Sounds like a scam to me.....comments?

[arcturus]

First, I have posted this here rather than in Business since I am appealing to fellow IT chaps for help here.

I run a small rural IT business.

Just had a call from a bloke wanting 300 genuine HP inkjet cartridges. Gives a company name of Reflex Supplies and a mobile phone no. Says he must have delivery by 10am tomorrow.

Now while he is willing to pay by credit card, I would have to do a cardholder not present transaction with all the extra risk it entails. My concerns are:

1. that once he has the goods he will initiate a chargeback and I will be left with a bill for several thousand pounds.

2. it is a stolen card that has not been reported yet.

Why would someone order 300carts from little old me when they could log onto, say, Insight and do it direct.

The company does not turn up in any internet searches, is not listed at companies house (I accept it could be a sole trader though) and is not listed in the yellow pages anywhere in the uk (uk.yell.com).

Don't like the sound of this. Anyone else had a similar encounter.

[JonRB]

Sounds fishier than a fish supper to me.

[igg]

I think you've got your answer already:-
to quote from your email:-

'Why would someone order 300carts from little old me when they could log onto, say, Insight and do it direct.'

'cos they hope you'll ship to them!

Wouldn't go near it if I were you - but you knew that already.

[puggit]

Can you ring his credit card company?

How much are your cartridges compared to one of the big players?

[arcturus]

Yep, I had already decided that I wouldn't touch it with someone else's bargepole, but I was wondering if anyone else had had this or a similar call.

I ocasionally get email requests to ship loads of carts to Lagos - clearly a non-starter, but this is the first time I have had an actual telephone call.

[arcturus]

puggit said:

How much are your cartridges compared to one of the big players?

Usually slightly less, but he wouldn't know that since we don't advertise the price anywhere.

[arcturus]

puggit said:

Can you ring his credit card company?

I could if I was tempted to go for it, but it just sounds too dodgy and I have plenty of other things to do today. Besides, if the card is still not yet reported stolen, then the CC company will just say it's ok - then bite me in the bum in six weeks when the poor genuine cardholder opens his bill.

[Liszt]

Sounds like you are "Suddenly out of stock due to a rush order for your biggest customer!"

[stuuu]

Def dodgy. Things I do to check companies out, when it only looks a little dodgy :-

look at companies house web site for company name www.companieshouse.org.uk

Use post code software to see if the company name is listed at that address

look up company name on yell or scoot etc.


Ring the credit card company as you could at least get yourself a 50 quid reward.

Stu

[wrinkly]

Or deliver them personally and get the credit card checked and signed whilst you are there.

[arcturus]

stuuu said:

Ring the credit card company as you could at least get yourself a 50 quid reward. Stu

I'd forgotten that!!

[arcturus]

wrinkly said:

Or deliver them personally and get the credit card checked and signed whilst you are there.

Not possible in the timescale, and besides when it turns out to be dodgy, I'm stuck with 300 carts which would take ages to sell - it's not the primary part of the business.