Selling on Gumtree

[ramjet]

So I have put some ads up to sell all my synths and associated bits & pieces as I have a very large expectations vs abilities gap.

Very quickly after putting several of them up, I have had replies from two guys who both work at sea and can't call. They both have movers/couriers ready to pick the gear up. One wants them before he gets back to shore and the other wants them for his son's birthday.

After reading through a fair bit of the help pages on the Gumtree website, I think I have just had a bunch of scammers target the ads and these isn't a real one in there.

Who'd have thought there was so much work at sea?

[jep]

Are you a keyboard worrier? 🙂

 

[ramjet]

Touche!

[eeyoreish]

There's no shortage of Muppets and scammers on Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace.

In my experience, anyone who actually wants your stuff will be completely straightforward/normal. Anything else is usually a scam or just someone who wants to mess you about.

[andmac]

Had this a couple of years ago when selling a machine, someone claiming to be on an oil rig so couldn't view but would send a courier to pick up. I  offered him a swap for his oil rig but strangely never heard back from him!

[jerzybondov]

Out of interest, how’s this oil rig scam supposed to work? 
 

if they’re sending someone to collect, they’ve still got to give you the money before you hand the item over? 🤔

[andydclements]

Payment bounces such as fraudulent bank transfer . duff cheque, even normally "pay" extra so that the seller pays the courier.

[andmac]

Fake buyer offered to send a cheque for more than value of machine, asking me to pay his courier out of the extra with an extra amount for my inconvenience. The whole thing was very amateurish 

 

[ramjet]

Exactly what I am seeing. Mover.courier already organised etc. Another 'person' asked for my email. I replied saying talk in Gumtree. They replied with ??. I replied to that with ??. Nothing since.

[Kimbers]

On Ebay the most common scam is saying the item hasn't arrived and Ebay then insist you pay them back for the item. Of course the item has arrived and those who post normal snail mail lose a lot of money that way. I learnt early on, everything I sell is posted Signed for (Under £50) and Special delivery (for anything over £50). Even then I have had people try and claim it hasn't arrived when I have a signature. Once they even reported me to Ebay and demanded I return it. Then When I sent the proof to Ebay they miraculously found it delivered next door.

People try it on all the time, I just don't understand the attitude of trying to scam me for a £15 silver ring!

 

[jep]

Worse is when they claim you sent an empty box......EBay usually side with the buyer. 

One chap sold a guitar with case. The buyer claimed he only sent the case with no guitar, the case filled with pebbles. Try to prove otherwise......

I've sold a lot of stuff on eBay since 2001, mainly memorabilia and have had very few problems and not as yet a scam on anything I've sold. Overall a good experience and no significant issues. I've had some weird ones you'd think were a scam but proved to be genuine. 

Unfortunately, if someone is dishonest, there's not a lot you can do. You have to allow for some 'wastage', just as all businesses do. 

Justin