BUYER BEWARE / CAVEAT EMPTOR
Practice Safe Buying & Selling
We take your physical safety and financial wellbeing very seriously. Don’t let common sense be clouded by what looks like an amazing bargain.
Please take a few minutes to read the following information which will help you to stay safe when dealing with strangers.
Meet in Person
- Where possible, meet face to face to see the item and exchange payment.
- When meeting a stranger, ensure there is someone else with you or, if you can’t, then ideally meet in a public place.
- Ideally it is best that you don’t take large amounts of cash with you when meeting someone you don’t know. If you do have to make payment in cash then please pick your meeting place very carefully and research the location in advance wherever possible.
TrailerMart Does Not Handle Payment
Other than advertising fees, we do not handle any payments for transactions on the site and therefore cannot guarantee any payments made. If you receive a message asking you to make a payment via TrailerMart or claiming that TrailerMart will protect your payment it is not genuine and you are being scammed.
Sellers
- Unless you are paid in cash, always wait for the payment to clear before handing over your trailer or spares. Please be aware that in some circumstances (particularly for overseas payments) a payment could still be withdrawn by the bank after it has cleared. Talk to your bank for more information about this.
- If you are being paid in cash, check the notes for signs of counterfeiting and if in doubt use a UV note checker. More information on checking for counterfeit money is available at https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/counterfeit-banknotes/how-to-check-your-banknotes. If you are sending an item through the post, always obtain proof of posting and ensure the parcel is insured against loss up to the full value of the item. The Post Office provides a “Certificate of Posting” and will provide insurance cover up to a certain limit. If you are receiving money through PayPal, ensure you meet the requirements of their seller protection scheme. This includes retaining a proof of delivery that can be tracked online.
- If you are receiving money through PayPal or other online payment services, don’t rely on an email confirmation that you have received funds as this could have been faked. Always log into your account to confirm this by typing the address directly into your browser (don’t follow links in the email as these could also be fake). Please be aware that PayPal does NOT hold funds pending the delivery of an item so if someone claims this is the case be very wary.
Buyers
- If you make a full or part payment before receiving an item, you risk losing that money if the item never arrives or is not as described.
- If you have to make payment before receiving the item, consider using PayPal who will often provide compensation should you not receive the item or if it is significantly not as described.
- If you make a payment to someone by crediting their bank account via Internet banking or BACS, that payment cannot later be reversed.
- Consider a check when purchasing an expensive used trailer. This check will help you determine whether a trailer has finance outstanding or has been reported as stolen. The Equipment Register charge modest fees for stolen or outstanding finance checks: https://www.ter-europe.org/services/check/
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So please do your research with expensive items.
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/