The Con

Peter Holmes

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
My old buddy Marcus Bowden rang me last week, he was trying to help a fellow West countryman join us in Vincent ownership, I think the chaps name was Perry, anyway Perry had found what looked like a bargain on an obscure internet selling site named london.craigslist.co.uk but was having difficulty contacting the seller. Marcus asked me if I fancied giving it a try, well having found the advert it looked like a bargain, a complete Comet engine and gearbox with F106 and ancillaries just as it was removed from the frame and all for £1800, I would say by today's prices about half price. My first reaction was if it seems to good to true it almost certainly is, but it was listed on the 22nd of December so was it possible that for Perry Christmas had come early this year. But to me it did not seem right, unless you are selling for altruistic reasons (MPH) most people that want top dollar seem to favour either an auction house or Ebay or OBM, but Craigs list?. Anyway I Emailed the advertiser and got a reply, the engine was still for sale after 4 weeks, surprising! but now the hook, although the engine was still for sale it was no longer in London but in Elgin, Scotland, a distance of some 600 miles from London. I replied to the Email with lots of questions about the engine and gearbox and received a reply with not one of my questions answered but stating that he was willing to ship it to me, all I had to do was deposit £1900 into his bank account and the engine was mine. The Email was signed off Gab Muller, so I googled it and what a can of worms that opened, try it, it is interesting, now I know its a con. I replied to that Email and suggested that as he lives in such beautiful part of the country I would drive up 600miles to Elgin and incorporate the collection into a short holiday in the Highlands, and surprise, surprise I have not had a reply. I have only posted this as a warning to us all, I am sure most of us use the Buyer Beware principle but looking at the google results for Gab Muller it would appear there are still people out there that take other people on trust and send them their money. Good luck with the search Perry
 
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Albervin

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Some years ago I was stunned to see the New Imperial I had recently purchased was being advertised on e-bay. I seem to recall the alleged bike was in Singapore so well out of my reach.
It would be nice to think these people eventually end up in a dark alley with a very angry person.....
 

MidLifePete

Forum User
Non-VOC Member
It is a scam. Well known to us who own Harleys too. Same person offering a knucklehead motor for £2,000. often 2 or 3 slightly different motors at slightly different prices. Different email address but was the same ip address. Used different names for each.

Please do not be sucked in! If it too good to be true, it generally is.

Peter
 

Albervin

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Pete, these people pray on ignorance, greed, stupidity, naivety and wishful thinking. On the premise that everyone on this forum has been guilty of one of those at least once then these scammers will always find a mark. Sad really that they make a living out of being complete ars+h+l*s....
 

b'knighted

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Earwig- Oh again.

Lino, who is putting effort into finding his Comet project asked my opinion on a craigslist item. http://craigslist.org/mf/f3a7ae815e3f84a232c845bcaa167c7aa0237ba5.1
A nearly complete ready to use Twin lump for £3900 could be turned around to increase his buying power.

I'm in the westcountry but a trip to London isn't that big a problem so I emailed:

Can I bring cash and collect engine this weekend? If so please let me have the address with post code and a phone number for when the sat nav gets me lost.

11:30 Monday morning I got a reply.
Hi Ian,
this weekend is fine for me, i`m based in Lerwick Shetland.
Regards

My reply signed with my Hebridean Surname was

Hi there,

That's a relief, I thought from the listing that I would have to travel to the mainland and collect from London.

Please let me have the full address and a phone number and I'll be with you Saturday Morning.

Cheers,

I await the full address c/w postcode. If his reply is quick I could be on the Wednesday Ferry from Thurso with the return trip booked for late Saturday.

Am I right in thinking that there is a VOC member already on Shetland?
 

Howard

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
The Comet lump described sounds like one I enquired about 2/3 years ago, it was £1800 then, so it must be a bargain now. I never got any sensible answers, so I assumed it was an idiot, not a scammer, but scams like this have become more prevalent since.

H
 

Peter Holmes

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I am sure that you have all worked it out, but for those that might not have, the reason the "bargain" is always in some outlying post of the British Isles is so that you can get sucked into parting with your money by bank transfer or something similar with the promise that the goods will be shipped to you, I don't think so!
 

Williegunn

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
I am sure that you have all worked it out, but for those that might not have, the reason the "bargain" is always in some outlying post of the British Isles is so that you can get sucked into parting with your money by bank transfer or something similar with the promise that the goods will be shipped to you, I don't think so!

Elgin is not outlying at all it is just down the road, about 12 miles away.
 

b'knighted

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Hi Willie, can you nip over to Lerwick and collect the lump for me please? Could it count as hand luggage?

Cheers,
 

Williegunn

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Now Lerwick that is outlying, it is closer to Norway, try some Norwegian members. Obscure fact Lerwick is closer to Oslo than London!
 
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