Parts off Instagram (1 Viewer)

[DevonBen60]

Recently I have come across a seller on insta who has lots of interesting parts. He says he is in Florida and operates from home just via instagram and doesn’t have a business premises or website so no client feedback or anything. But he has interesting parts and posts lots of them almost daily.
Was wondering if anyone has any experience of buying from him. His insta account name is:
Toyota_Landcruiser_Parts
Communication is good and I’m discussing importing parts to UK with reasonable responses. But I have an uneasy feeling of security without any way to protect myself If I pay money and nothing arrives or the quality is poor.
If anyone has any experience could they please share it.

 

[3_puppies]

DON"T be tempted by cheap prices, BUY from trusted sources ONLY

Instagram Grifters

Hey guys I don’t know where else to post this but I totally got conned my a used parts vendor on instagram. They are called cruiser_onlineshop. Negotiated a price on some of his parts. Sent him the money via PayPal ($250) and got hit with another request for a $180 refundable shipping fee...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Jamieson22]

I am an admin on a FB 60 series group. Would say every day 85% of membership requests are from scammers and declined. Am constantly removing posts and comments from scammers. The number of reverse image searches that return stolen photos is nuts (in Chrome: right-click photo, select "Search Image with Google", then "Find Image Source"). Most tend to have "Spare Parts" or similar in name and all really like to say "mate" in communications.

If you think you want to go through with it ask for a photo with your name/date/etc on a piece of paper in the photo with the products. And even then ALWAYS pay with a method that has buyer protection. When they start asking for PayPal Friends & Family, etc: Run.

 

[Sirlosealot]

Find out where in Florida he is located. I might be able to check it out.

 

[Jamieson22]

Find out where in Florida he is located. I might be able to check it out.

They aren't in Florida.

 

[sschruff]

Find out where in Florida he is located. I might be able to check it out.

My mind automatically went to this when I read your '...might be able to check it out...' comment =)

 

[CruiserTrash]

@DevonBen60 Run away very quickly. That is a real person behind a keyboard somewhere in the world, but it certainly isn't Florida and they certainly don't have any Land Cruiser parts. All of the photos are stolen - I've seen photos that were bilked from Mud ads, Facebook ads, from Gamiviti's posts, and even from me personally. It's all smoke and mirrors - you send the money, you never get the parts, the seller disappears. There's a million accounts on IG (and similar accounts on FB, usually under a person's name) exactly like this and they are all 1000% scams.

See this thread for lots more details!!!

I have reported every one of those IG accounts I see and Instagram always rules in their favor and does not take them down. It's frustrating.

What pisses me off more than anything is that lots of the legitimate Land Cruiser community on IG follows those scam parts accounts. The scammer will "follow" you and most people just follow right back without thinking. So now the next victim looks at the page, finds a too-good-to-be-true price on something they want and says "well, all these other cool people follow so the account must be legit." Stop f*#king following these accounts please.

 

[Spike Strip]

Trust your gut. These people aren't stupid and know they have to do anything and everything to seem legit. They're called 'CON' men for reason.