eBay Auction Problem

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Posted By: Joe D.

I thought I would pass this along... just in case it helps someone else.

A recent lesson learned: Look at the winner of your auctions before sending an invoice as invoices might have some of your personal info (address or phone number). If anything about the buyer looks fishy or zero feedback or newly registered... use the contact member feature before sending an invoice.

A while back - I had someone click a 'buy it now' auction and the person had an obviously made up name and address. I sent a quick invoice to this person and regretted doing so.

Now just this week, - someone clicked another 'buy it now' auction of mine. Zero feedback / a person who just registered. Anyway, I did not send this person an invoice and tried to contact the person first. The person (from UK) said they are going to send me MORE than the auction called for and requested that I send him back the balance via Western Union (huh?) and the person wanted to be sure that the item was good quality (huh? -- why not ask questions before committing to a buy it now?), wanted me to ship at the same time of receiving the money order... buyer was going to send DHL for pickup (huh - no way!), and began each email asking me to send my address and telephone number.

The person very quickly was kicked off eBay (no longer a registered user). This was done by no action taken by me --- so he must have done something fishy with someone else.

Even after getting kicked off ebay he emailed me for my address and phone number so that he could send me more money than the auction called for ASAP.

I emailed back that I would not circumvent the ebay process... that he was no longer an ebay member and that I could not sell to him.

He emailed back... saying he was working out the issue with eBay but for me to please send my address / phone number so that he could send payment ASAP.


Long story short: I am glad that I did not send the invoice to this person. And suggest everyone look over the buyer's name / address / feedback - and if anything doesn't look right - to contact member before sending invoice.

I also went to the Post Office and got a PO Box which I will be using for eBay correspondence from now on.


I thought that I could block users below a certain feedback rating / but you can only block those with negative feedback.

eBay did relist the item at no cost... but I, like other eBayers, am still vulnerable that a menace can just create a new account and end any 'buy it now' auction.

Thought I would pass that along.

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Posted By: James Gallo

This is a pretty well known scam. They payment they send is either fake or from a stolen card. You end up sending product and a while later get a chargeback or something similar.

I just got offered $50 for something that was in my ebay store for $35. I declined and this person has continued to make offers on the item. Each time the actually lower the offer.

Needless to say I don't think anyone would offer someone more on a BIN auction just for the hell of it.

A lot of times it is about instict, and I always try to go for it.

Oh and often you will get someone that will want you to buy them computers and cell phone in addition to what they bought from you. Same scam.

James Gallo

Looking for 1915 Cracker Jacks and 1909-11 American Caramel E90-1.

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Posted By: Lee

This is a typical scam, I don't exactly know how it works, but it has been offered to me as well. I turned them down of course, I hope I'm a bit smarter than to fall for a ploy like this, but many people do fall for it. Like you, something just did not feel right about it. For me, it was over a very expensive paintball gun, I used to play paintball semi-professionally. I think it is a way of laudring money because you cash their money and it makes the money harder to trace. I bet they do it over and over until the money disappears.

regards,
Lee

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Posted By: Steve M.

I think you can limit your buyer to USA only. That way at least you don't have to worry about overseas bidders. You can then state in your listing that any overseas (or Canadian)bidders can email you for permission to lift the ban and let them bid. I've done this with E in Canada and it works well.

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Posted By: Joe D.

Lee,

thats what I thought of right away... is this person looking for me to launder money?!

The only reason I thought maybe the person was being sincere was because of an exchange rate?

But even so - I was thinkng - watch this guy send me $10,000 for a $800 item and look for me to send him money back... the whole thing was just fishy.

What is amazing was the person's persistance and multiple emails even after getting kicked off ebay... all asking for my address and phone number ASAP.


Steve...
All of my auctions are US Only - I just never wanted to have to deal with international shipping (not familiar with it). I posted a bunch of stuff during 20cent listing day using my saved template.... for some reason - every country was checked off (ebay software update issue changed my template?) - and it was something I did not notice until I saw that this buyer was from the UK.

When I relisted the auction... eBay live help said that I couldn't change anything (I guess for the free re-list).


So, I have a bunch of auctions right now open to worldwide bidders... but will be sure that new auctions are US only.

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Posted By: Lee

You were right to steer clear of this Joe. Did he tell you how much he was going to send you? The guy that was going to scam me if i gave him the chance was trying to send me $2500 for a $700 item. He persistance also shows that this is a scam. As you know, once eBay cancels membership, the persons contracts are null I think. I doubt the exchange rate excuse because he probably was going to send you a very large sum of money. I would guess money landuring. He gets the card from you and resells it = money effectively cleaned. In turn, you would have also cleaned the other money you send back to him somewhat, because it has been cashed and turned into another form (money order, different western union transfer, ect). Also there would be the factor that he could send youpounds or euros, and when you cash this, it would change the currency to an entirely different form of money, the dollar.

Oh yeah, I'm really enjoying the T206 Smith SGC 1.5 Chicago and Boston you sold me on eBay a while back. Thanks for the great deal.

Regrads,
Lee

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Posted By: David Smith

If the scammer is in England, why don't you just accept the money and keep it and your merchandise? Might teach the scammer a lesson....


David

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Posted By: Joe D.

semi-pro paintball?

Thats pretty cool.

I had one year where my friends and I were very into paintball... and it was some of the most fun I had. I remember seeing the enemy flag and not a soul around. I couldn't believe it... I was right there... couldn't believe I was going to get the flag. Then as I reached up for it - the enemy popped out of hiding and hit me right in the stomach (pretty close range)... I had a welt for a week. Great stuff.

glad to hear that you are enjoying the T206 Smith SGC 1.5 Chicago and Boston --- glad it went to an N54er.

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Posted By: Lee

Good point about keeping the money David. I would be afraid of any legal implications, though, to go through with it. Then it may become your job of spending the money secretly if the money was dirty. I would just not want any headache from the situation that I could easily avoid.

And Joe, semi-pro paintball was great, but it began to get too expensive. Entrance fees for tourneys were about $500 a team for each one. Not to mention markers (guns) at $1000 a pop with a nitrous system. I had more money at this time because I had not started collecting again, but we just did not get enough sponsorship to keep going. I still play occasionally, and still do have an Angel LCD that I saved from the playing days.

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Posted By: David Smith

Lee, do you think a scam artist in England would have the balls to go to the authorities? I mean the money to you might seem big but if they are pulling the wool over a lot of people's eyes, the money is small potatoes to them and not worth the risk of getting caught.

I say keep the money but don't spend it. Put it in a savings account or some other interest bearing but easily accessible place. If the scam artist or the authorities want the money back, then give it to them. At least you will have gotten a short term loan and the scam artists will feel the sting of being conned.

David

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Posted By: Lee

I never said they would go to the authorities, you interepreted this. I just think it would be stupid to get in the middle of it. Get the info from Joe, send them your info, and tell us how it comes out.

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Posted By: Dylan

This scam actually isnt so much about laundering money but just taking your money. The idea is to send a check or MO(which is a well done fake, even heard of POSTAL money orders that looked perfect to the non-expert) which is well in excess of the amount of the item. Say you sold a $100 dollar item and they send you $2,000. Then a reason is given, bank issues, customs, etc. that they need someone from the states to deposit the money and then send the remainder, minus 5% or something for you to keep for you work. It will take a several days for the money order to be routed to the correct bank where it will be discovered as a fake. By that you already sent the $1,900 (minus your little cut) and you are now responsible to make up that money to the bank. You dont even need to sell anything to do this scam. An email can be sent out saying, need a job, all you do is cash checks... For a while it will run honestly you cash the check (here is a situation where you actually are laundering money and then get ripped off later)send them the money and you get a cut. But they get your account info through this and a couple months later, or longer if they need you to launder money for a while, they drain you of every dollar you have. So its a laundering, bank fraud operation. Different from the ebay scam in some ways but very simaler too. According to CIA Its mostly run out of Africa (Nigeria) and ex-soviet nations with Ex-KGB agents pulling the strings. Its a multi-multi millon dollar scheme, be careful, and never send cash from a MO, check to someone you dont know for any reason whatsoever!

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Posted By: jason

Don’t stop opening your auctions overseas. We are not all scam artists. I live in England and know several other genuine vintage baseball collectors over here who buy off E-bay regularly. It provides us with one of the few access points to the hobby we love!

Besides, most of these scam artists are not English at all but are Eastern Europeans who use us as a base to launch their dubious dealings!

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Posted By: Joe D.

if you ever see any of my auctions on eBay (bijoem).... feel free to bid on them even if you are outside of the US.

When I send you a 'contact buyer', just mention N54 and I will know that you are okay.