Nigeria Auto parts

[AggieMike88]

Looks like someone is trying a fresh angle to the 419 scams.... I got this in my email today...

Dear Sir,

I am Mr. Nnamdi Celestine from Nigeria Auto parts. I will like to know the prices of your used Toyota and Honda engine parts. Used engine is the fastest selling product in almost all the African country. And I will also like to ask if you will be interested in extending your branch office into Nigerian market or any part of West-African country. Finally, you do also sell accident cars?

I will be waiting for your response. My direct telephone number +234 80 37229080

Regards,

Celestine.
​

Now if I could just find Henning.... I'd set him up to be my West African branch manager....

 

[Hank S]

If you can find Henning, I sure he has experience working in West Africa, and probably knows auto parts to boot. Sounds like a great partnership!

But I would avoid the sneaky offer in the second post. The grammar and spelling make me suspicious . . . Almost like an educated native English speaker.

 

[Zeldman]

So send a price list of the requested parts and see what happens. Could be a legitimate business man trying to increase his business and find a reliable source of used parts. The next email will tell you if it is a scam or not.

 

[AggieMike88]

No interest in investing time in that. I have too much to do in foundational activities that I know bring a significant positive return. Such as increasing the quantity of vehicles purchased and processed this year by 33-50%.

But if someone else wishes to pursue, I'll provide the email address

 

[weilke]

Different from the nigerian prince scams, the underlying facts are correct. Auto parts are a big business in nigeria. Plenty of containers with transmissions and suspension parts heading that way. Enough Nigerians in the US to handle that business, no need to solicit partners.

 

[N801BH]

Looks like someone is trying a fresh angle to the 419 scams.... I got this in my email today...

Dear Sir,

I am Mr. Nnamdi Celestine from Nigeria Auto parts. I will like to know the prices of your used Toyota and Honda engine parts. Used engine is the fastest selling product in almost all the African country. And I will also like to ask if you will be interested in extending your branch office into Nigerian market or any part of West-African country. Finally, you do also sell accident cars?

I will be waiting for your response. My direct telephone number +234 80 37229080

Regards,

Celestine.
​

Now if I could just find Henning.... I'd set him up to be my West African branch manager....

Won't work..... Toyota and Honda do not produce Hydrogen fuel cell motors...

 

[DaveA]

There's plenty of "accident cars" being loaded into containers as well. One of my body shop customers was recently loading a container with total-loss cars, packing them in with old motel mattresses end to end and on top of each other. Sold thru a broker & headed to Africa. Also a lot of competition for rebuildables from the Middle East and Russians from what I've heard.

 

[AggieMike88]

Also a lot of competition for rebuildables from the Middle East and Russians from what I've heard.

This is evident at the Copart and IAA auctions where I obtain my inventory. Online bids have the name of the locale of the bidder displayed when the system accepts the "click" that raises the bid. The number of overseas bidders has increased at the Texas locations over the passed years. It has slowed a bit recently because of the strength of the US dollar versus other world currencies, but they are still there. Especially on the newer upper end cars and SUV's.

Fortunately, what I chase after is in the 6 to 11 year old range that the Middle East and Russian buyers aren't as interested in. Competition for those are other recyclers and south of the border buyers.

 

[DaveA]

Mike:
Re: south of the border buyers- does the Mexican gummint allow importation of salvage cars & parts of any vintage? I'm not in that business but I have clients that sell there and IIRC the window of opportunity for running/driving units is 10 models years old only...nothing newer or older...but is that the case with totals/salvage units?

 

[Zeldman]

There's plenty of "accident cars" being loaded into containers as well. One of my body shop customers was recently loading a container with total-loss cars, packing them in with old motel mattresses end to end and on top of each other. Sold thru a broker & headed to Africa. Also a lot of competition for rebuildables from the Middle East and Russians from what I've heard.

A friend of mine from Russia buys all the wrecked 15 passenger vans he can find. He ships them to Russia and repairs them then leases them out to American companies.

 

[Ted]

First off, Henning is easy to find. Mike might even be friends with him on Facebook. If not, I am.

Second off, these Nigerian scams are amazing. I remember when I was selling a '97 GMC C2500 with a 6.5 turbo diesel (4x2) that had thrown a rod, I got a Nigerian scammer saying they wanted to buy the truck urgently as a matter of their national security.

I did not respond to that eMail.

 

[AggieMike88]

Mike:
Re: south of the border buyers- does the Mexican gummint allow importation of salvage cars & parts of any vintage? I'm not in that business but I have clients that sell there and IIRC the window of opportunity for running/driving units is 10 models years old only...nothing newer or older...but is that the case with totals/salvage units?

Sorry. No knowledge of this area. All I know is that they attend the auctions and periodically we are bidding on same unit.

 

[SCCutler]

There are legitimate Nigerian businesses, but I'd think you'd need to devote a lot of time and attention to doing it right...

 

[weilke]

There are legitimate Nigerian businesses, but I'd think you'd need to devote a lot of time and attention to doing it right...

The legit guys are US based, show up with a liftgate truck and buy the parts they need for cash or credit. If they send an email, it has a list of part numbers, not an offer to open a branch office in country.

 

[mtuomi]

When I was still living in Europe, I used to sell Toyota Hiaces and Hiluxes to Nigeria. Was actually pretty good business back then. Old rusty pieces of sh*t that were too costly to repair back to European legal standards, they paid good money for them.

 

[weilke]

When I was still living in Europe, I used to sell Toyota Hiaces and Hiluxes to Nigeria. Was actually pretty good business back then. Old rusty pieces of sh*t that were too costly to repair back to European legal standards, they paid good money for them.

In the 80s, old cars in germany went to Poland, old trucks to Syria. The truck dealers would piggyback a second bare-frame on top of each tractor and drive them to Syria via the land-route across Yugoslavia and Turkey.