Just been scammed out of £900 by: vanillaman

Jubal

Newbie
Wammer
May 25, 2022
220
274
83
Manchester
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
This is what eBay is for really. How the fees are justified etc. No bank is going to want to arbitrate on the sale of secondhand goods when buyer and seller disagree because as soon as they charge, regardless how little, for the escrow service that’s the position they assume.

No doubt some enterprising third party will one day devise a way of working it. If they did it fairly, we’d all use it. Maybe.
 

Jules_S

Wammer Plus
Wammer Plus
Jun 7, 2019
3,383
1
4,507
183
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
For a fiver per transaction I'd be happy to act as an unofficial escrow. But then again I'm a big crook so reserve the right to run off to Mexico with your money 😆
 
  • Haha
Reactions: t1no

Nopiano

Wammer Plus
Wammer Plus
Jul 19, 2016
9,776
8,316
183
Monmouthshire, Wales
AKA
Nick
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
This is what eBay is for really. How the fees are justified etc. No bank is going to want to arbitrate on the sale of secondhand goods when buyer and seller disagree because as soon as they charge, regardless how little, for the escrow service that’s the position they assume.

No doubt some enterprising third party will one day devise a way of working it. If they did it fairly, we’d all use it. Maybe.
I think PayPal offers the protection ‘we’ need as buyers, if we don’t know the seller. But bank transfers or ‘family and friends’ payments aren’t protected.

Personally, I’ve always spoken to sellers or buyers, and believe I’ve established their credibility, unless I’ve already met or known them. But maybe I’ve been lucky?
 
Last edited:

philb36

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 5, 2007
916
72
58
biggin hill, Kent
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Dont know if any use really but avf have a additional id thing now called Easyid its an app from the post office.. Here is the link..like I said dont know if any good here?
EasyID
 

DomT

Food and coffee and rock n roll
Wammer Plus
Jul 23, 2019
10,327
9,595
198
Village near Nottingham.
AKA
Dom
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
For a fiver per transaction I'd be happy to act as an unofficial escrow. But then again I'm a big crook so reserve the right to run off to Mexico with your money 😆
Maybe this is a service that the Wam should consider and the Wam holds the payment until the goods are received. It’s how Vinted works. @Roo @DUVET ??
 

bencat

Amplifier Destroyer
Wammer Plus
Feb 6, 2010
10,309
8,115
208
Liverpool
AKA
Andrew
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
To be fair this is a forum not a bank transfer and they offer the classifieds free of charge . Any agreement and due dilligence has to be between the buyer and seller . No item you want to buy is that desperately needed that you should cut corners on how you would send money . The choice as the buyer is always yours and if you take chances then you have to accept consequences .
 

mnky

Wammer
Wammer
May 3, 2013
1,037
163
108
oooh arrrrrr
AKA
Mnky
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I have tended to source my hifi from the Wam or PFM .....always gone to collect in person .....if it's too far away to collect I've not bought the item... Even though it may be something I've really wanted at the time.

I don't think you can expect a forum to be like eBay .... or any other online trading set up.

Obviously if you know the seller/buyer and want to risk the mail/courier ....that's different.
 
Last edited:

DomT

Food and coffee and rock n roll
Wammer Plus
Jul 23, 2019
10,327
9,595
198
Village near Nottingham.
AKA
Dom
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
To be fair this is a forum not a bank transfer and they offer the classifieds free of charge . Any agreement and due dilligence has to be between the buyer and seller . No item you want to buy is that desperately needed that you should cut corners on how you would send money . The choice as the buyer is always yours and if you take chances then you have to accept consequences .
Andrew I get that but it would be interesting if there was a safer way to buy for those not keen on eBay. Not everyone can travel across the country or maybe comfortable carrying thousands in cash.

I was considering buying an expensive amp on here and so I asked a few wammers about this very long term member but I was still not 100% confident and so I passed for now.
 

bencat

Amplifier Destroyer
Wammer Plus
Feb 6, 2010
10,309
8,115
208
Liverpool
AKA
Andrew
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Dom of course it would be nice to have something like that but it would have to cost and the one in the middle would need insurance protection against losses . Plus if any argument over condition or problems with the item the middle element would get dragged in to it . All of this means that something like the Wam which is run on a very tight budget would be over streched and not get much if anything but heartache for doing it . Financial institutions like banks could quite easily offer a paid for service which they do already for business and i am sure they could do the same for individuals but it would not be cheap . One such measure that i have had lots of experience of is a letter of credit which has various agreed proofs that need to be produced before the bank will release the cash . Simple enough but they are not cheap .
 

StingRay

Legend Wammer
Wammer
Apr 27, 2016
13,040
8,522
163
Suffolk coast, UK
AKA
Ray
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Maybe this is a service that the Wam should consider and the Wam holds the payment until the goods are received. It’s how Vinted works. @Roo @DUVET ??
I can't see the WAM, taking on something like that, there are too many issues.

First thing to do is check the seller's posting history, not just the number but the content.
 

Jules_S

Wammer Plus
Wammer Plus
Jun 7, 2019
3,383
1
4,507
183
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
A quick Google search for Escrow services returns a number of them - as has been mentioned previously many are focused on commercial, investment or high-value transactions (e.g. house purchase). I did find one however that charges a flat fee of £2.99 per transaction for transfers up to £10,000, which presumably would be the sort of thing that would be useful for "our" sort of sales.

I'm deliberately not mentioning the name or posting a link because I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THIS SERVICE, I'VE NEVER USED IT AND HAVE NOT VALIDATED IT PERSONALLY. It was more to point out that such services do exist. Obviously it would be important to confirm that any such operation is genuine, backed by / underwritten by reputable financial organisations, ombudsmen, etc before considering use.

One thing to consider is that although the buyer is protected from losing their money in such a transaction, I don't know if there's any protection for sellers who could be subject to shipping fraud, i.e. seller claiming the item never arrived and having their money returned to them by the escrow, while the seller loses their item and the money due.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DomT

Jubal

Newbie
Wammer
May 25, 2022
220
274
83
Manchester
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I think PayPal offers the protection ‘we’ need as buyers, if we don’t know the seller. But bank transfers or ‘family and friends’ payments aren’t protected.

Personally, I’ve always spoken to sellers or buyers, and believe I’ve established their credibility, unless I’ve already met or known them. But maybe I’ve been lucky?
You’re partially right. I think PayPal favours buyers. I’m not complaining as they just saved me on eBay from what I think was a knock off Kindle. I always “buy” the seller too on forums. How they interact, posting history, location, Google maps etc etc.

But true escrow isn’t PayPal is it? It’s a complete middle man exercise facing both ways.
 

StingRay

Legend Wammer
Wammer
Apr 27, 2016
13,040
8,522
163
Suffolk coast, UK
AKA
Ray
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
You’re partially right. I think PayPal favours buyers. I’m not complaining as they just saved me on eBay from what I think was a knock off Kindle. I always “buy” the seller too on forums. How they interact, posting history, location, Google maps etc etc.

But true escrow isn’t PayPal is it? It’s a complete middle man exercise facing both ways.
Yes paypal favours buyers, I know of sellers who have lost cases and will never use eBay again. Not only have to pay the money back, but get back badly damaged goods Or no goods at all.
 

philb36

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 5, 2007
916
72
58
biggin hill, Kent
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Yes paypal favours buyers, I know of sellers who have lost cases and will never use eBay again. Not only have to pay the money back, but get back badly damaged goods Or no goods at all.
I know people have sold then weeks later the buyer launches a claim saying its broken..and wins…..
 

Clubsport911

Wammer
Wammer
Jan 19, 2013
1,814
241
108
Cheltenham
AKA
Steve
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I was scammed out of £1920 many years back for a pre-amp. The story is long / tortuous, but in the end, I traced the scammmer down by searching for the same pre-amp under a different name and he took the bait... I had him / her on the hook. I even faked the evidence of bank transfer. I called the Action Fraud folks 10 bazillion times... no use. Police.. no use... Barclays Fraud - no use. I was in actual mail dialogue with the person looking to do the same thing again under a different name... He was "there".... but action there came none. I feel your pain
 
Last edited:

Audio Al

Confirmed Super Numpty
Wammer
Nov 4, 2012
4,363
3,877
193
Boston, Lincs
AKA
Allen
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I seem rember a case wher a seller sent off a power amp to a buyer who then complained that it was not working,
Seller agreed to take it back , Wife signes for the parcel , Husband returns home , Opens the box and findes a load of house bricks , Chased it up through all the channels and was told " Nothing we can do as you signed for it "
 
  • Sad
Reactions: BarefootGuy

marko

Wammer
Wammer Plus
Feb 20, 2007
2,026
1,306
193
N.Yorkshire.
AKA
Mark
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I have already sent commiserations to Greg!
Just remembered (I have a fading memory) that last year on diyaudio, and in a response to a ‘Wanted’ ad, I was contacted by a guy (badger7) who had the exact speakers I wanted at a ‘TOO good a price’. He sent great pics, though lacked any personal info. Asking for an address, I offered to pay and pick up in Scotland. All went silent. Scam without a doubt.
So, if you come across this person, don’t go there!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: bigrod

Forum statistics

Threads
113,444
Messages
2,451,263
Members
70,783
Latest member
reg66

Latest Articles