There is a Scam currently operating on eBay involving the fraudulent resale of Center Parcs breaks. I will deal with that below, but will also cover the issues of CODES.

CODES; Centerparcs operate a very sophisticated website with tracking to monitor visitor behaviours (Metrics) and also to monitor redemptions against codes. These codes exist for tracking purposes and have budgets attributed to them. If a Code becomes compromised, it becomes invalid. This is often monitored via date and regional type coding within such codes, so if a code appears where and when it shouldn't, then this is flagged. What you could find in a worst case scenario, is that your code is revoked and the difference charged back to your booking number.  If a code no longer works, i.e. shows a discount or benefit that could well be why.

The fraud occurs here when either the codes on printed vouchers are used and sold on and then the voucher is sold on, potentially by then as useless and worthless piece of paper!  Or, where the codes have been closed down.

Ther are special codes given out for corporate use and these can be withdrawn without notice if found to be being 'abused'. They are tracked and analysed using sophisticated marketing 'Metrics'. cross checking and auditing is common and errors are corrected or invalidated as per the published terms and conditions.

Center Parcs is a business and code fraud erodes their margins. These codes are someting used to make bookings that are then resold on eBay. This is in direct contravention of the Center Parcs terms and conditions and is likely to result in a cancelled/invalidated booking - after you've paid your money to the 'seller' and sometimes even with a booking number that appears valid.

This is where the more sinister fraud is being conducted;   

Having successfully bid on a fraudulent but apparently entirely plausible listing (or having exercised the buy-it-now option) for a Center Parcs holiday from a private seller on eBay, you will most likely receive an e-mail from the seller advising that your details will be passed on to Center Parcs (they won’t be) and that booking confirmation was being sent on to you by the seller by post (which you won’t receive), and you’ll be contacted with the confirmations a couple of weeks before your stay by Center Parcs (you won’t be).

If in doubt, speak to Center Parcs or go to the Center Parcs website at centerparcs.co.uk and see if you can book the villa/chalet quoted in the listing.  If it’s still available, that’s a bad sign.  Worryingly, the fraudsters often resell the same actual or fake booking several times over.

On genuine bookings, Center Parcs will always provide an e-mail confirming a (at least deposit paid) booking with a booking number, you then quote in all correspondence or communications.  When you have paid for your break and if you have not previously paid the extra fee for a specific chalet or villa, you will be allocated one then.

Having not received any confirmations, or a booking number, victims become suspicious and then contact Center Parcs. You will then find that there is no booking.  Center Parcs suggest you allow 7 days for processing any changes to a booking.  This is a facility for which they charge a £20 admin fee.

Center Parcs clearly state on their website that resale of bookings is prohibited unless conducted through their own systems.  Written permission must be granted by Center Parcs and written confirmation will be provided on receipt of payment of the £20 admin fee, provided that Center Parcs are happy with the arrangement.  They retain the right to refuse and invalidate any booking that breaks their terms and conditions.  Be careful not to buy a cancelled booking based on a booking confirmation given prior to cancellation.

At the point of speaking to Center Parcs, you may find they have no record of a booking for the chalet or villa fitting the description of the listing you won, in either your name or of any transfers going through and would need to be provided with the booking number so that they could investigate the error.

Paypal, eBay and Center Parcs are all aware of potentially fraudulent activity in respect of breaks being resold several times over on eBay (possibly under different but usually connected in some way ID’s) or of bookings that simply don’t exist being sold on eBay.

Transfer external to Center Parcs system is prohibited (as they need to know who really is on site) and this scam is in direct breach of the terms and conditions of booking acceptance and will invalidate any perceived booking.  Such arrangements can only be made via Center Parcs and only valid if confirmed in writing by Center Parcs after the appropriate procedures had been followed and the appropriate fee £20 paid.  Anyone trying to gain entry who was not the stated attending persons list when the booking or subsequent alteration was made, would be refused entry on security grounds.

Center Parcs are aware of certain parties with connections to the travel agency industry that are involved in fraudulent activity on eBay.

If you are a victim of this scam, you are advised to report the matter to eBay, Paypal and the Police ASAP.

So how come eBayers don’t spot this? -

The scam works by timing the gap between the booked accommodation dates and the purchase and payment, so it is just long enough to be outside of the Paypal and eBay buyer protection reporting and claim deadlines and also often outside of feedback cut-off dates too.  Check to see if the seller is bidding on similar holidays, to prop-up that listings apparent appeal and to encourage other watchers to bid (often retracting their bid or declining their own 'best offer').  Check all feedback very carefully on similar completed items for clues.

Multiple ID’s are used by the fraudsters to spread the items across eBay and reinforce plausible stories of family fall-outs, corporate over-booking/cancellations, work and family commitments, circumstances preventing, house moves, etc.

They seem to be focused mainly on Longleat (although Oasis Winfell, Sherwood Forest and Elveden Forest sites are just a likely to crop up. The fraudsters seem to be predominantly located in the South West and Midlands.

No effort is made to refund the buyer (despite promises or assurances to any trouble makers who’ve spotted the fraud or are clearly about to - usually timed to allow full clearance of the funds out of the Paypal account!).  The buyer is then made to believe that the whole invalidity of the booking is in some way their fault (often overtly blamed for ring Center Parcs and querying the booking), even though they have behaved correctly based on information advised to them. 

Watch out for buyer complaints being escalated by the seller to a claim to postone the resolution beyond sales dates for other fraudulent listings and beyond feedback dates, etc.  Don't make payment to a different Paypal address than the one attached to the listing.  These frausters underestimate Paypal and eBay's intelligence somewhat, so none of this is 'news' to the Legal Departments. This scam relies entirely on buyer innocence and confidence. 

This is a cynical con-trick reliant on the buyer not 'cottoning-on' until it is too late (to get their money back) or worst still at the entrance to Center Parcs itself when entry is refused at the expected commencement of the holiday!

Center Parcs are aware of potentially fraudulent activity in respect of breaks being resold several times over on eBay (possibly under different but connected ID’s) or of bookings that simply don’t exist being sold on eBay.

Transfer external to Center Parcs system is prohibited (as they quite rightly need to know who really is on their site) and this is in direct breach of the terms and conditions of booking acceptance and invalidates any perceived booking. Such arrangements could only be made via Center Parcs and only valid if confirmed in writing by Center Parcs after the appropriate procedures had been followed and the appropriate fee of £20 paid.

Anyone trying to gain entry who was not the stated attending persons list when the booking or subsequent alteration was made, would be refused entry on security grounds.

Center Parcs are aware of certain parties with connections to the travel agency industry that are involved in fraudulent activity on eBay, by exploiting corporate codes that have been used legitimately initially to book Center Parcs breaks or indeed some are selling non-existant bookings on eBay, or the same booking several times over.

PLEASE don't be yet another victim of this cynical SCAM. They are making a killing at the expense of decent honest eBayers.  

Let's please keep eBay 'scammer free' and a fun place to trade and get REAL bargains.