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After having my appetite for a VW T5 whetted by another thread on here , I took a look at vantrader and saw an 09 plate 1.9 diesel with 77k on the clock for £4800.
Thinking this was too good, I contacted the seller by email ( there was a Bristol phone no on there but no-one answered), to ask if there was anything wrong with it and to confirm price.
I received an email a couple of hours later. Strangely , the van is no longer on a Vantrader.
This is a copy of emails between "her" and myself so far (latest email at top)
Due to my location and since view or pick up is not an option I have requested personal support and I was approved to use Buyer Protection Program. Here is how the process works through the Buyer Protection Program:
- I make the private listing on eBay for you,
- you go and buy it through their website,
- you have to pay for the item to eBay to secure the funds,
- they confirm me that they received the funds,
- I deliver the van,
- you receive the van,
- they send me the money,
Everything is covered by eBay. I will get paid only after you confirm that you received the van in good order.
Let me know if this is acceptable. Thank you
Alice
On Wed, May 7, 2014 at 9:52 PM, Mark Evans <ccs72@live.co.uk> wrote:
Where abouts in Scotland are you ?
I have friends who live up there who could come and inspect it for me , and all being good , will pay cash for it
Thanks
Mark
Sent from my iPad
> On 7 May 2014, at 21:37, "Alice" <alice@btworld.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Hello,
> Its still for sale. Excellent condition with no damages or any faults. All necessary documents available. My current location is Scotland due to my work commitments, If this is going to be a quick sale I will let it go for £4,800 delivered at my costs. Are you familiar to eBay? I will list the vw transporter on eBay Motors for the £4,800 buy it now price and I will send you a link to my auction, so you can buy it immediate.
> As soon as you will confirm the payment to eBay, I will proceed delivery without any additional costs for you.
> In case you are not familiar with them, please read their Buyer Protection and will see that they cover 100% the transaction done through them up to £50,000. You will receive the vw transporter with all documents. As you know eBay is the best company of online transactions. If indeed interested in it and have the funds, I will list it on eBay, as I have a 100% positive feedback with them.
> Please let me know your decision.
> Thank you
>
> Alice
Now does that sound a bit suspicious ? ( I don't have friends in Scotland - just wanted to see if they would allow a viewing)
Now does that sound a bit suspicious ?
An ickle wickle bit.*
*Complete scam.
I'm not familiar with any of that ebay buyer protection stuff above, but it's a vehicle being sold for quite a lot money. I would want, or at least via some trusted mates, get a viewing of this.
Walk away if you are not sure.
I think it sounds legit, but if you're worried I'm in Scotland so just send the money to me and I'll pick up the van for you. PayPal gift though yeah?
Google "ebay buyer protection motors"
Absolute run away
Am in Scotland, happy to look at it if local 😉
I read those emails in a Eastern European accent for some reason.
You go and buy it
Etc
looks like a complete scam to me. Lol hora
Yes , had my suspicions.
May well have to string them along for a bit though......
Or have I already put myself on a Winkers list by replying !
Linky link for the rest of us to play?
- I make the private listing on eBay for you,
... and send you the link to the private advert on www.ebay-honestguv.co.uk
As ever, if you find yourself asking "is this a scam" then the answer is yes.
String 'em along. Then inform the Police. See if they will investigate...
Ask if she'll accept paypal gift
Does that number plate look a bit skewiff ?
Checked out the reg on Gov Tax website and it does belong to a Black VW transporter
Emailed back requesting link and received this
... which redirects to a site which looks like eBay but is actually http://ukprivs20.com/ - a German domain registered two days ago.
(Ie, what I said.)
Sorry, I've already bought it. Just filling in my details now 😉
Fake as it comes I'd say. And that website "ukprivs.com"
General information
ukprivs20.com has been registered on 05/04/2014.
Seems fairly recent.
Plenty of other vans around.
That's the second one today that has been on at a ridiculously cheap price.
Like they say, if it looks to good to be true.............
This type of scam usually ends up with you doing a bank transfer, but tricked into doing so by genuine looking emails/invoices purporting to be from ebay. In my experience the account turns out to be in a foreign name at an address, usually in London, that turns out to be rented, so while it's a UK bank account the account holder is usually impossible to trace if indeed still in the UK, and your money is abroad via Moneygram/Western Union within an hour of you transferring it.
Being a possible numpty here - but why doesn't MSE or other security suite pick up on the phishing website in this instance?
I appreciate the address is wrong, but also thought there were other filters in place, not just looking at the address bar?
Well, MSE won't, because that's not what it does. The site doesn't have viruses on it.
The browser [i]may [/i]pick up phishing sites, but the site is only two days old.
Do they have to add sites as they discover them then? Like a shitlist of phishing sites, rather than some sort of automatic detection.
In fact,
Unless it's just me, it looks like the fake advert's just disappeared.
Do they have to add sites as they discover them then? Like a shitlist of phishing sites, rather than some sort of automatic detection.
Dunno TBH, I never gave it much thought. I have seen Firefox kick off about malicious sites previously (you get a big red warning screen) but I don't know how it works.
Ok - thanks.
Had a look and its the 'smartscreen filter' in IE and yes there is a shitlist.
Just like the vantrader one did after I had emailed them.
I'm sure someone, somewhere will be caught out by them.
Loads, sadly
How did it compare pricewise to similar OP?
Forgetting possible scam price you've also got to look out for logbook loans on a private sale.
As you know I spend a lot of time in Nigeria and that exchange of emails screams "Nigerian writer" to me - there are certain little clues in the language and syntax that they can't avoid using, always a giveaway.
Time to tell "Alice" you are not an oyigbo mugu.
Others are between 8-11k for similar mileage / age which is what rang the alarm bells.
I guess you do get some real bargains with people being desperate for cash etc so it was worth checking out.
I bought a Skoda Octavian from a garage up in Birmingham a few years back for £4k when similar private ones were selling for £6-7k. Took a chance and had 50k miles of pretty much trouble free motoring with it.
Is the logbook loan thing still undetectable with a HPI check ? I remember watching a program a while back that said these were not recorded in the same way as a standard loan against an item.
Yep still undetectable and not covered by their guarantee
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Others are between 8-11k for similar mileage / age which is what rang the alarm bells.
Yeah, apart from that it seems totally legitimate.
People who are DESPERATE to sell privately cheap tend to be:
Scammers
Owe lots of money (hence the logbook loan risk)
Theres something expensively wrong with the car that they'll mask/attempt to hide.
If they were desperate to sell theres webuyanycar, or if they have a new car incoming its called PX.
This is really interesting stuff, it's good to know how these people operate so you can spot them. So in summary, the two things that tipped you off were:
1. Very cheap
2. Couldn't view the van.
Now I've written it down like that it seems really obvious! I suppose it's different when you're in amongst it though, plus you're probably dizzy with the thought of getting a nice van for so little money...
Yes, you do hope you have struck gold and got a cheap deal.
It can happen sometimes...but sadly not in this case.
Shermer 75 - yes those were the 2 things that tipped me off 🙂
Just been talking to girl at work whose MIL was ripped off to the tune of £6000 by a similar scam. Apparently the car she was trying to buy was not even a stand out bargain.
you're probably dizzy with the thought of getting a nice van for so little money...
Which is exactly why people fall for this stuff. Deep down they probably realise there's something fishy, but they [i]really badly [/i]want it to be genuine and that clouds the judgement.
Plus, a lot of people are greedy bastards. (-:
The fact that it's supposedly in Scotland would worry me; they "seller" probably said that to make it difficult for a buyer to arrange to view.
Almost certainly a scam. Had a similar experience a month ago with autotrader. "seller" would ship the vehicle using a reputable shipping company. Checked out the company which was all legit but then found the link sent by the seller wasn't the exact same website but a damn good copy, that could've easily duped many folk. If its too good to be true it usually is.
I had an email from another one that was on eBay earlier in the week, that mysteriously disappeared soon after I emailed a question.
Have just responded to them, but can't imagine it will have any effect on their conscience. 🙄
See below for email. I think this will be the last one I respond to, as it's getting annoying now.
Ian, I think on this occasion I will be leaving well alone.
I have passed on this correspondence to my colleagues in the Metropolitan Police Fraud Squad, who will be making further enquires into the matter.
Please rest assured that this will be resolved.
Regards
Sent from my iPad
On 9 May 2014, at 19:18, "Ian Drummond" <iandr1805@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi, The camper van is in very good condition, recently serviced, everything works as it should.
Date of registration is: 26th November 2007.
Full Service history (Mainly Main dealer Service): MOT til 27th november 2014, Taxed till 31st October 2014.
Converted by wave rider conversions.
Interior thermally lined and carpeted, 2 burner smev hob and sink, on board fresh water and waste with hand pump, new 12v leisure battery, 240v electric hook up, LED ceiling lights fully certified, Rock and roll bed with 2 seat belts, Hi gloss black units S,S table.
I recently brought a brand new heavy duty battery, the can belt was replaced at 96,000 miles. 600Watt inverter works for leisure battery.
All paperwork present.
It belonged to my father who unfortunately passed away 2 months ago.
The camper van is located in Inverness. I do not reside in the UK, i'm based in Berlin, Germany and because of that i have chosen to handle the sale online through eBay. This way we can both be protected and insured. I will get somebody to bring it to you if you decide to buy it but we have to close the deal through eBay.
My friend is not in Inverness and will be traveling from a distance so I must be sure and not put him on the road based on words, no one would, because I have no one in Inverness. You will receive the camper van in 3-4 days and you will have the chance to inspect it before I get paid. My friend will bring the camper van directly to you as soon as I will have the payment confirmation from PayPal. Also you will have to put your decision there and if it will be an " Yes, i want keep the camper van" or " No, I want to return the camper van" (in case it isn't as i have described it), PayPal will either release the funds to me or give you a refund and my friend will collect the camper van.
If you want it, let me know your name and address where it must be delivered so i can register the sale with ebay to proceed. If you will decide to not go through now then is not a problem I still quite have a few more offers from potential buyers. Hopefully, I made myself understood and we will be closing the deal. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kind Regards,
Ian Drummond
On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 2:20 PM, Mark Evans <ccs72@live.co.uk> wrote:
Thanks for getting back to me.
I will be in Scotland on Sunday (staying near to Inverness for 2 weeks), so I could come and do the deal
face to face with you and pay cash.
Can you let me have the address please ?
Thanks
Date: Fri, 9 May 2014 14:14:04 +0100
Subject: Re: VW T5
From: iandr1805@gmail.com
To: ccs72@live.co.uk
Hi and thanks for the email. I am sorry about the late reply.
Im selling my late Fathers VW transporter t5 camper van. The camper van is in very good condition, recently serviced, all documents available. Date of registration is: 26th November 2007. Full Service history (Mainly Main dealer Service): MOT til 27th november 2014, Taxed till 31st October 2014. Converted by wave rider conversions. The pictures should be able to tell you all you want to know.
The buy it now price is £4,500 (I can also have it delivered to you within the UK for nothing extra). I will get somebody to bring it to you if you decide to buy it but we have to close the deal through eBay, inspection period prior buying it along with a refund policy will be included in the sale terms. I have the camper van located indoors, up north in scotland (Inverness).
I agree for a 7 working days inspection period ( after the date of receipt of the camper van). This means that you have 7 days to inspect the camper van for any damages and decide if you want to keep it or not!
Because I will sign eBay's return policy, your money will be insured by them and you will have the option to reject the deal, only if we go through PayPal as well. If this is the case, you will receive a full refund (money back) from PayPal and I will have to take the camper van back on my cost!
You can read more about it by clicking below:
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/buy/contextual/return-policy.html
Let me know if you agree with the above return policy and if you want details on how to complete the sale.
Pictures of the camper van can be seen attached to this email.
Kind Regards,
Ian Drummond
On Thu, May 8, 2014 at 4:08 PM, Mark Evans <ccs72@live.co.uk> wrote:
Hi,
Can you let me have any further information that you have on the VW T5 please, and confirmation of price.
Do you have any photos of the interior and can you tell me what the mileage is please.
Any chance of coming to look at It ?
Thanks
Perhaps I've missed it earlier, but you are just stringing them along now aren't you?
Yes, but I'm going to stop now.
There is another recent thread about a similar thing on here too.
P.s I don't know anyone in the Met, just want to see if there was going to a reply to the email