Right after I wrote the last Girls und Panzer post, my mother found a deal on Facebook marketplace. My spouse’s primary vehicle was in the shop with a so-far un-findable problem. It *drives* fine, but there is a concerning warning light about the automatic transmission fluid temperature coming on as soon as the car is driven. And only if it’s driven, if you let it *sit* idling the error doesn’t come on, lending creedance to the idea that it may actually be a transmission oil temperature problem. But no one can actually *prove* that so far and the only solutions mechanics have been willing to pursue is “find someone who knows more than me” or “swap out expensive parts until the problem goes away.” Well, my mother saw a marketplace listing from a known family friend (I don’t know these people, but I know who they are. They are actually related through marriage.) These people were selling off an uncle’s possessions (basically an estate sale) who had recently been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. He was being moved into assisted-living at that very moment, was likely facing multiple surgeries, and they wanted to sell his excess “toys,” cars, and utility vehicles to raise immediate cash for the family. He didn’t need them, no one wanted them, etc. Plausible? Possibly.
Here’s were it gets questionable. The list of things for sale were *mostly* of the description I mentioned…toys. There was a side-by-side, a couple of motorcycles, a jet ski, a couple of good lawnmowers and a small Kubota garden tractor. A pressure washer and a diesel generator, which I had questions about because the picture provided looked like…someone had taken a picture of the diesel generator when they decided to buy at Home Depot or Tractor Supply. But there was also a fridge, a stove, a PlayStation 5 and some games. Two older vans, but both kind-of rare camping models; a Vanagon and a Ram. Both in good shape. I mean, that’s a real interest; but not something you run across often. And then there were the “regular” cars. There were five that I remember; a couple of late model pickups, nothing special. An almost new Outback, and a late-model CR-V and RAV-4. All three of which they were advertising VERY cheap. My mother asked if any of those cars would make good substitutions for what was in the shop with an unknown problem, as the price was PHENOMENAL and she knew these people and trusted them.
Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Getting Scammed on Facebook”
