Ebay defenders? Fraud?!??!

[Mining Subsidence Man]

I do a load of site work and I find myself attempting to get my estate car down tracks and chucking tools in the boot. To add on to things, I've just bought a woods and I need something to drag a trailer around with.

I want something that I can abuse and it not look like it needs an urgent trip to the bodyshop, or look like a gypsy when I turn up to a site in some sort of bashed up old mitsubishi.

I'm currently eyeing up defenders and scrolling through ebay and the various classifieds.

What I'm seeing appears to be some stuff which is a little low in price. Like "why is that one £10k and that one is £5k?". It strikes me that there is something up and it seems to be particularly relating to defenders only. Obviously as a petrolhead, I keep an eye on all sorts of stuff.

Am I naive and are there a load of "turn up and it's bats and balaclavas for my cash" time

[Darkslider]

They're hugely susceptible to cosmetic variances in price. I sold my Cat D 200 TDI 90 on eBay recently and it only made £3k despite the genuine low mileage of 70k, whereas higher mileage unrecorded examples with straight bodywork, fresh paint and a nice interior are advertised at five figure asking prices.

[A.J.M]

Plenty of scams going about.

If it’s cheap, it’s suspicious.

[Mining Subsidence Man]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defender-90-... Only £6k??

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-Land-Rover-Defende... £5k?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-Land-Rover-Defende... Dodgy description

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-Land-Rover-Defende... Near me but surely £7k too cheap.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-110-Defender... Another local cheap one.

As I learned with classic minis, it's better to buy one with the rust problems fixed. I'm after a 110 van with probably a galv chassis. I think I may have to scrape the wallet a bit harder.

What do you lot think of the above?

[Turn7]

Defenders can be very hard to buy right, so many things can be changed for other parts etc etc
Plus they are easily stolen and made into ringers.
Buy from a reputable dealer if you dont know them, or find someone that does to go with you.

Rust, rust and more rust....
Bulkhead top corners and footwells
Rear crossframe on chassis
Chassis outriggers
Door bottoms

Check it goes into Low box, as if not used frequently, the shaft can sieze as a part of it sits outside the casing

Double check all history via MOT online, and check advisories as well.

ive had 5 and porbably would get another at some point, great things but do have issues yuo neeed to be aware of when buying.

[Mining Subsidence Man]

My last was a S3 109 1 ton. (ENV axles, heavy duty low ratio everything)

2.6 straight 6. Sounded like a BMW used fuel like the tank was holed.

That was the usual rear crossmember but the bulkhead was ok.

I would rather sacrifice good looks for not rusty. But I expect everyone is in the same boat. I'm not afraid of high miles.

[Busterbulldog]

Be very careful with ebay , they don't even bother deleting the fake adverts when reported anymore. To make matters worse I have even had them recommend the scammers items to buy ffs.
Be very careful.

[TurnedEmo]

They're all scams.

I'm guessing the end game is either the balaclava and baseball bat, but more likely 'send me the money and I'll have it delivered to you'.

[anonymous-user]

“ For any enquiries please message or call. I wont be checking eBay so for more details please contact my number thank you!”

In almost all those ads , or a variation... all scams.

[Mining Subsidence Man]

I had a mate who went "up north" to buy a BMW 330D (about £8k) and was going to pay cash.

For whatever reason.....big drive, they arrived early. Couldn't get through and rocked up at the house, the guy who lived there had no idea about who the guy was, or anything. I forget the detail, but they phoned him and pretended to be ignorant, matey made some weird excuse and they didn't stick around to see whether it was shotguns or baseball bats.

Ebay does seem a bit of the wild west. Surely, they have a duty to stamp on crime.

I tend to "right click, search google for images"

Interesting stuff.

[Mining Subsidence Man]

Note "For any enquiries please message or call. I wont be checking eBay so for more details please contact my number thank you! "

Distinct phrase with the same wording, punctuation mistakes, etc. I'd say they are all the same person. Hacked accounts.

[G_Morto]

Mining Subsidence Man said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defender-90-... Only £6k??

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-Land-Rover-Defende... £5k?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-Land-Rover-Defende... Dodgy description

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-Land-Rover-Defende... Near me but surely £7k too cheap.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-110-Defender... Another local cheap one.

As I learned with classic minis, it's better to buy one with the rust problems fixed. I'm after a 110 van with probably a galv chassis. I think I may have to scrape the wallet a bit harder.

What do you lot think of the above?

Think you must be a gypsy

Edited by G_Morto on Sunday 10th May 21:16

[Mining Subsidence Man]

G_Morto said:

Think you must be a gypsy

Edited by G_Morto on Sunday 10th May 21:16

I'm looking for a work truck. I deal with mining subsidence and site investigation. I drag tools around and everything gets covered in cement dust/drill cuttings and mud.

I'm not after a chelsea tractor, I'm after a 4wd van that I can drive across a field with, down a track with and tow a big trailer full of machinery with.

I want to be able for it to wear the odd battle scar without it looking smashed and trashed. The land rover is the only thing really.

I know classic minis inside out and the last time I was involved with landrovers, you could pick a MOT failure needing a few jobs up for £500.

I am not familiar with the market, hence asking here. I'm not sure what your comment has to do with anything.

[Osinjak]

Mining Subsidence Man said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defender-90-... Only £6k??

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-Land-Rover-Defende... £5k?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-Land-Rover-Defende... Dodgy description

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-Land-Rover-Defende... Near me but surely £7k too cheap.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-110-Defender... Another local cheap one.

As I learned with classic minis, it's better to buy one with the rust problems fixed. I'm after a 110 van with probably a galv chassis. I think I may have to scrape the wallet a bit harder.

What do you lot think of the above?

All of those look dodgy as feck, the wording on the ads just make my spidey senses go into overdrive.

[Mining Subsidence Man]

I'm pretty sure that if I had a business that facilitated crime, the police would be onto it rather quickly.

I don't want to have to go tooled up with mates to buy a car.

Looking at other things I'm interested in, like vintage musical instruments, it seems pretty wholesale.

[eliot]

have you considered commercial disco 3/4's?
Price of 90/110's is ridiculous.

[Darkslider]

eliot said:

have you considered commercial disco 3/4's?
Price of 90/110's is ridiculous.

Agreed, defender prices have accelerated them above the realms of a working tool nowadays, which is a shame because as you say nothing else wears dents and scrapes as well! My money would go on a TD5 Disco in your position, infinitely more comfortable and car like, with 80% the off road capability and still able to tow 3.5 ton and lug tools around. Plenty of Jap pickups to choose from with that budget too, but you'll struggle to match the load and towing capacity of a Landy for the budget.

[Dan_1981]

Google the phone numbers....

scams scams & more scams - hacked accounts / stolen photos etc.

07903236522

07943044817

07946044189

Also google the reg numbers... you'll likely find the original adverts.

[Rowe]

a commerical Freelander would do you for what you need - at half the price too

[eliot]

Rowe said:

a commerical Freelander would do you for what you need - at half the price too

wont tow 3.5t