How safe are PH classifieds ?

[Jon Ison]

To start sorry if this is wrong forum.

how safe are PH classifieds, I know my add was vetted a while ago when I advertised a car, I am currently eying one up now in the ad's but received a reply not to far removed from what is best described as a dodgy Nigerian eBay scam ?

Safe or open to abuse ?



Hi,

The car is still available for sale,it is in perfect condition in and out,100% HPI clear with a certificate to confim,full service history.
I just got married and moved with my Italian husband in Milan,Italy.I took the car with me so the car is currently here.
I can`t use it in Italy because it has the wheel on the wright side and it would also cost me too much to register it here.
It is still registered in the UK and since I have absolutely no use for it I am looking for a fast sale( this is why the low asking price)
I can ship the car from here directly to your home address and I am also willing to cover all delivery expenses.
I look forward to your reply

[kambites]

Hmm, personally I'd look elsewhere.

[ipwn]

Even if it was genuine, is it worth the potential hassle...

[Stu R]

it's a scam. Had a few replies like that.

[Jon Ison]

Dont worry guys, I'm not putting any more effort into that one, just didn't expect it on PH.

[rfn]

Now that you've exposed this ad to be a scam - have you used the "Report to administrator" link to advise the classifieds admin of this? They can use this information to block accounts that are posting scam adverts etc. If it doesn't get reported, they are not necessarily any the wiser as I imagine it would take more time than there is in a day to personally vet every single advert.

[crofty1984]

FYI,
I live near Milan and drive a right hand drive car no trouble.

[Jon Ison]

Yes I have sent a copy of the reply to admin.

Does anyone know anyone who would fall for such a add though ?

[Kinky]

rfn said:

Now that you've exposed this ad to be a scam - have you used the "Report to administrator" link to advise the classifieds admin of this? They can use this information to block accounts that are posting scam adverts etc. If it doesn't get reported, they are not necessarily any the wiser as I imagine it would take more time than there is in a day to personally vet every single advert.

I'd not fancy manually validating circa 40k ads

There are checks and systems in place to pick up the scammers, which are continually updated as and when new scammy methods come to light. You'd not believe how many automatically get rejected

At least by reporting it, it will get looked at, and removed if necessary.

[Mr Will]

Jon Ison said:

Yes I have sent a copy of the reply to admin.

Does anyone know anyone who would fall for such a add though ?

Hi Jon, can you post the link here? I can't easily get to the emails at the moment.

I'll remove it straight away (along with any associated ads), ban the advertiser and send out a warning to anyone who has contacted them.

We do try our best to keep the PH classifieds safe, and do catch most scams before they go live, but as you have seen the occasional scam does slip through the net.

If you spot any more then hitting the "Report to Administrator" link is the fastest way to get them removed, but you are welcome to post in here or email us if you prefer.