Scammer warning

Stuart Butler 1 · January 2, 2018

Just received what was supposed so have to have been 2 very near complete Mini Titan E325 helicopters with motors esc servos etc bought from the said person off of the BMFA web site. Only received 2 very basic chassis and tail booms and bag of bits no electronics at all. tried phoning but obviously number is unobtainable.

Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 02/01/2018 17:33:18

Dave Bran · January 2, 2018

You have named two people in the title, only one in the text. You may be really angry, but be careful who you defame.

I assume you paid PayPal "friends", or you'd have a decent claim with them, if of course you have the documentation to match your statement?

Pete B · January 2, 2018

Hi Stuart,

I understand your frustration but unfortunately you cannot use this forum to publish the names of those with whom you have a dispute over an issue elsewhere. I've searched the BMFA Classifieds and find no trace of the items listed, nor any warning you may have posted over there, which might be more appropriate.

Please have a read of the Code of Conduct. Whilst there is nothing which specifically relates to this type of issue, you should get some sort of idea as to what we can publish here.

Thanks,

Pete

Paul Marsh · January 2, 2018

Some guidelines when buying things in the Classifieds, both on Ebay and elsewhere;

Never pay as "Friends", you are not covered by Paypal, same, use the system to get protection, even if it means you paying a little more, if the seller won't accept it as that. Best having insurance, paying few more pounds than losing the lot.

If you can, try to collect, especially more expensive items. I bought a set of speakers of the HIFI forum, but went round to pickup, but listened to them before handing money over, even then paid by Paypal via android app.

Avoid using couriers, especially if the seller insists on it, it it has to be posted, make sure it is with a company with a good record

Use common sense, if you are suspicious - walk away.

Barryorbik · January 2, 2018

Hi Stuart,

I looked at that advert too, as I have a couple of well used E325's in my fleet and spare parts are starting to dry up but after a club member recently got well ripped off buying a supposedly "only flown once and never crashed" Trex 800 off there, which turned out to be a very badly assembled mongrel made up of odd Trex 600, 700 and 800 parts, I decided to tread warily unless I can check it over fully before parting with any cash.

I too lost some money recently on the BMFA buying a box of Trex 250 parts on there which turned out to be Hobbyking or other non Align copies and despite paying properly through Paypal and raising a dispute I could not get a refund as the seller had disappeared, so it seems there are quite a few dishonest people advertising on the BMFA site these days, so remember "caveat emptor".

Hope you manage to salvage some useful parts from your purchase.

Barry

Denis Watkins · January 2, 2018

One Careful Owner

...........

All the others, couldn't care less !

cymaz · January 3, 2018

It’s a shame that the BMFA site is regularly being targeted by crooks. I was scammed last year from the site. I suppose the site admin can’t do much, as it’s a deal between two private individuals.

Rich too · January 3, 2018

Posted by Barryorbik on 02/01/2018 19:38:14:

Hi Stuart,

I looked at that advert too, as I have a couple of well used E325's in my fleet and spare parts are starting to dry up but after a club member recently got well ripped off buying a supposedly "only flown once and never crashed" Trex 800 off there, which turned out to be a very badly assembled mongrel made up of odd Trex 600, 700 and 800 parts, I decided to tread warily unless I can check it over fully before parting with any cash.

I too lost some money recently on the BMFA buying a box of Trex 250 parts on there which turned out to be Hobbyking or other non Align copies and despite paying properly through Paypal and raising a dispute I could not get a refund as the seller had disappeared, so it seems there are quite a few dishonest people advertising on the BMFA site these days, so remember "caveat emptor".

Hope you manage to salvage some useful parts from your purchase.

Barry

It should make no difference if the seller disappeared. I opened a dispute last year (value £500), and since paypal never received a response from the seller, they refunded my money in full - I was only after £50 compensation, so I got the item for nothing!

Barryorbik · January 3, 2018

In fairness to the BMFA when we reported the incidents they instantly blocked the sellers to help prevent further incidents but it still hurts when you have been ripped off. My club mate went one further and put video's on Youtube showing the problems wit his Trex 800.

Barry

Denis Watkins · January 3, 2018

All these alleged scammers come under the banner of " modellers " sadly

As this is specialised gear that they are selling, with some knowledge of the hobby.

In fairness, they could be those unsuccessful " brief visitors " to the hobby that we get, who have now moved on

Barryorbik · January 3, 2018

All those are probably true Denis and good result Rich - if only I were so lucky, in fact if it was not for bad luck, I would have none at all !

Barry

Paul Marsh · January 6, 2018

My latest experience I've had is not classed a "scam", but some individual who doesn't understand, story is:

A chap was/is selling a Spektrum 9ch receiver on BMFA for £25, and I'd said I'll have it. So the seller had my address, and I paid him, He already sold it, but had no payment, or reply from the other buyer, so he said to I can have it instead.

I sent my Paypal payment,, and I sent a message to tell me when he sends it.

3 days later, the money in my Paypal account hasn't been accepted, and two emails I sent got no reply. Also, he re-listed the rx for £30 now.

So I reversed the payment, which it still hadn't been claimed. Why do people bother to waste their and my time. Maybe the reason why the first buyer didn't buy it probably he did but this seller doesn't know what he's doing...

Edited By Paul Marsh on 06/01/2018 21:00:24

Martin McIntosh · May 20, 2018

Just had four model flying alerts within two minutes of each other regarding items I have for sale on this site, three of them duplicates and in dodgy English quoting a gmail address they want me to contact.

Do the mods want to know this address since I do not want to put it on here as a warning without permission, or shall I just delete them all?

kenking-King Design · May 21, 2018

Had a similar experience this evening with two alerts, same dodgy english etc. I just deleted them.

Cuban8 · May 21, 2018

Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of sellers on BMFA are honest and truthful in their dealings and I have to say that in the very few items I've bought through BMFA over the years and one or two items that I've sold, the transactions have been fine.

Usual warnings...............if it's too good to be true, then it'll almost certainly be too good to be true.............really bad English - be careful.................if the buyer or seller doesn't get on with the transaction but dithers and messes about, again beware.

I can't get my head around sellers advertising an item and then saying "sorry, no photo available" - what's all that about?

My recent BMFA bargain purchase? New and unused still wrapped up in box OS120FS (non pumped) £225 posted.

Bob Cotsford · May 21, 2018

Posted by Cuban8 on 21/05/2018 10:45:44:

Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of sellers on BMFA are honest and truthful in their dealings and I have to say that in the very few items I've bought through BMFA over the years and one or two items that I've sold, the transactions have been fine.

Usual warnings...............if it's too good to be true, then it'll almost certainly be too good to be true.............really bad English - be careful.................if the buyer or seller doesn't get on with the transaction but dithers and messes about, again beware.

I can't get my head around sellers advertising an item and then saying "sorry, no photo available" - what's all that about?

My recent BMFA bargain purchase? New and unused still wrapped up in box OS120FS (non pumped) £225 posted.

I have a load of IC models to clear along with a number of engines, it would take a lot of time and effort to photograph each in turn. If someone is interested in an item then they can either google an image or pop round and view it. As for NIB items, I can't see what is gained by adding a photo?

The easy tell for dodgy buyers is when they ask for details 'of the item you have for sale'. If they are offering to buy something and they don't even know what that something is you don't need a good nose to pick up the pong of something fishy going on.

Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator · May 21, 2018

I thought I would relate a recent experience - it's not a scam as such, but none-the-less it is (in my opinion) dishonest dealing and one to watch out for.

I ordered an expensive (~£350) ARTF from a model supplier via their website. This trader was not in the UK they were in Europe - in an EU country where I think you could be generally assured of fair dealing. I ordered from them because they were the only place I could find with the model in stock and it was marked as "in stock" on their site. No one else had this model and maybe that should have sounded alarm bells in my head. Anyway - I bought the model and paid, in full, via PayPal.

I received an email confirming my purchase and very quickly the item was marked as "dispatched" on my account page on the company's website. A week passed, I had no tracking number and no sign of the model. Mmmm? So I tried to contact the company, just to ask politely at this stage, when I might expect delivery. I tried their website contact page and their email address but with no joy. No one would answer. I even tried telephoning, but that just got a recorded message.

Now I'm quite concerned. We are two weeks in, I have paid but I have no model and no one is talking to me. So I decide to "kick" them into action, I start a compliant in PayPal. Now if you have done this you will know it is a two stage process; first they set up a "resolution centre" where you and the seller can discuss the issue and see if you can reach a mutually acceptable resolution. If not, the dispute goes to a full dispute and PayPal will arbitrate.

Boy! Instant response from the company - but not in the resolution centre - they send me an email directly. It says that they have the model but "cannot" dispatch it until I drop the PayPal dispute - then they will send it. They are not happy.

Now the problem here is if I drop the PayPal dispute I accept that the problem has been resolved and PayPal will not allow me to reopen it. That would mean I would be without any protection as a buyer at all. Given their previous lack of response I was not inclined to be trusting of this company. I could close the dispute, they don't send the model and there would be very little I could do about it! So I copied their email into the PayPal Resolution Centre (so there would be an official record) and refused their kind offer. I pointed out that they had my money and the model, that isn't the way things work normally! I gave an undertaking, in public in the Resolution Centre, that I would drop the dispute the instant the model arrived with me. No answer.

A number of days pass, I send notes though the Resolution Centre demanding either my money back or the model - no answer.

So, I issue an ultimatum, either they refund or dispatch by 17:00 CET the next day or I escalate this and go for full PayPal arbitration - which they will obviously lose. All I get back is an email repeating that they "cannot" dispatch while the dispute is open.

At 16:00CET the next day I remind them that they have just one hour before I press the button. At 16:40CET I received a notice from PayPal that they had refunded my money!

The big lesson to be learnt here I believe is always buy through a system that offers protection, PayPal or a Credit Card. If I had paid for this directly on my debit card - I'd have been sunk.

BEB

Bruce Collinson · May 21, 2018

Thanks whoever above pointed out it was "your item for sale" in pidgin English with no reference to the specifics of the item (an OS 55AX) and hinting at a bank draft. I took it to be slightly odd but it's clearly a scam.

I asked whether my correspondent used Paypal and it has, as they used to sing at Elland Road, all gone quiet over there.

I suspect many/all of the items for sale have had similar attempts; moderators, worth putting out an APB?

Agree with Bob about photos and will happily send if anyone doesn't know what a 2-tank OS 55AX in a box looks like.

BTC

Ben B · May 21, 2018

Posted by Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 21/05/2018 12:36:40: