Trawling through Ebay as you do, looking for side saddle bargains, I came across this familiar saddle currently listed on there, an Offside side saddle by Owen of London ....
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You see, every now and then, this off-side Owen pops up for sale on the various free ad sites like Gumtree, Craigslist, etc and it's ALWAYS a scam. Sometimes it's for sale for a bargain £1000 by someone in Haringey, London, other times it's listed on Ebay with sellers in various places in Scotland. Once it was the Shetland Islands, one time it was listed in the Outer Hebrides, this time it's in Glasgow.
The Ebay user ID's of the scammer are always ones with seemingly random letters and numbers and almost always zero feedback, except for one time on another ID, when they had a few feedback as a buyer from buying rubbish 1 penny auctions for e-books.
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This saddle was originally sold by a LEGITIMATE Ebay seller (and one where you can buy real side saddles from and not pretend ones), saddlemalc99, a few years back and no doubt they cut and paste part of his original description. I believe it sold for a very high amount when he originally sold it, which is why the scammers have targeted it (the same reason why they targeted my black Swain which also sold for a very high amount).
This is the description the scammers use...
"Beautiful lovely condition offside side saddle made by Owen of LONDON number 13871 seat size cantle to cut back 15.5" (39cm) cantle to front of pommel 20"(51cm) seat width 12.5"(32cm) little bit of moth holes in the serge lining and it has holes in the serge gullet lining.Fitting med wide.Tree /girth straps all good.It is fitted with a Mayhew safety bar.Bacs accepted only,no cash notes!"
Note disclaimer, "no cash notes" and only a bank transfer yet in the auction description they state that you can collect it. Why would you not accept cash if someone was going to collect a saddle? It is very strange and a obvious warning bell. Yes, I accept bank transfer for sales on my website and on Ebay but I have excellent feedback as a seller and as a buyer and also accept Paypal and cash on collection. There is nothing wrong with bank transfers but you should only do one with sellers who have excellent feedback and tend to sell the same sort of thing regularly. Most normal people will accept cash if you want to collect an item, I know I like it!
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Another warning bell, Linda Flemmer who runs the Side Saddlery, and where you can also buy side saddles that actually exist, asked a test question to the scammer asking what type of horse it was used on for fit..
Reply: A gelding
Linda: I asked what kind of gelding?
Reply: A brown one
Enough said...
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If you wish to purchase a REAL off-side side saddle, then visit the following websites as they have REAL off-sides or reversibles for sale...
A Bit on the Side Saddle (mine is coming in November!!!)
The Side Saddlery
Saskia von Ehrenkrook
So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT BID ON THIS AUCTION! EVER!
You see, every now and then, this off-side Owen pops up for sale on the various free ad sites like Gumtree, Craigslist, etc and it's ALWAYS a scam. Sometimes it's for sale for a bargain £1000 by someone in Haringey, London, other times it's listed on Ebay with sellers in various places in Scotland. Once it was the Shetland Islands, one time it was listed in the Outer Hebrides, this time it's in Glasgow.
The Ebay user ID's of the scammer are always ones with seemingly random letters and numbers and almost always zero feedback, except for one time on another ID, when they had a few feedback as a buyer from buying rubbish 1 penny auctions for e-books.
This saddle was originally sold by a LEGITIMATE Ebay seller (and one where you can buy real side saddles from and not pretend ones), saddlemalc99, a few years back and no doubt they cut and paste part of his original description. I believe it sold for a very high amount when he originally sold it, which is why the scammers have targeted it (the same reason why they targeted my black Swain which also sold for a very high amount).
This is the description the scammers use...
"Beautiful lovely condition offside side saddle made by Owen of LONDON number 13871 seat size cantle to cut back 15.5" (39cm) cantle to front of pommel 20"(51cm) seat width 12.5"(32cm) little bit of moth holes in the serge lining and it has holes in the serge gullet lining.Fitting med wide.Tree /girth straps all good.It is fitted with a Mayhew safety bar.Bacs accepted only,no cash notes!"
Note disclaimer, "no cash notes" and only a bank transfer yet in the auction description they state that you can collect it. Why would you not accept cash if someone was going to collect a saddle? It is very strange and a obvious warning bell. Yes, I accept bank transfer for sales on my website and on Ebay but I have excellent feedback as a seller and as a buyer and also accept Paypal and cash on collection. There is nothing wrong with bank transfers but you should only do one with sellers who have excellent feedback and tend to sell the same sort of thing regularly. Most normal people will accept cash if you want to collect an item, I know I like it!
Another warning bell, Linda Flemmer who runs the Side Saddlery, and where you can also buy side saddles that actually exist, asked a test question to the scammer asking what type of horse it was used on for fit..
Reply: A gelding
Linda: I asked what kind of gelding?
Reply: A brown one
Enough said...
If you wish to purchase a REAL off-side side saddle, then visit the following websites as they have REAL off-sides or reversibles for sale...
A Bit on the Side Saddle (mine is coming in November!!!)
The Side Saddlery
Saskia von Ehrenkrook
So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT BID ON THIS AUCTION! EVER!