What’s the scam?

[Harry you Potter]

I listed an item for sale on Facebook marketplace and had someone interested contact me. He told me that his mate lives nearby and can pick the item up. I provided him with my contact number and gave them an address to the local aldi where id meet him in the car park,

We agree a time and he messages to say he is 5 minutes away. I turn up at the entrance and my phone goes its the person saying they had to rush off for family emergency and they can pick it up in 30 minutes at my address. They kept asking for my address and I wouldn’t provide it.

In the end I told them it’s not for sale and blocked them.

They have my name and phone number only.

What was the scam ?

[rohrl]

Is there necessarily a scam? Going to people’s houses to buy things like a car is quite normal.

Believe it or not we used to have big books full of everyone’s name, address and phone number in every house.

[JQ]

Harry you Potter said:

I listed an item for sale on Facebook marketplace and had someone interested contact me. He told me that his mate lives nearby and can pick the item up. I provided him with my contact number and gave them an address to the local aldi where id meet him in the car park,

We agree a time and he messages to say he is 5 minutes away. I turn up at the entrance and my phone goes its the person saying they had to rush off for family emergency and they can pick it up in 30 minutes at my address. They kept asking for my address and I wouldn’t provide it.

In the end I told them it’s not for sale and blocked them.

They have my name and phone number only.

What was the scam ?

Why would you not give your home address, I suspect they thought you were trying to scam them?

[dudleybloke]

They need to know where to tie the two dogs up.

[Hoofy]

As above, they may have wanted to check that you weren't scamming them. Always seems dodgy when a seller requests to meet in a random car park.

Also, they were always going to have this "family emergency" to force you to give your home address.

Guess it depends on what you're selling. If it's a 15kg db, I'd happily meet in a random car park. If it's a TV, I'd like to see it working so a car park is no good.

[grumpyscot]

I'd certainly be very cautious about meeting in a car park - far rather meet at a persons home - much safer - many more potential witnesses to anything going wrong. Though I have in the past met someone half way - but they - and me - have provided home addresses, and photos of the cars we'd turn up in.

[Badda]

FB marketplace and Aldi car parks would make me assume you’re the scammer/travelling caravan dweller.

[Bluevanman]

I once bought a mobile phone off eBay and met the seller on a pub car park at their request.Seller was a middle age woman. There was no scam

[Mont Blanc]

Harry you Potter said:

I listed an item for sale on Facebook marketplace and had someone interested contact me. He told me that his mate lives nearby and can pick the item up. I provided him with my contact number and gave them an address to the local aldi where id meet him in the car park,

We agree a time and he messages to say he is 5 minutes away. I turn up at the entrance and my phone goes its the person saying they had to rush off for family emergency and they can pick it up in 30 minutes at my address. They kept asking for my address and I wouldn’t provide it.

In the end I told them it’s not for sale and blocked them.

They have my name and phone number only.

What was the scam ?

Sounds like you are the scammer to me! Why not just tell the guy to come to your house for it like a normal person would do?

I've been buying and selling bits on FB marketplace for years, and I've always given buyers my address to come and collect, and likewise, I have always gone to sellers houses to make a purchase. Never had a problem.

If someone told me to meet them in a car park and refused to give an address, I would immediately think it was dodgy.

[dundarach]

Your buyer had a lucky escape, as others have suggested, you're more scammy than a professor of scamming at Scamington University.

Seriously, I appreciate you might not want people calling around your house, heavens knows why not, however I wouldn't ever meet anyone in an Aldi following a Facebook listing, hell no!

[CKY]

grumpyscot said:

I'd certainly be very cautious about meeting in a car park - far rather meet at a persons home - much safer - many more potential witnesses to anything going wrong.

So, someone's private abode that isn't immediately visible inside from the street/pavement is a "much safer" place to meet with "many more potential witnesses" than a wide open car park of a supermarket, where members of the general public will be and also likely a CCTV system if needed? Not sure I understand that.

[Harry you Potter]

Thanks guys. I am normal man who has a trumpet bum like many others. He agreed to meet me there. I don’t want people knowing where I live in case there’s an issue or they are silly people.

[Mont Blanc]

Harry you Potter said:

Thanks guys. I am normal man who has a trumpet bum like many others. He agreed to meet me there. I don’t want people knowing where I live in case there’s an issue or they are silly people.

What on earth is a trumpet bum?

I googled it and all the results seem to suggest that it is ‘someone who farts a lot and has problems with flatulence’.

If you don’t want people coming round to your house, you should expect many of them to think you are a scammer, becuase refusing to give a home address is exactly what scammers or criminals do when they want to sell someone an item that is faulty, broken, stolen, or just simply non existent.

I can’t speak for others, but I’ve been buying and selling stuff on Facebook marketplace for years and years, and never had any issues. Everyone has been nice, and perfectly normal. I’ve sold my old iPhones, laptops, iPads, watches, camera equipment, car parts, cars, kids toys, and all kinds of stuff, all from my house and all with zero hassle.

If you get the slightest hint that a buyer might be a pain in the arse, just ignore them and sell to someone else.

[JQ]

Mont Blanc said:

Harry you Potter said:

Thanks guys. I am normal man who has a trumpet bum like many others. He agreed to meet me there. I don’t want people knowing where I live in case there’s an issue or they are silly people.

What on earth is a trumpet bum?

I googled it and all the results seem to suggest that it is ‘someone who farts a lot and has problems with flatulence’.

If you don’t want people coming round to your house, you should expect many of them to think you are a scammer, becuase refusing to give a home address is exactly what scammers or criminals do when they want to sell someone an item that is faulty, broken, stolen, or just simply non existent.

I can’t speak for others, but I’ve been buying and selling stuff on Facebook marketplace for years and years, and never had any issues. Everyone has been nice, and perfectly normal. I’ve sold my old iPhones, laptops, iPads, watches, camera equipment, car parts, cars, kids toys, and all kinds of stuff, all from my house and all with zero hassle.

If you get the slightest hint that a buyer might be a pain in the arse, just ignore them and sell to someone else.

Absolutely this, I've met some lovely people via the process. A couple of times when we've struggled to arrange a convenient time to collect, sellers have offered to leave the item in a safe place outside the house for me to collect and then post the payment through their letter box. There are plenty more honest people in the world than scammers.

[Wacky Racer]

What was the item?

What is a Trumpet bum?

We need to know.

[Hoofy]

FWIW I just had someone enquire about some clothing I'm selling. He's said he's coming tomorrow at a specific time and asked for my address which I gave him. My only concern is whether he'll turn up at the time or not.

[shtu]

Harry you Potter said:

I am normal man who has a trumpet bum.

Doesn't sound normal. Consult a proctologist.

Harry you Potter said:

I don’t want people knowing where I live in case there’s an issue or they are silly people.

If you don't want that, sell on eBay instead and post items out.


This risks becoming an extension of that old thread where people would refuse to answer their own door unless it was a prearraged visitor.

[Hoofy]

Hoofy said:

FWIW I just had someone enquire about some clothing I'm selling. He's said he's coming tomorrow at a specific time and asked for my address which I gave him. My only concern is whether he'll turn up at the time or not.

Well, he turned up wondered where I was. His "Can I come tomorrow?" was sent this morning (early hours) so when I replied, this morning at normal hours, I thought he meant actually tomorrow but he meant today. He turned up, didn't knock on the door, wondered where I was, I didn't see the message because... you know... working... and then went away. Genius communication skills.

Add this disappointment to the "best price" and "available?" ghosting, I think I might donate this garment to a charity shop even though it's brand new.

[Harry you Potter]

These same wkers have contacted my friend about something he is selling. They are trying to obtain personal details for scamming. I told him to tell them to go away and suckle on his ass hair

[the-norseman]

What were the items.

The usual scam is they are going to send a friend, but then they want to pay using some dodgy transfer way which you never get the money but they take the item.