Ive Been Scammed

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robinsbrook

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Am so fed up and feel so stupid... a couple of weeks ago i bid on ebay for a ifor williams 510 trailer, and i bought it on a buy it now., well i sent a deposit of £1000 via bank transfer as being a idiot and not realising your not covered if you dont use paypal, people were very nice and were delivering it down to me as the weekend i wanted to collect they were in manchester working (so i was told) the day the trailer was ment to arrive it didnt then i received another email stating it was coming that day and surprise surprise it didnt arrive, i got intouch with ebay who didnt want to know saying they would get in touch with sellar of trailer, i wasnt happy with that so i had an address and managed to find another telephone number for this address (alarm bells were now ringing very loudly) i spoke to a lovely lady who was mortified as she said these people were using her address/identity on ebay since January and she had notified ebay numerous times who had done nothing, obviously police are involved for the fraud and identity theft, of course i am out of pocket of £1000, my bank dont want to know as i authorised the transaction, so have i got any comeback with ebay, as they arent the easiest people to get hold of or deal with, and i feel that they have to take some responsibility as they had been informed of these scam since january and they had not taken any action, is there any chance i would get my money back from them or am i banging my head against a brick wall. Sorry for the essay but i cant believe and slightly embarrassed that this has happened to me.
 
I am so sorry to hear this. Yes as you say in hindsight you shouldn't have transferred the money, but that is still no excuse for people to steal from you!!

I do not have a law degree so not sure but I would think if you can get the backing from the lady who informed ebay, and she has proof she has done so then you may have some come back on them

Personally I would ring watchdog (if they are still going)

Otherwise you need to contact a solicitor or CAB
 
What rotten luck. I suppose the scammers used different ebay accounts so they didn't have a record of negative feedback ?
I was ripped off by paypal once when scammers disappeared. They only paid what was left in their paypal account, so even if you'd paid by paypal you might not have been any better off.
 
Surely though if Ebay had been notified that there was a scam going on using someone else's account they should be the ones refunding your money. At the end of the day they are in the wrong & took no action to stop it! I would seek legal advice asap!
 
Oh no! It sounds silly that you parted with money before you got your trailer I guess ......or even had viewed it? but hindsight is a wonderful thing :(

A friends son has just sent his laptop off to Kenya after geting an email from Paypal saying the funds had been transfered .. but it wasn't a real Paypal email, it was a fake one that the scammers had sent, he didn't log into his Paypal account to double check ... just sent the laptop off ... to Kenya :rolleyes: :confused:

Poor you .... I don't know what to say :(
 
Exactly the same thing happened to me with some showjumps, Paid by cheque, lots of contact upto the point where they said they would be delivered. Never arrived and all contact stopped. Ebay were a nightmare to deal with and to be honest i gave up after a week. Wasnt until afterwards that i read the sellers feedback and there were pages and pages of negative!
Really sorry this has happened to you, not sure if they could do anything but i would report it to the police as its a lot of money.
 
To be honest I expect that somewhere in the fine print on Ebay they will be totally absolved from any responsibility. I know hindsight is a fine thing but if you had used Paypal or a credit card you would have been protected.

There may be some hope though. You say that the woman you spoke to had already notified Ebay that someone was using her details fraudulently on an Ebay account however they have don nothing to delete/bar the account. That may be a way to have a go at Ebay. I would suggest that you arrange to speak to Citizen's advice &rading Standards & they will be able to give you advice. You may even get some initially free advice from a solicitor.

Get professional advice & you will then know if you have any hope of recompence or not.

Good Luck
 
If you READ the ebay policy,you will see it DOES NOT cover you and it tells you NOT to pay via bank tranfer,or send cash,nor should you pay via western union or any of those.
IUsually its cash on delivery.
If ebay know about the scammer,they usually remove the listings,I know because Ive recieved emails from ebay saying unauthorised use of my account. Just luck really.
Someone listed some stuff under my user name-ebay removed it.
You need to read ebay policy and rules.Unfortunatly you went against their rules so your NOT covered and have no come back. Hope it all gets sorted.
You need to report it too the police.You could even go to watchdog,or go to CAB for advice.
 
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Try to take it further - like others have suggested go and talk to CAB that's free legal advice and also contact someone like 'MoneyMail' in the Daily Mail - they take up cases for individuals and may help.

Don't be embarrassed - I have paid via bank transfer before I have received the goods - why should you assume everyone is a scammer?

I am sure the fact that ebay knew that this lady's account was being used must be in your favour - ebay had a duty to act. They can't expect everyone to use Paypal - not for high transactions and I don't know if this still applies but it used to be that only up to £500 was covered by Paypal.
Good Luck!
 
Would the police not get involved as a criminal matter? You've got the bank details which would mean they should be able to locate the sellers, or at least the name and address given to the bank when the acc was opened.
 
Yes paypal only cover upto 500. If your buying something that needs delivered It is usually CASH ON DELIVERY.Id be very wary if they asked for cash before recieving the item.NO WAY would I part with that amount before getting the item.
 
Don't be embarrased for being human and thinking everyone is the same as you are -

I have been stung twice over the last 15 years helping so called "friends" most recently last year for £300 about 15 years ago it was £1000 got something for them on club and acted as guarantor (they'd always previously paid no problem so didn't see it as a problem). I just think people are like me and wouldn't do that to other people but sadly there's a lot of people out there who do on a regular basis.

Definately contact police and get some free legal advice to see where you stand :cool:
 
Thank you for all your reponses, i feel so stupid and cant believe i got took in by these people.

I and the poor lady whose details hve been used on ebay have both reported to the police who are now dealing with it, am going to visit our local CAB to get some sort of advice as dealing with Ebay are a nightmare, and the lady whose identity they have been using is forwarding her emails that were sent to EBAY to me so i have some proof that they were informed. I do think im going to have abit of a fight on my hands but am not prepared to give up yet, just need some legal advice i think and then i know where i can go from there.
 
On the upside I think you can probably get this back in small claims court

If you have proof that eBay were told this user had their account hacked and did not act, I would have thought this proved negligence on their part, and they do have a duty of care to their customers

So I would be spending the £70 and taking them to small claims court as the first plan of action - covering you for damages of £1,000 plus costs

I would have thought most judges would be sympathetic

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/claims/index.htm
 
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robinsbrook said:
Am so fed up and feel so stupid... a couple of weeks ago i bid on ebay for a ifor williams 510 trailer, and i bought it on a buy it now., well i sent a deposit of £1000 via bank transfer as being a idiot and not realising your not covered if you dont use paypal, people were very nice and were delivering it down to me as the weekend i wanted to collect they were in manchester working (so i was told) the day the trailer was ment to arrive it didnt then i received another email stating it was coming that day and surprise surprise it didnt arrive, i got intouch with ebay who didnt want to know saying they would get in touch with sellar of trailer, i wasnt happy with that so i had an address and managed to find another telephone number for this address (alarm bells were now ringing very loudly) i spoke to a lovely lady who was mortified as she said these people were using her address/identity on ebay since January and she had notified ebay numerous times who had done nothing, obviously police are involved for the fraud and identity theft, of course i am out of pocket of £1000, my bank dont want to know as i authorised the transaction, so have i got any comeback with ebay, as they arent the easiest people to get hold of or deal with, and i feel that they have to take some responsibility as they had been informed of these scam since january and they had not taken any action, is there any chance i would get my money back from them or am i banging my head against a brick wall. Sorry for the essay but i cant believe and slightly embarrassed that this has happened to me.
Click to expand...

How terrible! I was scammed out of £250 in ebay eight years ago. I was far more stupid than you and bid on an item from a new seller who would not take paypal. Eight years ago though this was not that unusual. I sent money by postal order and of course never saw my saddle! However, I think your case is different as ebay were aware of this lady's ID being used to scam people and had a duty to remove the ID and provide her with another (with the same feedback). I would think that if you have proof that they knew then they would be made to pay you a refund. I would take them to the small claims court.
 
Because its Ebay,theres little you can do about it.OP broke the rules by using a method not recommended or covered by ebay,therefore your not covered. Ebay can say you shouldnt of sent the money before getting the item.You wouldnt win in court as EBAY have rules which op didnt follow. You shouldnt of sent the money. in the 1st place.

Could be that Ebay probebly removed this person from their site and tscammers reopened in a new id. Ive be scammed on ebay twice (small payments). The only time you are really covered is if you use paypal. You might be able to get the bank to trace the transaction,but they may come up blank as these scammers move quickly and make me sick to think theyre not caught.Hope you can get it sorted.
 
It's not just ebay... a friend of mine keeps getting phone calls about a colt she sold 3-4 years ago... we find his advert being reprinted EVERYWHERE, local papers, horsemart, other horse sites... but the scammers left her phone number in the body of the advert so prospective buyers always phone her!

It's annoying as hell, and Horsemart for one don't give a flying ****!!!
 
I would have thought it doesn't matter if it is ebay or not - you paid money for an item which you never received. Surely that is a police matter - obtaining a money transfer transfer by deception, or whatever the law is called. It's covered in the Theft Act under deception offences (hooray for A level law lol).



http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/62/section/1

Obtaining a money transfer by deception.E+W.(1)After section 15 of the M1Theft Act 1968 insert—.
“15A Obtaining a money transfer by deception..(1)A person is guilty of an offence if by any deception he dishonestly obtains a money transfer for himself or another..
(2)A money transfer occurs when—.
(a)a debit is made to one account,.
(b)a credit is made to another, and.
(c)the credit results from the debit or the debit results from the credit..
(3)References to a credit and to a debit are to a credit of an amount of money and to a debit of an amount of money..
(4)It is immaterial (in particular)—.
(a)whether the amount credited is the same as the amount debited;.
(b)whether the money transfer is effected on presentment of a cheque or by another method;.
(c)whether any delay occurs in the process by which the money transfer is effected;.
(d)whether any intermediate credits or debits are made in the course of the money transfer;.
(e)whether either of the accounts is overdrawn before or after the money transfer is effected..
(5)A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years..
15B Section 15A: supplementary..(1)The following provisions have effect for the interpretation of section 15A of this Act..
(2)“Deception” has the same meaning as in section 15 of this Act..
(3)“Account” means an account kept with—.
(a)a bank; or.
(b)a person carrying on a business which falls within subsection (4) below..
(4)A business falls within this subsection if—.
(a)in the course of the business money received by way of deposit is lent to others; or.
(b)any other activity of the business is financed, wholly or to any material extent, out of the capital of or the interest on money received by way of deposit;.
and “deposit” here has the same meaning as in section 35 of the M2Banking Act 1987 (fraudulent inducement to make a deposit).
(5)For the purposes of subsection (4) above—.
(a)all the activities which a person carries on by way of business shall be regarded as a single business carried on by him; and.
(b)“money” includes money expressed in a currency other than sterling or in the European currency unit (as defined in Council Regulation No. 3320/94/EC or any Community instrument replacing it).”.
 
I recently got scammed by a trader on "reconditioned" white goods that clearly weren't and flooded my kitchen.

The Police weren't interested however I kicked up a stink with Trading Standards, the local council, the local newspaper, reported all his adverts as fraud, HMRC......the list went on. Don't forget with the web these days you can find out anything, i traced his mobile numbers, his son's, his addresses (2 of them), his landlord and all of his adverts on trade-it, gumtree and friday ad's and reported them all.

I finally got my money back and he collected the offending item but i seriously had to go on a mission and get loads of info on him myself. Nothing like a woman scorned eh!

He even had the cheek to say to my *bouncer type* friend (who was present when he came back, just in case) that clearly i wasn't very impressed. Said friend laughed and replied "you really picked the wrong girl to mess with, she might be little but she is resourceful and intelligent, that's a bad combo for you" hahaha
 
Hi There
Firstly can I say Snap - however please feel a bit better as mine was today and was for £2,200 - I cannot believe how stupid I feel. Nothing seemed wrong at all and like you I have had to go to the fraud squad! I am now waiting for them to call.
I wonder if you would mind telling me the seller name on e-bay of your character? Maybe between us we can get e-bay to do something - there may be others out there, if it is through the same seller...... Just clutching at straws here. I know everyone is telling you that you were daft but believe me it is easily done, if it makes you feel better I am an accountant and it's my job to spot these things. If you have pictures of it I would be interested to see them (comparing notes).
Mostly I feel daft as I was so proud of myself for the good deal that I had got. I would be interested in hearing from you
 
Muppet10- was that for a horsebox by anychance?

I had never used ebay before but got a buy it now price, seller wanted to have cash transfer due to paypal costs but after askng advice on this forum and getting some advice from a very nice post office member I sensed a scam. Was VERY well done with an e-mail link to 'ebay' telling me I'd won the bid and details as to how the seller wanted paying etc, really was spot on all except the payment wasn't through paypal. It was a scam and I am very lucky that people alerted me to it.

PM me if you want to exchange details.
 
Feel so sorry for you. Can you give us the Ebayer seller name and their phone number so we can avoid them - Mind you I hope they have been banned by Ebay!
How totally gutting.
Pursue Ebay as they are responsible for the listings and as you have proof that they had been informed about the mis-dealings of this seller, get a solicitor involved or at least threaten it.
Put a call out for legal people on this site and someone might take it on for you. x
 
There are companies who will trace people for you. costs about £100 .... once traced, Small Claims Court ... Police ... Trading Standards, etc .... You can probably add the £100 to the Small Claims procedure.
 
Am so sorry to hear that you also have been scammed, my scammer was a company called Smithcatering Ltd, and i was supposedly dealing with someone called Catherine Smith, her EBAY name was Smithcater, i am pursuing EBAY but they are so hard to deal with, tried ringing them a couple of times but who ever im talking to just doesnt get how serious this is, im now emailing them and getting some sort of response but its taking a couple of days before i get any replies.
 
robinsbrook said:
Am so sorry to hear that you also have been scammed, my scammer was a company called Smithcatering Ltd, and i was supposedly dealing with someone called Catherine Smith, her EBAY name was Smithcater, i am pursuing EBAY but they are so hard to deal with, tried ringing them a couple of times but who ever im talking to just doesnt get how serious this is, im now emailing them and getting some sort of response but its taking a couple of days before i get any replies.
Click to expand...

I just looked on google/companies house (sure you have too) and sure enough no company of that name- how awful I don't know how people can do that to you but I hope you get some kind of satisfactory resolution
 
So lady does not have a company called Smith Catering Ltd registered with Companies House. There is a Smiths Catering in London but not sure it's the same one though.

However her address is a business called Bathrooms By Design and here are the details (Mrs Smith seems to be involved).

Company: Bathrooms By Design
Address: 110 Cherrydown Avenue
Chingford
London
Essex
E4 8DX
Contact: Mrs Smith
Telephone: 0208 523 9002
Email: bbdbtinternet.com

A little stroll down google street view shows it as a residential street really. But this should give you a starting point. Also noted that her Ebay ID has no feedback - alarms bells everytime. I'll dig more if i get a chance later for you. Good luck.
 
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