Buying online from Gumtree? Safe?

Scaregdearimasu on 19/05/2014 - 20:03

So I've found a cool game at a reasonable price on Gumtree seller lives on the other side of the country and has reasonable shipping too. Seller is also selling other games/items at good prices.

I've never purchased anything through gum tree online before and was wondering is this safe?
It seems like ebays done everything in their power to make it so you have no feedback or other ways to tell if the seller is reputable. Probably to keep Gumtree Local only.

Seller is also requesting payment by giving me his bank details so I assume bank transfer would be the payment method. Is this safe for me aside from no guarantee of him shipping it out?

Anyway you could think of I could find out if this sellers decent?

Thanks for the help!

General Discussion

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Comments

  • indium on 19/05/2014 - 20:09
    +11

    Even if they are "decent" sellers by showing eBay feedback, DON'T RISK IT.

    You will most likely get BURNT.

    The only possible way would probably be to do it through paypal with invoice and pay small extra fee (I'm not really sure about this method) or have them list it on eBay at a slightly higher price for you to cover eBay fees.

    • [Deactivated] on 22/05/2014 - 22:32

      Get the gumtree seller to offer to accept payment by paypal, which is now available on Gumtree. If they don't agree to this then walk away. And I should know - as I'm chasing my money back right now after not receiving purchased goods and the seller not responding to my emails. Paypal has not let me down in this situation before, and I hope they come to the rescue again. Like he said: DON'T RISK IT.

  • GnarlyKnuckles on 19/05/2014 - 20:15
    +5

    I guess perhaps you could ask if he would mind if you sent a money-order to his house, in the post, instead. I believe you can make them 'non-negotiable' (like 'crossing a cheque'), so that he has to show ID/ to prove he is who he says he is, before cashing it for money. That way, you not only know where he lives, but you also know that he, and no one else, cashed the money order (i.e., he can't claim that he never got it/ someone must else must have nicked it in the post and cashed it).
    If you sent it with a 60c stamp it would get there within two days, if you 'lashed out' and sent it priority post, they guarantee it gets there the next working day. Given that he can cash it as soon as he gets it (i.e. he doesn't have to wait for it to 'clear' or anything), there's really no reason why he should NOT be amenable to getting paid with a money-order.
    If he is, then to me that would ring alarm bells.

    I hope this helps.

    • [Deactivated] on 21/05/2014 - 00:18

      On the other hand, a personal cheque can be bounced and I've seen people make it bounced for some <$1000 profit. This appears to be considered as a civil debt rather than criminal act so if this happen then the seller may or may not get the money through long running debt collection process.

      So if I were to sell something based on mailed personal cheque, I would rather sit on and wait till it get cleared which usually takes some business days.

      A bank cheque also can be forged however is not worth efforts and possible expense if the amount of transaction is small. So I presume it's safer.

  • shaiguy on 19/05/2014 - 20:29
    +9

    Pay using paypal. That is safest. There's a lot of dodgy Gumtree sellers. See:

    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/merrylands-man-critical-after-doub…

    http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1994367[

    • Scaregdearimasu on 19/05/2014 - 20:37

      That seems to be the consensus to avoid Id theft. But It doesn't seem to do much other than provide them with money safely still no way to vet them.

      It seems unless your selling it through ebay there is no buyer protection for purchases outside select sites on paypal.

      I suppose though I already have their email and mobile number not that thoses aren't easily gained.

  • mskeggs on 19/05/2014 - 21:02
    +3

    Are the savings worth the risk of fraud?
    I have bought stuff on Gumtree where it was cheap & easy to post (tickets) and a bit of a hassle to go collect them.
    Since most people are decent, I trusted them to get my money via Paypal. But I would have had little come back if they had cheated me.
    In that case, the financial risk was fairly small, less than $80, and the person seemed trustworthy on the phone. shrug
    I have also bought a few low value things like books.
    If it is cheap enough, and getting ripped off won't ruin you, give it a try.

    • Scaregdearimasu on 19/05/2014 - 21:06

      Thanks for the input. I think I'll sleep on it and figure it out tomorrow XD

  • [Deactivated] on 19/05/2014 - 21:08
    -5

    Buying online from Gumtree? Safe?

    NO. I've heard so many horror stories.

    • Scaregdearimasu on 19/05/2014 - 21:10
      +7

      The thing is your only going to read negative experiences. Barely anyone posts when something goes the way it's supposed to.

      • [Deactivated] on 19/05/2014 - 21:17
        -2

        The good and bad experiences of ozbargainers on gumtree.

      • Ughhh on 19/05/2014 - 21:25

        There's no point in posting positive feedback on forums cause every seller is different. Majority of sellers on gumtree are individuals. They're not a store, they dont have a reputation to keep nor have ACCC/ Fair Trading on their back. So once they've sold you the item, dont expect to hear from them if there's a problem.

        If you still want to buy online, despite all the warnings all over Whirlpool and here, go ahead, but if you end up being scammed, please dont make a new whiny thread- there's enough on Whirlpool aready!

        • Scaregdearimasu on 19/05/2014 - 21:37

          Haha fair enough. I was just wondering if we figured out a way to verify good seller vs bad ones on GT yet. Seems if you want to be safe on GT you should stick to meat space cash only sales.

      • GnarlyKnuckles on 20/05/2014 - 00:51

        Scar-G makes a good point here. So by way of follow-up to my previous post, I should mention that I've acquired 3 things via Gumtree, one completely for free, the other two paid for; all were absolutely hassle-free experiences. It worked very well for me, on 3 occasions. And I've also sold a portable aircon on Gumtree, which also worked out really well/ was much easier than I initially expected.

        • [Deactivated] on 20/05/2014 - 07:25
          +4

          @Gnarly, I love how u shorten people's username 'n make them sound cool:-)

  • wukachuka on 19/05/2014 - 22:00
    +3

    I have bought a few $600+ guitars from ppl on gumtree, i just ask them to put it on ebay and i will pay the sellers costs as extra.
    Then pay via paypal for buyer protection, no problem.
    If they are a genuine seller they should not have any problem with it really, they still make the money, and doesn't take much longer to do.

    • Scaregdearimasu on 19/05/2014 - 22:02
      +1

      True but just wish there was some way to do this without eBay. Those fees add up DX

  • humdogg on 19/05/2014 - 23:48

    Indications of a legitimate seller:

    • phone number where you can speak to the seller
    • willingness to put on ebay/paypal
    • willingness to make the transaction in person
    • type of item (smaller value probably safer).
    • item description, (sometimes grammar)

    That's just what i generally look out for in addition to my instinct (which i guess is informed by this sort of info).

    There are exceptions to all of the above as a scammer might want to appear trustworthy to scam you. But a lot of scammers can't be bothered, especially for smaller items getting prepaid phones, talking to their targets etc.

    Good luck.

  • humdogg on 19/05/2014 - 23:53
    +2

    Another little thing to give you peace of mind is: google maps their location. Call up and ask whether I can pop by sometime as i live around the corner in (close suburb) and pick up the item. if they agree, i text a day later from another phone or something and buy it if it's by post.

  • lololo on 20/05/2014 - 00:51
    +2

    If you have seller's email, try to find him on Facebook.

    Check BSB number here http://www.bsbnumbers.com/ Make sure that it belongs to a Branch of a proper bank, not "Prepaid card". Address of this Branch should be somewhere in the area where the seller is from.

    Put an appropriate description of the transaction.

    If you get scammed - go to the police!

    • Scaregdearimasu on 20/05/2014 - 08:53

      The Bsb search is a good Idea thanks!
      I'm going to give my bank a call and see how safe bank to bank transactions with unknown persons is.

      Also I totally missed it but on the item listing they literally have their full address, Mobile number and from messaging them I have their email and first/last name so thats a lot of info actually. Their email is an AAPT (iinet) email so I suppose thats not likely to be a throw away.
      Couldn't find them on face book but thats not much of a flag. Heck I don't have a real FB just an account for getting free shit with a name of a TV character hah.

      Item price is pretty low cost only $17 total so perhaps that's to much work for so little pay off for a scammer. I feel like if your going to scam your probably gonna do (Expensive Items) mac books and ipads and go after easy targets.

      I really like that BSB thing though as long as thats tied to a normal bank account thats a pretty good sign.

  • GnarlyKnuckles on 20/05/2014 - 01:00

    I'm wondering why my recommendation to offer to send the dude a "personalised money order" (the equivalent of a "crossed cheque") directly to his house in the post was not considered/ commented on at all… it seems the obvious course of action to me, as it negates all the potential problems associated with the other methods being recommended.
    Anyhoo…

    • Scaregdearimasu on 20/05/2014 - 08:29

      sorry about the lack of reply. Can't speak for others but the reason I didn't reply was because I don't know the anything about money orders/personalized money orders and only a little about cheques and I'd want to look that all up before making a post so I don't sound stupid hah.

      But thanks for your help and I'll take a look at these money orders too.

    • lololo on 21/05/2014 - 22:31

      Just cause it cost about $10.00! Who would pay this much extra for $17.00 purchase?

    • wukachuka on 22/05/2014 - 14:28

      Doesn't negate anything i can see, u post him the money order, he cashes it, doesn't send you anything, how do i get my money back?
      Sure i can go to the police etc, but that doesn't get the money back.

      The idea is to be able to retrieve the money even if the guy uses his real name but still rips you off.
      Not alot of ways to do that i admit, but it needs to be that way as some people just don't care.

  • JediJan on 20/05/2014 - 09:32

    Better to pay an extra dollar (or whatever that PayPal amount is) for item then pay by by PayPal. Having an email address is no guarantee at all. I even now use a prepaid Credit Card for PayPal transactions. You are still covered by PayPal with the additional security of knowing no one has access to your bank account or credit card. It is a small amount I know but paying a person's bank account directly offers no security at all.

    • Scaregdearimasu on 20/05/2014 - 09:41
      +1

      Agreed. Going to call the bank and see what risks there may be.

  • WT on 20/05/2014 - 11:00
    +3

    You can also see how long they have been a member for, if its 2years + there is a good chance they could be genuine, however I would still only pay via paypal

  • Speckled Jim on 20/05/2014 - 15:06
    -4

    Someone buy my XMODS Camaro :p

    I won't post a link, it's probably still the only one on there.
    You can trust me…

  • Ughhh on 21/05/2014 - 06:14
    +1

    With paying via PayPal, from what I've read, most experienced sellers avoid PayPal because of possible random chargebacks. There's not only lots of dodgy sellers out there, but also dodgy buyers too.

  • redpump on 21/05/2014 - 09:47

    Pick up and cash on pick up only. I don't trust anything else.

  • isudiro on 21/05/2014 - 10:09
    +1

    Got scammed once of Gumtree around $300.
    And I wasn't alone. There were actually a few people that got scammed by the same person.

    I found out then that when you do bank transfer all that matters is the account number and the account name isn't validated. This scammer had an account not under his name.

    Reported to the police and nothing pretty much happened. A few years later I think the guy was caught by the police but still I didn't receive a cent back.

    So I learnt when buying of Gumtree, pick it up, check the item, test it as long as you want to and when all is good, pay for it.

    I do however sold a few things through gumtree where I sent the item and was paid using Bank Transfers.
    (I made sure first that the money is in my bank account before I sent the item)
    The buyers would have had a pleasant transaction dealing with me though :)

  • nickj on 21/05/2014 - 12:20

    I wouldn't do a bank transfer, no way for an online sale. While ago, I got scammed out of $50 for laser printer toners on eBay by someone interstate in Far North Queensland, who only accepted bank transfers. Paid but nothing ever came. I even had his phone number, I had called him before paying to check he was real, and his was. But after a week and a half of no-show, when I called back his soon-to-be-ex-wife answered the phone, and told me she was divorcing him because he was such a dropkick loser who she recently found out was cheating on her, and I was the fourth person he had scammed. Young kids and babies screaming in the background and everything, and I could really hear the bitterness in her voice.

    Now my rule is PayPal (backed by a credit card) for online transactions - that way you get 2 lines of defense, PayPal dispute, then chargeback on credit card if PayPal muck you around (I've only ever had to do 2 PayPal disputes, got my money back both times) - or credit card, but only if it's a reputable company (e.g. if you're some pop-up store in China, you get PayPal or nothing).

    Or cash for physical in-person transactions. Using the above approach, I've not been scammed at all since (touch wood!)

    Look, I suppose if it's less than $10, and you're really keen, then it's a small enough risk to not be a big issue. But under absolutely no circumstances would I do a bank transfer for an online sale, to a individual whom I had never met face-to-face, for more than $10, no matter how keen I was.

    • Scaregdearimasu on 21/05/2014 - 12:53

      Thanks for your experiences I appreciate it all.

      in terms of things it's only a $17 risk. Which isn't too big.
      Also all the data I've collected from the seller seems to point to them being ok (or a very smart scammer).
      Other than the fact they didn't like dealing with paypal which I completely understand.

      Bank said paying through bank account is safe (For me and if the seller doesn't come through they have some actions they could take) The seller has some possible risk with ID theft for handing that out. Also interesting they suggested I use paypal interesting they'd push for another company too.

      So from my messages with them I have
      Their Full home address
      Home phone (that corresponds area code wise with their address)
      Full name
      Email (AAPT email)
      Bank account details (which do correspond with their home address)
      The shipping is exactly priced what it should be for DVD sized media
      Daughter (hopefully?) picked up the phone before reaching him and no issue speaking with me over the phone.

      From all this I think it's worth the risk.
      If it was for anything over $20 or I didn't have all this info or they wouldn't throw it on ebay, I don't think I'd go about a sale like this.

      I think someone needs to make an ebay like site with a seller feedback rating system but instead of charging for listing use some banner ads or something not so intrusive.

      Anyway I'll update later when we see what happens.

      • lplau on 21/05/2014 - 14:59

        BTW, eBay owns Gumtree.

        • Scaregdearimasu on 21/05/2014 - 15:20
          +1

          Yeah I know which is exactly why they have no reason to make GT better. Like adding feedback or any other nice feature. Right now all we have is gum tree and eBay and eBay probably bought gum tree just to have control over it to make sure it wouldn't become a threat to eBay. We need someone unaffiliated to become well known country wide.

        • WT on 22/05/2014 - 09:47
          +2

          that is basically what they did. Gumtree was owned by some dude in WA or sa before he sold out

      • Speckled Jim on 21/05/2014 - 18:32

        I think someone needs to make an ebay like site with a seller feedback rating system but instead of charging for listing use some banner ads or something not so intrusive.

        You might want to check out quicksales.com.au.

        As for ads, I've been using Firefox add-ons Noscript and Flashblock so I don't see them unless they're image files. For those, I right-click and block from whatever server they're from.

      • Scaregdearimasu on 28/05/2014 - 18:09

        Reporting back now.
        Seller is a good human (at least in this case) and sent me my game.
        Got my game (Jak and Daxter collection) for $15+$2 shipping.
        Goes for $28 used on ebay if you want a non promo version.
        So all together a good deal for me. Now to see if the seller has anything else of interest.

  • Dr Techno on 21/05/2014 - 12:57
    +1

    With Gumtree straight away be on your guard and treat everything as shady..

    It all comes down to acceptable risk management.

    If the item is at a good price on gumtree (not too good to be true pricing) and you can't get it from a reputable seller subject to availability & item price.

    You have to ask yourself if the deal goes sour are you okay with losing that amount of money to gamble on the possible outcomes of success ?

    If your saving $20 then its better to buy from a reputable seller.

    If your saving $80 to $100 then it might be worth the gamble.

    Everyone has their own monetary value of what an acceptable risk is, depending on worth of item to them.

    If you have to get it from Gumtree, best to send a few emails back and forward, perhaps give the seller a call and get a gutt feeling if your willing to trust this person or not.

    You could offer pay 1/2 of item before delivery and after delivery to minimise risk if seller allows.

    Any transaction could go either way, good or bad. Best to use life experience and common sense.

    EDIT - Just saw the above new post.. It's only $17, if it doesn't work out not the end of the world..

  • [Deactivated] on 21/05/2014 - 14:18
    +1

    I hate gumtree, its full of (profanity), But, you can find the odd person on there that's normal, and you get a good deal. Ive found with 100% of the things ive sold on gumtree, 99% of people are time wasters, and I can pick them out straight away now, and dont even bother replying!

    Safe? as safe as your common sense!

  • lplau on 21/05/2014 - 14:58

    My rule for Gumtree, NEVER buy something from there unless you can do one of the following:
    1. Get them to send you a invoice via Paypal for merchandise, then pay via Paypal. (Don't just send money)
    - This gets you buyer's protection
    2. Meet up and pay on the spot after checking the items and their described conditions.

    If they cannot do one of the above, then the deal is off.

    I don't see why people would trust somebody and send them money without atleast protecting themselves in some way. You are just waiting to be scammed.

    • Scaregdearimasu on 21/05/2014 - 15:26

      Yeah I'm actually not so sure just paying through PayPal is enough to get buyer protection. Hmm looking through Google they might actually cover it. Not that I can find a page expressly starting that other than in forums.

      • lplau on 22/05/2014 - 08:49

        You are protected if you pay a "Invoice" which the seller can easily create via Paypal.
        You aren't protected if you simply use the Paypal send money function.

        When they send you a invoice, it will say "You are eligible for Buyer's Protection".

  • lordsnipe on 21/05/2014 - 16:34
    -1

    Is there no "cash on delivery" option with Australia Post anymore?

    • lololo on 21/05/2014 - 22:48

      What about fee? Don't forget it's $17.00 purchase

      • lordsnipe on 22/05/2014 - 11:03

        If it's $17, then take a gamble on whether it's a scam or not … worth a punt .. depends on how much the OP wants it.

  • eediot on 21/05/2014 - 18:10
    -1

    Had the same situation. I just explained my hesitations, asked them to list on eBay and send me the link and they were happy to do so. It wasn't a commonly sought after item which helped in my case.

  • benjyneer on 21/05/2014 - 23:35

    I bought a $450 lens on Gumtree from other side of the country and had it posted….

    • They had listed it in duplicate on eBay with exactly the same listing and phone number in description
    • I could see they'd sold a few lenses on eBay with positive feedback before - the fact they had listed it in duplicate gave me the confidence of their feedback profile.
    • Price was about right (not ridiculously low)
    • Called him up, sounded genuine, asked about how he liked the lens and why he was selling

    … everything about it said 'not a scam'!…

    Paid by bank transfer, a week later it arrived and very happy with it.

    Use your judgement I reckon, I believe in this transaction I was taking very little risk due to the above reasons.

    • Diji1 on 22/05/2014 - 13:53

      "Price was about right (not ridiculously low)"

      Do you even Ozbargain?

  • milfey on 22/05/2014 - 14:03
    -2

    Gumtree has gone to s***. I don't think you can do anything that doesn't involve courier deliivery scams and the like.

    Your best bet is to only deal with those who expect cash upfront (unless they direct you to a dark alleyway).

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 25/05/2014 - 03:00

      Erm, milfred, on Gumtree the seller can post an item, with pics, and a moby-number that potential buyers can call or SMS them on to complete the transaction, all for free, for both parties… so what r u on about?

  • goosegog on 25/05/2014 - 18:34

    BE AWARE - VERY AWARE with these people - don't forget they can keep your details & then sell them on to other scammers. Look at what has happened to EBay. BE VERY CAREFUL.

  • GnarlyKnuckles on 01/06/2014 - 03:38

    Oh c'mon goose-egg, kick your 'drama-queen sized stilettos' off for a second and come back down to earth. Most Gumtree users would simply not supply financial details that were worth 'scamming', in the first place. So it's highly unlikely that 'these people' (and what you mean by that is also anyone's guess) are doing anything like that, or that they could actually 'sell' such information gathered via Gumtree, to anyone.
    Unfortunately scams are now commonplace on gumtree, as with almost all market-places, but if I understand the reports correctly, on Gumtree they are not generally in the realm of the theft/misuse of buyers' financial details.

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