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White Van speakers


wuzzzer

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Saw an ad on FB marketplace where a guy was trying to sell a white van speaker system along with a projector and screen for $1,100.  I sent him a message and broke the news to him gently that he got scammed.  He told me he paid the guys (who were actually driving a white van, too) $800 for everything. 

He was pretty upset at himself for falling for it but thanked me for letting him know.

 

I've always wanted to be approached by the guys who run those scams but never have been. 

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7 hours ago, pbphoto said:

Really?  Why is that?

Paypal offers 6 months of  buyer protection , in case of a scam -so the chances that a scam cant be caught on-time or  succeed is pretty slim -

 

the 3% PAYPAL fees are deducted from the sellers funds  , any funds PAYPAL Pays out to a seller can be retrieved from the Bank account of the seller , within the 6 months period and refunded to the buyer -

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1 hour ago, RandyH said:

Paypal offers 6 months of  buyer protection , in case of a scam -so the chances that a scam cant be caught on-time or  succeed is pretty slim -

 

the 3% PAYPAL fees are deducted from the sellers funds  , any funds PAYPAL Pays out to a seller can be retrieved from the Bank account of the seller , within the 6 months period and refunded to the buyer -

Obviously scam-proof then.

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I knew a guy that bought a sound system from the white van guys.  He liked it.  Well, I should say he defended his purchase; but that could have been a self-defense mechanism to minimize embarrassment. 

Neil ... did you use the word larceny because the deals are "too good to be true" thus likely stolen goods?

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1 hour ago, BigStewMan said:

Neil ... did you use the word larceny because the deals are "too good to be true" thus likely stolen goods?

 

Most such scams imply to the mark that the subject goods were not obtained in a completely legal manner, e.g., the speakers fell off a delivery truck, were improperly loaded on a delivery truck, etc. to explain a deal that seems to good to be true.  The mark’s good fortune seems to come at the expense of someone else.  It’s a variation of a suggestion by another that together you and they can cheat someone else.  When you deal with those who want you to believe they are willing to cheat someone else, you should not be shocked to learn they are eager to cheat you also.

 

 

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2 minutes ago, DizRotus said:

 

Most such scams imply to the mark that the subject goods were not obtained in a complete legal manner, e.g., the speakers fell off a delivery truck, were improperly loaded on a delivery truck, etc. to explain a deal that seems to good to be true.  The mark’s good fortune seem to come at the expense of someone else.  It’s a variation of a suggestion by another that together you and they can cheat someone else.  When you deal with those who want you to believe they are willing to cheat someone else, you should not be shocked to learn they are eager to cheat you also.

 

 

I agree. Not sure if it's possible to answer this question; but is receiving stolen goods (or whatever the proper legal term is) something that is aggressively prosecuted or does the body having jurisdiction leniently allow that the person was scammed?  I realize that each case is unique; but in general, is the receiver of stolen goods viewed similarly to the actual thief? 

No, I'm not soliciting legal advice ... I'm too cynical to purchase from a white van or a private party most of the time. 

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Steve @BigStewMan,

 

There are at least two questions here.  

 

The typical white van speakers are not stolen; they are junk.  The scam is to make the mark think they are “stolen” in the sense that the scammers did not pay for them. The scammers typically pay very little for essentially worthless speakers.  As soon as they convince the mark that he/she is the beneficiary of the mistake or misfortune of another entity, they grab the next set of junk speakers and look for another victim.  Being greedy and stupid is not yet a crime.

 

As to “possession of stolen goods,” that is generally not a crime.  Receiving and concealing stolen goods is a crime.  The crime is knowing that you have stolen goods.  The white van victim thinks the speakers are “stolen,” but they usually are not stolen; just junk.  Getting duped by the white van scam is stupid but not criminal.

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 9/18/2021 at 10:04 PM, RandyH001 said:

Paypal offers 6 months of  buyer protection , in case of a scam -so the chances that a scam cant be caught on-time or  succeed is pretty slim -

 

the 3% PAYPAL fees are deducted from the sellers funds  , any funds PAYPAL Pays out to a seller can be retrieved from the Bank account of the seller , within the 6 months period and refunded to the buyer - Read more about PayPal payment process.

This is something I've dealt with a few times. You don't need to do anything right now except react gently but firmly using Paypal's messaging system, stating that this is outside of ebay's 30 day return period. You have a few alternatives if he chooses to escalate the claim for a PayPal review, but the best bet is to accept the return. He'll have to return it on his own cost. Because you won't be able to connect with him at that time, explain your argument in the original communication. If you have serials, include them. If you refuse to accept the refund, there's a significant possibility you'll be out of luck and won't get your money back.

Edited by mehwish
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