CAR boot sales are a great way to make extra cash or get things cheaply.
But they are often targeted by rogue buyers and sellers.
Here, Rosie Taylor reveals some of the most common scams to be on the lookout for, and how best to avoid the . . .
FAKE GOODS
MORE and more bogus products are being sold at car boot sales, Trading Standards has warned.
Common counterfeits include designer clothing and bags, perfume, make-up and electronics.
5
The main problem with these is they are likely to be cheaply made and fall apart quickly.
Electronic items might not work or even be dangerous, while imitation perfume and cosmetics can contain harmful chemicals.
Victoria Wilson, cabinet member for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council says: “We all love a bargain and you can pick them up [at car boot sales] but you do need to be careful.
“Buying fakes will most certainly leave you out of pocket. It not only fuels illegal activities and harms genuine businesses but poses serious health-and-safety risks.”
She recommends shoppers check packaging — misspelled words can be a sign of fakes.
And research brands in advance to learn how to identify genuine goods.
CHANGE SCAMS
CASH is king at the car boot sale and this means you need to be alert for change scams if buying or selling.
Common ones include someone confusing you and giving you a smaller note than you’re owed.
5
I fell for this in my first car boot sale as a seller.
There were several people taking my attention on my stall when a man tried to rush me into selling him a pair for shoes for £8.
He gave me a £20 note, I gave him £10 back and he said he’d return later for the shoes and the £2 coins.
But when he came back an hour later, he insisted I hadn’t given him any change before and he needed the full £12.
It meant I ended up £2 and a pair of shoes down, instead of £8 up.
My advice would be to never take any money until a buyer is ready to take an item away, and make sure you carry plenty of change in a money belt so you can hand it over immediately.
AMAZON RETURNS
YOU may see stalls at car boot sales offering mystery “Amazon returns” packages for £1.
Sellers claim these are unwanted items returned to Amazon, which they are selling on.
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 often these aren’t genuine returns at all, but items of no value put into old Amazon packaging.
“Usually the stuff is worthless rubbish from people’s houses, so don’t fall for the mystery parcel line because you will almost certainly waste £1,” she advises.
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
AT one car boot sale, I was delighted to find a French Connection dress, with the label still in, for £2.50.
It showed the frock had cost £210 new and it looked in great condition although I suspected it may have been worn once, with the tags kept in, because there were a few snags in the fabric.
5
I thought I’d be able to resell it on Vinted or eBay for a decent price, but when I got home and turned it inside out to wash, I discovered it had definitely been worn before because it had stains in the lining.
The stains were not noticeable when I bought it but I should have realised there was a reason something that looked like it was worth £210 was on sale for £2.50.
Check items as thoroughly as you can before you buy them — and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
RESELLING CON
ANOTHER car-boot trick is for experienced dealers to swarm round your car as you’re unloading, buy stuff off you cheaply then take it to their stall to resell at a higher price.
Maddy Alexander-Grout has a warning about this classic con: “When people want to buy things off you before you’ve even unloaded your car, you may think you’ve got lucky.
5
“But if someone tries to make you think an item won’t sell, so they’ll do you a favour by buying it, it probably means they want to get it off you cheaply because they know they can resell it for more money.”
She advises asking eager early buyers what they’re prepared to pay for an item, turning them down and selling it later for a slightly higher price than they had then quoted.
STOLEN GOODS
IT’S worth being aware that criminals can use car boot sales to offload stolen goods.
Signs of this may include stalls selling lots of brand-new, higher-value items, such as tools, gardening equipment or perfumes.
Again, watch out for prices that seem too good to be true.
Be aware that bikes and scooters may well have been stolen, and don’t be afraid to ask the seller where they came from originally.
Honorouable sellers will be happy to tell you if something is a genuine item that is no longer wanted by their family — if anyone gets aggressive or gives very vague responses, avoid buying.
Surrey Police Force advises anyone looking to buy items such as tools from car boot sales to bring a pocket ultra-violet pen torch to check items for invisible markings like a name or postcode.