Strange purchase

[fatdane]

Yesterday I sold a stamp set for all of 55 cents US ( and please don't ask me why Ebay has not ended that store item- I have no idea why they haven't). The buyer sent an Echeck for 55 cents along with the following message "Note: Hey I just found something just like it so you dont have to send the item. Just give me a positive feedback like "great ebayer" as soon as you can and we'll call it a deal." The buyer has 0 feedback but seems to know the ins and outs of Ebay and Paypal. To me it looks like some one "buying" feedback as cheaply as possible. Anyone else get a sale like this? I'm not inclined to rush to give this guy positive feedback. Item number is 230177139888

[coxengines]

No matter how you slice it, it looks suspicious/questionable.

Then why do you worry about "aiding" them? According to you, it does not help them, so you are not really "aiding" them. Might as well take their money.

My take is that those are likely "innocent" eBayers that want to build up a few "numbers" as fast as possible.

The real scammers you will not notice as they will either complete the purchase or simply buy 100 ebooks for a buck each.

$100 to have account with 3-digit FB. Were I a scammer, I would say "heck of a deal"!

Cheers
Bernie

[fatdane]

I emailed Trust and Safety about this purchase, and they regard it as feedback manipulation.

[ampurtle]

I too have been getting a lot of obvious attempts to buy feedback for $1.oo items. Now I just keep the money, give no feedback and wait to see if there will be a protest. I'm not in the feedback selling business like others.

[coxengines]

they regard it as feedback manipulation.

Of course that's what it is. Your buyer was just not very smart, that's all. The "smart" ones do it the proper way 🙂

And, ampurtle, we are not in the business of selling FB either. However, if a buyer purchases an $1.95 item from us, pays for it, leaves FB immediately and requests that we reciprocate, what do you think we are going to do?

Impose our morals on others? No, they get their well-deserved FB.

Cheers
Bernie

[coxengines]

wait to see if there will be a protest

The "protest" could be in the form of a neg. A few of those and you will be leaving FB.

... or whining on the boards about how badly you have been dealt with 🙂

Cheers
Bernie