in the glove box with $100 wishing the buyer the best with their new vehicle. 

So, when trying to verify if the seller is legit or not, some investigative work has to be put in. The main goal is to find an honest owner on Facebook Marketplace, Motor1 reports. 

Honest owners typically have an established online presence and will give a detailed description of the vehicle. For instance, a profile that was created this year compared to a Facebook account that was created in 2008 will provide more verifiability.

If the post description is short with minimal photos and maintenance details, it’s more than likely a scammer trying to make a quick buck. The post should be descriptive with maintenance information, mileage, past repairs, or accidents. 

In addition to this, it’s important to check the Facebook sellers' other listings. Ideally, the seller will just be selling one vehicle, as they are looking to sell privately and not deal with the dealership. A red flag can be raised when the Facebook seller has multiple vehicle listings and that this is their business, where the priority is to sell the vehicle by any means necessary. 

According to Yahoo Finance, if the price is too good to be true, then in most cases it is. Scammers can lure potential buyers in with enticing low prices and ask for a deposit before even seeing the car. A deposit should never be put down before seeing the vehicle in any case. 

Coordinating the proper paperwork with the title is necessary for transferring the title into your name. If the seller is not the legal owner, you won’t be able to register the car. Worse, the car can be repossessed from you by the actual legal owner. 

Additionally, keeping mileage in mind is important. Ideally, try to find a vehicle with less than 100,000 miles, as the more miles on the car, the more potential repairs are needed down the road.

Most importantly, run a VIN report on the used vehicle. Buyers can ask sellers for the VIN before even taking a look at the vehicle. Having a clear understanding of the vehicle's past is crucial before spending thousands of dollars. 

If the VIN report checks out, a test drive in a public place should be arranged. The car should be driven on a highway to ensure everything works properly. After the test drive, be sure to check the exterior and interior for any damage. If everything appears to be good, one final step is taking the car to a mechanic to complete an inspection. 

Motor1 has contacted Reeds via TikTok direct message and commented on the post. This post will be updated if he replies.

 

 

 

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