Buying & selling - top tips to stay safe

[twiggy2000]

If you are using Gumtree to buy or sell then here are our top tips for staying safe:

o When buying or selling, you should meet in-person to see the item and exchange money. The purpose of the Gumtree “For Sale” categories is to encourage face-to-face, local, trading. For personal ease and safety, always ensure you take someone with you. If you're answering a home service ad, ask the poster to produce identity and proof of qualification before inviting them into your home.

o Never send your item before receiving the money

o Never send or wire money to sellers or buyers. This includes never mailing a cheque or using payment services like Bidpay, Western Union or Money Gram to pay for items found on Gumtree. It is our belief that these forms of funds transfer are favoured by fraudsters.

o Gumtree doesn’t offer any sort of buyer protection/ payment programs. Any emails that talk about such systems are scams, even if they may have the Gumtree logo. If you receive any emails promoting these services, please report it to us.

o Please also take special care when buying expensive items like mobile phones, laptops, plasma TVs, airline tickets, cars, bikes and even tickets for shows/gigs.

o Never provide your personal or banking information (e.g. credit card number) to others over the Internet.

o Make yourself aware of common scams and fraud - see: http://capetown.gumtree.co.za/p-SafetyTips

o Report any illegal/ suspicious ads to us using the report link within the ad.

o Use your common sense. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

For more information see our Safety Tips: http://capetown.gumtree.co.za/p-SafetyTips


Please feel free to post your experiences or tips in this thread so that you can help other members of the Gumtree community to stay safe.

[gdiza]

[Mr. Truth]

I got scaaaaaamed out of a laptop and complete digital recording set. I received a sms stating the money was deposited and then forwarded the goods to the subject (R 20 000.00) plus delivery costs - thats what I was out of pocket for...... Silly me

[SauceSighIty]

.. honest and you would like proof. They go hysterical, demanding and intimidating, and even disdainfully and insist that you give them a chance and they are definitely not like everyone else. Oh dear me! The mind of the $(#)#!)!$)#) criminal! The onus is on you to lose your money and have them sniggering "yet another sucka"...
So .. even if buying from malls etc these days is daylight robbery.. at least when your hard-earned money (I trust you had to work hard - cons even work hard) goes up in a cloud of economics, you can say - with a modicum of pride, holding your head up "I am not a victim "... Should we start a Society of the Unwittingly Conned Kind Anonymous - SUCKA .. ?most of us could just get our SUCKA badges.. give hints how to treat the honest people that just want our money.

[VulcanX]

Wow and u telling me there is no way they cant track the email to nickname and ban the email addresses permanently, i mean it wont get rid of scams but will surely demoralise some of them But thats my view, and i been looking at buying a car lately and too many of these seem too good to be true, and like the scams with the Drivers licenses and stuff, its all con artists doing what they do best, BUNCH OF LOSERS

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[abzo21]

beware of these people. i got scammed by them and found other complaints on the web.

http://johannesburg.gumtree.co.za/c-Stuff-for-Sale-cell-phones-mobile-telephones-Brand-new-16gb-Nokia-N96-16Gb-3G-apple-iphone-W0QQAdIdZ84669265

[dsassman]

I don't REALLY want to scam people but if they OFFER TO PAY me before they have seen the goods or put money into my ficticious account before cellecting the goods or send the goods to me BEFORE THEY HAVE SEEN my money (and this where the bankb help us fraudsters) - they tell you that our credit cards are OK and three weeks down the line they call you to say that our credit cards were fraudulant????

We can NEVER SUCCEED with our little tricks UNLESS THE BANKS WORK WITH US !!!!

If we advertise our goods and say that you can only collect them in about three weeks time (because we are immigrating then) DO NOT BELIEVE US !!!!

Pat ONLY when you have INSPECTED the item and ON COLLECTION.

We can't help it if YOU ARE STUPID ! We just CAPITALIZE or your IGNORANCE. WAKE UP!!! You are in the "NEW SOUTH AFRICA" - anything goes - or so it seems.

[HYMIE LEIBMAN]

Just a little praise for Gumtree. I posted a toy in the "correct" column yesterday, and by lunchtime it was sold. The money was paid over the internet, I checked because it is the same bank as mine, and it is there, duly paid by ETS.

I have a standard answer if I get a call for a high ticket item from Junk Mail or Gumtree on the day it is published: if you fax me the copy of the deposit be prepared to wait until the bank has cleared the cash. Alternately if they want the goods sooner, bring cash - and preferably meet at your bank so you can deposit the cash before they rob you on the way home.

hbl

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[Buzniz]

I would like to know what really sells big on Gumtree - I am trying to get into the market of buying and selling and just cant really find something thats a winner or has potential. Has anybody got any clue as to what is a good product to sell on Gumtree - What works out there for some people to make money - come on share your knowledge I want in Thanx

[M-Gray]

but has any1 sold any cars for over R200k on gumtree?
i wonder can this client base buy higher priced items?
i see them posted, but wonder do they actually sell online?

thnx
M-Gray
(i buy & sell cars on gumtree & neva send any bank details over the phone... i cant do it!)