Hi All,

I just thought I'd put a warning out there to a potential scam on Gumtree.

Currently there is a 2019 9m duotone rebel up for sale on the following link:
www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/sydney-city/miscellaneous-goods/2019-duotone-rebel-9m-kite-and-bar-line/1246308570
(The listing has today been updated to sold)

Turns out a '19 rebel for 600 bucks IS too good to be true.

After communicating with the buyer arranging postage and exchanging details, his phone now is off and messages have gone unanswered.

I have put in my police report and passed on all the details, so i doubt i'll see that money again but as a warning to anyone else out there hunting for COVID deals this one isn't legit.

Side note, I did a reverse image search on the posted images and they turn up on a prior seabreeze advert which i was able to find in a cached version of the site, and another .com website, not sure if they are related.





The attached the image used to advertise the kite.

I've paid my idiot tax for this year, beware all and do a better job than i did when buying from strangers on the internet.

P.s. Wtb 9/10m '19/'20 rebel (:

CJ2478 said..
sorry to hear of your loss. where was the seller located? I saw a yellow orange 2019 9m rebel on SB classifieds not long ago that was almost too good to be true priced. contacted seller and never heard back though. he was SA based from memory

"inner Sydney" was the advert.

Probably the same advert i found cached. It was a little more expensive here than on the gumtree. I couldn't extract the contact details to see if it was the same person. Maybe a mod can check it out?

I have just sold a kite, bar and lines on Gumtree, which involved me shipping the gear over from the west to the east. PayPal is now linked to Gumtree and it is how he paid me. Gives the buyer a bit more protection though it cost me a few dollars by going through them. For peace of mind for the buyer it is worth it and I was ok with coping the fee.

Sorry to hear of your loss but for $600 for a '19 it was too good to be true.

Sandfoot said..
The website should offer support or refund especially if you paid to place the advertisement.

There's a process outlined at cyber.gov.au for what to do if you get scammed. But basically it's:

1. file a report
2. wait

If anything can be done, or if the police want further info, they will contact me or Gumtree and seek additional information.

The bank take the report and start a process called 'trace and recover' which costs $50. It takes up to 8 weeks and may or may not return the money.

We shall see

wishy said..
Always have a long yarn to them on the phone I reckon. It takes a really great scammer to pull off a knowledge of kiting, and you also get that funny feeling in your tummy when talking to a dodgy bastard.

Sound advice, I shall do that for any future purchases.

Most people seem get their money back through the bank if an EFT and fraudulent transaction. Contact them asap but be prepared to persist and wait.

Wow my bank doesn't charge a fee. So nice of the Commonwealth to waive theirs