eBay

thebidwatcher · ‎12-13-2004

Yesterday afternoon I was quite pleased to sell a $429 set of silver after only listing it for a couple of hours. An hour later I recived an e-mail that looked like this:

hello,
i just got a mail from ebay informing me that i won your item using BUY IT NOW. yeah i really want to buy the item,and i will be buying 1 piece from you for the cost of $500 including shippment cost via dh or fedex to nigeria, as for the payment i will like to pay you via money order, for the payment i will contact my client in california owning the sum of $3500 to issue out the money order of that amount to you,so you can subtract the money for the item and also send the fund to me via western union money transfer, since he was already planning to send the money order to me, so i think it will be easier like that and it will not take longer time, so if you agree let me have your NAME,ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER.so i can contact my client asap.
here's the shipping address...

OH CRAP!

After doing research I found out that the buyer registered that day and had been buying up a storm and nailed about a dozen other sellers the same way. The U.S. Power Seller discussion board and I sprung into action to try and limit the damage for everyone. I want to share the results with you.

If this happens to you, this is what you should do:

1. Block the bidder at http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/biddermanagement.html

2. Relist the item right away so you can get it back in action.

3. Leave negative feedback to get this AH off of eBay. The contact info is bogus so even if there is retaliation, it will be removed. But there won't be. The seller is long gone. It is a "hit and run".

4. Reort to eBay so you can get your fees back at http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_inline/index.html

5. Go to Starbucks for latte.

If anyone here has any other tips to add, please feel free to put the on this thread. We can only fight this if we work together.

Lisa (thebidwatcher)

scouttech-outfitters · ‎12-13-2004

Just use this rule of thumb,

If it sounds too good to be true it probably is!

That also sounds very familiar to those email scams I used to always receive from Nigeria

thebidwatcher · ‎12-13-2004

"If it sounds too good to be true"

This is BS in this case.

The felon buys it now, which happens all the time on eBay. The auction is closed and the fees are incurred. Not just to one seller but to over a dozen by a buyer who registered hours or minutes before.

In our preferences, we can only block -1 bidders, not 0 feedbacks.

Why on this board and Canada Square do you guys think the seller can prevent this from happening in any way?

thebidwatcher · ‎12-13-2004

Hey Hey Hey

Just got off the phone with PS Support.

Felon is now NARU and fees have been credited.

Cheers!

muminlaw · ‎12-13-2004

That didn't take long -- good job, biddy! I wonder how long before he shows up with a different name (he probably already has)!

Glenda

Glenda

thebidwatcher · ‎12-13-2004

You got that right Mum!

But I dare him to knock on my door.

I got "killer" here waiting...

muminlaw · ‎12-13-2004

And of course a seller can't prevent it happening -- all a seller can do is exactly what you did! Report the scum as soon as he makes his stupid offer. What makes these twits believe that any of us are going to go along with that kind a proposal??!!!!!

I saw your note on the .com board and I can't believe the reaction you reported you received! Positively ignorant!! Now that I know where you got, I gotta go see what idjut said it ...

Glenda-mum

Glenda

imagi.nation · ‎12-13-2004

Lisa:

This is OT - but how do you get into the U.S. PowerSellers board? Anytime I attempt to access the U.S. Powersellers area I get kicked to the .ca site. 'splain please! ;\

Ernie.

muminlaw · ‎12-13-2004

Ernie, here's the link - or alternatively you can just click on the powerseller logo and, after you've signed in you should be given the option of the US board or Canada (on the right).
https://signin.ebay.com/saw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?SignIn&runame=LIVEWORLD_US_BOARDS&ruproduct=Discussion+Boards&ruparams=page%3D%2Fdb1%2Fforum.jsp%26queryString%3Dforum%25253D76

Sorry all - I HATE when a link makes the page so big you have to scroll sideways, but I don't know how to break a link so that it still works! HEEEEELLLLLLPPPP!

Glenda

Glenda

imagi.nation · ‎12-13-2004

Thanks, Glenda. I thought I might have to learn a secret masonic handshake or pledge allegiance or something, but this is easy.

Cheers,
Ernie.

thebidwatcher · ‎12-13-2004

Just tell em you're with me, Ernie. Better than any ol' goofy handshake!

muminlaw · ‎12-13-2004

We'll be watching for you ... Muuuuhhhhaaaaahhhhhhaaaaaaa!!!

Glenda

shoplineca · ‎12-14-2004

thebidwatcher
I have been selling in eBay for two years. If I sold to the Nigerian eBayers who emailed me similar offers, My sales would be in excess of $2 million and my bad debts in excess of $3 million.

I know that a whole population shouldnt be penalized because of the actions of 90% of the population however, it would be darn nice to not have to have these "opportunities" shoved in our face all of the time if eBay could become a little more aggressive in making the ability to become a member somewhat more difficult in areas where there is a higher risk of fraud.

I mean they are more than aware of the problems as PayPal restricts participation with select countries.

Malcolm

thebidwatcher · ‎12-14-2004

Agreed 100% Malcom.

But the AH registers in Singapore and the Nigerian bit comes after all the auctions are bought. Maybe they can do this from anywhere! No registration info re Nigeria hits the eBay database.

I swear there should just be a way to transport Syphillis through e-mail - from Power Sellers and for this purpose only of course!

thebidwatcher · ‎12-14-2004

oops - Malcolm, sorry.

shoplineca · ‎12-14-2004

thebidwatcher
I know exactly how you feel. Especially at this time of the year when we have so little time to correct everything and try to get our fees back from eBay.

It is too bad that we can't reach through out computers and grab the ba$tard$ at the other end and wring their necks.

Someone really needs to teach them a lesson.

Malcolm

thebidwatcher · ‎12-14-2004

Hey but I did correct everything and get my fees back - in about 5 minutes! Got the pantload kicked offa eBay for the moment anyway. That's the happy ending to this story.

Bless PS Silver phone support. They ROCK!!!!

scouttech-outfitters · ‎12-14-2004

thebidwatcher - That was in reference to him giving and trusting you with the $3500

Common sense would tell you that sounds exactly like the Nigerian email scams and if you did not know about those then an alarm should still be raised

shoplineca · ‎12-14-2004

thebidwatcher
You did good by only taking 5 minutes in getting your fees back and getting him Narud. The sad part is it probably took him 2 minutes to get a new eBay account.

I still say that eBay has a responsibility beyond kicking off the scum who rip off the Sellers.

Their hunger for new members however exceeds their drive to make becoming a member a bit more difficult so we will continue to face these situations and some Sellers, such as yourself may not loose by being able to recognize a bad situation and get eBay PS support while others will get pulled in and loose big time, perhaps through their ignorance, perhaps due not getting PS support.

In other words, there should be a 1-800 number for all members to be able to report these type of things to eBay to circumvent the illegal and imoral activities of some eBay members.

Malcolm