Advice on selling a motorhome

The current trend includes potential buyers pressuring sellers into accepting significantly lower offers, using bogus claims of damp or work needed. Phonely’s Who Called Me platform has received several reports:

• Asked to buy my motorhome. Turned up with a so-called expert who said it was completely damp and would cost in excess of £12,000 to fix. He tricked us into believing this was the case and offered to still buy at £10k less. Yes, we fell for it and lost the money!
• Took our MH yesterday and totally conned us. Told us it was riddled with damp and knocked us down by thousands. Paid in cash and couldn’t get away quick enough. Feel a right bloody fool. Not sure what I can do now to get these scammers brought to rights!

• Buyers use high-pressure tactics, exploiting sellers who may not have had a professional valuation and want to make a quick sale. Phonely has the following advice for sellers

1. Check the market value of your motorhome – call a few dealers or search online for similar models. We've got more advice on working out what your motorhome is worth...
2. Be wary of high-pressure tactics
3. Check buyers out – check buyers' identity, especially if they bring an ‘expert’ to inspect your motorhome
4. Don’t accept cash payments lightly – large cash transactions can be risky, so it's best to use secure payment methods
5. Be wary of middlemen – this is a common scam where you are contacted by someone claiming they have a buyer lined up, but a fee needs to be paid to make the introductions
6. Overseas buyers are a red flag. These people will often request you pay for a transport company
7. If it feels too good to be true or you are at all unsure of the deal, walk away

Our advice if you come across this devaluation scam is to get your own independent check done. There are numerous companies, Hab Check for one, that offer mobile habitation checks.

If you feel you have been the victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud and consider sharing your experiences on a platform like Phonely Who Called Me. Phonely is a digital voice technology provider specialising in anti-fraud solutions to protect vulnerable individuals from scams at home.