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Piston heads buyer gave a Mauritius phone number
smart51 - 2/6/09 at 12:03 PM

How likely is there to be a scam attached to this? A guy emails me via piston heads about my car, asking about the engine and interior. Fine. He gives a phone number starting 00 230 which is Mauritius. Is this a bit odd?


vinny1275 - 2/6/09 at 12:09 PM

scam, shirley

you could always say that you'll personally deliver it if he pays for the hire of a big enough yacht.....

I think it's one of those ones where they pay you upfront for the shipping, overpay and ask you to send some back, then cancel the 1st payment.


blakep82 - 2/6/09 at 12:09 PM

yeah, i wouldn't...


smart51 - 2/6/09 at 12:21 PM

Found this on another forum.

One to be cautious of I think.


tomprescott - 2/6/09 at 12:21 PM

Avoid it, especially if he wants to pay by paypal or building society cheque as both of those can be cancelled and returned to sender after your bank has confirmed that they have cleared!


Humbug - 2/6/09 at 12:58 PM

Tell him he can come and collect, cash on delivery only and car only released after you paid the cash into your bank account


sonic - 2/6/09 at 01:27 PM

Ther are loads like that on PH at the moment!

I have seen 3 now all BMW's been sold cheap,when you contact them the car is in Italy or Spain and will be delivered to your door included in the price etc

Leave it well alone!!!!


Jon Ison - 2/6/09 at 01:59 PM

yea, i made an enquiry via pistonheads, that car was in Italy, they would ship it to me though.......

Premium add, car in London allegedly.


cd.thomson - 2/6/09 at 02:05 PM

"yea, i made an enquiry via pistonheads, that car was in Italy, they would ship it to me though.......

Premium add, car in London allegedly."

Don't suppose it was an Abarth Fiat was it?!

Thats the closest I've been to being scammed - fortunately I was saved by telling myself "if its too good to be true, it quite probably is" and the fact that the consequences of it going wrong far outweighed the benefits of it going right..

PH is rife with this stuff, its literally a cesspit of fraud these days.. I trust ebay more.


smart51 - 2/6/09 at 02:15 PM

quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
PH is rife with this stuff, its literally a cesspit of fraud these days.. I trust ebay more.


Which is saying something.

Luckily, I'm the seller not the buyer in this case. If I hear back from him it is strict cash paid into my bank on collection then. Car released after the bank has accepted the money.


turbodisplay - 2/6/09 at 04:06 PM

I woudn`t say mauritius is a common place accosiacted with scams, however be careful.
When i went there, i did notice may high end cars that had been imported.
They do drive on the left.

Darren


greggors84 - 2/6/09 at 06:04 PM

Happened to me twice.

First Range Rover on ebay, someone asking for more information gave a phone number from Mauritius, sent them the info and asked if they were in this country but never heard back.

Second was when I put my MK on pistonheads had another email with a Mauritius phone number. They never went any further.

Was strange as they never pushed it and all the questions were genuine. I was waiting for the usual, can I pay you with a big cheque and you pay the rest back to me, but it never came.