Ebay+sold Camcorder Today I Think I Am Being Scammed Plz Help Me!

[wannabgeek]

Hi

I may be a bit Paranoid so can you please give me your advice! Today my Canon Camcorder sold for £215 on ebay. It was won by a buyer from Yorkshire with a FB rating of only 8 but with 100%. Anyway as soon as auction ends i get this email ;
Hi there, I won your camcorder. There is a credit card cheque in the post which you should receive by Tuesday.When the cheque is cleared and you send the camera can you send it to the enclosed address as there will be someone to receive it there.Thanks. Christ Church Primary (Ive blanked out rest of address) .

So i am thinking everything seems OK but i would of rather a Paypal payment!... But 20 mins ago i get this from them;
Thanks for the mail. We are sending you an Abbey Credit card cheque which your bank should tell you is ok instantly. I have asked you in a note with the cheque to post to a different address so that we wont get that dreaded card through the door saying we have to pick it up. My hub's school is the address so he will sign for it. (Paul Brooke) Hope all this is ok. We are looking forward to receiving the cam. Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!
Am i being too paranoid and should i tell them No way and sell it to the 2nd nearest bidder or should i give them the benefit and wait to see if it clears ok, but if i do and it is a scam it will be hard to sell again, as buyers think a relisted item thats being sold again after 10+ days there must be something wrong with it! "especially a camcorder"
Any help will be appreciated!Thank you

[Kumagoro]

Just make sure you get the money check and double check.

[Beck]

What bank are you with?
Everything seems alright to me, hopefully i am right

[wannabgeek]

Hi Thanks for fast response! I am with the Abbey! Or should that be "I am with the Woolwich"

Just checked in 'My ebay' and there is a Tel No there as well! Maybe if they were at it they would'nt give one!

I think its a land line (prefix 0114 )..what do you think?

[rajagra]

Credit card cheque?
The things they send through the post unrequested?
The things that some people just dump in the bin, ready to be stolen by identity thieves?

AND they want it sent to a different address?

If they are honest buyers (which I doubt), they were incredibly rude to assume you'd be OK with all this. You should say you want to wait a few weeks to make sure everything is OK. If they put pressure on you to speed things up, you'll know it's a scam.

You could check the address at the Post Office website to see if it's listed as a school. Also ask for a phone number you can reach them on (not a mobile!)

Personally, I'd demand a safer form of payment. I doubt you said in the auction you'd accept credit card cheques, so why on earth should you do so without prior agreement?

[schmunk]

Phone the school - ask if he works there. If possible, speak to him there and make sure it's him that is expecting the camcorder (and not a 3rd-party scammer).

[Nox]

Sending it to a school I would feel safer doing than to some random house, but I doubt you listed credit card cheque as one of your accepted payment methods. You can always phone up your bank and ask them about it - its what they are there for. Paypal payments can be clawed back via credit cards too.

I would recommend phoning the school as well though.

Nox

[megah0]

In your auction did you specify a payment method such as paypal?

If so email them and say thanks for sending out the cheque but please cancel it and send your payment via paypal as requested

[jimborae]

As everybody has said phone the school but find the number on yell.com or directory enquieries and check all is legit.

Don't use the number on my ebay as that could just be connected to an answer phone. Also that number is a Sheffield based number & doing a quick a search on yell.com I couldn't find a Christchurch Primary School but that doesn't really mean much.

[jimborae]

Aha just found this.

Christ Church Upper Armley C of E Primary SchoolTheaker Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS12 3NU
Tel: 0113 263 ****

Is that the one by any chance?

By the way this is publicly available info so I see no reason to hide the address but if mods have a problem please feel free to edit.

[Rave]

A credit card cheque is a legitimate form of payment AFAIK, it works the same as a normal cheque I think. Once it's cleared you're as safe as you would be with a normal cheque I think.

You should be able to find all state schools on www.ofsted.gov.uk

[autopilot]

I think you are being paraniod mate. I don't see what the problem with this is. If your listing stated 'cheques accepted', then they are not done anything you have not asked of them.

It's not hard. Wait for the cheque, pay it into your account and when i has cleared send the camera recorded delivery. Whats your problem with that? Paypal would have deducted around £10 if you have used that.

It's not like they are asking you to send it with being paid first and there is nothing wrong with them requesting a change of delivery address at all. I don't think there is anything rude about what they has asked at all, in fact i think they have been quite cool. Chill dude.

[kushtibari]

I can't see a problem - there's no difference from any other cheque. I always give them an extra day or so after they've officially 'cleared' due to folk taking mick out of the clearing system. As for delivering to a school I doubt the folk on reception would accept it unless there was a person of that name there and they knew who they were. Its a damn sight better than posting it to a seemingly legit address thats actually a block of about 10 bedsits.

[Rave]

<snip> send the camera recorded delivery.

Nooooo....send it Special Delivery or insured parcels. Recorded only covers you up to £30 if it goes missing.

[Atomic]

I know my mum (a teacher) has stuff sent to work all the time, as she works fulltime there is never anyone at home to accept deliveries.

Id say it is probably safer sending a parcel to a school than an home address as the school wont accept a parcel that isnt addressed to a member of staff.

[Kumagoro]

Make sure you get it insured ask at the post office whats available. Parcel force may
have something else too check their websites.