WARNING: Chorley/Preston 18th May

EXPAT_2

Consider yourself warned that there is a 1 day sale being held at the Pines Hotel (Clayton-Le-Woods) Chorley on Sunday 18th May.

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/manchester/onedayauction.htm

If you are daft enough to turn up, you will most likely get scammed.

sarahg1969

I had this notice through my door this week - surely no-one's that daft??

superscaper

sarahg1969 wrote: »

I had this notice through my door this week - surely no-one's that daft??

You'd have thought so but I've seen a couple of people come on the forum after handing over wads of cash to mock auctions and it does amaze me that supposedly fully grown adults could fall for them.

HugoRune_2

I just hope that people note the name of the hotel profiting from people being ripped off and then consider if they ever want to set foot in there again

wambam1978

I went to one of these mock auctions yesterday in Widnes at the Everglades Hotel. I got the leaflet through my door at tea time the day before, thought it was too good to be true, but curiosity got the better of me. Fortunately, I was too weary to part with my hard earned cash, and could see what was going on even though I don't recall hearing of such auctions. It didn't even occur to me to check the company out beforehand. The whole operation was so shrewd. They somehow made us think that there had been an earlier sale, and that ours was the last sale of the day and everything had to go. They started with, what I now know is the usual trick, selling irons for a quid, then some binoculars for £3. They then went on to some Ipod Nano's for a fiver, but there was only a couple of them and were probably sold to plants. Then they went on to the big packages of PS3's, Wii's, Xbox 360's all in huge packages for about £200, and again did the usual of saying such a person is number 1, number 2 and so on, I never actually seen anyone leaving with the items. Then he went on to his other packages which he had loads of. He always made out that either the price would drop or there would be other items included, I couldn't believe that so many people were parting with £400 quid, even I got sucked in and handed over my credit card just like the majority of the crowd. Luckily I came to my senses by the time they asked me to enter my pin number, which I conveniently forgot. I was talking to an older blode before I went into the auction, and I seen him part with £400 quid, the guy made an example out of him, asking him if he knew him etc etc to get the crowds trust, he also made out that this man would recieve a big plasma telly for being the first genuine buyer. When he had finished with the £400 packages he went on to the gamble packages of £200, then £50 and finally £20. People were actually parting, and happily so, with £200 for something they had no idea what it was. I can see how easy it was to get sucked in, it wouldn't be fair to say the people in the crowd were stupid or greedy, just out for a bargain and stupid enough to have £400 or more in the bank. Somewhere inbetween taking peoples money and revealing the gamble packages he spurned some balls about the hotel asking for all the goods that people now had at their feet from the £400 packages to be removed, and even got some of their guys to help people to take them to their cars, obviously so they could get away quicker when the auction ended. I could see all this happening at the time and wanted to shout out, but even I thought that they may just get something else for their money. I think the £200 package was worth about £50, the £50 package worth about £20 and the £20 package worth about a fiver. At the end of the sale there were loads of people complaining and wanted there money back, which they refused. One guy was threatening different trading standards laws, the heavies even tried to turn it around on him and say that he was threatening them! My friend the older man was waiting around for his free telly, and asked me if I would stick around as I was the only witness he had, which I gladly did. They said they never promised him anything and that he couldn't have a refund for his £400 package (which was worth about £200) and told him to go away. The police turned up and told us that it was just within the law as they hadn't missold anything. My friend had a word with the police, who in turn had a word with the organisers and advised them to give my friend a refund as he had a witness and wasn't going to let it drop, straight away my friend was given a full refund on his credit card, I told him to keep the receipts and check up on his account.

I certainly learned my lesson, fortunately I didn't part with any cash, but I can see how easily people are drawn in. A couple standing in front of me spent £1200, I thought they were plants at first, but I watched them use their credit cards, unless thats a new way now. An expensive lesson for some. Just glad my old friend got his money back.

superscaper

wambam1978 wrote: »

I certainly learned my lesson, fortunately I didn't part with any cash, but I can see how easily people are drawn in. A couple standing in front of me spent £1200, I thought they were plants at first, but I watched them use their credit cards, unless thats a new way now. An expensive lesson for some. Just glad my old friend got his money back.

I'm surprised the police didn't do anything. There is a specific Mock Auctions Act.

Even as a child I remember police in conjunction with trading standards actively shutting down these types of auctions in my area (Blackpool).

It really saddens me to see so many people are still fooled by it when even as a child it seemed rather obvious it was a scam, even when I saw them in person. Maybe they need some general critical thinking lessons in schools.

suckmaster.burstingfoam

I'd love to go to one of these auctions. With a .50 cal and several magazines of ammo.

wambam1978

Thinking back now I cringe at how easily I could have been taken in, then I think about all the others who spent at least a couple of weeks wages on rubbish. What I also remember is thinking the guy who ran the auction and one of the bodyguards looked so familiar but I can't think where I have seen them before. It seemed strange that I thought 2 of them looked familiar.

As for the police, that is exactly what they said, that people had recieved exactly what they were told they would, which thinking back they were never promised anything else, everyone was just made to assume they would, or at least the price would be dropped. The guy's wording is extremely well planned and rehearsed. Using a reputable hotel as the venue did give it an air of credibility, I never thought to question it beforehand.

Like I said, I was lucky, at least 30 to 40 people last night were not so lucky.:sad:

Tracey2609

Thanks for the heads up - I'd never heard of Mock Auctions before (not that I've ever been to one - never had the money available)