Weirdest scam/sales strategy ever?

Uh... what? Thanks?

Worth noting:

The car dealer mentioned is a BMW dealer that I very explicitly avoided in my search. It also happens to be where I bought my A4 Avant back in 2014. That was a horrible experience that I hope to never repeat. Their used department at least is slimy as can be. Anyway, I’m pretty sure I never used this phone number in any part of that transaction.

I have never had absolutely the slightest connection to any sort of Camaro, much less a 2011 with a busted transmission.

The address provided seems to be for the used lot of a Ford dealer nearby?

Initially I assumed it must be some sort of really, really bizarre mixup so I did call the mentioned dealer. When I asked for one of the three first names, they put me through to somebody that didn’t answer. So I called back and asked for the first name (with last name) that had been mentioned and I was informed that that person “works out at the used car building” and “they don’t have a line out there” . That’s kinda weird, but ok. So there’s no way to call the used cars dept? I have absolutely no plans of calling back the phone number that called.

I think I should be safe no matter what here? Is this some sort of known scam? A sales guy pulling up ancient client info and trying to pull shenanigans to get leads? I mostly just feel bad for anybody who may have left their Camaro to be repaired at an awful BMW dealer (how even?).

Arrivederci > CompactLuxuryFan 11/21/2019 at 15:37

2

I’d just ignore it - the only scam is probably trying to get you to come down there to figure out what’s going on.

Chariotoflove > CompactLuxuryFan 11/21/2019 at 15:48

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I’m trying to figure out what this could be.  The best I can come up with is a scam to get you to come down thinking you are getting a free Camaro, a la the Nigerian bank scam.  But that doesn’t make sense, unless they think they can sell you something when you get there and find they have no Camaro to pick up.

shop-teacher > CompactLuxuryFan 11/21/2019 at 16:07

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Drrrrrr .... uhhhh .... yeah, I got nothin’.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Chariotoflove 11/21/2019 at 16:11

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A free, *previously quite broken*, eight year old Camaro. That doesn’t seem like it washes.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > CompactLuxuryFan 11/21/2019 at 16:14

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I don’t think it’s a scam, but I usually don’t look for malice when incompetence will suffice.

My guess is someone purchased a 2011 Camaro from the used lot that had been traded in. They bought an extended warranty, fragged the transmission, and brought it back for warranty work. The work is done and they are trying to contact the customer to let them know, but somehow got your name instead - maybe your phone number is one digit off, or there is an account number in the computer and their number is a digit off, or something like that?

I say this because I had a thing recently where I came home from work one day and had a sticker on my door that my electrical inspection had failed. I actually have an open electrical permit for work I’m doing in the house, but hadn’t called for an inspection yet . Long story short I talked to the county and it turns out someone else called for their inspection and their permit # was similar to mine , either a digit off or transposed 2 numbers, but that’ s what happened.

Chariotoflove > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 11/21/2019 at 16:15

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I know, but I can’t think of anything that does. I guess I wouldn’t make a good car scammer.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Chariotoflove 11/21/2019 at 16:23

4

I can imagine some impressive levels of incompetence, so I’m leaning Hanlon’s Razor on this one.
“Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity”.

Obviously, there are flaws and corollaries. One is that it’s sometimes hard for a person who isn’t stupid to decipher and attribute the stupidity involved in an adequate explanation, and another is that a lot of malicious activity is also very stupid.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Snuze: Needs another Swede 11/21/2019 at 16:26

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Seconded. I’m betting something like the customer number is misattributed/misfiled and since they’ve got him as a “customer” on their list due to sleazy means, they have mixed him up with the actual owner of the Camaro. Who is enough of a ditz to have gotten a Camaro from them in the first place, so...

The “new customer” file for the Camaro guy would line up with about when CLF became a “new customer” due to being in the market for a car, in this theory, which time-wise checks out.

Textured Soy Protein > CompactLuxuryFan 11/21/2019 at 16:47

1

Doesn’t feel like a scam to me. I would just call the service department and say you got a call about someone else’s car being ready to pick up, and they should probably call the correct person instead.

TheRealBicycleBuck > CompactLuxuryFan 11/21/2019 at 19:38

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Ms. King was giving out our phone number as her own for years . I know this because she failed to pay her bills and we started receiving her collections calls. This is what finally led to us disconnecting our home phone. I would bet that the owner of the C amaro either accidentally or purposely gave out your number as their own, or the dealership screwed up and wrote it down incorrectly.

LastFirstMI is my name > CompactLuxuryFan 11/21/2019 at 19:53

1

I’ve been getting calls stating that my social security number is being cancelled. Does this mean I don’t have to pay taxes now?

CompactLuxuryFan > TheRealBicycleBuck 11/22/2019 at 01:01

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The caller referred to me by my last name. 

PyramidHat > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 11/22/2019 at 10:18

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If nothing else, it’s a piss poor scam. 

PyramidHat > LastFirstMI is my name 11/22/2019 at 10:20

1

I got a voicemail that’s was in very pissy Mandarin.   I hope it wasn’t important.