Ebay: Ordered a laptop, recieved an Argos catalogue!!

Chippy_Minton_2

dipsy wrote: »

why not???

because this is a money saving forum and not a place to educate thieves.

StaffsSW

dipsy wrote: »

why not???

have you ever seen a laptop and argos catalogue side by side?

Totally different size, shape and weight.... :rolleyes:

yorksrabbit

Some really rubbish "advice" on this thread, from posters who assert that if a civil transaction turns out to be fraudulent, then, er, it's not fraud.

Perhaps withj their legal training they would like to come on here and say just what type of transaction does qualify as a context for fraud?

Someone who is bunging out an Argos catalogue instead of a laptop is a fraudster. And fraudsters don't milk a fraud once. They do it as many times as they can until it's time to disappear.

The OP should:

(a) contact his local police station with a view to obtaining a Crime Number;

(b) report the fraudulent transaction to his bank;

(c) go on the eBay Community Q&A forum to report the situation there in hope others will be in the same boat.

Whether or not the police have the time and resource to investigate a single case is ultimately their decision, but if everyone took the view that complaining to the police about "a civil matter" was pointless, then not a single eBayer would ever alert the police to anything, so no systematic scam would ever be identified, and not a single eBay scammer would ever be chased up and prosecuted.

Which means these two recent scammers would still be in business, instead of in jail:

http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/media-centre/crime-in-the-news/south-west--crime-in-the-news/ebay-scammer-jailed

http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/05/19/236091/jailed-ebay-scammer-ordered-to-pay-100000-compensation.htm

StaffsSW

yorksrabbit wrote: »

Some really rubbish "advice" on this thread, from posters who assert that if a civil transaction turns out to be fraudulent, then, er, it's not fraud.

Sad, but true, and an occupational hazard of interacting with people who do not know the difference between fact and opinion!

colony

Bizarrely, you don't have to have a Law Degree to register here. Especially since it would be my first port of call when I need legal advice!

Jeez... it's an open forum, what do you want... Judge Judy??

StaffsSW

colony wrote: »

Bizarrely, you don't have to have a Law Degree to register here. Especially since it would be my first port of call when I need legal advice!

Jeez... it's an open forum, what do you want... Judge Judy??

Exactly - but some of the "advice" being given is incorrect, and in some cases dangerous - things like telling people to get signed receipts for collected items paid via Paypal etc.

Sadly many people do come here for the first time in times of dire need and in vulnerable states of distress. Giving these people false hope or exacerbating their problems is neither helpful or constructive.

jojo1964

Sounds like a scam, and is a police matter as it appears fraud is being committed, although i would hold out little hope of any chance of recovery if the cheque has already been cashed, as no doubt it wont be the first time it has been done, and any address will be an accomodation address, and any mobile will be no longer in use.

All your brother can do is put it down to experience, and hope others reading this will be forewarned.

Sounds harsh i know, but thats life, there will always be lowlifes preying on those looking for a bargain.

cyril82

yorksrabbit wrote: »

Some really rubbish "advice" on this thread, from posters who assert that if a civil transaction turns out to be fraudulent, then, er, it's not fraud.

Perhaps withj their legal training they would like to come on here and say just what type of transaction does qualify as a context for fraud?

Someone who is bunging out an Argos catalogue instead of a laptop is a fraudster. And fraudsters don't milk a fraud once. They do it as many times as they can until it's time to disappear.

The OP should:

(a) contact his local police station with a view to obtaining a Crime Number;

(b) report the fraudulent transaction to his bank;

(c) go on the eBay Community Q&A forum to report the situation there in hope others will be in the same boat.

Whether or not the police have the time and resource to investigate a single case is ultimately their decision, but if everyone took the view that complaining to the police about "a civil matter" was pointless, then not a single eBayer would ever alert the police to anything, so no systematic scam would ever be identified, and not a single eBay scammer would ever be chased up and prosecuted.

Which means these two recent scammers would still be in business, instead of in jail:

http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/media-centre/crime-in-the-news/south-west--crime-in-the-news/ebay-scammer-jailed

http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/05/19/236091/jailed-ebay-scammer-ordered-to-pay-100000-compensation.htm

Good advice and basically what i was getting at earlier although i did not have time to go into detail as i was working.

When i advised that the op report this transaction to the police it was not with the expectation that they would issue a crimewatch appeal, it was more a matter of procedure.

A crime was committed, (fraud) so you report it to the police, now, the op's local police will relay the details of the reported crime to the police local to the seller, if the seller is pulling this stunt over and over and his local police get several reports about him they will investigate, but in the meantime the op will get a crime number which he can reference in his court action.

If the op does not report the crime and the seller defends, any court would ask "did you report this alleged fraud to the police?" If you didn't it is easier for the seller to counter, "you didn't Report it because it is not true".
Having reported the crime is not solid evidence that the crime took place but it just ticks a box and helps add credibility to the court claim.

The fact is, if the seller tries to defend the court action it will de difficult to prove so definitely seek out others who have been ripped off by this guy in the ebay community forums to back it up.

Good luck.

*LoopyLaura*

Thats awful, there are some nasty people out there. And greedy. Put the 2 together & you get this situation.
It would be an idea to post the eBay ID to warn others.
Best of luck

sequence

Was the packaging intact when you received the item ? It's entirely possible that it was swapped inside of the postal service ? There not a great chance of getting your money back now if you paid by cheque though!