Can the po-po's track down this guy by his phone number and shut him down or something?
http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/mob/5091389291.html
http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/mob/5091389291.html
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This craigslist ad isn't suspicious at all...
- Thread starter savoirfaire
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Won't meet strangers, so will offer free P&P. No paypal etc only western union transfer payment.
Selling multiple unlocked iphones, macbooks, etc very cheap for quick sale... Discount for buying multiple devices, perfectly innocent etc etc etc.
I saw one yesterday that had a disclaimer at the bottom: "No, I will NOT send you the IMEI. Lots of people are trying to steal my phone via IMEI."
I just rolled my eyes... couldn't tell if dumb or just bad at scamming.
I just rolled my eyes... couldn't tell if dumb or just bad at scamming.
True, but what's not the point of craigslist is to transfer money via Western Union for "multiple cheap Apple products that need to be sold quick".
Yep...I have bought a lot of various phones on CL. It is always meet at the carrier store and cash only!
Out of interest why not PayPal? I've successfully got my money back twice before where someone has sold me a phone that 3 months later was carrier blocked due to "theft".
It's just easier, as once the transaction is done it's done with no chance for someone to fight it on PayPal. Plus no fees.
Ahhh you mean as a seller point of view not a buyer, understood. Exactly the reason I do the opposite, the choice should be the buyers not the seller.
As a buyer too. It's nice to know that once the transaction is done, it's done. No chance for the seller to try anything sneaky, and the seller wouldn't have any of your information. When you sell via PayPal, they now have your address, phone number, full name, etc.Ahhh you mean as a seller point of view not a buyer, understood. Exactly the reason I do the opposite, the choice should be the buyers not the seller.
With PayPal the buyer can drop the phone the next day and crack the screen. Then make a claim through PayPal and get a refund. I had this happen to me once on a sale through eBay. I could even prove through the auction pictures there was no existing damage yet PayPal sided with the buyer and refunded them the money. I got back a damaged phone. I eventually got everything straightened out with them but it was so hard and took so long to do.
All of these details they can get out of a UK phone book and the electoral roll so no issue from a buyer point of view in the UK.
There is pretty much 0 pitfalls from a buyer point of view using paypal and I feel there are a lot more sellers trying shady tactics than buyers regarding dropped phones etc like you unfortunately discovered. I've only ever heard of a few cases of buyer fraud (your example being one of the very few), whereas we hear all the time of counterfeit goods, locked iphones etc being sold on ebay, craigslist and gumtree etc.
I would not feel comfortable purchasing a phone off CL and paying cash. You have no relatively no recourse if you purchase a faulty or stolen product. Buyer beware!
I still buy phones from CL but I insist we meet at my carrier store (Verizon). I ask the CS rep to checkout the phone to see if it is financed or blacklisted. This way I know I am getting a clean phone ready to be activated on my account.
How can you get their details out of a phone book if you don't know their name? Most deals are done via email and a first name basis.
Same. If you are a buyer and will only use PayPal, your choice of sellers is going to be more limited.
Problem there is:
A) no mobile store in the UK will help you since its not a transaction for them making money.
B) there's nothing stopping that person reporting the phone stolen through the network still in the uk, you can buy a phone outright from vodafone for e.g. on a month to month contract (so no finance) sell the phone and report it stolen a couple of months later through vodafone who still have your IMEI on file. Bam you've got a lovely looking paperweight, a quick call if you are the fraudulent seller to your bank/insurer pay the premium and buy yourself another iphone to do the same again through another network and another unsuspecting buyer who got tricked on gumtree/craigslist/other unprotected purchase site.
Perhaps we are experiencing differing markets here but I can log on now to the electoral roll and get first name, middle initial and last name details for all UK citizens living at any address within the UK who have registered to vote, I then just flick through the phone book using that info and I have their house phone number (unless they have paid extra to go ex-directory).
Right, but with just a first name and email how do you get their middle or last name? Even if they give you a last name, there are probably many in the area with the same first and last.
No they cannot. Good luck with looking up the electoral roll when you do not have a name. I have done transactions on Gumtree and as other have said its always meet somewhere neutral and cash only.