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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Been scammed

301 replies

Fuckfuckbollocks · 19/02/2020 07:30

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
loobyloo1234 · 19/02/2020 08:21

What did the bank say when you spoke to them OP? Can they open up a fraud case ASAP and try to recover the funds? I'm surprised if all they said was they can't help. Hope you manage to sort it.

Scammers really are the scum of the earth. I have no idea how they sleep at night.

BillHadersNewWife · 19/02/2020 08:21

Whoops at the massive link!

Here's their Companies House page. beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/SC551995/filing-history

AnduinsGirl · 19/02/2020 08:24

So you didn't see or test drive the car? I'm sorry, but that was incredibly stupid.
God.. Fuck this "be kind" bollocks; we just need a "don't be a total unhelpful bellend when people are upset" movement.

BillHadersNewWife · 19/02/2020 08:24

And here's a tip OP...in future if trying to ascertain a business is legit or not, look for their social media.

Devsale has no links to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Insta. That's VERY dodgy.

Social media drives online retail...it's what brings in new custom.

Without a page on Facebook etc, you can't see what people are really saying about them.

Anyone can join a forum and post a question...then answer it themselves.

BillHadersNewWife · 19/02/2020 08:25

The Companies House page for them does name two people. They must be your scammers.

FlamingoAndJohn · 19/02/2020 08:25

Anyone can join a forum and post a question...then answer it themselves.

Like the woman with the pram on here.

BillHadersNewWife · 19/02/2020 08:26

Flamingo What woman?

Original poster
Fuckfuckbollocks · 19/02/2020 08:27

Hi thanks all I need to read through properly. Husband called the bank at midnight and reported. I need to check with him what they told him to do but the bank are investigating. He has all emails from the seller still. The car was originally on ebay but didnt sell. He contacted the seller who said it is being sold by devsale etc and that's how it started. The live chat was available on the website until yesterday when the car was due to be delivered and that's when we started to panic as their phone lines were suddenly down. All contact has been via email

OP posts:
SchadenfreudePersonified · 19/02/2020 08:29

Flamingo What pram?

OP - I don't think that you and your DH were stupid. You did all you could to ensure this was a real firm, and have been robbed by some very clever scammers. It is an elaborate scale, so they will be ripping off people everywhere.

do as has been suggested and contact bank and police - and thank you for warning us, too. It's often only through social media and forums that this sort of scam can be made known.

Original poster
Fuckfuckbollocks · 19/02/2020 08:30

I guess we were totally duped by the forums listed by a previous poster which there are quite a few of. Even Google maps shows them. It all just seemed so real.

OP posts:
FlamingoAndJohn · 19/02/2020 08:30

@BillHadersNewWife
There was a post on here ages ago where someone was asking about the suitability of a travel system. She got a couple of replies.
Then about a year later she replied to herself on the thread to say how great it was!

FlamingoAndJohn · 19/02/2020 08:32

Did you buy through them directly or through someone else? Was it gumtree or the like? If so, get them involved.

Likethebattle · 19/02/2020 08:33

Contact the FCA as apparently they are saying they are regulated...the FCA won’t want them using their name.

Been scammed
HeadachesByTheDozen · 19/02/2020 08:34

OP, if there is a Trading or Retail tribunal or watchdog in your country, contact them. And the relevant Ombudsman if the investigation with the bank doesn't provide any resolution.

BillHadersNewWife · 19/02/2020 08:35

OP I'm sure it can be sorted. To be honest though, that's not a slick website.

The copy is obviously written by an amateur....though I admit many people would not realise this. The photos of the supposed "team' look like they're lifted off Google and the careers of these people are made up...it lists "Larry Morris" as Vice President of Marketing at MBE ...and what's MBE you ask? It's nothing! It's not even a business. It's The Order of the British Empire!

The other members are apparently all American and worked at things like toy shops!

nettie434 · 19/02/2020 08:35

Really sorry you have had this horrible experience. Is it worth contacting a consumer rights programme/newspaper column? They seem to make a huge difference when it comes to banks giving refunds. Try You and Yours on Radio 4 as they are on 5 days a week. Obviously contact the police too.

Good tip to look for social media presence BillHadersNewWife. Lots of excellent small businesses like carpenters just have basic websites but they are not offering an online service by definition.

FluffyAragog · 19/02/2020 08:35

What's the actual seller saying?

Theholidayarmadillo4 · 19/02/2020 08:36

I guess reading the forums all the posters saying the company are legit all make the same grammar/English mistakes but it is a very detailed scam and I don't think you should feel stupid. These scammers are out to take your hard earned money and it's just bloody unfortunate that these thieves exist

HeadachesByTheDozen · 19/02/2020 08:37

@FlamingoAndJohn So she posted about the suitability of a certain pram? And a year later, remembered her thread and touched base again to say she did buy it, and it was great?

I don't get the scam in that?

Casander · 19/02/2020 08:37

They aren't FCA registered, sorry OP Sad

Been scammed
BillHadersNewWife · 19/02/2020 08:39

Darren and Angela McCaughey are the apparent owners of this business. That information is to be found on their Companies House page.

It also lists their address.

FlamingoAndJohn · 19/02/2020 08:39

I’m not saying the pram post was a scam. I’m saying that just because there are forum posts it doesn’t make it legit.

PineappleDanish · 19/02/2020 08:39

Also on the reviews - I am a freelance writer and there are lots of job offers for people to write fake reviews. Sometimes - not always - it's easy to pick up the fakes as they're written in bad English.

Please phone the police.

FlamingoAndJohn · 19/02/2020 08:40

And she wasn’t saying ‘yes I did buy it, it was great’. She replied to the op as if she was a different person.

BillHadersNewWife · 19/02/2020 08:40

Headaches He's not saying it was a scam. Just commenting about posting on your own comments.