Facebook Marketplace seller cops hundreds in fines
CRIME doesn't pay and as one Facebook Marketplace seller who is now hundreds of dollars out of pocket discovered, the reward isn't worth the risk.
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CRIME doesn't pay and as one Facebook Marketplace seller who is now hundreds of dollars out of pocket discovered, the reward isn't worth the risk.
Facebook has quickly become the place to find a bargain with plenty of preloved items available on the platform's Marketplace.
But sadly, some sellers try to take advantage of their customers.
Mount Perry man Craig Gordon Hanlon appeared in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, after he failed to send items to a customer who had already paid.
Selling car parts on Marketplace for $110, it started off as a normal business transaction between the pair.
Hanlon provided his bank account details for payment to which the keen customer promptly transferred funds across in exchange for the parts.
Agreeing to supply a tracking number, things took a turn when Hanlon told the customer he had misplaced it.
After the customer made several attempts to obtain the tracking number or a refund, Hanlon stopped responding to his messages and blocked him on the social media platform.
Months after the initial incident, police spoke with the defendant who confirmed he had received the funds, lost the tracking number and agreed to reimburse the victim.
Facing the Bundaberg court yesterday, Hanlon told the Magistrate that he gave the parts to his daughter to post to the customer, as he was busy at the time.
He said soon after the arrangement, he had a disagreement with his daughter's boyfriend and had cut ties with his daughter as a result.
The defendant said he spoke to his daughter about a week and a half ago for the first time since the disagreement occurred and she confirmed that she had not sent the parts, but had "literally thrown them in the bin."
Hanlon was ordered to pay the victim $110 in restitution and was fined an additional $500. A conviction was recorded.
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