I'm selling something on Gumtree and I'm getting responses such as photos of a computer screen with a message typed up asking what my email is, or screenshots asking what my email is.
What I'm wondering is, what is the logic behind this?
Why can't they type up a damn message on Gumtree?
Once they've got your email, then what?
Is this some kind of scam?
As if the stupid low-ball offers weren't enough to piss me off already…
They want to message you outside of gumtree. You can probably guess where that is going.
Why do people bother with Gumtree if they really want The Bachelor? lol
I mean you can scam well enough inside of Scumtree. Not sure why the need to take it one level out!
Just open a new email account just for Gumtree scammers to contact you on.
I sell stuff on Gumtree and some buyers prefer to email me directly rather than through the message service.
However when in doubt always follow your gut feeling.
I have stopped selling on Gumtree a long time ago. 98% of responses are just scam.
Maybe Gumtree as put some monitoring tools in place and that why they are sending a picture of their text….
Yeah they probably will pick it up if you're sending a phone number/email address through their messaging system. Much harder to pick it up using OCR tools if it's a picture.
I have stopped selling on Gumtree a long time ago. 98% of responses are just scam.
What platform do you sell things on instead?
Marketplace (cash) and actually in the last couple of weeks I have started using Ebay a lot again.
I have put restrictions on buyers without rating.
It's so bloody frustrating. It would be fun to scam them back.
Just had someone want to buy a microwave on Gumtree but contacted me on Whatsapp.
I was a bit suspicious when she started with "Great, I want to buy, …" no one says it like that.
Initially she wanted it australia posted or Gumtree door to door delivery. "Would it be easier for you to get it through the post?" Lies. Knew full well how much it would be to send a microwave by post to Muswellbrook (I would reveal phone number and whatever name, if I could). It was part of the strategy to narrow it down to a fake Gumtree delivery service.
So I said it was too much to send the microwave there, why don't you buy a new from Kmart for less than this cost?
Reply: "Don't worry (haha) shipping with Gumtree will only cost $14"
So I scambaited her from then on, pretending I was going along with it, right to the end when there was a link for my card details. I shut it down then and sent a screenshot of nine news report on this very scam in reply. No answer.
I have reported to Gumtree, but whatever….
It's either cash or bank deposit to an account normally not used, that has very little money in it to begin with
It's insane the lengths scammers go to.. Gumtree doesn't seem to give a damn.
I've reposted ads multiple times over the course of months (because, hey, so many idiots & lowball offers..) and had the exact same names reaching out every single time.
I think Facebook marketplace is far better than Gumtree because there's more accountability & social proof.. but it's annoying when you want to sell things without your entire friend list being able to see what you're getting rid of, or getting notified when you're in the same community groups..
They are using screenshots because it mitigates the risk of their messages getting picked up by Gumtree and having their account disabled.
Definitely a scam. They are just trying to move you off the platform to do so.
Wow so cryptic, you should generate a QR code using a QR code generator with something like “No, Scammer I don’t have email” and display it on your monitor and take a photo of it, then send it to him. Then again ignoring the message is a far better option
Probably avoid it, just delete the chat and wait for someone else who wants it. Isn't worth the potential trouble.
Don't know but not worth risking to find out.
I got a few of these when selling a crappy old car.
Sent them a temporary online email address from somewhere like tempmail or Guerilla mail, just to see what they wanted
Was clearly scammers of the same vane as oil rig emails.
Happy to pay full price, via escrow etc.
Don't waste your time unless you're curious :)
Let's all sing together…
Give me a home without the gumtree
Without the scum please
A deal or two
A buck or few
Dealing out the front
Hiding out the back
And a useless police report.
lol that's a good one :D
Just write at the end of your ad to call if you want it. This pretty much filters out most of the scammers & tyre kickers.
Sure you will still get messages but you know those people haven't fully read the description so they can't be that interested.
Yeah but I'd rather not give out my phone number, if people really want to get in contact they can message and get my number
Anytime on Gumtree you get people wanting to shift to email it is a scam (presumably they are avoiding Gumtree fraud detection? If such a thing exists or they even care). I just delete those convos and move on.
For low value items I stick with msg so you don't get follow up contact.
If it is a car I'd have a burner mobile and say no offers unless you have inspected in person.
Good idea for a burner mobile
That is the world of online selling now.. Scams, lowball offers and scams