Think this ia scam - your advice please (1 Viewer)

Cannons

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Hi All
Put our Bessacarr E450 on ebay some 10 days ago and it attracted a lot of attention, had a reserve on it of £19,000.00. Got bid up to the reserve and I contacted the buyer having looked to see if he was a regular ebay user and requesting a small deposit of £250.00 via pay pal. I then received a text from 62 226 saying Michael had sen me £250.00 and to go on line at paypal to claim it. I then got a phone call from 'Michael' to say he would pick up the Motorhome next week some time as he needed to get a lift down to us. So I give him our postcode and house name.......Dooh !!
Last night I was contacted by another ebayer to say that the Motorhome was for sale on Ebay, out pictures and a cut and pasted description from our Ad. Selling for a very reasonable £9950.00 !!! A bargain for a 2004 Motorhome with 17,000 miles on the clock. I reported the ad to ebay, its now been removed. We also got up at midnight last night and moved the Motorhome to a secure place away from our house. Do you think this is all an elaborate scam to steal the Motorhome? I have contacted the buyer again thismorning to say I can't claim his funds through paypal and have asked him to resend via ebay so that I get an email from Ebay saying funds have arrived, so far no response.
Your replies, thoughts and views would be very helpful to me as I am as jumpy as a cat thismorning.
Sue
 

normanandsue

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This may have nothing to do with your case................ but! There has been a scam going on on e bay for at least a year now and just maybe this is how its done.
An advert appears on e bay (not posted through ebay) for a motorhome just like yours at a ridiculously low price, but when you attempt to bid you are requested to send an e mail direct to the seller, usually at a a SKY.com e mail address, to bid because this is a private listing.
The motorhome is usually in Spain so it makes it difficult, nigh impossible to view, and should you be the succesful bidder they request payment via PayPal and offer to deliver the motorhome to you - if you are foolish enough to fall for the scam the money disappears from PayPal as soon as you transfer and the motorhome never turns up.
Clearly you do not need a motorhome for this scam just a picture and a description of the motorhome.

Of course you have received no money because there was no buyer they just wanted your motorhome details and you are left to pay eBays fees and commission.

Sadly this is the sick society we live in - but take heart the world still has a large number of honest people in it as the many threads on this website will testify to.

Norman
 

Wildman

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If no further contact file a non paying bidder report and get your fees back, then offer to the under bidder with a second chance offer.

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Jaws

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You must contact eBay immediately as there is at least one scam going on and possibly two

If you have your mobile registered on PayPal then it is possible to have a text alert when you receive lolly .. And PayPal and eBay are part of the same group so makes no odds how or where the payment is made..

Of course, if you have not had a payment in to your paypal account then quite obviously there are two scams going on !!!

But do contact eBay immediately with all the details of the 'new' advert as that is blatant rule breaking and a very obvious scam !
 

ShiftZZ

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There was a radio article some weeks ago re ebay and paypal, the quick version is a bloke was selling an apple laptop, the purchaser agreed the price and asked if a friend could pick up the laptop. Payment was made and confirmed in the sellers account. The purchasers 'friend' turned up to collect.

An hour later the paypal payment was reversed by paypay as they suspected a fraud. The seller lost out because he could not provide evidence that the laptop had been delivered.

In this case, I supect that its an attempted fraud...
 
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Cannons

Cannons

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I have contacted the buyer thismorning, not thinking I would get a reply, but to my surprise he phoned me to say that he was unable to send the deposit through ebay via paypal because they were trying to claim the whole sum. We have agreed now that I will request a deposit payment from him via paypal, which I have just done, I'll let you know if it gets paid or not.
Quick question, is it likely in todays day and age that you would purchase a high value motorhome without even seeing it??? Because that's what appears to have happened and I know I would rather walk over hot coals than bid for something sight unseen.
Sue

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stcyr

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If you have the slightest doubt DON'T DO IT!!!
 

flatpackchicken

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I have contacted the buyer this morning, not thinking I would get a reply, but to my surprise he phoned me to say that he was unable to send the deposit through Eba via papal because they were trying to claim the whole sum. We have agreed now that I will request a deposit payment from him via paypal, which I have just done, I'll let you know if it gets paid or not.
Quick question, is it likely in todays day and age that you would purchase a high value motorhome without even seeing it??? Because that's what appears to have happened and I know I would rather walk over hot coals than bid for something sight unseen.
Sue

Hi Sue, Just 1 other very important point, final payment, if it cash then be carefull about fraudulent money, make sure you go to the bank with the buyer to deposit money into your account before you hand over the keys, as the bank will be able to confirm that the cash is not counterfeit money, and just phone the bank before you arrive to let them know that you are coming in and why, as some people front out a con right up to the end, and don't let m/h go until funds are cleared in your account, as sometimes they will give you a bankers draft that is also no good, and you hand over the keys and goodbye to both m/h and your money, so whatever happens don't let m/h out of your site until all money is in your bank account even cheques or drafts, as people turn up with cash or bankers drafts and want to drive it away there and than, make sure payment is cleared in your account before buyer takes it away, dont allow someone to just turn up and pay and leave with m/h, tell them payment first in full into your bank, then let it go, as there will always be another buyer out there. Just being helpfull here, and hope all goes well at the end of the day, Regards Garry Flatpackchicken
 
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ShiftZZ

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Sue

If I were you, I would tread very carefully

Search google for the phone number given, also search google for the email address.

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Peter JohnsCross MH

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Quick question, is it likely in todays day and age that you would purchase a high value motorhome without even seeing it??? Because that's what appears to have happened and I know I would rather walk over hot coals than bid for something sight unseen.
Sue

Hi Sue,

He may have 'bid' on it but he has not bought it as such, he can view the van before paying the full amount and then decide it is not for him and walk away and there is nothing you can do about it.

If it is genuine, then make sure you get paid with non reversible funds, confirmed bank transfer is the best and also ask for proof of identity, photo card driving license and utility bill etc.

Good luck

Peter
 

beachcaster

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Hi Sue, Just 1 other very important point, final payment, if it cash then be carefull about fraudulent money, make sure you go to the bank with the buyer to deposit money into your account before you hand over the keys, as the bank will be able to confirm that the cash is not counterfeit money, and just phone the bank before you arrive to let them know that you are coming in and why, as some people front out a con right up to the end, and don't let m/h go until funds are cleared in your account, as sometimes they will give you a bankers draft that is also no good, and you hand over the keys and goodbye to both m/h and your money, so whatever happens don't let m/h out of your site until all money is in your bank account even cheques or drafts, as people turn up with cash or bankers drafts and want to drive it away there and than, make sure payment is cleared in your account before buyer takes it away, dont allow someone to just turn up and pay and leave with m/h, tell them payment first in full into your bank, then let it go, as there will always be another buyer out there. Just being helpfull here, and hope all goes well at the end of the day, Regards Garry Flatpackchicken

Good advice gary........ I know someone who took a bankers draught for a Porsche. The "buyer" drove away...later it was discovered the BD was a forgery.
Massive fights with the insurance company as they claimed he had willingly handed the keys over.

Take the buyers cash to the bank with the buyer and get them to verify it .
But who would spend that ammount without seeing the vehicle...strange.

barry
 
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Cannons

Cannons

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OK thanks everyone for your comments and advice, I beleive the buyer is genuine and I have asked him why he has purchased blind, so to speak. He beleives my description of immaculate, but of course he can change his mind when he comes to collect, although it is immaculate !!!
He has sent me the requested funds through ebay now too.

As I type this ebay have responded to my report of the use of our details, photo's and description in another auction and have removed the listing.

I have had a horrid week, heating gone wrong twice, a flood thorugh the kitchen and bathroom ceilings shower cut out, no hot water, you name it, it's been thrown at me this week, so this was the icing on the cake, can you wonder i am suspicious and yet I still beleive that there are more good, honest decent folk out there, than bad.

Or am I mad :ROFLMAO: sue

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Just a few months ago we saw the motorhome we wanted on the internet and got in touch with the owners and agreed to view it, we left a £50 deposit and went home to ask the bank for a fat loan which they said yes, so we had the details of the then owners bank account and then transfered the £14000 over, but it was us that insisted we would not take the vehicle until all money was in the right place.

be careful and good luck:thumb:
 

Hollyberry

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No, you're not mad--just right to be very, very cautious.

You've had good advice here. Check buyer out all you can, ask for proof of ID and photocopy/can it all.

I am still feeling sick from almost being scammed earlier this week--it's a horrible feeling.

Good luck--I'll keep everything crossed that a genuine sale goes ahead.
 

Lindylooj

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definately get proof you handed it over type up a receipt of some kind for the buyer to sign. paypal are so quick to give back money if someone says they never received something.

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Jaws

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One thing I can say..
I bought my 1st and 2nd Mhome on eBay site unseen, and Des, my son-in-law bought his the same way

So to answer your question, yes, people really do buy vans without looking at them.
 

icantremember

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OK thanks everyone for your comments and advice, I beleive the buyer is genuine and I have asked him why he has purchased blind, so to speak. He beleives my description of immaculate, but of course he can change his mind when he comes to collect, although it is immaculate !!!
He has sent me the requested funds through ebay now too.

As I type this ebay have responded to my report of the use of our details, photo's and description in another auction and have removed the listing.

I have had a horrid week, heating gone wrong twice, a flood thorugh the kitchen and bathroom ceilings shower cut out, no hot water, you name it, it's been thrown at me this week, so this was the icing on the cake, can you wonder i am suspicious and yet I still beleive that there are more good, honest decent folk out there, than bad.

Or am I mad :ROFLMAO: sue

We also bought blind our first m/h on Ebay, but had a verbal arrangement with the seller that I could walk away if I wasn't happy when I saw it....best deal I have ever done::bigsmile:

I hope it all goes well for you and I'm sure that after all your mishaps this week look on the bright side things can only get better:thumb:

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darklord

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I have bought four cars off ebay. I normally pay a small deposit when i win, and I ALWAYS take a print out of the original advert with me, on two occasions, the car was not as described............and the negotiations resumed, I will admit, to the satisfaction of both parties.
 

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