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How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by SavageGarden(m): 10:24am On Dec 21, 2014 |
Yes. I got scammed, swindled and cheated by a vendor on . I am sharing my story here with the hope that I can reach a lot of people and warn them to be careful with their “hard earned money”. This happened to me between Wednesday evening, March 26, 2014 and Friday, March 28, 2014. There are a lot of dishonest people out there. We all need to be careful and analytical in all our transactions. As a lot of us are aware, OLX is an internet company based in New York City and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The OLX website hosts free user-generated classified advertisements for urban communities around the world. In simple English, OLX provides a platform (similar to eBay) where people can purchase and sell goods over the internet. I feel compelled to say at this point that the platform in itself is not a dishonest one as the founder Alec Oxenford created OLX with a view to break the barrier of the physical marketplace. So you can sit at your computer, browse through available goods that interest you, select the one that you desire, obtain the vendor information, contact the vendor, discuss terms of trade, buy and receive the product. On the other hand, you can also decide to sell any item you wish to sell with a wider reach to potential customers. The quality of the internet is such a beauty and has changed the world. However, na Naija we dey and there are unscrupulous elements who are looking to rip people off in broad daylight. We need to be really careful and I feel more compelled to share this story because I am quite sure that a lot of other unsuspecting people would have fallen victim to one scam or the other on OLX or any other internet based market platform. Let me get into my story. I have been looking to buy a car. Quite frankly, I want to change my current car. I am making a little bit more money and I’m like “Hey, make boys upgrade na”. So I’m here browsing cars on OLX and I see an unbelievable deal. I know, right!!! A Toyota Rav 4, 2006 model, fresh as can be, TOKUNBO, for N1,000,000.00. I said Tokunbo (or Toks as we call them) for a million Naira. It was too good to be true. Sharply, I was already dialling the number 08102672735. I introduced myself and stated that I was interested in buying the car that was advertised. He said his name was James and the car is at Seme Border. I was given two options. One, that I come to the border and inspect the car, if I feel satisfied, I pay, they process the papers and I leave with the car. Second, if I was too busy to come to the border, he will bring the car to my office for inspection but I need to pay a deposit of N25,000.00. The rationale for this, which I understood perfectly well was the fact that he did not want to come all the way to my office and then I inspect the car and not eventually purchase it. He however said that if he comes, and I don’t like the car after the inspection, I’d forfeit N5,000 and he will return N20,000.00 to me. The N5,000 I assumed will be for logistics, fuelling, etc. I negotiated saying that I will give him N10,000. I said to him “I mean, I do not know you. what happens if I send you N25,000 and you do not show up”. I was firm on the fact that I was not willing to part with more than an initial payment of N10,000.00. He eventually agreed and I told him I will get back to him the following day. This was Wednesday evening at about 8pm. I thought it through as I drove to work the next morning, and I said to myself that the worst that could happen was that he would abscond with my N10,000.00. I could live with that if the worst case scenario eventually played out. However, the best case scenario was tantalizing. A Toyota Rav4 for N1million. The thought of such a deal was just…..amazing. Anyway, I called him up when I got to work, he sent me his bank details and I sent him my office address. See below the text message I got with the bank details he sent. I did a quick bank transfer of N10,000 to his account. I noted that the Account Name was a female name, but you know, it was possible that he gave me a friends account details based on the bank that was closest to him. He calls me to say that he has seen the money and then says he will send me an email. A form I am to print, complete, scan and send back to him. The email address this was sent with is nigeriacustomservice423@gmail.com. I noticed they are papers from the Nigeria Custom Service. I called and asked him if he was a customs officer. “Yes of course I am, if not, where will you see this car at this price?” he said. He then told me that the processing of the papers and the sticker that will enable him drive the car to me costs N135,000.00 but that it is already included in the N1 million quoted for the car. Another quick calculation in my head made me realize the actual price of the car is only N865,000. I was elated at such a wonderful deal. I was almost sealing it. He said I should give him some time to process and that I should expect his call. My phone rings, and I pick with anticipation, expecting to hear that he was already on his way to my office with the car. To my utter disappointment, he said that his boss did not allow the papers go through, saying that the payment for the papers of N135,000.00 had to be completed before the car will be allowed to leave where it was. He asked me to send an additional N125,000 to complete the payment for the papers. I laughed in my mind and told him that he should pay with his money, and come and collect the total amount from me when the car got to me, then he can reimburse himself. He told me that he did not have up to N125,000.00 to pay. I went on to tell him that the agreement we had just last night was different from what he was saying. I mean, if we agree on something last night, and it changes this afternoon, how am I to trust that the new agreement will not be changed. He said to me that he is giving me his word. I told him I was sorry, it was impossible to trust the word of a man that has changed in less than 24 hours. He then said I should send N25,000.00 and that he will pay N100,000.00 to complete the N135,000.00 for the papers. I am like “Nah, bro, there is no assurance that I will see you even after sending you additional money. I may just as well send you the full amount for the car, in that case and risk you absconding. It was clear to him that I was not sending any additional money, he then asked what the next line of action will be. I told him that I will send him my bank account details and that he should credit my account with the N10,000.oo today as he was not able to deliver the car. He agreed and said no problem and that he will send my money back. To be honest , I really wasn’t expecting him to send the money back because the scam became clear to me. I had come to terms with the fact that I’d have to settle for my worst case scenario and forfeit my N10,000.00. I called him this morning to ask when he will pay the money into my account. He said I should wait till about 12pm. I call at about 2pm, he put me on speaker phone as I could hear the voices of at least 3 other guys insulting me. One of them kept saying “Go send the money or make you go sit-down”. Another said “Your father….you no want make boys chop? Boys dey on the street”. Other voices kept saying all sorts, I listened for a while, with a smile and then I said “Thanks Guys…Nice one” then I hung up. Please BEWARE, whatever you are buying, do not send the money until you see the goods. If possible, get the seller to come to you, do not go some random location. I am not saying do not shop online, all I’m saying is do so with extra caution. Luckily for me, I was able to restrict my loss to an amount I could afford. I will hate to see someone who has not already fallen victim to fall victim. |
Re: How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by alberto2k(m): 10:28am On Dec 21, 2014 |
Now itz gonna be like OLX!.... Scam it!!! 2 Likes |
Re: How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by banjicom(m): 10:40am On Dec 21, 2014 |
Well Done! Thank God you are able to control yourself and not let Your Greediness take over you! or else na another story we for dey read now 1 Like |
Re: How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by JeffreyJamez(m): 10:41am On Dec 21, 2014 |
You know how many 10k he don collect lol....OLX is the Land of scammers |
Re: How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by justscorch: 10:48am On Dec 21, 2014 |
Someone scammed me on tonaton right here in Ghana,I saw a brand-new HTC M8 on the site but got a fairly used HTC M7 on delivery, my girl picked the phone up for me cos I was far away so she didn't know the difference,I nearly craze cos she just paid without even opening the box |
Re: How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by derrick333(m): 10:48am On Dec 21, 2014 |
Hmmm ,Gud advice broo,so after he pleaded n persuaded u 2send 135k,asumin u sent it ,NA gobe b dat ooo? 9jà boys bad oo 1 Like |
Re: How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by SavageGarden(m): 10:52am On Dec 21, 2014 |
JeffreyJamez:Honestly and its a shame!!! |
Re: How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by SavageGarden(m): 10:53am On Dec 21, 2014 |
justscorch:Your girl should be flogged..lol |
Re: How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by orobs93(m): 10:59am On Dec 21, 2014 |
just too forking long... by the way u nor knw were market day? |
Re: How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by PerfumeRepublik: 11:05am On Dec 21, 2014 |
alberto2k: There are guidelines on how intending buyers should transact with sellers on OLX.. Folks don't read Terms and conditions section of products no more . http://html4.m./terms 1 Like |
Re: How A Nairalander Got Scammed On OLX by Nobody: 12:04pm On Dec 21, 2014 |
SavageGarden:Bro, you tried. #kudos |
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