The gear you select is also an upper limit, not the actual gear. So if you shift down to 3rd, it will still go into second if you go slow. Its not like a manual, its more of a gimmick.
It might be legit, but if they tried to sell you a beat up car with a questionable carfax record, I dont know.
If you are interested, I have an '05 for sale in Vancouver and could arrange shipping. nigel@currentcoffee.ca