Where or what is the scam?

Kronos

Kronos

Kronos

Soldato
Joined
11 Nov 2009
Posts
4,784
Location
Edinburgh
Or I am I too cynical in my old age to accept that there are genuine folk out thee?

I put a camera plus a bunch of extras on Gumtree this morning for the sum of £270. Got a response from a guy in Hull telling me he was very interested. I replied that I prefer not to do long distance deals preferring the face to face approach.
He said he understood and that he could come up to Edinburgh as it would be a nice day out but a approx 9 hour round trip does not sound like a nice day out.
Almost immediately i got another email saying he would pay up front + postage and trust me to send it.
This all sounds to good to be true.
What say you?
 
Depends on the payment method. Maybe he genuinely didn't realize the distance and then decided to risk postage. Doesn't strike me as a scam immediately.
 
Why not just give the first guy a chance? he might not have anything better to do and could be planning to make a day trip out of it with his kids or something.

edit: oh right, it's the same person nvm. :p

Yeah it sounds like a definite scam, my guess would be that he won't send you the payment in anything that is not reversible.
 
I wouldn't even do it if it's a bank transfer. But that's because I was bitten by an extraordinary circumstance
 
Scam . i think he pays paypal , you send stuff , he puts a claim in with paypal saying he never received the goods .
 
Even if it's bank transfer, if the transaction is flagged as fraud the funds will be removed and there's nothing you can do about it.

Cash in your hand, do not post.
 
I think most have echoed my thoughts on this. He may well be a genuine buyer but there are many things that could go wrong. So will stick to my usual routine for Gumtree and that is face to face dealings.
Thanks all.
 
I sold a Ridley TT bike on eBay and the guy flew out with his wife to Basel, had a day at the Christmas markets, which I dropped them at, and then picked them up and took them back to the airport with a packed up bike (in a bike box they rented). Most random eBay exchange ever, but great.
 
Gumtree is cash only, I've used it many times without an issue. Sold many things.

Pass on the sale and wait for someone else. Unless he decides to post you cold hard cash I'd not do it. Bank transfers can be reversed or he could be using a stolen account of some sort.
 
I think you would be safe enough with a BT it's £270 used camera equipment not a 10K car.
Doubt anyone would go to the hassle of setting up a stolen account for such a small amount.
A mate recently sold £900 alloys to someone 140 miles away and the guy used BT and his father picked the wheels up a few
days later.If the buyer suggests PP tho decline and move on to the next buyer.
 
Steeps said:
Even if it's bank transfer, if the transaction is flagged as fraud the funds will be removed and there's nothing you can do about it.

Cash in your hand, do not post.
Click to expand...

I do agree cash only on Gumtree, BUT if someone pays money away of their own accord and is scammed, the bank is NOT liable as they would be in the case of a proven fraud. If the bank chooses to refund then that's up to them, but it would be out their own pocket. A bank cannot "take back" money out of another account "just like that" when a FP payment has been made.
 
As long as he pays legit cash then dont worry, but i personally have been screwed by the paypal then collect thing. never again. They reverse the transaction and you are left with nothing. Only protection is having proof of postage
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom