How can you tell if that Gumtree buyer is actually a crook? Wendy Knowler is here to help
By getting clued up on their tricks, she says.
If you’ve got electronics - cellphone, laptops - or a generator to sell, it is sure to be snapped up by a buyer on Gumtree or OLX.
READ: The new normal is… there is no normal
The trouble is, many of those supposed buyers are crooks, their aim being to get their hands on your laptop or bicycle.
A few months ago, Roland placed an ad on Gumtree for PC parts and ended up gifting them to a thief. “In hindsight, I now realise all the suspicion markers were there."
READ: World Consumer Rights Day: The Best of Consumerwatch
"But men posing as church members said they needed my PC parts urgently, had someone come around and pick up the goods, sent fake proof of payment routed through some SMS portal, and, of course, money never came through.”
In Laché Pretorius’s case, it was a keyboard, which she advertised for sale on Gumtree just last week for R12,000.
READ: The big Salt and Vinegar tease
As a first-time seller on Gumtree, she missed all the red flags.
To find out what they were, and what Gumtree’s doing to protect its users from fraudsters, and how to spot them when posting something for sale, take a listen to the full podcast below:
Contact Wendy
Get in touch with Wendy via her website or her Facebook page. Please note that Wendy is not able to personally respond to every email she receives. If she is able to take up your case, she will contact you directly. Here are other avenues for you to consider.
Listen to more podcasts from Wendy Knowler in the Consumerwatch channel below:
Main image courtesy of Gumtree Twitter