eBay

ddesabrais · ‎10-12-2020

This weekend, I've received two separate offers on different items, where the bidder says he gets a message that I don't accept Paypal, and provides a link to an article.

I have not used the link, and do not intend to.

In both instances, the bidder is in Singapore, and the account was created the same day.

Has anyone else experienced this? If so, is there someone that should be notified?

marnotom! · ‎10-12-2020

Buyers from Singapore tend to be very law-abiding and on the up-and-up. Remember, this is a country where selling chewing gum is a crime. Their English is also generally excellent, reflecting its former British colonial past.

If the English of this user (or these users) is a bit sub-standard, what they may be trying to tell you is that you shouldn't be using PayPal and the link may be to a questionable article on the evils of PayPal.

I'm thinking that this buyer or these buyers may be from nearby Malaysia (which is a bit more scam-riddled than Singapore) or further afield Cambodia (noting one of the items you're selling) and faking their location. If you do accept their offer, there's a chance they may ask you to send the item somewhere other than Singapore and accept a different method of payment.

femmefan1946 · ‎10-12-2020

Advice from someone who joined today?

Huh.

Singapore seems to have become the address of convenience for Asian scammers, moving on from Australia.

I'd ignore the Offer.

If your item is not Immediate Payment Required, add that as a choice. Or add Best Offer with strict parameters (accept offers of 90% or more, reject offers of 85% or less).

Real buyers will get a polite turndown or an equally polite acceptance.

You can if you wish Report the Message to Trust and Safety at the bottom of this page. You will get only a polite message from them, but those Reports do add up.