Buyers beware: Scam dealerships
Following on from the November 2018 magazine feature ‘Ask your Club’ and recent discussions on Club Together about scam dealerships, we wanted to start this discussion in order to have a prominent place to list the websites that we are aware of that are scam dealerships.
The current scam is based around a very credible-looking website which uses dealership and caravan/motorhome information that has been copied from legitimate dealers. A key warning sign is that vehicles that are listed for sale are advertised at low prices. If you enquire you will be encouraged to put down a deposit by bank transfer. Once your money has been sent there’s no further communication.
The Club has been raising concerns over scam websites with Trading Standards (via Citizens Advice) and with the police ActionFraud service.
As general advice for anyone looking to buy a caravan or motorhome, always be cautious of deals which appear almost too good to be true. Be sceptical of any requests to pay a cash deposit to secure a vehicle you haven’t seen. If you must pay a deposit, use a credit card for at least some of the cost – that secures you ‘Section 75’ protection should you lose your money, meaning you can claim from the card company for the full amount paid (not just the amount put on the card) up to £30,000. Check the seller’s actual possession and legitimate ownership of the vehicle before making full payment. While everyone likes to get a good deal, never get carried away by the chance of an apparent bargain. There will always be the opportunity to buy something else should you miss out through being cautious.
Here is a list of the current know scam websites:
http://floud-motorhomes.co.uk/
https://brett-caravans.com/ (now closed down)
Please let the Club know by emailing technical@camc.com if you think a website is suspicious and we will investigate and link below.
Comments
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Great post and plan. This is exactly the type of proactive measure we should get from the club and CT makes an excellent platform for making members aware.👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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Agree completely. Well done Ro.
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yes good idea. +1 to above two posts
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Hi everyone, Sadly we have had another report of a member being caught by this scam and being over £6,000 out of pocket. Pleas be vigilant and also have a read of the article on page 96 in the November issue of the Club magazine which has further information and advice on this topic.
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The one thing the scammers have in their favour is that of the prospective buyer being keen not to miss out on a good deal. Hopefully, from the scammer's point of view, this will cause the buyer to drop his/her guard and be drawn in. The safest course of action is to stay focussed in enquiring about the vehicle, ask about viewing it, and get the registration number, body colour, engine capacity and whether diesel or petrol. This can be checked for authenticity on the government's website. Not entirely foolproof, but will refuse to accept a fictitious vehicle. And scammers do not like thorough enquiries.
Above all, be ready to lose a purchase rather than risking loss of your cash.
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There are all sorts of scammers out there - I was recently looking to replace my 3 year old tow car. I went round to a load of different suppliers - and every last one told lies about the suitability of their cars for towing! I ended up doing a decent deal - or so I thought with a replacement for mine - I was told the deal included 3 free services and number plates (I needed three). The deal was to include tow bar and the car was to be ready for a planned trip. Ha Ha! It arrived 2 days late with no number plate. I had only gone about 200 miles when the buzzer warned me the car needed service. I had bought it with a little more than 12,000 on the clock and foolishly assumed it would be serviced for a while! So my trip kept being interrupted by the service buzzer which wasn't very relaxing! So when I got home I booked it in for it's "free service" perfectly accepted by the person who booked me in. Come time to collect the car I am asked to pay over £300 for the pleasure!! They pointed out the service plan wasn't recorded on the contract - well I had been sitting there for 2 hours waiting for the tow bar problem to be solved - and then had to reschedule! It turns out that the salesman made promises the dealership wasn't prepared to honour - and he was no longer employed there! Watchout anyone who is buying an Audi in Doncaster as that is where he is now!
After pointing out that I had booked in for the free service and everything and asked who would expect to need to service their car after 200 miles. I also pointed out that I was internet savvy and perfectly capable of using social media to berate the place - they finally offered for me to pay the £50 odd for the spare parts fitted at the service. To give her her due the person handling the whole thing was clearly very embarrassed - but it was a true case of "Buyer Beware". I might have been a bit more careful to check everything if I had been buying from some obscure garage or privately but this was a Mitsubishi dealership!
Obviously this isn't as bad as the cases Rowena highlighted but it was a lesson to me!
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A lesson for all those that are looking to purchase a second hand car, Pippah. Hope that it's running like a dream for you now
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To be fair Pippah it could well be the dealership and not the salesman who is to blame! Wonder why he moved himself to that dealership in Doncaster, to escape? I for one got out of a place of employment which I soon did not wish to be associated with, did take me a few weeks mind to work it out!
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I've just read this post, and none of the 'scam websites' mentioned in the first post are still operational, but readers should be aware that they scammers may have set up different websites, and should be just as vigilant in not paying deposits to these scammers.
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I wonder how much checking is done or to be fair can be done by the club on adverts on their 'Classifieds'? I raise this particularly with reference to caravans, It just seems to me, having checked 'Classifieds' quite extensively recently, that ( without any definite proof) some dealers are advertising as a 'Private Ad'.. Having been interested in one caravan I made enquires but 'lost out' to someone ho had an earlier viewing than me. That was fine as the advertiser did 'phone & tell me. However, a week later I asked for details about another caravan shown again as a 'Private Ad' in the same area of the country (close to me). The contact details were exactly the same as the first 'Private Ad' which gave me the impression that it a a dealer advertising as a private individual. I may be wrong but it has made me much more sceptical & cynical. A shame
really because I think there are many genuine people from whom I would love to buy privately
. BTW I am not accusing this particular advertiser a being a 'scammer' but simply to question if some less reputable dealers are using the 'Private Ad. because obviously there is less protection advertising this way.
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I believe the classifieds are outsourced. If so, the club itself probably checks nothing at all.
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Did you not get written details of the deal which you accepted? Because, as an employed agent for the dealership, the Company would be legally responsible for honouring the contract to which you had agreed with the salesman.
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Hi,
Here is another fake website. It's fraud and a scam.
https://www.baltic-caravan.com/Baltic Caravan Trade Limited
Company Number: 08290674Address:
Kirk Rise, Kirk Ella
Hull, HU10 7NG , United KingdomPhone: +44(0) 8444-877-499
Email: sales@baltic-caravan.com
Web: www.baltic-caravan.comPlease Avoid !
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Another SCAM / FRAUD motorhomes / caravans :
www.swscampervans.co.uk
SCAM SWS CAMPERVANS LTD
Company number 09982071
Incorporated on
2 February 2016
Registered office address
Brynamlwg, Elim Road, Carmarthen, Wales, SA31 1TX
https://www.swscampervans.co.uk/Please avoid !
Moderator Edit:
Have you emailed the club as requested in Rowena's OP?
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Some folk are massively trusting, they are fooled by the twofold professionalism & friendly attitude. It’s time for us to teach a cynical approach to the online world👍🏻
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Can we know which dealership is involved please.
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There is a time to be trusting but it is not when buying a leisure vehicle
A few years ago I wanted to sell a full sized awning. I only paid £50 for it as it was filthy having been left up on a seasonal pitch I suspect in poor weather. OH and I spent a couple of hours cleaning it and it came up fine. I only bought it out of interest and used it for a 2 week December stay It was fine but too much like a dancehall for us. I offered it for sale at £100 ... no takers. Relisted saying that it might seem cheap but I was happy to do a good turn. Spoke to a chap that wanted to buy and collect from near Chesterfield ..... nope near Chester. I said for £20 I would courier it next day delivery. As I was going away the next day I said 'put a cheque in the post at your end and I will send it off my end. Came back from hols and cheque arrived with the rest of the held post. If it had not I would have shrugged off the loss of £20 for delivery and been happy to have the awning gone and space in the garage. I would not have been faffed selling it had it not been in good condition and a waste to tip if it did somebody a good turn.
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