Scam - Vehicle World Services

StickyD

There appears to be a scam operated by Vehicle World Services - this may be the current name they're using, but have possibly operated it under various guises.

The version I was exposed to:

- you've got an ad to sell your car on AutoTrader
- VWS ring up and say they're a 'matching' company, finding vehicles for time-strapped clients
- they insist that they've got 3 interested parties willing to pay the price and within 47 miles
- pay us 99 quid to put them in touch with you (they inflate your price by 99 quid)
- you get it back if the buyer arranges finance with them
- but no buyers ever appear...and you're down £99

Very convincing, very professional, very pretty web-site...but have a look at this link:

http://www.usedcarmart.co.uk/forum/t9900-p-vehicle-connect-uk-ltd-scam.html

Any one else come across this one?

Butlers1982

Yeh everytime you sell through autotrader you get companies ringing up offering rubbish like this.
When you place your add, put at the bottom you dont want any calls like this.

If people want to buy cars they look on autotrader dont they!

johnerz

That is exactly the same senario I had, 3 buyers, willing to travel up to 47 miles etc

Just advertised on Autotrader, I cant believe I fell for this, they caught me off guard whilst at work. Very convincing, website says all the right things. Its just an obvious scam once you think about it.

Going to try my credit card company to see what they can do to.

If only I could get my hands on them!!

hollydays

OH got caught by this some time ago-but a different company-there are loads of them at it.He also got offered a free gift-night in a hotel-no bargain to be had as you might guess.

maninthestreet

johnerz wrote: »

That is exactly the same senario I had, 3 buyers, willing to travel up to 47 miles etc

Just advertised on Autotrader, I cant believe I fell for this, they caught me off guard whilst at work. Very convincing, website says all the right things. Its just an obvious scam once you think about it.

Going to try my credit card company to see what they can do to.

If only I could get my hands on them!!

If these buyers existed, they would be ringing you up to enquire about your car, not phoning some 3rd party to do it on their behalf. The fact they are not ringing you means they don't actually exist.

antiscam_2

Not going to go into details but same happened to me as per all messages above.

Not bothered in all honesty about the money back as I am going to ensure I waste enough of their time until I feel a little better about being suckered by a group of leeches like this.

Their counter argument by the way is that they have many happy customers, if you are one then please let me know, I find it difficult to extract any truth from any of their members of staff who are hostile/defensive and show no skills in customer care/handling whatsoever which points to them all being aware of the scam they are operating.

They deny entering into what is essentially a bilateral contract, ie they make a promise of customers for your vehicle in exchange for the fee paid by yourself. The exchange of these promises is enough to render both promises enforceable but it seems only one side of the bargin is upheld, ie your payment.

I have informed all the relevant authoritites of their practices ie Fraud Squad/VSTAG/Trading Standards and will keep you all posted of their progress.

nomoneytoday

I answer with words to the effect of, "if someone wants to buy a car they will buy E&M, Autotrader etc, not pay someone £80 to do it for them"

antiscam_2

I dont think thats a solution/answer to this problem. For instance companies pay agencies fees to hire staff for them and likewise some companies successfully search for specific vehicles for clients for a fee to save their own time. They do this with results and without ripping people off as it seems VWS do.

robbirroy

Although there are occasions when someone will use a good vehicle finding service, examples are for a 1956 Buick Century convertible in PINK or a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K in A1 condition, at no point woud the finders attempt to charge the seller for this service, it would be the buyer that paid.
The beleive that someone is actually using one of these services to find a 2004 Ford Fiesta for example is ridiculous.

trisontana

robbirroy wrote: »

Although there are occasions when someone will use a good vehicle finding service, examples are for a 1956 Buick Century convertible in PINK or a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K in A1 condition, at no point woud the finders attempt to charge the seller for this service, it would be the buyer that paid.
The beleive that someone is actually using one of these services to find a 2004 Ford Fiesta for example is ridiculous.

I agree. One newspaper (I think it was the Mirror) tried this out. They advertised a 10 year old clapped-out Skoda for something like £4,000 and guess what, one of these scammer companies rang them and came out with the usual spiel of "there are 3 people after your car , just send us £89".

antiscam_2

I agree each individual case rather different. In my case it was an expensive vehicle I was selling and it seemed a small % to pay to speed up the sale and find a specific customer with promioses of the initial fee to be repaid.

The good news is I have had my money refunded, however it seems others are still being caught out every day.