Sunday 12 October 2008
Fraudulent adverts
Q: How Can I Guard Against Potential On-Line Fraud?
Regrettably a very small number of fraudulent adverts have been placed by people posing as equipment sellers. These adverts often offer pieces of equipment for very low prices in order to attract enquiries from buyers.
The adverts either do not feature a phone number or, if they do, feature an incorrect phone number. The seller often asks for contact to be made by e-mail only.
On contacting the seller by e-mail, it transpires that the equipment is not actually based in the UK but is based in Europe. The e-mail goes on to inform the potential buyer that contracts need to be drawn up and that personal details need to be exchanged before the transaction can proceed.
Be cautious if the advert or ensuing emails are full of spelling mistakes and/or bad grammar, as this seems to be a trait of fraudulent adverts.
All buyers should be cautious if a potential seller cannot give you a telephone number or insists on communicating by email only.
Don’t hand over any money or personal details until you’ve seen the vehicle or piece of equipment or are satisfied that the vehicle and seller are genuine.
If you would like further information on this issue please click on the links below:
Trading standards www.tradingstandards.gov.uk
National Criminal intelligence Service www.ncis.gov.uk/uk.asp
Other scams www.dti.gov.uk
Police links www.police.uk
Metropolitan Police Fraud Alert www.met.police.uk/fraudalert
Report an unscrupulous dealer
Report a scammer
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1.How do I place an advert?
2.How much does it cost to place an advert?
3.How do I pay for my advert?
4.How long will my advert be displayed?
5.How do I buy a banner/skyscraper/button advert?
6.Can I change/edit an existing advert before it expires?
7.How can I renew/extend and adverts' duration?
8.I have sold my item, how do I take my advert off the site?
9.Who will see my advert?
10.How can I see what response my adverts are getting?
11.How do I change my contact details.
12.How do I change my username/password?
13.How do I find item adverts of interest to me?
14.How can I contact an advertiser about their advert/item?
15.How can I narrow down my search results?
16.What are Email alerts?
17.How do I get further technical or account help?
Click onPlace an AdBefore placing an advert for the first time, you will need to register. You will then be able to place, edit and monitor your advert(s) at any time using your user name and password from My Adverts on the menu.
2. How much does it cost to place an advert?
Please contact us for more information on costs. Telephone: 0208 652 8134.
3. How do I pay for my advert?
You can pay for your advert with a credit card - Visa, Mastercard, Delta, American Express, Solo and Switch are accepted. Once you place your advert, you will be referred to the WorldPay system for secure server payment (SSL).
4. How long will my advert be displayed?
An advert will be displayed for 4 weeks (28 days), from the date you place your advert.
5. How do I buy a banner/skyscraper/button advert?
These are an excellent way to get extra exposure for your business. Please contact us for further information and costs.
6. Can I change/edit an existing advert before it expires?
Yes, you can easily change the price, description and other details from My Adverts . Please note however, you are unable to change the start and expiry date, the unique Advert Reference, or the product category your advert is listed under. From My Adverts , locate and click on the advert that you want to edit. In the 'Edit Advert' screen make the necessary changes, then click the Save button.
7. How can I renew/extend and adverts' duration?
You may want to renew your advert, e.g. if you haven't sold your item. To do this - click on My Adverts, then click on the Renew link. You will be prompted for payment via the Worldpay payment system. Please note you will only be able to renew to the same type of advert (e.g. you cannot renew a standard advert and change it to premium type).
8. I have sold my item, how do I take my advert off the site?
From My Adverts, locate and click on the advert that you want to remove. In the 'Edit Advert' screen, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'Pull Advert' button. The advert will then be removed from live site and will be shown in yourMy Advertsarea as 'not live'.
Farmers Weekly Marketplace is free to access, so your advert will be seen by thousands of world-wide buyers, 24/7. Users will reach the site directly at www.fwmarketplace.co.uk, or via the major search engines and links from our directory website www.fwi.co.uk. Visitors to the site searching for items listed under your chosen advert category, will see your advert listed under For Sale or Wanted accordingly.
10. How can I see what response my adverts are getting?
Just go to My Adverts , and select Activity Report.
11. How do I change my contact details.
To change your contact details displayed on an advert, go to My Adverts, locate and click on your advert, then change the necessary details. Click Save to apply the changes to your advert.
12. How do I change my username and/or password?
When logged into My Adverts you can change your login details, by clicking on 'My Details' from the menu.
13. How do I find item adverts of interest to me?
From any page you can use the 'Quick Search' bar at the top of the screen to search by category, or within advert description text (default). The screen will display the number of adverts available to view, under columns For Sale, For Hire or Wanted. If you click these numbers it will take you to the advert listings, where you can view further item and contact information.
14. How can I contact an advertiser about their advert/item?
Once you are viewing a list of items, you can click on the advert title to view the full details. From there, you can click the 'Email the Advertiser' button, to send a message via the site. To view the advertisers other contact details, there is a link underneath the advert description.
15. How can I narrow down my search results?
Once you have carried out a search, you can fine tune your search criteria by clicking the 'Refine Search' link from the advert listings page.
E-mail alerts can be set up by clickingEmail Alertsfrom the menu, and will allow you to receive a daily email notification showing all new items matching your requested advert type(s). These are a great way to make sure you don't miss out on items of interest to you.
17. How do I get further technical or account help?
Click Herefor details of how to contact us.