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Mattress Scam


Frank Hovis

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HOLA441

I'm not hearing much publicity for this as it's low value and a trading standards matter rather than a police one.

It seems to be only in the wider south west but may spread as the two guys I've encountered were northern. I doubt any HPCer would be taken in but warn your elderly relatives.

A sign-written transit is driven around a quiet residential area looking totally legitimate. The driver stops and asks anybody walking past if they're local, as you do when asking for directions, if you are then they say they have been / are delivering mattresses to a named local hotel (which they've seen or looked up) and have some left over. The old "tarmac your drive guv?" scam essentially, with tarmac "left over" from the roadworks.

If you're interested they show you the.mattresses, which look great and are well-discounted and drive them and you to your home. Carry them in for you and give you an official looking receipt. They'll even take a card and have a machine. Any problems give them a call and we'll collect it and fully refund you.

All looks well.

But:

The phone number on the receipt & van doesn't work.

And:

The mattress is an old dumped one, recovered in new material and newly shrink-wrapped in plastic. Nice. Take it straight to the tip.

I suspect that those involved like travelling.

The first time I just said "no", and the second time I laughed.

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HOLA442
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HOLA449

Any reason to suppose it's just mattresses? As opposed to, anything you can retrieve from the tip and spin a story around?

Ready supply in the old ones collected by purchasers.

As long as it's not actually stinking or has springs sticking out then how would you ever know that you're sleeping on a mattress somebody threw out, as who Rios the cover off their mattress to have a look.

Plus it's not a police matter so risk is low compared to reward, and the likely buyer is going to be somebody naive who is unlikely to complain.

It seems a very wise choice. Plus as I mentioned the cans are sign-written to add legitimacy so they can't switch into frozen fish without paying out to change that.

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HOLA4410

They were round here according to homewatch a few years ago,

The old mattress bit is a new one on me though. It used to be really nasty cheap mattresses.

This was what Trading Standards said, I guess they just recover the ones they collect.

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HOLA4411

...or the "I've got a couple of spare generators going"....happened to me two days ago...

You are joking? I had that yesterday! :wacko: Will he HPC lot buy generators?

Actually Frank I sleep on an unmade concrete floor, because I learned to be "hord" in Geordiland!

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HOLA4414

You are joking? I had that yesterday! :wacko: Will he HPC lot buy generators?

Actually Frank I sleep on an unmade concrete floor, because I learned to be "hord" in Geordiland!

Concrete? Luxury! We had to make do with a litter-strewn pile of rubble.

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HOLA4415

Didn't Mr Pin report that one?

I didn't buy anything! Nothing to report. It was an Irish bloke though, do I'm probably a racist, despite being part irish!

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HOLA4416

I don't buy anything I didn't know I didn't have just on a whim, from an anonymous caller! Do people do that? I'll bet Winkie doesn't, as there is more in less, although actually I like more! ^_^

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HOLA4418

It may well be fraud which is a criminal offence

Maybe I should have invited the "salesman" into my basement for some "entertainment"? :blink:

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HOLA4420

:)

MrPin approves (even though it's Tarrantino and he a complete c8ck). We think well of Uma because she is tall and clever.

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HOLA4421

MrPin approves (even though it's Tarrantino and he a complete c8ck). We think well of Uma because she is tall and clever.

Don't take them to your basement, they'll pinch your motorcycle and be all Pin's dead Baby.

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HOLA4422

Isn't this a bit like people who buy designer clothes, off ebay, because they think they've been shoplifted but they turn out to be fake?

Should tell them it's a shame they've got mattresses as you needed some new speakers.

Think I've told this tale before but, when I was parked in a retail park, in Coventry, some pikeys tried to sell me a surplus TV I'd just watched them nick from Comet.

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HOLA4423

Don't take them to your basement, they'll pinch your motorcycle and be all Pin's dead Baby.

My basement is more extreme than Anything Taratino can imagine, if you are up for it! :blink:

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HOLA4424

Isn't this a bit like people who buy designer clothes, off ebay, because they think they've been shoplifted but they turn out to be fake?

Should tell them it's a shame they've got mattresses as you needed some new speakers.

Think I've told this tale before but, when I was parked in a retail park, in Coventry, some pikeys tried to sell me a surplus TV I'd just watched them nick from Comet.

Nah, fake designer goods are a nod and a wink. Even poor fakes. Nobody thinks that they're really getting a five grand handbag for thirty quid.

These people think they're getting a new mattress and wouldn't buy a second hand mattress however cheap.

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HOLA4425

It may well be fraud which is a criminal offence

They'll have a hard time proving it, I doubt anybody asks if a new looking shrink wrapped mattress is new. I didn't when I bought mine from a shop.

They've been sold a mattress and assumed that it was new. You would.

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