All the car boot scams you should look out for this summer, revealed

CAR boot sales are a great way to make extra money or get things cheap.

But they are often targeted by rogue buyers and sellers.

All the car boot scams you should look out for this summer, revealedCredit: Chris Eades

Here, Rosie Taylor reveals some of the most common scams to look out for, and how best to avoid them. . .

FALSE GOODS

More and more counterfeit products are being sold at car boot sales, Trading Standards has warned.

Common counterfeits include designer clothes and bags, perfume, makeup and electronics.

There are more and more counterfeit items available at car boot salesCredit: Getty

The main problem with these is that they are likely to be cheaply made and fall apart quickly.

Electronic items may not work or even be dangerous, while imitation perfumes and cosmetics may contain harmful chemicals.

Victoria Wilson, cabinet member for trading standards at Staffordshire County Council, said: “We all love a bargain and you can pick them up [at car boot sales] but you have to be careful.

“If you buy counterfeit products, you will certainly not lose any money. Not only does it fuel illegal activity and harm real businesses, but it also poses serious health and safety risks.”

She advises customers to check the packaging; Misspelled words can be a sign of counterfeiting.

And research brands beforehand to learn how to identify genuine goods.

I pay for my stay with car boot sales – it’s so easy, anyone can do it

CHANGE SCAMS

CASH is king in car boot sales and this means you need to be on the lookout for change scams when buying or selling.

Common ones include someone confusing you and giving you a smaller note than you owe.

Be alert for modification scamsCredit: Getty

I fell for this during my first car boot sale as a salesperson.

There were several people who caught my attention in my stall when a man tried to get me to sell him a pair of shoes for £8.

He gave me a £20 note, I gave him £10 back and he said he would come back later for the shoes and £2 coins.

But when he came back an hour later he insisted that I had never given him change and that he needed the full £12.

It meant I ended up losing £2 and a pair of shoes, instead of £8 more.

My advice would be to never take money until a buyer is ready to take something, and make sure you have enough change in a money bag so you can hand it in right away.

AMAZON RETURNS

You may see stalls at car boot sales selling mysterious “Amazon return” packs for £1.

Sellers claim these are unwanted items returned to Amazon for resale.

It can be tempting to spend a pound to see if you get a bargain.

But Maddy Alexander-Grout, founder of the Mad About Money app, warns that these are often not real returns at all, but items of no value stuffed into old Amazon packaging.

“Most of the time the stuff is worthless rubbish from people’s homes, so don’t fall for the mysterious parcel line as you will almost certainly waste £1,” she advises.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

At a car boot sale I was delighted to find a French Connection dress, with the label still inside, for £2.50.

It showed that the dress had cost £210 new and appeared to be in good condition, although I suspected it had perhaps been worn once, with the tags in, as there were a few snags in the fabric.

Sometimes sellers don’t tell the whole truth about their itemsCredit: Getty – Contributor

I thought I could resell it for a decent price on Vinted or eBay, but when I got home and turned it inside out to wash, I discovered that it had definitely been worn before, as there were stains in the lining.

The stains weren’t noticeable when I bought it, but I should have realized there was a reason something that looked like it was worth $210 was on sale for $2.50.

Check items as thoroughly as possible before purchasing – and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

SALES CON

ANOTHER trunk trick is for experienced dealers to swarm around your car while you are unloading, buying stuff from you cheaply and then taking it to their booth to resell it at a higher price.

Maddy Alexander-Grout warns about this classic deception: “If people want to buy things from you before you’ve even unloaded your car, you might think you’ve gotten lucky.

Experienced dealers buy your stuff and sell it for more moneyCredit: Getty

“But if someone tries to make you think something won’t sell and wants to please you by buying it, that probably means they want to get it off you cheaply because they know they can get it for more money.” resell. ”

She advises eager early buyers to ask what they are willing to pay for an item, turn them down, and later sell it for a slightly higher price than they quoted at the time.

STOLEN GOODS

It is worth knowing that criminals can use trunk sales to offload stolen goods.

Signs of this could be stalls selling many brand new items of higher value, such as tools, gardening equipment or perfumes.

Again, beware of prices that seem too good to be true.

Be aware that bikes and scooters may have been stolen, and don’t be afraid to ask the seller where they originally came from.

Honorable sellers will be happy to tell you if something is a genuine item that is no longer wanted by their family. If someone becomes aggressive or gives very vague responses, avoid buying.

Surrey Police is advising anyone looking to buy items such as car boot sale tools to take an ultraviolet flashlight with them to check items for invisible markings such as a name or postcode.

Leave a Comment