can i trust people on gumtree? (using paypal)

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1
Forum Member
hello everyone :)
i've recently contacted a fellow on gumtree concerning festival tickets which is very soon. i've bought tickets on ebay before and it went fine. gumtree is different as it is only add based.

anyway he seemed nice enough although i found him hard to understand when i called him up on the phone. he said he would send me his paypal email and would post the tickets via royal mail special delivery.

it all sounds ok on paper but i still have a bad hunch about the whole thing which is why i decided to ask you guys for some advice

my suspition is even if the guy sends me the tickets there is still a chance they could be fakes.

i just want to know if my money is 100% safe and if i could trust this guy

many thanks guys!!

Comments

  • embyemby Posts: 7,837
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    I'd never buy festival tickets from a site like Gumtree. I'dgive Ebay a shot because you're guaranteed the buyer protection, but I'm not sure if that Paypal protection stretches to sales outside of Ebay.

    If it smells fishy, it probably is, so trust your gut instinct and avoid.
  • SigurdSigurd Posts: 26,610
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    I have no idea if you can trust the seller and I can't see how anyone on this forum could tell you about that.

    I don't think your money is 100% safe, since one of the exclusions in the PayPal Buyer Protection Policy is "personal transaction payments", and I think that's exactly what you're proposing. See Section 13.3 on this page:

    https://cms.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/?&cmd=_render-content&content_ID=ua/UserAgreement_full&locale.x=en_GB#13.%20PayPal%20Buyer%20Protection

    If you have doubts about the deal you're better to have nothing to do with it.
  • chrisw99chrisw99 Posts: 2,403
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    I didn't think it was legal to buy tickets even on ebay, unless they came from an authorised distributor, it's classed as touting surely?
  • SigurdSigurd Posts: 26,610
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    chrisw99 wrote: »
    I didn't think it was legal to buy tickets even on ebay, unless they came from an authorised distributor, it's classed as touting surely?
    EBay actually has a category for concert tickets, so presumably it must be legitimate to sell them there, though there may be restrictions on reselling some of them:

    http://tickets.shop.ebay.co.uk/Concert-Tickets-/34814/i.html?_frs=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m359

    Advice from Gumtree about concert tickets:
    When buying tickets for events, please be aware that some tickets may have terms printed on them that limit the ability of the original buyer to sell them to someone else. Some event tickets e.g. Glastonbury Festival may also feature a photograph of the original buyer, which can mean that anyone other than the original buyer may be refused entry to the event. Our advice is to always independently check the re-sale terms of the event before buying.
    http://gumtree.force.com/Help/articles/General_Information/Buying-safely?retURL=%2Fapex%2FknowledgeProduct%3Fc%3DSafety_advice&popup=false&at=Buying%20safely
  • embyemby Posts: 7,837
    Forum Member
    chrisw99 wrote: »
    I didn't think it was legal to buy tickets even on ebay, unless they came from an authorised distributor, it's classed as touting surely?

    It's illegal to sell tickets for sporting events like football matches but gig tickets are OK.
  • SigurdSigurd Posts: 26,610
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    emby wrote: »
    It's illegal to sell tickets for sporting events like football matches but gig tickets are OK.
    I don't know about football, but there are certainly plenty of tickets for other sporting events listed on eBay:

    http://tickets.shop.ebay.co.uk/Sport-Events-/170590/i.html?_catref=1&_fln=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282

    What eBay says:
    Tickets are generally allowed to be sold on eBay, however you should carefully read any contracts that you have entered into that may limit your right to sell your item on eBay. Also, tickets have to be available for dispatch within 30 days from the date of purchase.

    Read our Presale and Contracts and Tickets policies for more information.
    http://contact.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?CustomerSupport

    Anyway, if I were the OP I certainly wouldn't bother with the Gumtree deal.
  • krazyvulcankrazyvulcan Posts: 37
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    Ebay own gumtree and Paypal should cover you but I would go for a recognised dealer over an ad , even one if it was on ebay
  • SigurdSigurd Posts: 26,610
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    Ebay own gumtree and Paypal should cover you but I would go for a recognised dealer over an ad , even one if it was on ebay
    That being the case, some of the advice on Gumtree seems a little surprising:
    Buying safely

    Following these simple steps for a safe and successful buying experience:
    • Keep things local by meeting face to face to see the item and exchange money. Make sure you are completely happy with the item before handing over any money.
    http://gumtree.force.com/Help/articles/General_Information/Buying-safely?retURL=%2Fapex%2FknowledgeProduct%3Fc%3DSafety_advice&popup=false&at=Buying%20safely
    Is it a scam? The top warning signs

    Most people you meet online are lovely, genuine people. Everyday thousands of people successfully connect through Gumtree. Of course, there will always be the few bad eggs out there, just like in the ‘real’ world.

    The number one thing to remember: Gumtree is all about being local. Always meet with whoever you’re dealing with face to face, which is an easy way to avoid any potential scams...

    ...Gumtree doesn’t offer any form of payment scheme or protection.
    http://gumtree.force.com/Help/articles/General_Information/Warning-signs

    It seems, therefore, that by strongly recommending that deals should be done face to face and that actual cash should be exchanged, Gumtree is actively discouraging the use of PayPal — probably because offering buyer protection for Gumtree deals (which are almost completely unregulated) could cost PayPal too much cash. As I said earlier, personal transaction payments are excluded from PayPal buyer protection, and buying tickets from someone as a result of a classified ad seems like a personal transaction to me.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 160
    Forum Member
    I was selling a Wii Fit on Gumtree, i invoiced someone for it and she told me she had paid and was very insistent on me shipping it immediately. I told her i would not do this until i received payment and she told me paypal would not release payment until shipment confirmed.

    I then received emails which appeared to be from Paypal confirming payment but the payment never appeared in my account. Meanwhile still receiving barrages of emails from the supposed buyer regards shipping.

    Eventuallly we contacted paypal who confirmed that these were not valid emails from Paypal and we were to send copies to Paypal to investigate. I emailed the buyer back and told them that as this was fraudulent, i would not be sending them anything and never heard another peep out of them.

    I eventually sold to a nice guy who came to my house with his family and paid cash.

    I know not all buyers are shady, but i would not be as quick to use gumtree again.
  • CaltonfanCaltonfan Posts: 6,311
    Forum Member
    have only bought tickets from Gumtree once and met the seller in person.

    not sure i would do it through paypal(though i do use it for Ebay) as always thought the point of Gumtree was that it was local and you can go meet the person you are buying from or selling to
  • gothergother Posts: 14,655
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    I've recently put my ps3 up for sale on Gumtree (see my sanctioned thread for reason why lol) i've had 2 people contacting me asking to pay via paypal and offering a extra £30 for postage costs.
    One of them said they was buying it for a friend and would need Royal Mail international service.
    The other just said he agrees to my conditions and would like it sent to London.
  • SigurdSigurd Posts: 26,610
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    I was selling a Wii Fit on Gumtree, i invoiced someone for it and she told me she had paid and was very insistent on me shipping it immediately. I told her i would not do this until i received payment and she told me paypal would not release payment until shipment confirmed.

    I then received emails which appeared to be from Paypal confirming payment but the payment never appeared in my account. Meanwhile still receiving barrages of emails from the supposed buyer regards shipping.

    Eventuallly we contacted paypal who confirmed that these were not valid emails from Paypal and we were to send copies to Paypal to investigate. I emailed the buyer back and told them that as this was fraudulent, i would not be sending them anything and never heard another peep out of them.

    I eventually sold to a nice guy who came to my house with his family and paid cash.

    I know not all buyers are shady, but i would not be as quick to use gumtree again.
    Gumtree warns against that sort of thing in its Help pages:
    Is it a scam? The top warning signs

    ...Payment or protection services allegedly offered by Gumtree or other well known sites such as eBay or PayPal. You get an email that claims to be from Gumtree, eBay, PayPal or another company and offers buyer protection or an online payment system. This could be directly in connection with a transaction through someone you’ve met online. Or perhaps the buyer or seller suggests you use a payment or protection service from one of these companies and sends you to a link to follow instructions. These are fake and are known as ‘spoof’ or ‘phishing’ emails. Gumtree doesn’t offer any form of payment scheme or protection. While other companies may offer payment or protection schemes, the email or instructions you have received may not be genuine. If you receive an email alleging to be from a company offering a service, always go directly to the company’s official website and look for details of the service.
    http://gumtree.force.com/Help/articles/General_Information/Warning-signs

    I use PayPal and eBay quite regularly, but Gumtree offers no more security than an ad in a newspaper or a shop window.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 223
    Forum Member
    I have just sold an e-ticket for a foreign festval on ebay for a friend I am totally amazed how easy it is to sell these tickets. I am emailing the buyer a ticket which i know i could probably sell about 10 times and no one would know until they get there :eek:

    I am an honest seller and this ticket is genuine but its made me wary of buying tbh. I especially wouldnt buy from gumtree via paypal because there is no comeback with gumtree.

    Although you can do a chargeback from your bank on a paypal payment if that helps you? I have just done that as a helicopter firm i paid through paypal went bust and i never received the service, i paid in december and got money back last week when i was going for the supposed flight :mad:

    i have probably confused you more lol sorry
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,087
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    Paypal and gumtree don't go together... That's not what gumtree is for. As sigurd says, it's basically an electronic version of an ad in the local rag classifieds or in a shop window. You either meet the seller/buyer in person, or you don't bother. Using it like ebay where you send the payment up front is guaranteed to get you ripped off.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 35
    Forum Member
    NEVER EVER pay someone for something on the gumtree unless you have the item in your hand.

    If someone walks up to you in the street and says do you want to buy an ipod, give me the money now and I'll meet you here later on, would you do it? It's madness.

    It's a bit like they say on 'the real hustle', if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.
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