eBay

jaffe-alias · ‎03-10-2016

I am new to ebay - just listed my camera lens a few days back and got notification on ebay someone has bought it. That person actually sent me a text message on my phone asking me for my paypal information so he can send me money.

I'm not sure how this works -- but I already had paypal info in my listing. Anyway, the other thing i noticed was the person registered on ebay the same day he bought my item. I googled his address and it shows up in Atlanta and Google streets shows me a bank - maybe an employee there?

How do i protect myself from being scammed? Also, do i have right to refuse to sell him if i'm not comfortable? I am new to paypal too - anything i need to do there so i recover my money in case this thing is a scam?

Thanks.

pacificwinds6875 · ‎03-10-2016

Hello and welcome to a very fun but VERY complex EBay World!

First off - always contact any buyers through the Ebay mail system. Send the buyer an invoice for payment. This helps protect you.
You have set your item up with how folks are to pay you (with PayPal). This helps protect you.
Lastly, after you have CONFIRMED your money is in PayPal, ship out the item using a TRACKABLE and possibly insured service. One that demands a signature is usually expensive - necessary at times but not always. The real important service is a TRACKABLE one. This protects you as well.

Dealing with a new buyer that JUST set up an account is to be treated with VERY close scrutiny for sure. We all have started at this very same point during some time or other.

Good luck and remember there are lots of great people out there that are legit and will help you grow your little "biz". Rule of thumb - if something doesn't feel right or you believe something is going to go sideways with a sale - it usually will.

I hope I've helped a bit. Experienced sellers have seen pretty much everything (good and bad) so asking here is a start but if you truly want all the rules, suggestion and tips - EBay Guides and actually phoning them is what you need to do. Don't wait till something goes wrong to figure it out - know what to do first so you don't lose money, time and product.

rosscd57 · ‎03-10-2016

One last thing - he does not need your Paypal information in order to pay you - he already has it if he made a purchase. Make sure you DO NOT GIVE HIM ANY PAYPAL INFORMATION.

__________________________________________________________

Old enough to know better. Young enough to do it again. Crazy enough to try

mr.elmwood · ‎03-10-2016

There are a variety of things going on here. How did the buyer get ahold of your phone number without you knowing it?

Asking for your PP address, it is possible they want to do a transaction outside eBay and save you the fees. This does not do them any good.

Send an invoice. When, and if they pay, send it Expedited with tracking.

Signed up the same day doesn't really mean anything. Many buyers buy with an instantly created guest account.

You have their name, phone the bank and ask for them.

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pocomocomputing · ‎03-10-2016

@jaffe-alias wrote:
I am new to ebay - just listed my camera lens a few days back and got notification on ebay someone has bought it. That person actually sent me a text message on my phone asking me for my paypal information so he can send me money.

I'm not sure how this works -- but I already had paypal info in my listing. Anyway, the other thing i noticed was the person registered on ebay the same day he bought my item. I googled his address and it shows up in Atlanta and Google streets shows me a bank - maybe an employee there?

How do i protect myself from being scammed? Also, do i have right to refuse to sell him if i'm not comfortable? I am new to paypal too - anything i need to do there so i recover my money in case this thing is a scam?

Thanks.

This is most likely a scammer. Once they have the PayPal information, they will send you a fake email show payment hoping you will ship. You need to check your PayPal account by logging in to PayPal seeing the actual payment in your account.

A new seller (zero feedback) like you is a target of scammers who do not know the process.

For a high priced item like your item, I would sell locally on a free classified site and sell in person for cash.

recped · ‎03-10-2016

This is ~~most likely~~ absolutely a scam!

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

reallynicestamps · ‎03-10-2016

How do i protect myself from being scammed?

Only ship when you see in your Paypal account which you reached from your own bookmark, not one in a random text or email, that the payment has been cleared.

As a new seller, PP will be Holding your cleared payment for 21 days as a Buyer Protection (yes, there are bad sellers too).

Nonetheless, you are required to ship within 7 days of the payment clearing.

BTW, if your buyer backs his PP account with a bank account, it can take up to 10 days for his 'e-cheque' to clear the US and Canadian banking systems.

When the PP payment does clear, even though it won't be released for 21 days, you can print a PP shipping label from the Held funds.

PP shipping labels give you a 5% to 17% discount from PO counter prices on many services.

PP will tell you when you try to print a shipping label if the payment has not yet cleared. If that happens, don't ship.

And yeah, that guy is a scammer. Go to the Site Map-> Manage Bidders and add him to your Blocked Bidder List. Do not communicate with him in any way.

And if your camera doesn't find a real buyer, do some buying yourself to build your feedback (feedback is trust) and to give yourself a better overview of the eBay experience.

jaffe-alias · ‎03-12-2016

Thanks everyone for your help.

Yes, that was a scammer - was sent an email saying payment received. It looked like legitimate email. I checked the email from address and name - the address was not from paypal or ebay and the money was not in my Paypal account.

Here are things that were suspicious:

1. I sold in CAD and the person sent me email with payments in USD (no conversion done)

2. The email showed payment for shipping more than I had set on my item

3. The email said this is a gift and needs to be sent to the other address

4. Most important one - the from address was not from ebay or paypal, and, no funds in my Paypal account

I forwarded that email to spoof@ebay and spoof@paypal to make sure they know.

pocomocomputing · ‎03-12-2016

eBay will still charge you Final Value Fees for the sale. You will need to open an Item Not Paid case 4 days after the sale and wait for payment (not coming) and the case will automatically close in 4 days. Then you will get a refund of eBay fees.

You should not relist during the case even though you know it is scam.