Hello House,

I showed interest in a car on SalvageDrive.com last year Sept and was sent an invoice. Immediately they started calling my phone line everyday for me to pay. I was contacted on Phone by 2 of their staffs - Jeniffer and Joseph. I explained the difficulty of paying from Nigeria because of the restriction on dollar by the CBN and asked that they give me all the other alternatives to pay apart from Bank Wire. There was none. I had all the money for the buying and shipping prepared and ready as my client(the car owner) paid for everything.

So i resulted in crediting my friend in the US through his GTBank account. All these while the 2 representatives were following me up (although later, it was only Jeniffer that was calling everyday). I asked for some few days so as to enable my friend complete the withdrawal (as there were limitations to withdrawals in the US), which she obliged and gave me the last day she can wait for. I liaised with my friend and he wired the money to them on the said date.

They promptly updated my online account within 2 weeks and sent a mail that they are doing the final checking et al so it can be shipped promptly. I waited for 4 weeks and then tried calling the numbers they used to call me just to verify, but the numbers were not going through. I went to their site and tried all the numbers but they were not picking up. My friend (who help me transferred the money) in the US tried calling the numbers as well at different intervals but they did not pick up. I sent hundreds of mails and for months no one answered nor replied me. I still kept sending the mails doggedly and my friend suggested we retrieve the money since it was paid through his bank. We set about that but hit a brick wall when the bank representative said they (SalvageDrive.com) declined to return my money. I still have their online receipt on their site but that was all i got. I asked several people of what to do and learnt i cant report them since its a transaction that was carried out privately.

Just mid November, a new agent got across to me and said that Joseph is no more working with the company and he is now taking over his clients. His name was Michael. He promised to help me trace the car. i still kept contacting him and he replies his mails like once in 4 weeks despite sending mails for gentle reminders like 3-4 times a week. He told me early Jan that my car got stuck at the Port and he will need to make investigations as to why it was delayed. he promised to get back to me the following week. That was 3 weeks ago and he hasnt replied my mails since then again. I have sent mails to all the contacts on their sites (i.e info@salvagedrive.com, support@salvageDrive.com, joseph@salvageDrive.com, jennifer@salvagedrive.com, sales@salvagedrive.com, shipping@salvagedrive.com, legal@salvagedrive.com, nigeria@salvagedrive.com etc) but no one responded.

Part of the challenge i have is that they do not pick their phones and i am not sure if they are a genuine company as (apart from their sites), i didn't get much info about their activities online. Their address looks even phony. My friend said we may get a lawyer and sue them but I am not sure if that is a good idea.

I seriously need advice as i do not know what to do about the situation.

I would like to know if there are any legal bodies like the EFCC or Consumer Protection Board that i can contact in the US??

everybody is just reading and passing by. Odi serious ooo.

I feel sorry. Same set of people are calling me presently, they send me series of mails to make payment for a car they selected for me. I guess I've learned thru your experience. You just have to involved a lawyer Sir

sleetwreck:
I feel sorry. Same set of people are calling me presently, they send me series of mails to make payment for a car they selected for me. I guess I've learned thru your experience. You just have to involved a lawyer Sir

@Sleetwreck, maybe you should try calling the number back and see if they would pick. Their customer service is 1/10. In fact village based mom and pop biz don't have such shoddy services.
#SMH

I am here to warn others not to fall to their schemes and tricks.
I am still looking for a solution to my challenges though.

Still on it.

is there anyone on this forum to offer legal assistance in the US??

Where r the auto dealers in the house. If people in this auto section can't help. Lalasticlala come chuck hand. Op but u fall my hand oo. A foreigner scammed a Nigerian? Too bad!!! We are too intelligent for such, the reverse should be the case.

Scam Scam Scam everywhere

OP involve a Lawyer ASAP and try locate there address. Moreover you ought to have asked your friend to locate there address before wiring the said money to there account.

Ifa at times dey tear person pocket ooo

koksybrown:
Where r the auto dealers in the house. If people in this auto section can't help. Lalasticlala come chuck hand. Op but u fall my hand oo. A foreigner scammed a Nigerian? Too bad!!! We are too intelligent for such, the reverse should be the case.

Yeah, i know. I fall my own hand sef!!
But with their huge online presence and their active site, I never thought that could happen. I believed because they sent me their Bank of America details et al as attached, i believed them.

rydow:
Scam Scam Scam everywhere
OP involve a Lawyer ASAP and try locate there address. Moreover you ought to have asked your friend to locate there address before wiring the said money to there account.
Ifa at times dey tear person pocket ooo

I was actually in a haste because of my inability to transfer from my bank account through various means (due to CBN regulations) and the deadline given was almost over. I didn't want to tell my client stories. My friend is in TX and they didn't list any of their phony addresses there.

mishooo:


I was actually in a haste because of my inability to transfer from my bank account through various means (due to CBN regulations) and the deadline given was almost over. I didn't want to tell my client stories. My friend is in TX and they didn't list any of their phony addresses there.

This is a very very simple case. Do you have the receipts with you? And all mail correspondences?

onatisi:

This is a very very simple case. Do you have the receipts with you? And all mail correspondences?

Yes i do. I downloaded it from their site. i have all correspondence as well. Any suggestions?

mishooo:


Yes i do. I downloaded it from their site. i have all correspondence as well. Any suggestions?

go to the American embassy, they have a section for things like this ,tell them an American company defrauded you and you have all the proof. They will grant you audience pls go with a lawyer

mishooo:


Yes i do. I downloaded it from their site. i have all correspondence as well. Any suggestions?

go to the American embassy, they have a section for things like this ,tell them an American company defrauded you and you have all the proof. They will grant you audience pls go with a lawyer
Secondly,there are bodies that you can link up that will take ur case up without even u been in the USA .

Have not used them before. But do not know anyone who has either. I have my own account to buy any car. All i can tell you is that you keep calling and following up with them

Good luck

onatisi:

go to the American embassy, they have a section for things like this ,tell them an American company defrauded you and you have all the proof. They will grant you audience pls go with a lawyer
Secondly,there are bodies that you can link up that will take ur case up without even u been in the USA .

Thanks. I will take up this offer. US Embassy is not quite far from my office.

All i want is for them to be stopped and i want my money back.

mishooo:
All i want is for them to be stopped and i want my money back.

How much did they take from you ??

Addicted2Women:

How much did they take from you ??

Almost $4,000

guy where do u live,under the rock, u havebeen played,trusting them because they are american?,na wa for u, the new guy who took over trying to help you track your car,if u don't stop calling him,he gona take another change from u ,, u said u have a friend in american whom u used his account,so why don't u ask the guy to get u whichever car u want whether savaged or normal?, or u save some money,go to cotonou and get whatever u want there urself goodluk

achinaboy:
guy where do u live,under the rock, u havebeen played,trusting them because they are american?,na wa for u, the new guy who took over trying to help you track your car,if u don't stop calling him,he gona take another change from u ,, u said u have a friend in american whom u used his account,so why don't u ask the guy to get u whichever car u want whether savaged or normal?, or u save some money,go to cotonou and get whatever u want there urself goodluk

My friend gets me the cars (either Salvage or normal) by himself but it took him a long time to see a car that fits the client's budget and i thought to assist him as my client's budget is small, so i did the buying 'directly'. Yeah, HUGE mistake!

mishooo:


My friend gets me the cars (either Salvage or normal) by himself but it took him a long time to see a car that fits the client's budget and i thought to assist him as my client's budget is small, so i did the buying 'directly'. Yeah, HUGE mistake!

you can also try- aia insurance auction, they are real,but i don't know if they ship for u

@mishooo send me a private message. Or is your olumathias email working?

mishooo:


Almost $4,000

I suspect your friend is the one who scammed you.
Tracking and arresting scammers is very easy, what you have to do is call the police, give them their phone number or bank account and they will be caught in 6 days.

If your friend lives in America and claims the scammers took the money you sent, why didn't he report them
?
To be sincere, you friend don chop you

I buy cars for people and send them to Nigeria, i know how it works.
Physical inspection is required and you must not pay without seeing the car.
EBay is the only reliable auto dealer where you can pay without physically seeing the car and the car will be shipped to you.

otunbakolawole:
@mishooo send me a private message. Or is your olumathias email working?

Done.

Addicted2Women:

I suspect your friend is the one who scammed you.
Tracking and arresting scammers is very easy, what you have to do is call the police, give them their phone number or bank account and they will be caught in 6 days.
If your friend lives in America and claims the scammers took the money you sent, why didn't he report them
?
To be sincere, you friend don chop you
I buy cars for people and send them to Nigeria, i know how it works.
Physical inspection is required and you must not pay without seeing the car.
EBay is the only reliable auto dealer where you can pay without physically seeing the car and the car will be shipped to you.

Nahhhh! My friend is like a twin brother. Besides i mentioned that my proof (kind of receipt) is still on their website that i paid and they never for once denied it. In fact there was a time we called the Bank Of America in a 3-way call conference call to retrieve the money back saying we transferred in error but the Fraud Dept. operator told us its already more than a month and they would need to get in touch with the owners of the account.
He later called to say they declined to send the money back and he wasn't forth coming in giving us more info about them.