Been scammed

[Fuckfuckbollocks]

NC for this. Feel really terrible right now. My husband bought a car through a website that sell on behalf of the actual seller and deliver the car to you. The money is paid to the company and after the car is delivered the funds get released to the seller. The company have a glossy website and claim to do all checks on said car.

Anyway we found this car and checked all the history out and were sent the service history with all the garages names on so we phoned them all and they all had record of this car being serviced with them etc. Multiple reviews online for this company saying how good they are and forums with people saying they've used them and it all seemed fine.
Husband transferred the money and got a confirmation type email with delivery date and time and the car didnt turn up.
I feel so awful for him, he isnt stupid and was weary about it but did so many checks and paid for checks to be done but everything we questioned there was a plausible answer for. Nothing seemed wrong at all. The company even comes up on Google maps with reviews. Apparently all fake

Sorry this isnt an AIBU I just needed to get it out and hopefully warn anyone considering buying a car this way. We feel so stupid and have lost a lot of money.

I am so sorry this has happened to you and your husband. You did all the checks so no blame on you.. Inform trading standards of what has happened and phone the police non emergency number for advice and ask what to do. If they manage to prosecute and convict you might get some money back from the proceeds of crime act.

It looks genuine.

@Hellabove5

I hope you're meaning that it looks genuine in that it's a good scam, not that you think it really is genuine!

FFB I fell for it too there was even a review on here
I know 5 others at least and we are trying to form a group to sort out something
Action fraud won’t help because Scotland is not part of their scheme which the crooks know
It seems to be an organised crime issue

Surely Scotland have trading standards. They can prosecute. Hopefully they also have proceeds of crime action too. I just looked online and I would have been fooled too. Now, I won't trust when people say they have used a service.

Jayfee gutted I lost £6.5 k

There's some people acting very superior on here about buying a car you've never seen. Back in the days when net was not a shopping thing I bought a car I'd never seen through a reputable, then mail order I guess you'd call it, that specialised in selling to people working in the church and caring professions, it came recommended to me by a friend whose parents had always used it. Car was fine and lasted me 10 yrs. I just checked and it is still going, so buying a car unseen for delivery is not unheard of nor always a scam.

Hope you can get get somewhere with this OP or at least get these people jailed.

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-5196083/The-fraud-vigilantes-fighting-help-victims.html

Interesting article about somebody who investigates car sale scams. He has contacts in different banks.

Sounds odd but tweet Joe Lycett, the comedian. He loves this sort of shit and has actually got peoples money back.

It’s dreadful that Action Fraud don’t cover Scotland without there being a Scottish equivalent.

Oh god Palace. Sometimes trading standards do manage to catch the crooks.

Freelance Professional Services Limited is Corporate Service Provider and one of its clients was Devsale Limirted company number 10839185 which was dissolved 26/06/2018
Neither FPS, Devsale Limited or Indigo Strategic has any links to a company selling cars DevSale Trading Company
Please remove all reference to our company

^

@MNHQ

@hoodathunkit I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. FPS is a payroll company in my home town in the Isle of Man. It is fully regulated by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority. I highly doubt they’re actually linked to a car scam. Contact FSA in the Isle of Man if you’re concerned 01624 646000.

This is why when they're exposing scammers on TV they always say "We're talking about ABC Cars of West Bromwich, which bears no relation to other companies of a similar name".

It’s dreadful that Action Fraud don’t cover Scotland without there being a Scottish equivalent.

Not really. Scots law is different. Fraud is still very much illegal up here and the Police will still deal with it. Just through the regular Police though, not a separate body.

Am so angry just reading this. Absolutely vile. sorry OP.

This is shocking!

Your comment was horrible @Bezalelle

@Bikerider2020 - yes to both your comments. It’s almost as if there is a competition in AIBU to be the first poster on a thread to say something cunty and lay into the poster (before the thread develops).

True @Aridane! I tell you what this is a MASSIVE eye opener to me!

I really hope you get your money back OP.

I was scammed earlier this year and my bank couldn't do enough for me, they were fantastic. Money back the same day, really looked after me - and it was less than £100! They take it so seriously.

Some google reviews trying to warn others about this one too.

Straycatstrut
Till Monday there was nothing but positive for them it’s very well thought out over a number of years

I'm not sure why people think the scammers were Scottish? Presumably they could be based anywhere in the world?

Straycatstrut
Till Monday there was nothing but positive for them it’s very well thought out over a number of years

Ohh I see

I can easily see how people fall for it.

I'm sure someone on here said a while back they paid for something like a new kitchen (or big parts?) by bank transfer and the same thing happened.

Asking for a big bank transfer up front seems to be the big red flag.

The FAQs on the devsale site are almost exactly the same as on several other sites, just the company name changing:

www.devsale.co.uk/faq/
allshipping-logistics.com/web/home7ede.html?page=faqs
chest-net.blogspot.com/2011/?m=0

It's a very clever scam, especially with the fake blog posts. Good luck in getting your money back.