Have been so stupid (hangs head in shame)

Amanda65

I bid for an Ipod on Ebay and the buyer contacted me directly saying that he had more than one for sale and ould give me a buy it now price - I know, I can hear you all shouting NOOOOOOO now - but I did it.

I had his home address (had checked on electoral roll) and he had positive feedback on his site and although normally very cautious I thought of my daughters faces on Chrsitmas morning and paid!

Well am sure you won't be surprised to know that he now has my money in his bank account and hasn't sent the goods. After about 30 emails back and forwards where he promises to send them etc etc it has now gone quiet. The telephone number I ahve just rings constantly and I am left £150 down and very very embarassed and cross at myself for my stupidity.

I have contacted the police in his local area who have informed me that as the transaction was done outside Ebay it is a cvil case and there is nothing they can do. His Ebay account has now been suspended althoguh I have not reported him as I am worried that they may suspend my account for dealing outside their rules.

The thing is, on his address register it would appear that he lives with his parents and I am tempted to write to them outlining my problem and asking them to appeal to his better nature and refund my money - what do you think? I certianly would want to know if my children were running a scam and using my address and I am quite prepared for them to do nothing but thought it might be worrth a try??

And yes - I have learnt my (very expensive) lesson !!!

babydaisy

Yes I would definitely write to his parents if I were you - tell them exactly what their son has been up to and send copies of all the correspondence to prove it.

I would also issue a writ in the small claims court if you can - can you check with the CAB as you presumably have all the emails he has sent, coppies of bank statements showing that the money has been paid etc

Don't let him get away with it - you may find that a demand for payment from the court is all you need to get your money back

Good luck BD xxx

tiff

How did you pay for the item? My OH did this, stupidly for a PSP. We paid by paypal and the PSP didnt arrive. So I started the paypal chargeback thing for non receipt of goods and low and behold it arrived in the post.

Amanda65

Same day bank transfer - so no comeback sadly :-(

smartie1976

Def get the small claims paperwork on the go.
It's surprising how many people think that their victims will just lie down and take it, and they don't expect retaliation.

going2die_rich

Send some threatening letters before writing to his parents. Don't have a return address on them, and ensure the letter isn't sent to his name but just occupier. That way the parents will be worried as no doubt he's done it to others.

Then send a nice letter from yourself which will know doubt want the parents to pay up as they wouldn't want to seem like bad parents.

If you don't get a reply/ money back send another letter saying you will be seeking legal action through the small claims court. Best to do it through registered post so you can say in your letter you now also have proof of them recieving the letter.

Then bombard them with threats of legal action and how they are going to end up owing thousands through court costs, that way the kid/adult whose living there will get a good hiding for being such a prat from his parents.

I'd personally just turn up at the house kicking the door down for my money plus extra for my time, but then I'm not really a civilised person so it might not be your thing

Amanda65

Thanks - did speak to the online consumer / trading standards people who said that I could bring a claim through small claims court but that it would still be up to me to recover the debt so I might just be throwing good money after bad.

My OH can't belieive that the police won't take any action but I guess it's 'caveat emptor (sp?)'.

Have written a nice letter today to his parents which I think I will send appealing to their better nature in the hope that they can kick a$$ and get him to pay me back - watch this space .............................

soolin

The only thing I would add is do you know whether this person is a minor or an adult?

If he is on an electoral register he could be an adult and so I'm not sure how writing to his parents is really going to work You also run the risk that if you write to anyone else about this person, and if isn't his parents he live with, it is just a relative or friend with the same surname then you are on slightly dodgy ground as writing accusations about a person, even to a relative is libel, unless you can prove beyond any doubt that what you say is true. This itself could be difficult as you sent a bank transfer, so no real link between you and the scammer and you don't have the ebay sale to back up your claim that you sent money to buy something. Emails aren't the same as they can so easily be forged.

If on the other hand he is a minor, then you are stuck as well as you would be surprised how much legal protection a child has when it comes to any form of implied contracts..so you would almost certainly be throwing your money away.

I'd go with th emajority view and that is to get some legal looking paperwork to send to the seller, and try and follow it through from there.

Soo

going2die_rich

Hopefully the parents aren't just as bad and you get your money back.

You should try and look up the area the house is in, as if it's from a "rich" area, the parents will most likely want to pay up rather than be embarrassed by their child in front of their neighbours. So it might be worth court action in that case. Where as if it is some run down area the odds are they wouldn't have the money anyway.

Also look in the phone directory to see if they are listed. Easy to ring up and ask them too as they can just bin a letter but they can't keep hanging up on you. Just remember to withhold your number so they can't hassle you if they are scum like their child.

If you don't get any money back have some revenge... sign them up to a few loans, mortgages, a few credit checks on the house, maybe some extra junk mail - I love being evil

Raggie

As Going2die_Rich said...

if they leve in a resonable area.... why not also write to the other houses in the street. informing them of what their neighbour has done to you..

but make sure you cover yourself with all correspondace or.. a Libel.. case will wing its way back..

(Just being my vedictive little self :A )

Or thinking on it.. thats not a very good idea.. ignore me..

Amanda65

Thanks for your replies. There is no telephone number listed for the hosue so I guess they are ex-directory. I assume from the emails that he is over 18 but have bitten the bullet and sent the letter to the parents so will see what the weekend brings.

I don't think I could do the applying for loans etc for him - sadly I am a nice honest eprson adn assumed he would be the same. Isn't a shame that we live in a World where people have no regard for others (not referring to any of the posters here btw - just that bu$$er who scammed me!)

It's sucha shame as up until now I ahve been really pleased with everything I have got from Ebay and honestly believed that someone who gave out so much info about himself wouldn't be dishonest. I hate having to assume that everyone is guilty until proven innocent but it seems as though that is the only way to ensure you don't get taken for a ride