'£6k Caribbean cruise scam left me exhausted'

Gill E Andrews fell victim to an eBay scam after thinking she had booked a holiday

A woman who discovered a Caribbean cruise she had booked on eBay was a scam does not want other people to go through the same "anguish".

Gill E Andrews, 64, from Bridlington in East Yorkshire, realised she had lost £6,300 after she received a brochure for a sports clothing company instead of the paperwork for the holiday.

"My husband is disabled and we felt a long cruise would give me some respite as well as getting some winter sunshine," she said.

After being contacted by the BBC and reviewing the case, PayPal agreed to issue a full refund. An eBay spokesperson said they were "sorry" for Ms Andrews' experience.

Ms Andrews thought it was a "joke" when she was sent a sports clothing brochure instead of the paperwork for her holiday

Ms Andrews said she had previously bought several holidays via the auction site - including a trip to the Maldives - without any issues.

After exchanging messages with the seller and checking with the cruise line, Mrs Andrews used the Paypal platform to transfer the money.

But the seller then stopped responding to messages and Ms Andrews contacted eBay for help.

She said: "The agent assured me that our money was safe, and wouldn’t be handed to the seller until the buyer had confirmed receipt of the item."

A month after the transaction, Ms Andrews received a signed-for envelope containing a sports clothing brochure rather than the paperwork for her holiday.

She told the BBC she thought the situation was a "joke" but realised something was wrong when eBay sent her an email confirming the delivery of the cruise.

She said: "The seller was able to evidence that they had sent something to me by signed-for post.

“It wasn’t until we received the email that I put two and two together.”

'Exhausting'

After she realised what had happened, Ms Andrews alerted eBay and reported the case to PayPal. Both companies initially told her the case was closed and refused a refund.

She said: "It’s exhausting. Absolutely exhausting.

“I don’t feel embarrassed. I don’t want other people to go through the anguish that we’ve gone through."

Despite telling Ms Andrews her trip was covered, eBay then told her travel tickets were not included in its Moneyback Guarantee.

In a statement, eBay admitted its customer service team had given her incorrect information and said it was "very sorry".

The BBC contacted PayPal on Mrs Andrews' behalf. It has reviewed the claim and has agreed to reimburse the full £6,300 amount.

Humberside Police is looking into the incident. A spokesperson for the force said: "Inquiries are ongoing and we have since contacted the victim and arranged to visit her, offering support and guidance regarding fraud-related crime."

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.