Story of my life man... Can't tell you how much trash I've driven miles to see. It's like they think I won't turn around and go back because I'm already there. One time I actually made some kid pay me my gas money for his BS claims. There's good people out there! Just got to weed them out.
I hear ya, I flew into Miami one time to pick up an Anniversary Trans-Am I had bought on eBay. The young lady picked me up at the airport and took me to her home where she had a V-6 Firebird with Trans-Am Anniversary badges and stripes. She tried to make me pay, ended up calling her brother who was a lawyer, which was good cuz when he got there he read the ad, made her give me back my deposit, buy me a plane ticket home and take me to the airport. Was close, I almost got stuck with that clapped out V-6 Firebird. Now I always get a VIN, but even that is no guarantee.