Edit: New readers to this topic may benefit from scanning it from the beginning because FB scams are rife and ads becoming more prominent and in one’s face, and little has changed except for the worse since the original post.
Yet another scam revealed on Nine.com.au today which uses fake Facebook ads.
Channel 9 must be desperate to generate some excitement and suck viewers in because they are regurgitating their own story from just over a month ago. 
[For your info, see Georgie Gardner response to false Facebook advertisements: ]
It always pays to do a bit of research before accepting these things at face value. 
I’m trying to work out whether anything on Facebook is real? this doesn’t seem like news 
I saw this story covered on Media Watch - I hope the culprits get nabbed eventually.
Well come on now. Anyone who has been following scams and consumer issues cannot be fooled into following blindly into what is presented on the right side of facebook pages. Seriously?
Yes, seriously. A reason for the Choice Community is that it is not just for ‘us’, it is also for those who do not follow scams and related consumer issues on a day to day basis.
Google often finds posts here, and they can alert those less attuned to what is going on.
There are also casual users who may not be sophisticated about ever more sophisticated and ingenious scams who might learn how to spot them from our commentary or citations.
I take your point, and it is a good one. Scams and clickbait appearing on facebook when reported on sites such as this can be found in google searches. But, as a general comment of mine, anything on facebook that is “sponsered content”, or ads, or of the type “you wont believe what happens…” or anything to do with a celebrity, should be left alone and not clicked on.
The scams just keep on coming.
And some people just keep on falling for them.
I ordered a Portable Washing Machine for camping/caravan from the below company. Paid AUD $60+ and received a small little collapsible basin, nothing like the photo of machine. When going on google a couple of weeks later all that came up for this company was in Europe (not English) but the money I sent went to the UK. I purchased thru Facebook - has anyone else been conned by these people? I emailed twice and NO reply…
Wash Portable™ contact@washportable-aus.com
Paid by credit card? Ring up your card provider and get a charge reversal. It is your right for non-delivered goods as advertised and the card provider’s obligation to do it.
For these people to call a collapsible bucket a “machine” is really stretching things but it appears that there are lots of them on the market.
Always be wary of anything on FB from fake news to social media trolls and influencers to dodgy companies as well as honest locals since there seems not much protection. Of all the places one can buy I suggest FB may be the least reliable place to find merchants yet many people are attentive to the ads and have bought products with no worries and continue to do so.
FB has a page about ‘protection’ and depending on whether this applies in Australia and how you checked out, it might be helpful. I avoid FB marketplace and use the ‘FBPurity’ extension to hide most of FB, so I don’t see much chaff.
https://en-gb.facebook.com/help/1889067784738765/?helpref=hc_fnav
In addition to @Gregr’s comment about getting a credit card chargeback, if you paid by paypal you can also open a paypal dispute if you believe you were conned. Report it via FB too, not that FB seems responsive to much of anything that does not embellish its bottom line, but it might keep the company off the FB Marketplace in future, or not.
I agree and would never buy a product as a result of such. The advertisements seem to bypass the Australian Advertising Code of Conduct which historically has been there to protect consumers from misleading or fraudulent advertising.
Thank you to everyone for your help. I will now try and get the payment reversed. I was reluctant to do this in case the company was genuine - didn’t want to cost them money if they were sending the Machine! Thanks again
If you accept that nothing, nothing, on FB is ‘real’ - and this is a valid concept, we’re all good.
If you accept that FB is an entertainment, a distraction, then that’s OK too.
I connect to prior work friends et al and enjoy their stories. But that’s It…
If it is a sham company, there is a risk that it could have also been there to harvest credit card details. It is important at a minimum to keep an eye on your credit card account to check there aren’t any purchases you didn’t make. It may be worth letting your credit card provider there is a risk that your card details were harvested by the website purchase when you request the chargeback. They may chose to issue a new card to you. If they do, ensure that any setup regular credit charges are moved to your new card.
What a shame this happened to you. I’ve bought a few things as a result of facebook advertising but only when it was something I was intending to buy anyway. A case in point was an offer of a very cheap dry cat food (or dog food if you had a doggo) … obviously with the intention of getting you to buy larger quantities next time. I took that offer and bought more to cover the complete range for cats… Toby absolutely loves his new dry food. So, the result is, I will be getting a larger bag for him (at which point he will decide he doesnt like it after all!!). I also bought some throw rugs which were cotton as opposed to the synthetic rubbish one usually sees these days.
You do have to be very very careful, of course…
Update on the Portable Washing Machine I “purchase” on FB. CBA have refunded my money in full. Very pleased and BIG thank you to the Commonwealth Bank, excellent service. Thank you for the good advise from our Choice Community.
Thanks for letting us know about your good outcome. We were pleased to be helpful. Cheers, PhilT
