'Certified Cheque' Scam?

GreyPilgrim · 23 May 2009 at 10:01PM

We just advertised a table for sale in Loot, and have received a note from a buyer along the lines of 'I would like to pay for this with a UK certified Cheque and am happy to wait until the funds clear before picking up the item' (I don't have the exact wording to hand as it's on my wifes account)

It's a scam isn't it. The funds are going to clear, the buyers 'agent' will pick up the table, and then the bank will withraw the funds, right?

Or could it be genuine...seems like a lot of trouble to go through for a flat pack kitchen table.

skylight · 23 May 2009 at 10:08PM

Yep. Your scam alert radar is working well!

Reply along the lines of your bank froze your bank account after they made a big error on a payment from a Nigerian Prince that you were waiting for but it didn't happen because they must have muddled you up with your dead Grandmother who lost her handbag in John Lewis and and had all her house contents stolen. Anyway, all this means that your bank account if frozen, you cannot take a cheque and it will have to be cash.

I doubt you'll hear from them again.

seabright · 24 May 2009 at 12:51AM

Cheques can be recalled at any time, even after they've apparently cleared. You're right, it's a scammer.

omen666 · 24 May 2009 at 2:04AM

They can be recalled months down the line especially where they are foreign ones. Scam

prowla · 24 May 2009 at 8:25AM

Wait for the bit where they over-pay you and ask for the change in cash!:D

Enterprise_1701C · 24 May 2009 at 8:26AM

I thought there was new rules on this - couldn't find it clearly in general circulation but did find this, so still seems unclear!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=588796

martindow · 25 May 2009 at 11:01AM

seabright wrote: »

Cheques can be recalled at any time, even after they've apparently cleared. You're right, it's a scammer.

Not on UK cheques any more with the 2-4-6 system - the money is definitely yours on 6th day

http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=263&a=367

Agree the OP's situation is very suspicious - no such thing as a 'certified' cheque as far as I know.

jdfallon1978 · 25 May 2009 at 3:27PM

Not nessacarily a scam, I would say unlikely as they have contacted you before trying to buy the item. Rather than telling you afterwards that they want to pay by cheque. I have had a few payments like this on ebay over the last year and never had a problem. A 'certified cheque' is just proof that you have the said money in your account, they may just be trying to reassure you or may have got their terminology a bit mixed up. Regarding chargebacks on cheques as far as I was aware it was up to 6 days after the cheque had cleared, the exception being if they suspect you of commiting fraud. It is with my bank - I checked a while back. In this case just give them that date as the date they can pick the table up.

soolin · 25 May 2009 at 3:39PM

jdfallon1978 wrote: »

Not nessacarily a scam, I would say unlikely as they have contacted you before trying to buy the item. Rather than telling you afterwards that they want to pay by cheque. I have had a few payments like this on ebay over the last year and never had a problem. A 'certified cheque' is just proof that you have the said money in your account, they may just be trying to reassure you or may have got their terminology a bit mixed up. Regarding chargebacks on cheques as far as I was aware it was up to 6 days after the cheque had cleared, the exception being if they suspect you of commiting fraud. It is with my bank - I checked a while back. In this case just give them that date as the date they can pick the table up.

If you read the other posts you will see that the 2-4-6 cheque clearance covers mainly UK high street banks, you either get the full 2-4-6 protection or you don't, simple as that.

As for a certified cheque it may be a simple language error, but what are you suggesting they actually mean?

kprigg · 25 May 2009 at 5:38PM

If they send a cheque drawn on a UK Bank account that you can safely say the funds are cleared after 6 working days.
Are they perhaps getting confused with a Bankers Draft by saying its certified maybe? If it were me I would first ask if they wanted to do a bank transfer as this is the easiest way for both sides (you can safely say that the payment will not be withdrawn at any time after the day it hits your bank account - usually 4 working days after they send it).
If you are not happy about accepting bank transfers then as I said before, a UK cheque should be fine after 6 working days.

Valli · 25 May 2009 at 5:45PM

skylight wrote: »

Yep. Your scam alert radar is working well!

Reply along the lines of your bank froze your bank account after they made a big error on a payment from a Nigerian Prince that you were waiting for but it didn't happen because they must have muddled you up with your dead Grandmother (who died in France BTW but you had no insurance and had to bring her back on the roof rack) who lost her handbag in John Lewis and and had all her house contents stolen. Anyway, all this means that your bank account if frozen, you cannot take a cheque and it will have to be cash.

I doubt you'll hear from them again.

Bit of memory loss there - I've helped out;)

'Certified Cheque' Scam?

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