Another scam??? (1 Viewer)

UK Pete

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Jan 16, 2014
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kent
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Renault van conversion
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on/off since 1991in campervanss
I can,t believe how many scams are out there especially ebay, when i was looking for a motorhome i spotted at least 1 scam a day , it seems so easy for these people to carry out their dodgy scams and seemingly get away with it
 
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Puddleduck

Puddleduck

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Jan 15, 2014
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On and off for many years.
There is a name and (mobile) phone number so I'm not sure. It's also on a reputable site but who knows? However the price is too god to be true unless there is something wrong with the vehicle.

Could it be that the price has the first digit missing - genuine error?????

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Peter JohnsCross MH

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Deceased RIP
Jan 5, 2008
9,617
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1,134
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Autotrail
Exp
1995
Just because its on Caravan does not mean it is genuine, loads of scams everywhere, Ebay, AutoTrader, Gumtree you name it, they are there

It its cheap, its dodgy

Peter
 

Dotplus6

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Oct 4, 2013
214
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Swift Royale 540 (1995)
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4 yrs in total but not consecutively. Just bought the 3rd.
How do you guys know what's a scam?

Dot

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Puddleduck

Puddleduck

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Jan 15, 2014
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How do you guys know what's a scam?

Dot

When it's too good to be true. A well-known marque that is less than 2 years old for less than £10,000?

Otherwise you get stories that just don't add up - like they want a deposit to hold it, they'll bring it to you to inspect it but you can't go to their premises. And the classic was a member's van put on ebay (same number plate even) even though it wasn't for sale. A few of us responded to the advertiser and we all got the same response, send me the £££s first and then I'll bring the van round. Generally if people don't respond to your questions you shouldn't deal with them. Anyone who is genuine will at least try to answer questions. For high value items I sometimes ask a question I already know the answer to - not that I buy much from non-business traders on ebay these days.

Another classic on ebay a while back. Advert goes up and it looks okay - lots of feedback over a reasonable period. Once the deposit is paid and cash whisked away the advertiser says "Sorry, my account was hijacked. I don't have that item." Depending on how you paid you might be have a claim or you might be (tec talk) stuffed. Alternatively you never get the item and when you contact ebay you find the seller is no longer a member and the contact details are false. The previous items were all small value and sent out purely for the good feedback and then the high value scam item was advertised. Sometimes the good feedback is a set up and from the scammer.

It is easy for a scammer to advertise vehicles and even have photos when he (or she) doesn't own the vehicle. I've been innocently taking photos of vans I am interested in then it struck me if I was a fraudster (which I am not) I could have advertised them for sale and then done a runner with a deposit or two. I've asked sales people if it was okay to take photos and no one has ever said no or asked my name / address. I only take the photos so I remember which van is which and what the vital statistics are. Once you've seen a few vans one after another things get hazy and muddled - well for me at least! Now I'm a bit worried in case someone thinks I'm about to commit fraud.
 

Dotplus6

Free Member
Oct 4, 2013
214
119
N. Ireland
Funster No
56,522
MH
Swift Royale 540 (1995)
Exp
4 yrs in total but not consecutively. Just bought the 3rd.
Would anyone actually be daft enough to pay a deposit to buy a van they hadn't actually physically seen? And surely no-one would pay a deposit in order for the guy to hold it so they could view.

If I was buying a van I would want to be sitting inside the van with all the documents ready to grab & the keys & only then would I be handing over the money - and even then I'd probably be worrying whether it was genuine. I would be dubious about even handing over money to a dealer after Motorhome Ireland went bust a few years ago & people lost their deposits.

Dot
 
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Puddleduck

Puddleduck

LIFE MEMBER
Jan 15, 2014
12,357
43,866
Scottish Borders
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29,703
MH
Without at present
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On and off for many years.
Would anyone actually be daft enough to pay a deposit to buy a van they hadn't actually physically seen? And surely no-one would pay a deposit in order for the guy to hold it so they could view.

If I was buying a van I would want to be sitting inside the van with all the documents ready to grab & the keys & only then would I be handing over the money - and even then I'd probably be worrying whether it was genuine. I would be dubious about even handing over money to a dealer after Motorhome Ireland went bust a few years ago & people lost their deposits.

Dot

I agree with you Dot but for some people greed takes hold and they think they have seen a bargain. When a product is advertised at almost but not quite the normal price it can be very tempting.

People do pay deposits for vehicles to be held for a number of days, even reputable dealers do this (Marquis being just one) although with "proper" dealers the deposit is refundable should the buyer not go ahead. If you think this is normal maybe you wouldn't question the deposit until it went missing. I'm also not sure how many would recognise forged documents.

I sold my last MH through a classified ad and had four genuine inquiries. The last three all offered money for me to hold the MH until they could come to see it but I refused as I had already arranged for the first man to come and view. He bought for cash (folding money) there and then - and for just a few £s less than I'd paid some years before. I often wonder if that van is still on the road - it was a LHD Hymer with a distinctive number plate with numbers 777.

As far as vehicles are concerned the "seller" will have a very plausible story and be very believable. Say an elderly lady who claims to have been recently widowed and needs to sell the vehicle as she doesn't drive and is very short of money .... greedy people might think they are getting a bargain as she is ignorant of the true value. When greed kicks in common sense goes out of the window. A policeman friend of mine warned me that some fraudsters are even arranging for people to view vehicles at a residential address that ties in with the forged documents when the real owners of the house are at work or away.

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scotjimland

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Jul 25, 2007
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Timberland
advert reported and

reply

Hello
Thank you for bringing this advert to our attention, unfortunately it does appear to be a scam advert.

The advert has now been removed from the website and the users email address has been blacklisted.

If you require any further assistance please get back to us.

Kind regards

Sarah Black.
 

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