OT: What's(ch) the scam?

[Roger Chapman]

I was just about to get into my car at a M62 service station (about noon today) when I was nobbled by a man in the passenger seat of the car which had just driven into the empty space next to me. He wanted to give me an expensive looking watch absolutely free. I have no use for another watch so suggested he find a more deserving recipient and he eventually gave up after offering me what looked like a ladies watch as a gift for a friend, and was driven away.

Was this some strange scam of just a genuinely altruistic man spreading his good luck around.

I didn't understand everything he said but his patter appeared to be that he was an Italian who had just done some profitable trading in in Manchester possibly due to some perhaps dodgy tax advantage involving (I think) the Isle of Man.

[Adrian]

Roger Chapman gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

It'll probably turn into an "up-sell" which'll see you parting with "much less than the RRP" for a piece of shit. Or an empty box.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Last time I went for a 'free TV' it turned out to be free after we had waited two hours for the last time share presentation to finish, at which point it became clear that it was free if you signed up for the time share. Maybe. Or there was no TV at all.

We left. Since then (1992) I have bravely ignored all free offers.

[Onetap]

On 25 Oct, 15:21, Roger Chapman wrote: I'd think it must be a variation on a scam that was featured on Watchdog (I think) a decade or more back. Scammer in flash suit and flash motor offers cheap watches that he's over-ordered and he has an expensive magazine with a full-page colour advert on the back page to show you the RRP of these expensive watches, made by a brand you (and no-one else) has never heard of. The free watch may be gambit to get your interest.

I've been accosted by two West African gentlemen offering shiney watches in supermarket car parks in the intervening 10 years. I expressed interest in buying a watch from the last one, but he got the hump when I wouldn't increase my generous offer above =A31.50.

[Nightjar]

...

Does it matter? If it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

Colin Bignell

[The Medway Handyman]

The motorway service areas in the south east were plauged by these people a few years ago, they have since been banned.

Someone I know bought one for about £90. It was later valued at around £30.

We also had people in B&Q/Wickes car parks offering what seemed to be Makita & DeWalt power tools at knock down prices, the implication being they were 'hot'. Apparently they were Chinese fakes.

[tim....]

On "The Real Hustle" they showed this scam with leather jackets.

The idea is that they give you the first one free and then persuade you to pay for their more expensive version which they are selling for half price. But actually you are still overpaying for the half priced one. So you pay

100 quid for something claimed to be worth 200, but actually worth 50.

I can see how this scam might work with watches. It is easy to make an expensive looking watch cheaply, they are small to carry around and most people will know a way to sell on a watch.

But I didn't get the jackets. How many people are going to pay out 100 quid for a claimed 200 quid jacket in a car park, and how many people would be able to sell it on if they did buy (given that they aren't buying it for themself as they already have the "free" one) (And how many people have a spare 100 quid in their pocket in the first place?).

However, I was once approached (by an Italian) in the street who wanted to give me a jacket and was most insistent despite me telling him I had no way of carrying it home (I was loaded up with luggage in a foreign town on my way to the railway station to catch an overnight sleeper). This was before I saw TRH so I didn't know then what the scam was then.

tim

[Adam Aglionby]

Used to be a leather shop here , the owner had frequent `divorce sales` and sales technique that would make double glazing sales blush.

Been a while since had the carpet offcuts out of a van, they`re seriously flawed but won`t see it on the roll or the White Van Speaker scam which was international.

Cheers Adam

[ARWadsworth]

I would have taken it, said "Thank you very much" and left him in the dust.

[ARWadsworth]

It is just peoples greed that allows the fall. And the cash card machine is over there.

It sounds like the same scam.

[Adrian]

"tim...." gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Plenty of cash machines at motorway services...

[ARWadsworth]

But for mugging purposes then any "old dear" will have several hundreds on them. They don't trust the banks.

Is that wisdom or an old wives tale about trusting the banks?

[Nightjar]

...

I always wear a leather belt that contains GBP 100 and EUR 100 in a hidden zipped compartment on the inside against unexpected emergencies.

that I would consider buying dodgy gear in a car park as an emergency.

Colin Bignell

[therustyone]

I bought a suede leather jacket off an Italian in a Paris street car park (un parking) in the 1980's. He said it was unsold stock (he had a car full) which he didn't want to take home.

Turned out later it was made of plastic though it looked realistic. Used it as a cycling jacket for a while, but it went brittle and fell to pieces.

rusty

[tim....]

I bought a suede leather jacket off an Italian in a Paris street car park (un parking) in the 1980's. He said it was unsold stock (he had a car full) which he didn't want to take home.

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Yep, that is the "reason"!

tim