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Posts Tagged “

Scams

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free cars

Scammers Using Toyota's Name To Rip Off Consumers

By way of Toyota's own Open Road Blog is word of a new scam using Toyota's name in vain to obtain financial info for use in identity theft and raiding bank accounts. The scam involves a letter and sometimes an included check branded with Toyota's logo. A couple of different forms of the scam are circulating — one of them involves a mystery-shopper program. Another is a about a lottery awarding free money and a Toyota vehicle. And let's be clear here — if you fell for this, we've got a Nigerian lottery we'd like to discuss with you. More »

12:20 PM on Fri Apr 25 2008
By Travis Hudson
3,185 views, 27 comments

Latest by whiterose: OK now people. Maybe it's too late at night or my brain just isn't hitting on all cylinders, but I read this article and the comments carefully, and I still have no idea what the problem is. more »

gadgets

Paint Thickness Tester Can Bust Shady Craigslisters

We all know that Craiglist posters can be some of the most trustworthy individuals on this planet, but for those few occasions when you need to double check their honesty there is this great invention: the paint thickness tester. It's a keychain-sized device that can determine if a car has had any body work needing repainting. It works by setting a reference value at a designated spot on the car and then comparing all other spots to that value. For example, you make the reference value a spot on the hood that you're pretty sure hasn't been repainted. Then you go to the common areas for damage like fenders and the bumper to check if the same value exists. The paint thickness tester is available for $20 and could save you thousands. Unless, of course, the paint tester itself is a scam. [Product Page via TRFJ]

10:00 AM on Tue Apr 22 2008
By Travis Hudson
14,723 views, 44 comments

Latest by n/a: @superbad You send them 50 bucks, and they send you peace of mind. Or unease. more »

ad watch

A Hummer Won't Get You The Love, Hummer You Really Want

As much as the Internet is powered by ads, you probably don't want to go too far down the Google AdWord rabbit hole because you might be frightened by what you find. In this case a search of Hummer served up a steamy ad claiming
"Most single men buy Hummers to impress women. The only women that a Hummer impresses are high maintaince goal diggers. Is this what you really want in your life?"
It's an excellent question. Is that what we want in our life? Maybe this site is offering guys a way out of merely buying their way into undergarments and offering them a chance to develop real character. It's not. What it's offering is wrong on so many levels. The full ad below the jump. More »

4:45 PM on Wed Apr 2 2008
By Matt Hardigree
4,571 views, 62 comments

Latest by n/a: Asian girls hate Mopars. But I still love Asian girls. Nuff said. more »

stupid criminals

Life Lesson #427: Don't Buy Parts From Registered Sex Offenders

Finding the right parts for your project car can be tough. Who can you trust these days? As we learned with the Unique Performance saga, even seemingly reputable businesses can turn out to be suspect. Things get even tricker when buying things over the web, as this horny car-jacking victim discovered. Thankfully, we've got television news investigators on our side. [My Fox Detroit]

12:40 PM on Thu Feb 28 2008
By Matt Hardigree
3,040 views, 23 comments

consumer news

Sub-Prime BMW Crisis?

Can't afford a brand-new BMW M6 Convertible? Neither can most people, as the car costs over $100,000. But a California woman thought that she could afford to lease one. She had a good credit history. She even plunked down her $30,000 life savings for a down payment. Trouble is that she's on a fixed income: a $2500 monthly disability check. And thats a problem when the monthly lease payment is $1300. Don't forget you still have to pay for insurance and other running costs. (And most people don't like living in their cars.) More »

9:15 AM on Tue Feb 12 2008
By Mark Arnold
9,493 views, 90 comments

Latest by Trick: Dealerships rip people off. Plain and simple. Not expecting a dealership to rip you off, even if they don't is stupid. I blame the woman and only the woman here. The fact that she had to get credit card cash more »

rules of the road

Rules of the Road: How Not to Get Dehorsed When Buying a Car

The purchase of an automobile is one of the major financial decisions you'll make in your life. And if you're a reader of this site, it's probably one of the major decisions you make in your life, period. Unfortunately, unscrupulous car dealers are waiting to prey on ambitious consumers. The most insidious way this happens is through a process called "dehorsing" in which a customer loses both their new and used vehicle. And it's not illegal. More »

Feature

3:00 PM on Fri Nov 23 2007
By Matt Hardigree
10,827 views, 63 comments

Latest by n/a: @Jekot: "and drive out with the your cherry Mustang today while they work out the financing." Who would settle for this? Those that will settle for this are the same people that think dealers are honest. Or in my case someone that more »