Trying to avoid Fraud

[total_uk]

Hi folks,
Just wanted some advice/views on an issue if poss please.

I have currently got my Honda VTR for sale on Ebay, on a classified ad with best offer option. I've had a guy from Norway enquiring about the bike. Now he has only been a member of Ebay for 2 months and does not have any feedback rating.
He origininally offered to transfer money to my bank which I declined and said that it would have to be done via Paypal which obviously doesn't involve me divulging my bank details.
He has agreed this and made an acceptable offer price to me.
Regarding shipping the bike he claims to have made arrangements and that it can be collected from me at his own cost. I have asked for details of this to which he has stated, once I accept the offer he will supply the phone number of the person collecting. I have also told him that I will not be releasing the bike to anyone until the paypal payment has been processed and I have transferred the money into my own bank account. He seems ok with this.

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?...
Should I be avoiding this deal like a bad smell or am I worrying unecessarily??

Thanks

Steve

[Villers]

Yes I have experience. Theres two probable outcomes, either he is some scammer wasting your time and needs to be told to jog on or he is genuine but in reality is more trouble than he's worth. Either way tell him you're not interested and theres probably lots of bikes forsale in his country that he can buy!!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[total_uk]

[Ste]

That's a scam.

Cash is the way to go.

People wanting to pay by paypal/western union/bank transfer (or any other money transfer) and have the bike/car/cat collected by their shipping agent or suchlike are almost certainly scammers.

[The Artist]

Yes but have you not heard of those people buying up all our bikes and driving them all over in a van to eastern Europe and they make a killing.

TBH If he pays by paypal, he can't do fuck all. Guy will come round in a van loaded with other bikes and drive over to Poland or somewhere.

[.....]

I reckon a bank transfer will be much safer than Paypal. Just wait until your bank confirms it as cleared with no chance of him reversing it. Paypal are a bunch of useless turds who reverse stuff on a whim and charge a fortune for this 'security'.

Giving out a sort code and account number is safe - you do it every time you write a cheque.

[chris-red]

Have him turn up with cash or not at all.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[chris-red]

I had an instance selling an iphone where a foreign bidder bought iot then paid me with a stolen pay pal account, paypal refunded the money. I got the money back eventually.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[total_uk]

Thanks for the comments folks,


I'm just wondering , if I get the paypal payment from this bloke then contact paypal to check that it is a legitimate account before allowing the bike to be collected and also waiting for the funds to clear into my bank account first, won't this be safe?

[Ste]

[621andy]

Paypal; What the lord giveth, the fuckers'll take away...DO NOT TRUST 'EM!! I've been stung a couple of times both by Ebay and Paypal...

With something of this value it's cash only with me.

It's up to you...but don't come whining on here when it all goes tits up
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'93 Africa Twin RD07, C-90,MTX-125,H-100,XL-125, a 125UAG(CG copy!)

[Bloke]

Is your bike a super duper rare special beast of a machine? No?

Then why does a guy want to pay a large amount of cash to import a bike across the water?
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2008 VFR800 VTEC

[drzsta]

[G]

[total_uk]

[Welshd1k]

when my dads gsx1400 sold to norway. the courier came with cash for us
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Current >Cb600fx hornet, ns125rk90 21.7bhp@wheel<
Sold >,zxr400 h2 (33bhp kit) rd350 n1 rd350 lc2<

[LongJohn22]

Let us know how it turns out.

[Kwaks]

[Gone]

I suspect he's OK, bank transfers are the normal way to pay in Scandinavian countries, and yes, it usually IS worth buying bikes from the UK, despite the added costs of transport, import duty, conversion to km and lights to dip the right way.

I may well buy a bike in the UK next year and either drive it back to Finland or get it shipped. Try a search on what your bike would be worth in Norway to see why he is keen to buy yours. There's an 8 year old Fireblade in the local shop here for just over 10 grand, to give you an example.

FD

[Robby]

Its all a risk, but I would do it. UK bike prices are quite low compared to lots of Europe, so people buying bikes here (and paying what we consider a high price) isn't unusual. I sold a bike of mine for about 20% over what I think it was worth and a few guys turned up in a van that evening with a load of bikes they were taking back to Poland. They knew they were paying a high price for the UK, but they were going back that night and would sell the bike for 75% more in Poland.

Paypal has high charges, so bear that in mind - last time I took paypal was on an £800 bike, paypal and ebay charges were about £70.

If you're unsure, talk to your bank about the safest way to get the money transferred. There may be a secure internatial transfer option. Alternatively I think Western Union give you the money in cash and don't have your bank details, with charges lower than paypal. This is why the Nigerian scammers want to use it.

[woodyeee]

I give you $10 million for it please.......my great uncle left it to me when he died in a plane crash and i was the only benefactor

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Yeah, I've had it happen to me before, but I got cash on collection. Unsure if I'd feel some comfortable about Paypal, or BT.
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[yuri2085]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Gone]