Hi,
Bit of background... I have been on the lookout for a motorhome for a while now, and have seen a number on Ebay and elsewhere over the last few months. A couple we have been to see, but for various reasons we have not yet made a purchase. however, we keep an eye on what is available, as we have a good idea of what we're after, if only one was available closer to us!
Anyway, when running a search today, a large number have suddenly appeared in classifieds from a seller apparently based in Armagh, NI (so no good for us, in the middle of England). However:
- the address given by the seller is a farm in the middle of nowhere
- the company name given by the seller is that of the motorhome manufacturer
- the seller has previously only sold much smaller items (e.g. clothing - certainly not vehicles)
- the photos for each motorhome are taken on different sales forecourts (comparing buildings in the background)
- one motorhome at least I'm 99% sure was previously offered for sale by a seller based in Devon - I recognise the numberplate and the Armagh seller has even re-used the same photos
- all the motorhomes are much cheaper than the going rate for the age/mileage (half the price)
- all the adverts request that the potential buyer provide a mobile number for further discussion
On the basis of all the above, I smell not just a fish, but a whole trawlerload. There is clearly some sort of scam being attempted here - I'm not sure what, but there seems to be no way of raising an alert.
I asked a similar question a while ago regarding another completely different item, but didn't really get anywhere - the main contention then seemed to be that I'd mentioned the name of the seller. Quite how you can raise a flag on a seller without mentioning their name is beyond me but there you go.
If Ebay starts filling up with scammers it'll end up like another major e-commerce website where I often have reasonable doubt in what's being advertised.
Regards,
Dave
