Is This Too Good To Be True?

fishingcinema

sorry if i have placed this in the wrong section

i am looking at purchasing a new pushchair and have come across this companie on ebay offering pushchairs for example maclaren xlr rrp £179 they are selling them for £99 free p&p

they have been registered with ebay since 05 aug 08, have changed user id less than 30 days ago have 15 feedback 4 for pushchairs

they also have there website in the listing

http://www.discountbuggies.co.uk/

i know some people on here that are way more clever than i am can find out if certian companies look fake like when they registered, buissness address
i hope they are legit as
i like the look but dont fancy getting scamed any help would be great

Browntoa

site Created: 2008-08-05

sells on ebay

http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=discount-buggies-online&ftab=AllFeedback&myworld=true&seeallfeedback=See%20All%20Feedback

but only low feedback

fishingcinema

Browntoa wrote: »

site Created: 2008-08-05

sells on ebay

http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=discount-buggies-online&ftab=AllFeedback&myworld=true&seeallfeedback=See%20All%20Feedback

but only low feedback

wow thanks for the fast reply
i have always wondered how people manage to find out all this info
i have seen posts on here before similar to mine and people have replied to them with details like you have, i must say its way beyond me
thanks again

fishingcinema

ok i have done some more searching and i think i may just being paranoid but

i did a check on
http://whois.domaintools.com/

had to put in there website that they have listed via there auctions

http://whois.domaintools.com/discountbuggies.co.uk
and it has come up with a whole load of info

1. they are registered as a sole trader = A business owned by a single individual

2.there registered buiss address comes up as an address on a housing estate

3.registered website on 05 aug 2008

4.they have only ben registered on ebay since aug and have already swiched username and only have little feedback

also it states on there website that
We offer free delivery within 28 days on all orders over £50.00. All items are sent via our own drivers and we cover UK Mainland (including Highlands). For offshore/international orders please contact us for delivery charges BUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE REGISTERED AS A SOLE TRADER???

i hope they do turn out to be legit as they have some lovely pushchairs but i have not seen any of them that they have listed so cheap ever apart from the odd occasion in a sale and i am assuming that you would have to buy hundereds if not thousands to be able to sell them so cheap:o

new_mum_5

fishingcinema I would be very wary of this site. I have no idea if they are legit or not but my gut instinct says not. I find it hard to believe that Maclaren and Mamas and Papas would give accounts to someone operating from a house. Also, a giveaway to me is on their home page it says 'Maclaren Authorized online dealer" The american spelling stands out a mile to me and looks like they have copied it straight from a US website. Also the Mamas & Papas info is straight off their site. The colours of some of the Maclarens are not even current. Usually if an offer is too good to be true, it usually is! I might be totally wrong but they look iffy to me. Also only an email address and a fax number on the contact us. Hope that helps.

fishingcinema

new_mum wrote: »

fishingcinema I would be very wary of this site. I have no idea if they are legit or not but my gut instinct says not. I find it hard to believe that Maclaren and Mamas and Papas would give accounts to someone operating from a house. Also, a giveaway to me is on their home page it says 'Maclaren Authorized online dealer" The american spelling stands out a mile to me and looks like they have copied it straight from a US website. Also the Mamas & Papas info is straight off their site. The colours of some of the Maclarens are not even current. Usually if an offer is too good to be true, it usually is! I might be totally wrong but they look iffy to me. Also only an email address and a fax number on the contact us. Hope that helps.

thanks for that
unfortunatly that was my feelings too thing is they have sold 50 pushchairs since the 9th sep on ebay all ranging from £69 to £325

either they have some absolutly amazing deals with mamas and papas and maclaren highly unlikely as i think they are trading from home you usally need a shop to get discounts that enable you to sell top range pushchairs at that price

or its a scam and there are going to be some very unhappy customers
they have 4 feedback as seller of pushchairs

one maclaren purchased on 9th sep 08 @ 8:33pm they left good feedback on 10th sep 08 (seller must use very fast shipping for them to receive it that quick)

one mamas and papas luna pushchair good feedback left 12th sep but when you click to veiw item it comes up with

This listing (320297097361) has been removed or is no longer available. Please make sure you entered the right item number.
If the listing was removed by eBay, consider it cancelled. Note: Listings that have ended more than 90 days ago will no longer appear on eBay

the seller has only been registered since aug not 90 days or longer so that is odd

one mamas and papas aria twin dot from buyer with 0 feedback saying
very understanding
the more i look into it the more it seems like a scam and i am just feeling sick for the 50+ people that i beleive are just about to loose there money i just wish there was something i could do

Enterprise_1701C

I am not saying "trust these guys" cos I can't give any idea about them specifically. All I would like to say is a lot of companies start out as sole traders trading from home - I know ours did (we have been a limited company for some time). There are complications and greater running costs when you become a limited company, including having to get accounts in to companies house on time, annual reports and the suchlike!

new_mum_5

I totally agree Jane with what you are saying about sole traders and working from home. That alone is not a reason not to trust someone or buy from them. In fact, it's good business sense to do so to keep running costs down.
fishingcinema - I would not buy from them. You will look back on this in a few weeks or months and see others who have been scammed and be glad you didn't. I don't use ebay so don't know how they have got this feedback. I used to work in that industry (sorry can't say for who) and I know for a fact that Maclaren and Mama & Papas would not give an account to someone who sells on ebay nor allow them to sell for those prices. Boots have 20% off most Maclarens at the moment so if it's one of those you want, why not look there. Good luck.

unlucky67

I wouldn't worry too much about 'Sole traders' and working from home...my (life) partner was a sole trader (on the advice of his accountant) for years running his own restaurant and employing staff....
There is a chance that they are so cheap because the colours aren't current...I saved 30% on a Graco pushchair (from e-bay) in April 08 because it was 07 colours...
Think I'd contact the buyer whose item was cancelled -and ask why. They seem to be well established on e-bay and might be helpful...
Also (you would need to check this) but I think you have a degree of cover if you pay by paypal.
You would have to pay the cost of a return of a faulty/wrong item...

If you can I'd wait for a few weeks and see what other feedback there is...if you can't I'd look into what protection paypal does offer you...

betterbargains4u

If I were you, I would firstly checkout valid companies like
www.kiddicare.com or www.cardiffcashandcarry.com
I know that a lot of Ebay sellers get there stock from the cardiff cash and carry wholesaler.
Click on the contact us page, and they will send you some log on details for free, so you can buy at wholesale prices.
Both of these companies sell last years ranges, which the big companies, such as Mamas and Papas etc sell to them at knock down prices.
Kiddicare started in my home town in a small shop, selling to local people.
They have just opened an enormous warhouse on the edge of the city, which is rumoured to have cost somehting like £13 million!!
Lots and lots of money to be made out of babies!!

fishingcinema

thanks for the advice

i dont know too much about sole traders and feel a bit guilty about being so susspicious if they are generaly trying to start up there own company its just there are so many scams arround today and i have always thought/read if it seems to good to be true it usally is,
i think i will take advice that i have been given and either wait a couple of weeks and see how there feedback goes hopefuly it will all turn out good, they will be booming in buissness if its genuine as the prices are amazing