Buying caravan

[Lynsay9698]

I’m looking to buy a caravan and found one, been in contact with seller and he said I could make payment through PayPal, he has given me reference number and had a invoice sent to my email. He stated he would have caravan delivered with shilpy&shiftacar at his expense and PayPal will only release payment when I have the caravan and has been checked over, I’m new to this and sounds to good to be true. He said he is in Scotland and caravan is in Manchester. Advice please 😕

[sharpiemarker]

@Lynsay9698 

“PayPal will only release payment when I have the caravan and has been checked over”

This is not entirely true. The seller is sorta manipulating and twisting the way PayPal works.

These are the reasons PayPal would hold a payment and their systems determine whether a payment is put on hold or not so a hold is not always a given:

https://www.paypal.com/uk/smarthelp/article/why-is-my-payment-on-hold-and-when-will-it-be-available-...

If there is a hold, the seller can get the funds released sooner like this:

How can I release my payment(s) on hold?

**PayPal is not an escrow service and vehicles are not covered under seller and buyer protection at all so if any issue arises, you’ll have to settle it in court or if you paid with credit card, try a chargeback through your card issuer.

Don’t know about the UK but in the US, buyers should arrange to meet up with seller to look at and get the car checked/test driven with a mechanic before handing money over because used private car sales are sold as is unless a warranty was requested and agreed to by both parties in writing.

[Lynsay9698]

He said PayPal has offered to use escrow service, I’m confused help

[Stu1971]

Very concerned as we are currently in contact with a Keith <removed> telling the exact same story. Did yours work out?

[kernowlass]

@Stu1971 

Its a scam, paypal does not provide escrow.

They get you to pay to a ''fake escrow paypal bank account'' by telling you to do so via fake paypal emails, you won't get paid and will see no money in your paypal account balance.

[dougmac]

I had the same contact with a person that said he was a tanker driver and was working away from home , I said I would pick the van up in Liverpool , no , he was adamant that it would be delivered and we use payal or a holding bank . Now , I had a wee thought , this guy would not come down a couple of hundred pounds from his asking price , but would pay for delivery ? Had he no relatives to take the money and give me the van ? Very strange Dr Watson .

Then I saw that this is the first thing he has sold on eBay . I then politely refused to go into a deal with him . I then looked at other caravans (3) that were at least £2000 under the normal price for a similar van . And they all had no history of selling on eBay .......so beware !