Marc Mazière, bargain hunter and founder of the blog Radin Malin, reveals to us why we should be wary… And above all, how to protect yourself against these scams.
Clothing, furniture, household appliances, cars, housing, job offers, daycare services, repairs or even private lessons… It’s very simple: you can buy (and sell) everything on Leboncoin. But as on all classified ad platforms, the door is wide open to scammers of all kinds. “It’s not just sellers who scam, there are also buyers“, points out Marc Mazière, founder of the blog Radin Malin, who works to find the best promotions and inform consumers.
A buyer who lies by declaring that he never received the package, a seller who sends an empty package or one with a fake product inside… These are among the most frequent scams spotted by this good deal hunter. There is also the trick of closed packaging: the seller offers the device “new”, still in its original cellophane, which he cannot open at the risk of having to sell it cheaper. As a result, upon receipt, some people discover a piece of metal, modeling clay or even bars of soap in place of the product sometimes purchased for more than 1,000 euros! “It can also be a brick, or anything that can weigh about the same” than the article in question, explains Marc Mazière.
But the modeling clay scam is far from the only one. If there is one product that Marc Mazière recommends not buying on Leboncoin or equivalent, it is the smartphone. The specialist “does not trust at all” to sellers, and for good reason… There are dozens of ways to scam someone by selling a phone. “There are some really very convincing fake smartphones. You don’t notice it right away, it’s a Samsung or an iPhone in disguise. There is the logo behind, but it can come off. The phone is slower, but you only realize that when you use it.”warns the expert. He himself has already had this type of fake phone in his hands: “It’s hard to see the deception, even for someone who knows about it.”
On the other hand, there is a way to protect yourself, even before paying: ask the seller for the IMEI, namely the unique identifier number of the phone. It can be found on the box or, failing that, it can be found by typing *#06# on the call keypad. “You can check on the internet, there are plenty of sites to see if it is the right model of phone. If this is not the case, or if the seller is reluctant to give the IMEI, we are sure that you should not go there”advises Marc Mazière. However, some scammers are very conscientious and can give a real number… even for a fake phone.
The only (almost) 100% reliable solution to recover your money after the scam: pay via the platform’s secure system, and above all check the package carefully within three days of receipt, in order to report the dispute on Leboncoin in time. “You can report the seller and get a refund. The buyer is much better protected than the seller, but after this period, on the other hand, there is nothing we can do, it’s really too late.” In any case, Marc Mazière is categorical: it is better never to buy smartphones (or even any high-tech product) through classified ads, and go through reconditioned product sites or specialized stores. Because another risk is also coming across a found or stolen phone, which can be blocked remotely. An invisible mishap upon purchase, but very real once the trap is closed.
