Fraud

[marjol1976]

Seller is listing a vehicle they don’t own, with details from original seller, and taken a deposit. Arrive to pay balance and collect, no vehicle

[*vyolla*]

There's no buyer protection for vehicles, and you should never pay a deposit to a stranger online.

All you can really do here is to report it to Actionfraud, at least they'll have the bank account name and details you sent the deposit payment to (it won't get your money back, but if it's an account that's being used for this a lot then they may take action). 

[john1297576]

As there is no buyer protection on vehicles, no money should ever be paid until vehicle has been seen, fully inspected and paperwork checked.

You have lost your money.

[red_magpie]

You're lucky you have only lost your deposit. Many buyers have been tricked into paying the whole price unseen for motor vehices, only to discover that they don't exist.

In a TV programme about organised crime, a senior police officer reported that one criminal gang alone had registered "multiple hundreds" of fake accounts on eBay to place fraudulent listings for non-existent motor vehicles.

"Selling" a vehicle here can be as simple as copying a picture of it and claiming to be selling it. When buying a motor vehicle from an unknown seller on eBay it is unwise to pay anything, not even a deposit, until you have seen and inspected the vehicle, checked the paperwork and had an HPI check. There will be no buyer protection from eBay, whatever problems arise.

If a seller comes up with excuses not to accept these conditions, walk away from it.