Is Facebook Marketplace full of scummy scammers?

[Legend83]

Call me stupid if you will (and you will) but over the past month I have attempted to buy two second hand Nintendo Switch consoles second hand from the big Meta Shop. Both times now I have had nothing delivered having negotiated to pay for a (thankfully) small deposit.

The first one was just a rookie mistake by someone desperate to get hold of a Switch at a reasonable price. The second I did more diligence on, their account looked ok and I got them to send me a custard shot with my name and address on an envelope next to the actual console. Obviously that counts for nothing now!

Both seller accounts now disappeared.

Anyone else had trouble using FBM? Seems like the fecking Wild West of buying and selling.

Any recourse? I have sets of bank details but guess there is not much I can do with these. Will call my bank to get some advice but suspect once the cash has gone it's gone...

The worst bit is my son currently has no Switch for Christmas!

[t400ble]

If you cannot physically see it, forget it on Facebook

[Northern_Monkey]

It’s st both ways - numerous times when selling people are coming to collect so you tell others things are no longer available and then they don’t turn up

[anonymous-user]

t400ble said:

If you cannot physically see it, forget it on Facebook

This.

Do not buy anything from Facebook marketplace, without physically going to the sellers house, examining the item, satisfying yourself that it is as described, and then handing over the cash.

Doing anything else, especially 'distance buying', is absolutely begging to be robbed, scammed, fleeced, hoodwinked, cheated, fooled, conned, duped, gulled, and tricked.

With the greatest of respect, you would have to be quite naive to bank transfer money to random strangers on Facebook knowing that anyone can create a fake new Facebook accounts in minutes, combined with there being absolutely no buyer protection.

At least with eBay/Paypal you get decent buyer protection and a time served rating and review system for sellers.

I've brought and sold quite a number of things via Marketplace over the last few years and had absolutely no trouble at all. All the buyers and sellers have been local people and it's all been fairly pleasant.

Just stick to the golden rules:

When buying: Don't buy anything that you haven't physicality examined in person and been 100% happy with. If it sounds far too cheap, then there is probably something wrong.

When selling: Keep your advert totally accurate with plenty of pictures and a good description, clearly include your postcode and state 'Collection only from this postcode - Absolutely no delivery or postage'. Block or delete anyone who messages you who sounds like an idiot or time waster. Don't even waste your time replying to those individuals.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 23 December 09:02

[Jimmy No Hands]

In my experience it is the worst of the worst, even eclipsing Gumtree. I sold a gaming laptop last year and it was the most painful experience of my life. Some of the interactions will cause severe mental trauma.

[Legend83]

Lord Marylebone said:

t400ble said:

If you cannot physically see it, forget it on Facebook

With the greatest of respect, you would have to be quite naive to bank transfer money to random strangers on Facebook knowing that anyone can create a fake new Facebook accounts in minutes, combined with there being absolutely no buyer protection.

Edited by Lord Marylebone on Thursday 23 December 09:02

Yeah I was an idiot. Lesson learned the hard way. Never again.

[TonyRPH]

Someone in my area recently posted on FB market place to warn of a scammer.

They had purchased £700 worth of iPhone and received a bag of rice in the post (evidence was provided).

As 'Lord Marylebone' said above - never leave a deposit, and never buy unless you are collecting the item in person, and only then does cash change hands.

The scammers favourites are games consoles, phones and (high value) watches.

[Legend83]

Any recourse at all? Can you trace someone via their bank details?

[mickyh7]

Treat it as a Car Boot Sale.
Sort the price over the phone, turn up, if your unhappy walk away.
Always 'Buyer Beware'.
Just don't buy at distance.
Easy really.

[CorradoTDI]

Banks maybe able to trace and recover it - depending on how the accounts were with?

[PhilboSE]

I bet Metro Bank, usually scammers bank of choice. They must have very lax identity checks. They were totally uninterested when I alerted them to someone running invoice fraud from one of their accounts.

[Legend83]

PhilboSE said:

I bet Metro Bank, usually scammers bank of choice. They must have very lax identity checks. They were totally uninterested when I alerted them to someone running invoice fraud from one of their accounts.

Cooperative Bank and something called Payrnet Bank Limited...

[Spare tyre]

It’s a race to the bottom, sadly the gems are covered by the slag, so to speak


I just treat it like buying stuff in the old days, don’t travel too far, assume you are going to have your time wasted etc

I purchased an iPod last week via wife’s face book, bargain at £20. Straight round collected it, then the nice guy chucked in a docking station etc for free

It’s a numbers game sadly

Looking at their pictures on the profile can help gauge the likelihood of a smooth transition

[Spare tyre]

Here’s one for you



Who knows what the scam / idea on this is

[Challo]

Legend83 said:

Call me stupid if you will (and you will) but over the past month I have attempted to buy two second hand Nintendo Switch consoles second hand from the big Meta Shop. Both times now I have had nothing delivered having negotiated to pay for a (thankfully) small deposit.

The first one was just a rookie mistake by someone desperate to get hold of a Switch at a reasonable price. The second I did more diligence on, their account looked ok and I got them to send me a custard shot with my name and address on an envelope next to the actual console. Obviously that counts for nothing now!

Both seller accounts now disappeared.

Anyone else had trouble using FBM? Seems like the fecking Wild West of buying and selling.

Any recourse? I have sets of bank details but guess there is not much I can do with these. Will call my bank to get some advice but suspect once the cash has gone it's gone...

The worst bit is my son currently has no Switch for Christmas!

I would never buy consoles, phones, small electronical goods via FB without going to the sellers house and checking they work prior to handing over cash. I would prefer to buy those from ebay as you get protection, and its much easier to get refunds etc.
If you do buy from FB at distance make sure you use Paypal as you then have a trace and some recourse if needed.

Bought and sold loads of FB but always been in person transactions and always gone well.

[eldar]

Spare tyre said:

Here’s one for you



Who knows what the scam / idea on this is

A joke at least a century old.

[Narcisus]

eldar said:

Spare tyre said:

Here’s one for you



Who knows what the scam / idea on this is

A joke at least a century old.

But still funny thanks for posting !

[Richard-390a0]

Spare tyre said:

Here’s one for you

Who knows what the scam / idea on this is

He's selling the wife, not the car. Now re-read the text & it will make sense lol!

[Spare tyre]

Richard-390a0 said:

Spare tyre said:

Here’s one for you

Who knows what the scam / idea on this is

He's selling the wife, not the car. Now re-read the text & it will make sense lol!

Doh, I’m usually quick on the uptake with this stuff. I’m embarrassed now ahah

[blueg33]

I only use FBM for selling.

Has worked well, always sold the item in 24 hours, even an expensive carcoon.

When some one is coming, I just tell other interested parties that someone is coming and if they don't turn up I will get back to them.

I have had zero grief. One lady bought a whole load of stuff that I hadn't got round to advertising when she came for a £5 mirror, saved me a lot of hassle.