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On the 21st April 2024 I viewed a vehicle on the used car website Ooyyo.com. The site advised me to send a message to the seller if I was interested in the vehicle without giving me details as to who the seller was.
On the 22nd April 2024 I received an email from an individual with the surname of Claramunt who described himself as a professional vehicle sales agent for a company by the name of Autopolis S.L. registered in Spain CIF B66876525.
He advised me that his company was acting as an intermediary for the sale of the vehicle I was interested in and proceeded to send me a contract of sale and request for the payment of a reservation fee of €6570 should I wish to reserve the vehicle.
On the 23rd April 2024 in response to my asking how he could assure me that they were a legitimate business and this was a legitimate business transaction he said: "We are a dealership from Sant Andreu de la Barca, Spain.
We're selling cars to Spain and Portugal. We have many Portuguese customers, the Spanish market is larger and Portuguese people buy many cars from Spain, especially the electric ones." He then proceeded to send me a Google maps link to their location and information from the company register regarding their company. He also attached a Certificate from BBVA certifying their bank account along with a copy of his Spanish identity card.
On the back of this evidence I made the payment of €6570 via bank transfer to their BBVA account ES5301820815890201873780. I received an email acknowledging receipt of the funds and that the vehicle was now reserved for me and would be delivered to my home address in Portugal on the 8th May 2024.
On the 25th April 2024 I received an email requesting payment of the balance of the purchase price of €15330 as the financing contract with the vehicle supplier required to be settled prior to the car being able to be delivered.
I paid the sum of €15330 to their BBVA account ES250182900393020041 6894 after receiving a copy of the Certificado de Matrícula for the vehicle and agreeing with the seller that the vehicle would be delivered to me on the 8th May 2024 at Lisbon airport.
On the 8th May 2024 on arrival at the airport and trying to contact the seller to find out where the vehicle was I received an email to say that there had been a problem with the paperwork and the vehicle would be delivered to my home address as soon as that had been resolved. The vehicle has never ever been delivered despite repeated requests and on the 14th May 2024 I reported the matter to the police.
My complaint against BBVA is that in certifying the company's bank accounts they facilitated the fraud through convincing me that I was dealing with a legitimate business and that this was a legitimate business transaction. I have recently retired and moved to the Algarve and this was my attempt to purchase a decent vehicle at a reasonable cost. The fraud has now led to a substantial decrease in my retirement savings.
Claimed loss: €21900
Desired outcome: Please refund me my money and disable this company's business accounts so that they are unable to continue defrauding other innocent people.
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Alright, you've been scammed, and it's time to take action. Start by going after BBVA. They vouched for this company, and you need to hold them accountable. Contact BBVA and make it clear that their certification of this company's account misled you. Demand an investigation and push for compensation. Don't settle for their excuses.
Next, keep pressure on the police. Follow up regularly and ensure they are actively investigating your case. Document everything—every email, every transaction, every conversation. Use this documentation to press your case with both BBVA and the authorities.
If BBVA continues to give you the runaround, look for legal support. A lawyer can help you push harder and get the results you need. Don't back down until you get justice. Your retirement savings are at stake, and you deserve to get your money back. Be relentless and don't let these scammers get away with it.