Fredrickson Motor Express Martin FredricksonDelmar LeeValuation Group Advisory,Inc Too Good to be true Atlanta, GA Atlanta, GA

If you're shopping for a luxury used car on the internet be careful. We found a good deal on a 2013 BMW x6 and called "kevin" who was purported to be 12 miles away. Actually it was Martin Fredrickson, who stated he was in Atlanta and had a dealership called Fredrickson Motor Express. This is red flag #1

Has a great website. Has a picture of a business on Google Earth, the car exists when you run the VIN, no adverse entries on Better Business Bureau, no complaints on Google. Has a facebook page. Is willing to sell the vehicle and will accept wire transfer. Not necessarily a red flag but concerning

Wire transfer is to a US bank (not Nigeria or off shore or eastern Europe). They send a well written contract, promising guarantees for car inspection and return for full refund if car isn't as described. Wired the money, and was told they had a driver and they would send his contact info. This is where things got shaky, and we became concerned. We never received the drivers information. Never discussed how the car would be titled during transit, never discussed how the car would be insured.

Luckily our bank became concerned and called their bank and began a fraud investigation. They sought additional information from the business and after not getting enough reassurances they asked the bank to hold any further withdrawals. Fredrickson had tried to withdraw a portion and send it abroad.

Exchanged many phone calls and emails with Fredrickson. They were alternatively surly about the money being held and reassuring about the car being sent. By the end of the week it was clear there was no car coming. We contacted Cars.com, where the car was advertised, the Georgia Consumer Protection Agency, our local sheriff, the FBI, our bank Wells Fargo (they were THE BEST). After a month we received a good portion of the money we feared we had lost.

Lessons learned. Be wary of purchasing a car you havent physically seen. This wesite was totally fake. They had downloaded over 20 cars and descriptions from other sites. They used google phone to use more than 10 phone numbers directed a single difficult to trace phone. The car had a Branded title. If it sounds too good to be true IT IS.