White Van Scam (melb)

[Hybrid34]

I bet you all have heard of this one, one place or another,
Title Explains is all, and i was stupid enough to go along,
White Van, 2 Dodgy guys asking me if i want to buy speakers, well to my curiosity i went along with it, had a look at it, did a bit of barganing n brought them, centre and rears for $275..
Went home played them...they sound VERY VERY nice,
after this i did some research on the net, found out that these speakers don't exisit, and that they could have been fakes from Denmark,

I heard from reading that these guys are goign all around melbourne Mainly S.E trying sell it off saying "Extra Stock came in n we gotta sell it off",
So I guess a warning to those who havn't passed them,
VW White Van (didn't get the rego),
Selling Magnus & Larsson Speapkers (maybe others)
1 male Ethic Looking
1 male Anglo Aussie Looking...


Has anyone else passed them before? Dispite i got these speakers really really cheap, they sound pretty awesome..

- Ash

[lukey]

Yeh I had them before. Sounds like the same guys and van actually. I'm in SE Vic and they tried to sell me speakers at 7/11. I had heard of the scam and just said I wasn't interested. He told me they were doing a delivery and had been given too much stock so they wanted to sell them off quickly.

[XR8GRL]

One time awhile ago in Dandenong, some guy pulled up next to us at the lights and was telling us to pull down the window. It looked like they were admiring the ute, but they asked if we were interested in buying a stereo system. Not sure if it was these guys, quite possibly.

[Hybrid34]

Originally Posted by XR8GRL

One time awhile ago in Dandenong, some guy pulled up next to us at the lights and was telling us to pull down the window. It looked like they were admiring the ute, but they asked if we were interested in buying a stereo system. Not sure if it was these guys, quite possibly.

Yeah Their ALLways around the dande n springy area..


Scam...Yes means their selling NON-legit items...
They were pretty good at convincing me (even though the whole time i knew it wasn't 100% right), but im 100% happy with what i got very clear speakers (lets just see if they last any long)

[sfr rob]

I have bought a couple sets of these speakers they are AWESOME.
I got fleetwood full surround speakers X2. Very happy, VERY cheap, VERY dodgey! :

[Smoke Pursuit]

Had the same sorta guys approach me twice up here in QLD, one day i told them to off or else id get the coppers to come and check them out. Second time I told them to come over to my car (at the time a BA white Futura with antennas all over it) and they thought i was a cop so they bolted yet again... they are definately dodgy...

[TadKa]

sorry for my ignorance but what is the scam? I assume they are hot.

[hanky]

Originally Posted by TadKa

sorry for my ignorance but what is the scam? I assume they are hot.

In Sydney they try to flog off cheap speakers as "name brand" speakers. You can buy them at the markets. Most people think they're stolen speakers and buy them thinking they are Bose or some other brand.

[boss-290]

Yep had this happen to me and my Dad.

We were in Mornington, as Dad just had a doctors appointment at the Eye specialist. We were waitng for my sister to come pick us up (as I didn't have my licence then). These guys in a "Thrifty" van called us. I didn't respond and I just ignored them as they looked dodgy. One guy got out of the van and came over and asked if I wanted to buy a home theatre system. Dad and I declined. The dodgy guy explained that his boss oredered too much stock and he needed to get rid of them cheap.

This van was a Thrifty van it has the logo on the side with a big dent.

My Mum saw them in Springvale also.

[Josh_XC]

Its not just melbourne ive seen a few guys around canberra doing the exact same thing.

[AC/DC]

Would you believe that they are in Townsville ( NTH QLD ) at the moment.

They are selling the same stuff that you can get in stores like JB, WOW, Strathfield etc etc, , but they are selling it for double the price.

AC/DC

[boss-290]

They must be successful in their operation as they are nationwide.

[RAREV8]

Its not actually a scam- they get brand "X" speakers from China and just sell them from a van- no overheads other than the car cost but they are not necessarily stolen or dodgy and many will sound ok>
As always, buyer beware! Who will you go to in the event of a warranty claim?
The real dodgy ones are the ones selling B.O.S.E lectronics gear that looks (to the uninitiated) much like a Bose Lifestyle system...very clever but very illegal and an absolutely appauling imitation that doesn't last 5 minutes!
Most of these guys are off ebay now and the vans are far fewer than last year.
A basic rule of thumb- if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Do your research first!

[S3SR]

Originally Posted by AC/DC

Would you believe that they are in Townsville ( NTH QLD ) at the moment.

They are selling the same stuff that you can get in stores like JB, WOW, Strathfield etc etc, , but they are selling it for double the price.

AC/DC

they wouldnt be called harvey norman would they? :P LOL

i wish i got offered some jamo speakers for that sort of price ($275), id buy two sets

[XW 393]

Yeah I have seen them in Dandy and also in Melton, probably where they load their van up from !!!

[paul_r_d]

Originally Posted by AUlien

Yeah I have seen them in Dandy and also in Melton, probably where they load their van up from !!!

Lol if you read my previous post I said it happend at the servo... guess where in Melton at the Caltex LOL

[NOS-377]

Originally Posted by paul_r_d

Lol if you read my previous post I said it happend at the servo... guess where in Melton at the Caltex LOL

they asked me today at the same servo . new toyota hiace van . i aussie guy and 1 african sort of guy . selling ekhlipse speakers .. said they were worth 3500 . i told him ill give u $50 for it .. obviously he didnt take it

[lostdude]

I had a friend who bought a set in the fairfield (sydney) area a while ago bout 4 years, they sounded ok for the price .

[rodderz]

Most sell cheapo asian units branded as a Euro name, and price it as such so it seems a good deal. There must be a few, I've been hounded by them filling up at a Cranbourne servo once and again and Hoppers Crossing.

I've also had a guy in a leather jacket selling watches (open the coat like in the movies), a guy selling cheap work boots and a bloke selling porno's out the back of an old porsche!

[kyro_02]

lol my bro go scammed, except the speakers sounded GREAT, complete home theatre system .. I think he picked it all up $200ish

hoppers crossing, white van, 2 guys
RG digital

[sprjenkins]

yep, had these guys come up to me. Wanna buy some speakers?

[Bossxr8]

Had 2 guys try the same thing on me at the Westgate servo a few years ago. Read the paper a few weeks later and they were in court, turns out they worked for Steve Bennet hi-fi down here in Geelong and they were trying to sell speakers they had stolen from work. Morons.

[Pinkbits]

Similar type of operation has been going on for the last 10 years at least here in Melbourne. I've been approached a few times but always declined.
Like others have said, if sounds too good to be true it probably is.

[paule11]

had it in townsville probably 8 years ago they had a story they had brought or been delivered too many and wanted to sell them cheap before the boss found out.

Told them I wasnt interested and they asked if I knew anyone who was, said I had a few mates who were in the policeforce who may be interested then they took off

[HavocXR8]

yep same thing here in canberra
they said that they were left over from a job

[paul_r_d]

Ash
This happend to me before christmas, 2 guys in a white van (windows all blocked out) as u described pulled up at the petrol station near me as I was filling up asking me if I wanted to buy a home theatre system. I delcined, and they took off asking others who were filling up. This was in north-west of melb, so possibly the same guys.

[Kryton]

these guys have been investigated by a few organisations and nothing was found to be dodgey or illegal, so they are not scammers at all.
as mentioned, they are trading from the back of a van, no overheads etc and they arent breaking any laws.
if the product sounds good and your happy with it, whats your gripe?
unhappy you didnt get to pay top dollar?

[paul_r_d]

Originally Posted by davway

these guys have been investigated by a few organisations and nothing was found to be dodgey or illegal, so they are not scammers at all.
as mentioned, they are trading from the back of a van, no overheads etc and they arent breaking any laws.
if the product sounds good and your happy with it, whats your grip?
unhappy you didnt get to pay top dollar?

Yeah I am sure these people have an Australin Business Number and claim tax.....NOT there for making it illegal.

[boss-290]

Originally Posted by davway

these guys have been investigated by a few organisations and nothing was found to be dodgey or illegal, so they are not scammers at all.
as mentioned, they are trading from the back of a van, no overheads etc and they arent breaking any laws.
if the product sounds good and your happy with it, whats your gripe?
unhappy you didnt get to pay top dollar?

Fair point..

But when you buy retail, you get receipts, warranty etc.

With these guys, what sercurity do you have?

You spend "200ish" on a home theatre that doesn't work. And you'll pay retail buying a proper one as a replacement.

Who wins? The van sellers!

[Nostalgia]

Cheap speakers bought from the back of a van and "They sound awesome". Are you for real or what.