Bought a used electric cargo bike on eBay for £3,300
However, when it arrived, I found a tear in the frame. Frame number is included in Japan BikeRegister database confirmed to have been stolen.
seller
When I contacted them, there was no response, so I called the police, and the bike was confiscated. I was given a criminal information and property record number.
Since I paid by bank transfer, I contacted my bank, First Direct, to get a refund. What I asked for was
I provided evidence that the bike was confiscated.
I also reported it to eBay.
Because you paid directly to the seller via bank transfer
than that
We are not responsible for any information other than via the site.
Now I have received a reply from the bank and they have rejected my claim.
Electric bicycle
. I don't see why this makes a difference. It's still a scam.
Is there anything else I can do? It's confusing why my claim was denied. I don't have a bike or 3,300 pounds right now.
I saved up for a year to buy this bike, but I was disappointed. can you help?
london, florida
Unfortunately, you made the right decision by reporting your bike to the police. If other readers find themselves in this situation, they should do the same, making sure to obtain the criminal information and property record numbers needed to file a refund claim.
The seller suggested you pay by bank transfer rather than eBay to avoid paying hundreds of pounds in fees, and you sympathized with this. However, this is a ruse, and moving “off-platform” removes the protections offered to site users.
The bank provided appropriate fraud alerts during the transaction, but proceeded with the transaction nonetheless.
However, as the basis for denying First Direct's request was unclear, I asked the company to reconsider its decision. It was later determined that there had been a mistake and that the case met the criteria for Authorized Push Payments (APP) fraud and incorrect information had been provided.
First Direct said: “Protecting our customers from fraud is extremely important to us and we are disappointed that the State of Florida has become the victim of fraud. After reviewing this matter, we have issued a full refund of £3,300. The we.”
“As this case highlights, fraudsters are evil criminals who use a variety of techniques to steal money from people. We urge customers to be careful and never make purchases outside of recognized payment platforms. Customers should also be aware of fraud warnings when making payments and avoid common scams and scammers. You can further protect yourself by finding out about the techniques they use.”
Many banks, including First Direct, have signed up to the Conditional Redemption Model Code for APP fraud. Under this provision, banks must take a number of steps to protect customers and refund money to those not responsible if they fall victim to fraud.
In this case, First Direct made a mistake in handling the case and it is in good faith to issue a full refund. It is not based on the details of the fraud.
If you take such risks, you may not necessarily get your money back from the bank.
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Source: www.theguardian.com
