Fraudster operating on Wheedle

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marmel

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#116678 6-May-2013 19:46

Search listings on wheedle for member "mobiles".

Selling a Canon 5D MKII, $3000 plus camera for buy now of $470.

Selling iphone 4S 32GB brand new for $450, price now gone up to $550.

Selling ipad 3 64GB 3G for buy now of $450.

Too good to be true, absolutely.

I purchased one of the iphone 4s 32GB models just to see what the seller would say. Suprise suprise they would not allow me to pick up as they were too busy and told me if I didn't pay by Monday morning at 10am the price was going up???

I have contacted Wheedle 3 times advising them that it appears it is a blatant fraud but there has been no reply and no listings have been removed.

They haven't even put in the camera listing that the model is the MKII, probably because the MKII name on the box is hard to see from the image they have probably gotten from Google.

Is wheedle going to become a fraudsters paradise?

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#812263 6-May-2013 20:15

Most likely it will, in the short term at least. My bet would be that the scammers who can't operate on Trademe anymore, or are finding it very difficult to do so will be laughing all the way to the bank on Wheedle. Trademe has a Trust and Safety team for a reason.

Wheedle feels sort of "shoe-string" to me so I would doubt they have such a team, or even a single person, operating in this capacity at the moment. It'll be interesting to see if they come a bit unstuck, in terms of information provision, when fraud complaints start rolling in to the police.

EDIT: To an extent it should be regarded as growing pains.

Stan

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#812266 6-May-2013 20:16

Would that be this chap here?

http://www.wheedle.co.nz/Home/GetItemDetails?L=bbQFIqkEUQLtkZDr3boNUA%253d%253d

marmel

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#812270 6-May-2013 20:19

Stan: Would that be this chap here?

http://www.wheedle.co.nz/Home/GetItemDetails?L=bbQFIqkEUQLtkZDr3boNUA%253d%253d

Yes, started out at a $450 buy now which is when I purchased one and I suspect due to the positive response they are trying a $550 buy now which is still a cheap price for a new iphone 32GB 4S.

ZollyMonsta

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#812274 6-May-2013 20:23

I would never buy from them on spelling and grammar alone.

marmel

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#812276 6-May-2013 20:26

The thing is they have a Kiwibank account so unsuspecting buyers may think they are safe as it's not the usual "send the money to this branch of western union" type of fraud.

Xeon

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#812277 6-May-2013 20:29

Reverse image search shows that's not his image, yet he states he's selling the phones pictures (two black, one white).

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mattwnz

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#812278 6-May-2013 20:30

Wheedle don't seem to reply to emails. I never had a reply to my email I sent them via their website weeks ago. Trademes support is superior, they actually reply within a day. You would think they would want to beat trademe at something.

freitasm

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#812279 6-May-2013 20:31

ZollyMonsta: I would never buy from them on spelling and grammar alone.

"only 1 white and two blacks left comes with screan protectors, charger, usb chord, manuals, box, and 2 year warrenty"

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Stan

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#812291 6-May-2013 20:43

"
djb 8:26 p.m.,Mon 06 May
Hello, Is it possible to pick these up at all can I meet you someplace and pay cash? mobiles 8:39 p.m.,Mon 06 May
if you could meet me in ngtea?"

He would allow pick up me to pick it up if I went to Ngtea.

xpd

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#812293 6-May-2013 20:43

Latest question is someone asking to meet him to pay, and hes agreed - probably chinese knock offs ;)

XPD / Gavin

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ZollyMonsta

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#812296 6-May-2013 20:50

Some poor bugger has now bid on the iPad.

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marmel

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#812301 6-May-2013 20:59

The name given in the email they sent me was "diana williams", not a name I thought one would associate with someone who has a fairly poor grasp of the English language.

marmel

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#812302 6-May-2013 20:59

Here is the email they sent me after I asked for an address to collect:

"You should have comented on auction that u wanted to view! Pikup is kati however I'm not sure when ill be free to meet u. Hence why I prefer posting. No other buyers have had any issues! Will upload photo when I get the time next. As I have three. If you are unable to make payment via banking then id prefer you to give me notice before buying, as I am unsure when I am able to meet you, and also payment needs to be made Monday, morning, because as of Monday morning 10am prices rice to 80% of the full price. Which only gives you a ten percent discount, and I am sure I made a note of that on auction"

jjnz1

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#812304 6-May-2013 21:06

On the off chance they are real.... could they be stolen?

marmel

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#812306 6-May-2013 21:08

jjnz1: On the off chance they are real.... could they be stolen?

That is the only other option really, prices are well below what you could get them for even direct from the manufacturer.

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