Is this a scam? Gumtree

Leothecat

Hi,


Please could you offer any advice?


I'm selling a used pram on Gumtree for £100. I've received a message from a prospective buyer saying they want to buy it but they are blind and in a wheelchair and cannot collect.


They want to pay me via Paypal and send a courier to collect the pram.


This is ringing alarm bells with me. Am I being over cautious and paranoid?


Thanks for any help.


Leo

worried_jim

Scam. Tell them to have the courier bring the £100 cash and its a deal.

Leothecat

Thanks Jim! Just what I thought.


Can you clarify how this would work?


I'm thinking they transfer the cash via Paypal, get the item collected then claim it was never received triggering a chargeback via Paypal who offer buyer protection.


Am I right?

Dox

Leave well alone!

Casey1709

Leothecat wrote: »

Hi,


Please could you offer any advice?


I'm selling a used pram on Gumtree for £100. I've received a message from a prospective buyer saying they want to buy it but they are blind and in a wheelchair and cannot collect.


They want to pay me via Paypal and send a courier to collect the pram.


This is ringing alarm bells with me. Am I being over cautious and paranoid?


Thanks for any help.


Leo

I'm probably going to be politically incorrect but how did they see your ad if they're blind? And if they're in a wheelchair, unless your pram is already adapted how are they going to push it, or won't their assistance dog get in the way?

Leothecat

My thoughts too Casey.......:o

askmeaboutsofas

There's no such thing as overcautious on Gumtree! Every time I list on there I get calls from people who absolutely have to pay by PayPal or credit card over the phone and then send some "friend" of theirs to collect the goods. They're usually in odd situations that would mean you absolutely have to let them pay and collect the way they want to, too - housebound, or military and stationed in another country, or based on an oil rig, or they're buying for a rental property. Real customers who are genuinely housebound, military, living on oil rigs or a landlord usually understand why you can't do what they want and find another way to pay you.

There are devices out there (screenreaders I think?) that translate websites into braille for people who need it, so there are blind people using the internet and possibly even Gumtree. But this is not one of them!

theonlywayisup

The scam can take a couple of differing routes; normally a fake email from "paypal" confirms the payment has been made and the buyer wants you to send immediately; or the payment is made from an hacked paypal account, you send out and the payment is reclaimed; the payment is made and they send the carrier, you don't get tracking as they sent the carrier, they then make an NR claim.

I'm sure there are other scenarios but those have been well documented - a quick google will give you MSE, Paypal community and Netmums threads.

pappa_golf

askmeaboutsofas wrote: »

There's no such thing as overcautious on Gumtree! Every time I list on there I get calls from people who absolutely have to pay by PayPal or credit card over the phone and then send some "friend" of theirs to collect the goods. They're usually in odd situations that would mean you absolutely have to let them pay and collect the way they want to, too - housebound, or military and stationed in another country, or based on an oil rig, or they're buying for a rental property. Real customers who are genuinely housebound, military, living on oil rigs or a landlord usually understand why you can't do what they want and find another way to pay you.

There are devices out there (screenreaders I think?) that translate websites into braille for people who need it, so there are blind people using the internet and possibly even Gumtree. But this is not one of them!

are those available in nigeria yet?

Leothecat

Thanks for all your replies.
I've told them I'm not happy with this arrangement and if they wish to buy I will only accept payment in cash.

worried_jim

Leothecat wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies.
I've told them I'm not happy with this arrangement and if they wish to buy I will only accept payment in cash.

You know this makes sense!