As they say - if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Well my experience this afternoon just proves that point

There was a beautiful Puck L on Gumtree which was allegedly in the Bristol area. 2008 Puck L in new condition for only £4800. Hmm - too good to be true. Maybe. Maybe not. Well, I asked to view and the seller said that's not possible as they're working away from home in Scotland, but then said this........

Due to my location and since view or pick up is not an option I will agree for a 5-7 days of full inspection period ( after the date you receive the van ). This means that you have 7 days to inspect the van for any damages and decide if you want to keep it or not! Because I will sign eBay's return policy, your money will be insured by them and you will have the option to reject the deal, only if we go through PayPal as well. If this is the case, you will receive a full refund (money back) from PayPal and I will have to take the van back on my cost!

I smelled a very stinky rat and reported this to Gumtree, who confirmed it was indeed a phishing attempt and prompty removed the advert. Thankfully my ££ is safe - but unfortunately not everyone is aware of these scams.

What I did when I bought my van privately was to visit the Google Earth web site and check to see if the van was parked in the drive. It won't work every time (if the van is not at that address or if it is in the garage for example) but its worth a try. In my case the van was clearly visible.
Dave