Gumtree Scam

[Haz_65]

Dear all,

Hope you're okay.

I purchased a mobile phone (HTC One X) through Gumtree for £230 yesterday.

All correspondance was made through the 'reply to advert' button. After negotiating the deal and asking him whether he was genuine, I came to the conclusion he was a genuine seller.

He provided me with his Paypal e-mail address which I happily transferred the money to. I ensured the payment was to be made through Paypal to ensure I benefit from buyer protection.

The payment was made through the 'purchase of goods' option and left him a note thanking him for the great service and asking him for tracking details when he has posted the phone.

He e-mailed me back through Gumtree confirming he had received the payment.

Since then he has not replied to my any of my correspondance asking him if he has sent the phone out to me.

My family began to get suspicious and we decided to check the transaction details on my PayPal account. We realised he has a secondary e-mail address which is foreign, he provided me a UK e-mail address. However, his account is 'Non-US Verified'. The Gumtree account has been active since Jan 2007 so it's not your typical sort term fraud account.

This advert shows he was based in Cumbria, UK.

I have just noticed he has submitted another advert today which is identical (including location) to the advert I purchased my phone from. A friend of mine has sent him a message and he replied back immediately advising it is still available for £210 and provided details of the phone. Bearing in mind he has not responded to me since I made the payment to him yesterday.

I have been informed I need to allow 7 days until I can open a dispute so I will have to wait a further 6 days.

I have informed Paypal to carry out an investigation on this Paypal account as he will potentially scam others with his newly submitted adverts.

I was wondering where I stand with this potential fraud that I have been a vicim of?

I do hope I receive this phone, but I have lost all hope.

Your help is very much appreciated and I look forward to your responses.

Kind Regards,

Hassan

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

1. You only bought it yesterday, maybe he is not answering your emails because he is at work etc??

2. I have 4 email addresses on paypal for different ebay id's so nothing wrong with having other email addys as you can have up to 8 on the one paypal account.

3. We are all in the uk non-us verified. Thats cus we are verified but not living in the US!!!!!!

4. Maybe he has more than one phone to sell?

If you paid with paypal and don't receive the item you should be covered under buyer protection. If and only if he scams you then if he does not refund his paypal account will be frozen by paypal anyway.

[Haz_65]

Thank you very much for your reply. He has advertised it as follows:

'I am selling my HTC One X, unopened, grey colour, locked to T-Mobile network, not sure how much would unlocking be so please check before buying - I accept paypal payment too - selling it cheap as there is no need for it, I renewed my wife's contract, free of charge for me'

This comes across like he only has one item to sell...which worries me

Also, would I be guaranteed to receive a refund via PayPal if I did not receive the phone or will there be any exceptions? I fear I may lose my money for nothing!!

What if the seller withdraws all the money from his account and does a runner?

Are there any circumstances in which I will not receive my money back as a result to fraud or scams?

I really appreciate your help!

Hassan

[kernowlass]

If you don't receive the phone and the seller has no funds in his account you will get a refund from paypal and then they will go after the seller to get that money back.

I am more worried he may send you another phone in poor condition etc. If that is the case you will have to open a dispute for item received but not as described but that is a more difficult one to know which way paypal will decide.

Pity it wasn't an ebay transaction as you could have got his phone number from them.

[Haz_65]

Ah...ok. So transactions/sales through Gumtree will still be taken as seriously as if it took place on eBay?

A friend of mine suggested PayPal do not take transactions completed out of eBay as serious and you're less likely to get your money back as a result of fraud or a scam. Is this correct?

I was quite shocked when he said this and I refused to believe it.

Out of curiosity, what evidence does PayPal ask for when a buyer has been a victim of fraud?

Many Thanks,

Hassan

PS - You are very helpful!

[kernowlass]

They take ebay and other sites that accept paypal the same as long as the buyer has followed the criteria for buyer protection which you have by selecting the goods option.

If you file non receipt of item you don't have to prove anything. They give the seller 10 days to provide a tracking number to prove the buyer has received the item and not just that they have posted it. If the buyer has not recieved it and the tracking number is not provided or does not prove delivery then the seller has to refund on day 11.

If the item has arrived but is not what you ordered then put in as much detail as possible to paypal when you open the dispute eg what you ordered and what you got etc etc etc. What his advert said and what he promised etc etc. Paypal will then contact you once you escalate the dispute to a claim if they want anymore information. 

[Myosh03]

hello.

Im just in a process of mailing with guy, simillar gumtree ad:

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/simfree-warranty-htc-one-x-beats-by-dre/103926315

when I asked him to pick it up, he replays to me:

Hello and thank you for the email, Good news! Item is still available and just to confirm is brand new sealed. Yes i can sell for £200.

Unfortunately due to gumtree not processing my ad quick enough! I have now left London and now on a trip to Newcastle. I will be staying in Newcastle for a few weeks so would not mind meeting you up here if you can come. Collection will have to be in Newcastle at my home address between 6pm-10pm as i work during the day.

I do not mind delivering it to you with Royal Mail but i would like half the money to be paid first on my name through Western Union or any other payment method you would like.

So please kindly get back to me on how you would like to do the transaction, if you would like to collect please ask me for my address, or if you would like it delivered please forward me your full name & delivery address.

Please get back to me as i am hoping to sell it today or tomorrow.

Have a good day

.... I dont know what to think about that...

[tricia_87]

hi i think iv had someone trying to scam me under a uk email askin me to send my product to nigeria with a birthday card and they have sent me an email showing they made a payment to me via paypal but it says i cant get the payment without sending them proof of tracker number but im sure had payment be sent it would show in my transactions and the funds would be available. i too said if this is not genuine i will not send my item and they tried to assure me that it is however because i cant physically transfer the fund to my account as it does not show i will not be sending as this was also done through gumtree. was this persons email lee_young009  at hotmail.co.uk by any chance as thats the one iv had come up.

[kernowlass]

Nigeria = scam.

This is a common scam. They try to tell you to send the item and then the funds will appear in  your paypal account after you send the tracking number.

Paypal don't work that way, the funds would show even if on a  hold or pending.

Do not send anything.

Users in Nigerian do not have access to paypal accounts. 

[tricia_87]

they reconned their in uk sendin it as bday present to a friend but it flagged up in my hrad frm start so iv forwarded it all to paypal n gumtree includin address wanted it sendin too so whos laufhiin now lol