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moneygram
kipper - 7/5/09 at 03:26 PM

Hi ..I am trying to buy a motorbike from a site called Gumtree, the seller has told me he put the bike on Ebay and it was transfered to gumtree. I have agreed a buy it now price and was contacted by E bay who have told me I have to pay through moneygram to a address in London,I have never heared of this method of paying.
Question is has anyone on here had dealings this way or am I being over cautious.
Regards Kipper................AKA Denis

Staple balls - 7/5/09 at 03:29 PM

I'd be very, very wary of anything like that, similar service to western union, no more secure than paying cash.

As such, very easy to scam people with,, wiki has more info

Worzey - 7/5/09 at 03:30 PM

Google "Moneygram scam".

This may be a legitamate sale but I know there have been scams using this method.

Specifically on Gumtree and Ebay.

Be VERY careful!!!!!

omega0684 - 7/5/09 at 03:35 PM

get in touch with the guy and arrange for cash on collection?

Staple balls - 7/5/09 at 03:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by omega0684
get in touch with the guy and arrange for cash on collection?


also triple check the bike isn't stolen (if it even exists) and take a hefty mate or 2.

Project7 - 7/5/09 at 03:50 PM

I'm gonna echo what everybody else is saying - that sounds very suspect.

Why would ebay be involved in a sale through gumtree? Isnt Gumtree just classified ads?

Be careful with the cash on collection route too!

thunderace - 7/5/09 at 03:51 PM

i would avoid moneygram at all costs
cash only.you would be daft to use moneygram.

davidcarr - 7/5/09 at 03:52 PM

I may be jaded but it sounds very much like a scam. You're clearly going to have to pick up the bike in person, so you'd expect to pay COD as the other people have said, not beforehand.

Similar scam:

http://forums.gumtree.com/topic156907.html

eznfrank - 7/5/09 at 03:53 PM

Speaking as a profesional fraud investigator - SCAM!!!

kipper - 7/5/09 at 04:04 PM

Thanks fella's I was convinced it was a scam but it;s good to have the wieght of the forum confirming it.
Regards Kiipper

minitici - 7/5/09 at 05:24 PM

SCAM! - Moneygram
Specifically against e-Bay TOS
Not permitted
Sellers may not solicit:
Buyers to mail cash.
Buyers to send cash or money orders through instant cash transfer services (non-bank, point-to-point cash transfers) such as Western Union or MoneyGram. We have banned the use of Instant Money Transfers as a payment method on the eBay.co.uk site to protect members, because in the past some sellers have exploited Instant Money Transfers in order to defraud buyers.
Payment through "topping off" of a seller's pre-paid credit or debit card.
Payment through online payment methods not specifically permitted in this policy.
Please see the Some Examples section below for permitted and non-permitted online payment services.