scam?

[tychain99]

Do people scam on here? I posted a want ad in the classifieds looking for pasha seats

guy said he had them, this is his reply:

Yes I still have an original rear 928 Pasha black and white rear
seats in excellent shape and condition. I am asking 220USD and I will
be shipping via UPS or FedEx on a 3 to 4 working days delivery and
will accept payment via Western Union as I will be directing payment
to my wife in the United kingdom. Whats your complete shipping
address.

Many thanks again and regards,

[Landseer]

People scam everywhere.
These high-end car bulletin boards seem to attract it in a high proportion.

[harborman]

I would stick with known sellers. That sounds like a scam. Tell him to send the seats first and if it's all up to snuff you will send payment!

[tychain99]

yah, I did not recognize the name in the email, nor did he PM me, so i could not see his user name. Usually if someone is on here posting all the time, it is pretty safe. If they have a long history of usage and post regularly I am not deterred, but this was strange to me.

[DougM]

If I suspect something, I just ask for a contact phone number to discuss in person. That usually weeds out the overseas scams.

[Dean_Fuller]

I would ask for a PIC with somethng included that shows the date. Also maybe there is another 928 guy local to him that can do the deal in person. I wouldn't just discard the deal only based on not knowing the person.

[19psi]

The whole Western Union thing would make it a no go for me.
A dated picture as Dean mentioned along with another form of payment and I'd be ok with it.

[Pete R]

I never go with anything that feels wrong. I've had about 3 scams on those wheels I posted a while ago.

[Danglerb]

More contact info is where I would start without passing on anything acct related myself.

Western Union is just NOT a way to legitimately transfer money to somebody you don't know.

[tychain99]

Yep, all my thoughts exactly. I got hosed shipping to canada a while ago, through ebay. I figured this was suspect, I wouldnt never do it VIA wester union, that is like the ultimate red flag. thanks for the input though.

[Dean_Fuller]

IF its a real deal then the seller should have NO problem giving you the assurance you need as far as proof as to who he is. I ask for a phone number. Let him know your not accusing him of not being honest..just you don't know him and visa versa. If the table was turned THEY would do the same thing. If all that happens then I would say its a honest transaction...and not a scam.

[Dean_Fuller]

Originally Posted by DougM

If I suspect something, I just ask for a contact phone number to discuss in person. That usually weeds out the overseas scams.

totally agree with this. If he doesn't want to give a phone number ...I would walk away.

[Danglerb]

Plus if you really want the part, get one of the guys in the UK to hold your hand and check up on it.

[Xlot]

Its a scam. Asking him for a phone number is a waste of your time, don't even bother.
There is no rational reason why he would be telling you that he needs Western Union because the funds are to be sent to the UK. There is no causal link between those two statements.

The basic formula is..

random other country reference (moving soon/has moved/family member in other country)
+ irrelevant family details (wife/uncle/son/cousin's step-brother)
+ non-traceable/returnable payment method (Western Union/International Telegraphic Transfer/Wire)
= scam.

The other-country reference is to prolong the scam; if they find someone dumb enough to get hit on the first step, the inclusion of another country introduces other opportunities for scamming further money from the patsy ("I need to pay bank fees" or "customs are holding the package" or "my wife has sudden hospital bills and I need cash quickly, so send me that and I'll cancel the cheque" etc.). Plus people are more inclined to not seek help from law enforcement if they think the con was perpetrated overseas.

[waynestrutt]

You have recourse with ebay. You just report the infraction and you get your money back.
Paypal is the safest method.I have made over 600 transactions with ebay and only 2 incidents. One the buyer switched his broken item for the good item I shipped and returned it. I credited him and I claimed on the post office and got my money back. Another time my account was hacked and "I "was selling thousands of tvs stereos dvd players etc at 1/10th the normal rate and the unsuspecting buyers were directed to send cheques to some address other than mine. The ebay fees charged to me for all the ads was atrocious. A simple note to ebay and paypal cleared it all up.

[tychain99]

problem was, I sold item, and guy had asked to send to his nephew, for his birthday. It was in canada, and a month later my account was randomly minus that money. I asked what the heck happened, and he filed a claim saying it was an unapproved purchase, and because it was not a confirmed address, they could not do anything.. So, now when i sell out of the US, i have a statement in the listing: If you are purchasing from another country, I will ship, and come up with paperwork saying your item shipped and departed the US, but I am not responsible if it takes 2 day, a month, or if it arrives at all, unless they wanna pay the premium shipping rate, and have a tracked package