What's the scam? eBay content

Haych

A few years ago I joined the Jeremy Clarkson appreciation society and bought a touring caravan.  It wasn't pretty and wasn't modern but it's done the job for the last few years and the kids love it.

I'm tentatively looking at buying a newer van and so usually end up trawling through eBay to see what's about.

Recently I've come across a couple of classified ads on the bay for very nice vans at unbelievably low money.  All the ads are from different sellers who usually have low feedback score (not percentage, just number of transactions) and all the ads have an email address to contact and a request to leave a telephone number in the description.

This has my bullshit sensor tingling like mad.  It's quite clearly a scam of some sort, but what?  The ad is classified so no money is changing hands via PayPal etc - are they just harvesting email addresses and phone numbers?

The latest of the ads I've come across is here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-COMPASS-RALLYE-644-TWIN-AXLE-4-BERTH-CARAVAN-/162408381314?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

There's no way anyone if their right mind would be letting that go for four grand, so what's the catch?

The guy also has a number of other vehicles for sale at stupidly low prices with the same format.

Deadman

It's a scam. They'd get you to do a bank transfer and you'd never see or hear from them again.

Haych

Deadman said:

It's a scam. They'd get you to do a bank transfer and you'd never see or hear from them again.

I still don't understand.

I mean, if I'm going to purchase a vehicle off eBay I'm going to take a look at it first, and if I'm going to take a look at it I'm probably going to take cash with me in case I want to buy it, especially if it's as cheap as what he's selling for.

If he insists on bank transfer up front then surely it's going to take a special kind of stupid to transfer the dosh before going to take a look?

Deadman

You'd be surprised. This case explains how people get sucked in:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/money-saving-tips/jessicainvestigates/12087155/I-paid-5190-for-a-car-on-eBay-where-is-it.html

Emp_Fab

Never underestimate the number of people blessed with that special kind of stupid.  It only takes one and he's £4K up.

Haych

Deadman said:

You'd be surprised. This case explains how people get sucked in:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/money-saving-tips/jessicainvestigates/12087155/I-paid-5190-for-a-car-on-eBay-where-is-it.html

Wow, that's an eye opener - thanks man!

TheBlueWolf

I wouldn't be keen on handing my email or phone number over in advance. I don't use EBay.......is there no way of contacting the seller(s)?

You're well within your rights to not part with any cash until you've checked out the caravan though

viz

I just googled part of the description: "whit island fixed bed,  separate"

marcus449

I've done a bit of research and from what I gather the scam (with this type) is:

1. hijack an ebay account that has positive rating
2. flood it with desirable items and low prices (remember that vehicles don't come under eBays protection policy)
3. hope that someone somewhere stupidly pays up front/puts a deposit down
4. shut down the account and do a runner. hijack another account and keep doing the same.

you'll see lots of these accounts with new listings of 30-40 desirable cars that all have the same format in the description.

similar account: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/jenna.hunt/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

here's a facebook page dedicated to exposing this type of scam: https://www.facebook.com/oneeyed.jack.1291/

hope that sheds some light on it
 

martinw

TheBlueWolf said:

I wouldn't be keen on handing my email or phone number over in advance. I don't use EBay.......is there no way of contacting the seller(s)?

You're well within your rights to not part with any cash until you've checked out the caravan though

It's an eBay 'Classified Ad' which is a bit different, and the seller puts his contact details in the ad. The transaction is then carried out outside eBay and it's usual protections.

If you buy it through eBay, you'd get your money back. eBay does get a lot of flack on here, but they do protect the buyer, sometimes even excessively to the seller's detriment.

In the case of the car in the telegraph link, it's hard to have too much sympathy with someone who spends £5k without even seeing the car. If you check out other sources, the same car was probably £7-8k so it kind of tells you something's amiss.

If you listen to You and Yours on Radio 4, you'll be astounded at just how many people out there are so gullible.

TheBlueWolf

@martinw thanks for the explanation dude. I'd be even more inclined to walk away from that type of deal

dano

You have to collect it from a traveller camp site. That's the catch.

dano

If you look at his other items for sale there are a lot of nice motors. 

Take a look at his email address btt6@redfapp.co.uk and Google it. It comes up with a lot of hits to sites listing it as a scam.

There is also no consistency with an of his pictures. Each car is photographed with a different background.

Deadman

dano said:

You have to collect it from a traveller camp site. That's the catch.

While ye've still got the legs to carry ye.

vasselmeyer

D'ye like dags?

octatonic

I like caravans more.

TheBlueWolf

Nobody brings a fella that soize unless they're tryin ta say somefin wivout talkin!!!