Latest Scam

[jont]

Current bout of people emailing to say they have received a gift but was broken in transit - could we replace. This is to a different address as the original was an hotel or business venue and was a corporate gift. The actual purchaser is a company and is a random big-name company with whom we could possibly do business with.

The emails are very convincing but for the inclusion of a line along the lines of "my children could have been killed" which flagged initial concerns as was too over the top.

So far none have been able to provide a consignment number (they threw the box away as their childrens lives were in mortal danger) or the original delivery postcode. Have been very careful not to reveal how our consignments are dispatched, numbers system, invoicing system etc so they have nothing to feed on.

Thought it worth warning on the forum as by usual standards it is a very well conceived scam and you can spend a lot of time tracking bogus and vague details down.

[jont]

He's Persistent to say the least

Todays email......

"As you might appreciate John, gifts from pharmaceutical companies to GPs can be rather delicate. Consequently, many such gifts are very deliberately untraceable and are transacted privately as a result. I'm sure you understand that I cannot consider it prudent to approach XYZ with regard to securing specific names of any who may have undertaken the purchase in question.

If you are unable to replace any of the three broken items I must say that despite my disappointment I do understand. This is, no doubt, highly irregular. It does, however, seem rather a shame that such a delightful array of items should be wasted in such a way.

If you do decide to replace the items in good faith I am sure that my wife and I would be very grateful. We have recourse to sending out many gifts ourselves to clients of our surgery and would certainly consider using your services in future."

.....to which my reply was ....

"I hope you can appreciate I am unable to send items as replacements without any actual proof anything was sent in the first place. I have yet to receive an order number, a consignment number, a postcode we have shipped to and a purchaser who has actually bought from us. We regularly ship gifts from medical companies to GP's without any issues of secrecy and these always include a card with the senders details.

It is the equivalent of an unknown patient walking into your practice and asking for medication without being examined or having medical files or any documentation. Being a responsible doctor you would not be in a position to prescribe medication on verbal say-so alone."

... I am contemplating sending him a house brick postage unpaid and let him pay upon collection

[fleetwood]

.. I am contemplating sending him a house brick postage unpaid and let him pay upon collection

...enclosing a note "please find enclosed the first consignment of your new house...balance to follow.."

Above and beyond all else, you are legally sound (ermmm, not talking about the brick here).
Your contract is with the person who ordered the goods, not with the recipient, who has no legal recourse to you what so ever (sale of goods act something-or-other - seem to remember something from my college days about a bottle of lemonade and a decomposing snail...).

[jont]

Aye - law 1.0.1 Donoghue v Stevenson .. although that case (if memory serves) created a liability with the consumer of the gift as the purchaser was unable to see the contents when purchased (dark bottled glass) ... although that was 15 years back and the alcohol was flowing freely at the time

[fleetwood]

I suppose if you really wanted to call his bluff, you could say you wold be happy to replace the broken items, once they are safely returned to you!

If it is a scam, he will have nothing to send back, but would no doubt inform you that he has thrown the broken items away.

[jont]

I did consider that .. but I think so has he with his line of "the children could have been injured" ... which suggests quite a lot of thought has gone into this and probably refined it to make it work over time.

I like your idea about a "house by installments"

[fleetwood]

It does sound like a nastily well thought out scam.

Maybe send him a small packet of sand instead of the brick (same things after all), and suggest he use this to build a sand pit over time...





.. into which he could take a nice long running jump


Consider yourself worthy of a goat point for being able to correctly indentify Donoghue v Stevenson

[jont]

Consider yourself worthy of a goat point for being able to correctly indentify Donoghue v Stevenson

Cheers for the Goat Point Martin... it is amazing what crud lays at the darkest recesses of your mind waiting to be resurrected ... ask me what I had for tea last night and I would not have the faintest idea though

[Darren B]

ask me what I had for tea last night and I would not have the faintest idea though

I bet it was goat and chips, talks a while to eat all that meat.

[fleetwood]

I bet it was goat and chips, talks a while to eat all that meat.

A goat with a chip on its shoulder?

Go away you snotty beggar!

[Darren B]

Still never had that denial he has not eaten the goat

[pinbrook]

I've eaten goat....

its a West Indian delicacy - Goat curry. I don't recommend it as it was fatty and stringy and altogether not very nice

[completerookie]

thats almost canabalistic
with an admission like that, I'd be surprised if you ever get another goat point.
Its time to register on the forum under a new name !