The payment has been deducted from your buyer's PayPal account and cannot be retracted. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Exactly, police have more important matters to help the community. Its worth making sure photos are clear, in focus and not too far away. If youve got an account on Gumtree, then you might end up with a text asking you for personal information like passwords or bank details. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Im totally in the minority here most Gumtree sellers seem perfectly comfortable with giving their address on Gumtree. How do I report a suspicious ad on Gumtree? You can always report it to ACORN as well. You can then click the app open once it downloads. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Australian Consumer Law - Gumtree Seller Kept 3 Games from Bulk Order. i have proof of purchase. References. Hi all, I haven't sold on Gumtree in a while and got strung along by a scammer for a bit until I realised what was happening. Your suburb is fine, just so buyers know your rough location, and whether youre local to them. These scammers tend to target high-value items like gaming consoles, tablets, phones, laptops, motorcycles, and cars. It is used primarily in the U.K. and Europe. This covered all the bases.". I ALWAYS meet people in public spaces for my sales. I was originally supposed to pick them up in person and pay at the same time. Because they're accepting paypal payments for in-hand exchanges, or non-trackable posted, or giving bank deposits, or paying 'agent fees' for delivery of their car to an oil rig (and all variations on that ridiculous theme), or handing over cash before getting the item, or paying when getting the item but before making sure it works (phones with IMEI blocks or fake iPhones/tablets especially), or any of the other myriad ways in which naive or lazy buyers and sellers leave themselves open to easy abuse by unscrupulous individuals. http://www.gumtree.com.au/scam-security-centre/. How did you fund it ie which funding source? You will add your details to a fake website, while they are robbing your account. 5. (Open 7 days 10:00-6:00) Contact number: Email: *Item NO. You might also receive via text a response to your 'for sale' ad that looks a bit odd. Description says they can post it at buyer's expense, which is great, my question - is how does this work? You can then type in the item and the site will categorize it for you. Gumtree is an alternative to The Trading Post. Just ask for money order and cash in before you post. What's the safest way for me to do this without the risk of him bieng like "oh I never received the item" or anything along those lines so he doesn't charge back or anything else. Try to respond to messages or phone calls as quickly as possible and offer to provide extra photos or further details if you can. Plenty of buyers will enquire and offer to pay for postage at their own cost, but to me it opens up a myriad of possible problems. deleted568739 22. This potential buyer will ask to buy it and for it to be delivered. Not really. Your postal code will not appear in the ad. But my question is have you recovered the money back from bank transfer. Gumtree.com Limited is an Appointed Representative of Compare The Market Limited who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Prominent Member. 1999-2023 PayPal, Inc. All rights reserved. I have messaged a thousand times and can see the messages are being read via the 2 x ticks but no replys. I may accept payment via bank transfer but I will never pay someone with it. Which I did not get my money back, Paypal is holding it because of the claim. Thanks to wikiHow editors.". Were committed to providing you with a quality service, so calls may be recorded or monitored for training purposes and to help us develop our services. No reply.Messaged Friday saying if item wasn't by Sat night I just wanted a refund. This is a ploy to get you to click the fake link or to reply to a fake email known as smishing. Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type. The dodgy PayPal trick that left Melbourne Gumtree user with a surprise $2,250 debt. The buyer can test it out properly, and you can both walk away from the sale, knowing that everyone is happy. Gumtree may have its fair share of scammers and time-wasters (and the odd weirdo who sends you really strange enquiries) but most of the time, theyre just normal people who are looking to buy and sell their used items. Lost $390 in a transfer, won't ever make that mistake again. Gumtree can be a great way to find somewhere to rent, to sellyour unwanted items or to pick up a second-hand bike. Leave the Archive. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. You might even like to use synonyms; for example, if you are selling a pair of bedside tables you could also put bedside drawers or nightstands in the title. I emailed them and got no reply after a day and therefore texted them and still got no reply. This content may be old or outdated. This isnt the case though, when you inspect their page on how to pay for Gumtree items using PayPal. Oct 3, 2019. Leave the Archive. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 22,383 times. There's not a lot that you can do. So make sure you grab their attention with our top tips. If that 80 was their life savings, they probably would have been a lot more cautious. Be upfront if there is damage or an issue with the item so the buyer knows what they are getting. But mostly, you dont want to be giving out your mobile number to some disgruntled person, or if you get a weird vibe from the person when you meet up. PRO TIP: On the odd occasion Ive seen peoples email addresses appear in the email header info when they reply. If you live in the UK, you can file an online report through Action Fraud. If youre selling, buying or just have a Gumtree account you dont do anything with, then like any online channel, you need to be wary and protect yourself from scams. O did this only to find that he did not live at the address given. You are viewing the PayPal Community Archives. I now prefer to use ebay when I want it shipped to me and use Gumtree for local exchanges only. All the purchases I've done have done this. i know where he works. Several people pointed this out, she just blew them off. Apr-05-2021 11:45 PM. Gumtree say keeping it in-house means you are protected by their filter system which blocks any spam or suspicious emails. NSW - Gumtree - Get Back Deposit on Car? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 122,842 times. Calls from the UK are free. Help. A friends / family (or gift payment) is intended as a transfer of funds from family or friends to one another. I only ever sell on eBay as you are protected as a seller. Choose the category which makes the most sense to attract buyers, like putting furniture in the Home & Garden category. while they may entertain you, you dont want to put off your buyer. Police Sergeant, Mountain View Police Department. If you want to sell an item on Gumtree, youll need to create an ad. Changed decor so no space for it.. I'm happy with the condition and willing to pay extra. I would like to point out, this isn't her first rodeo. People run late. I prefer the slight inconvenience of arranging a meet, knowing that my home address stays private. If the price seems far lower than the competition then question its authenticity. Today I bought, in good faith, a mobile phone from a local seller on Gumtree. Choose a simple background if possible like a plain wall or free corner of carpet. not too sure. If you're buying something that sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Do not do Friends and Family on PayPal. Gumtree is a platform to help bring local buyers and sellers together. I wouldnt expect anything less from a savvy buyer! Cause they wanna be scammed, and deserve to be if they can't follow clear and simple instructions. Does this sound dodgy to anyone? You can decide whether you want potential buyers to contact you by email, phone or both. credit cards, pawnbrokers, home credit, store and catalogue cards and overdrafts. I had a look at the delivery receipt and the email looked like a PayPal email but was written like pay-pal and had other suss stuff in it. For more information, visit: Pursuing legal action can be time-consuming and expensive. But depending on where you are, having visitors may not be allowed. Make sure you also use the Reply to ad button for any communication. All of his contact details and proof from Australia Post that he did not send items that i paid for. If anyone says they're coming but they don't come, that's their problem. can you please link me to a letter of demand? Approved. Safest is direct bank transfer, you have the money no matter what. i dont know his address but as he is selling multiple items i could get a friend to get it easily. If you receive a text or an email claiming to be from Gumtree then dont click the link thats telling you to update info or act now before your account closes. And why would they need your home address or phone number? I have seen sale listings with the sellers first and last names on their profile, and even - their home address. If they claim they are having account issues then, as mentioned above, search their seller number online to read previous reviews, or halt the sale until youve contacted Gumtree. If you've been preyed upon by a scammer on Gumtree, you're probably feeling pretty upset about it. Just about anything else can be reversed. Oct-03-2017 02:00 PM. Just using your first name on your Gumtree profile is completely acceptable. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the California State University Stanislaus and a Juris Doctorate from the Laurence Drivon School of Law. He is also a practicing attorney for Goyette & Associates, Inc. where he represents public employees with a myriad of labor issues throughout the state. I think twice about giving out my address on a regular day, let alone to a rando who responded to my classifieds ad. But- its your home address were talking about, where you and your family live. A subreddit for Melburnians and Melbourne enthusiasts! Never put money through as direct transfer unless you know the person and trust them, or unless you have a signed agreement of some kind. You should arrange a convenient date and time for the buyer to view the item. 569 Posts. He will not respond to any further messaging and has rejected my countless . Check their updated policies/buyer protection info before using, and tell seller you'll pay by PayPal, see how they react. I have much more success on E-bay. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 6. And lastly, dont enter your home address for your Location in your Gumtree profile. Why is Gumtree seller not responding? I clicked on the 'pay individual, friend or family' - I'm realising that I should have clicked on the pay for a service or product. Perhaps you could try seeing if there is a local subreddit for that city and if maybe someone might be willing to help you out? If someone is determined to steal from you, they may well find a way. No reply.Sat came around I filed dispute.Sunday (1st, 11 days after paid, 6 after apparent loss of contact) she posts on this board saying she doesn't have any addresses bc Paypal not working right (she stated she'd known this for 8 months, never once asked for my address in 5 days we had contact), her messenger is broke.and apparently her email too.So her and I had a 'discussion' on a transaction board as it was the only way to get hold of her.I moved my dispute to a claim right after that. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. The payments went through straight away and an email was received each time. There was a scam a while back about a guy who offered to pay extra and you to partial refund something or other. Enjoy! AFAIK they did exclude GT sales from buyer protection back in 2015, probably to give the more gullible sellers a false sense of security to get them to use paypal on GT. Fill in the requested details and click "Next". There is no PayPal buyer protection for items listed on gumtree. Type in your postal code so potential buyers near you will see your item, then describe the item in detail, including the measurements or dimensions, the condition of the item, and the materials it is made from. Usually, the scams go something like this: you will list something on Gumtree, then you might receive a Gumtree delivery scam Whatsapp message enquiring about the item. Not to mention the amount of stress and anxiety that would cause. https://blog.gumtree.com.au/gumtree-buy-sell-win-selling-guide/, http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/gumtree-secrets--5-ways-7894050. If you accept one buyers offer over another, send a brief message to the other buyers to let them know the item has sold. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Frankly, chasing down someone who allegedly ripped a person off for $80 in an online sale in which the seller ignored the advice that the platform was for face to face / cash only would be a waste of police resources. Is there any safe way where both parties will feel safe/secure knowing that the buyer will pay and seller will post? Click "Register". The phrase 'more money than sense' appears to apply in most such cases. The thing is tho, How do I know he used the goods and services option rather than friends and family? So I recently bought an item off Gumtree for aboutgave a random person I don't know $80. Press J to jump to the feed. once i had paid for the item i emailed the seller and text him to say . Second to that is an Auspost money order. If he's not OK with that, wait to sell unless you are desperate. I am an irregular user of gumtree. Make it easier on yourself and scope out a good potential meeting spot near a power point, the next time youre at the shops. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Or go to the police if they would even do anything? That said, no bad experiences. If it doesn't arrive, am I able to have PayPal refund me the money? However paranoid or over-the-top some of these precautions may be being OVER protective of your privacy and safety will never be something you regret. Dont be afraid to negotiate but remember that everyone loves a deal if the buyer is haggling, knocking off just a few pounds could secure the sale. I recently bought a few academic books from a seller off Gumtree. You can normally suss out if somebody is legit etc, you will need to get their full address & phone number for shipping and if they seem reluctant to give this out then I would cancel the sale. Ask a question, respond to a question and better understand the law today! It is 34 (84 cm) long x 20 (50 cm) wide. Because it looks genuine, money is transferred and the scammer disappears. I dont trust gumtree personally. This means signatures are NOT required even for services like Registered Post. For example, instead of just saying denim skirt you could say blue knee-length denim pencil skirt, size 14. If you are worried about meeting the buyer in person on your own due to safety, bring a friend with you. But what I want to know is if you get scammed on something like Gumtree where you did a bank cash deposit and the seller never posts the item, can the police do anything? Post Tweet. Gumtree will now send a link to the email address you provided. It seems simple to just link your PayPal account to Gumtree. I doubt she will as she feels I already took the money.Is it really going to take 17 days before Paypal gets involved and makes a decision? Title the ad. 0 Kudos. Having said that you can read more about prevention on being scammed. Since you made a friends and family payment, your purchase isn't protected and you won't be able to get a refund. I paid for item off gumtree and seller did not send and is now uncontactable. You can also note if you are willing to negotiate the price by putting down "OBO," which stands for "Or Best Offer.". Do a search on ozbargain.com for the thread - lots of tips and (unfortunately) stories about being scammed. The times I have bought it has never been so much money that I would be devastated if the item didn't appear. To stay safe, it's always worth arranging to meet . Rule 3: Use cash only. Fake Gumtree emails will normally be asking you to provide bank details or confirm passwords. 1.2K Posts. This is such a big no no! Any suggestions, opinions or statements I make should not be taken as such. The Gumtree messaging system is perfectly fine to correspond with buyers and sellers. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Safest is direct bank transfer, you have the money no matter what. He kept insisting he had paid and kept urging my sister to check her spam inbox and click the link to accept the payment - major red flag. I cant say for sure if this is still the case for a PayPal transaction via a linked account to Gumtree, BUT, its probably safer to assume so. This is why use of Paypal can come in handy, as they can handle disputes. Scott has received extensive training through the National Computer Forensics Institute and holds forensic certifications from Cellbrite, Blackbag, Axiom Forensics, and others. He wants my PayPal email address to send me the money. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/21\/Report-Fraud-on-Gumtree-Step-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Report-Fraud-on-Gumtree-Step-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/21\/Report-Fraud-on-Gumtree-Step-5.jpg\/v4-728px-Report-Fraud-on-Gumtree-Step-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"