Whose gotten burned on e-bay?

[tybee204]

I buy and have sold on ebay. I use a PO Box. I never give my home address to anyone. Nor would I meet someone to exchange an item.

 

[BirdieBoo]

Oh, you think that it's OK to put yourself on the Internet, to provide contact info for buyers, as per Ebay's user agreement, but not to state what part of the country you are from? Have you heard of listing only the STATE? It gives a person a good idea of what the reasonable charges are for shipping from location to location. Some people try to make lots of money in shipping charges. I am not referring to you, because I don't know anything about you, but eBay has become a den of scheming professional selling scam artists in some cases.

Your reasoning makes no sense to me. If you are that worried about being murdered, then you should turn your PC off and never turn it back on. Certainly if a person would murder you, then they would cheat you and steal from you, wouldn't they? How do you trust your buyers?

Certainly you are at a higher risk when you post on a true crime board as there are people who know how to put imbedded code in their posts to track IP addresses. Once a person has an IP address, it is a piece of cake to trace right to their location.
I hope you already knew this.. and don't post anywhere else either.
No one has ever asked to pick up anything from us and we have sold from 2 major cities. I don't know what you are selling, or if your shipping charges are high or what, but I have never encountered anyone ever who wanted to come to my house or meet me somewhere to pick up an item if it was local.

Curious, do you use PayPal for payment? Sellers are supposed to give their complete address to PayPal when registering, same as eBay.
What about the fact that you HAVE to give a shiping address when you BUY something?

Wow. Your response seems a bit hostile...maybe even a little threatening...IMO
To answer your question...I have a PO box and cell phone as contact info. Nobody has ever asked to come to my PO box...they have asked to come to my house.

I wonder what I said to offend you? Does it seem like there is something wrong when people try to protect their privacy?

Did you know that when you pull someone's contact info on ebay...you are NOT given their home address? It's Name, City, Company (if Applicable) State, and Phone number.

 

[HappyMommy]

Most of my Ebay buying has been pleasant. I've had 2 bad experiences and they both involved movies. One was a VHS I bought for my kids (was said to be used in excellent condition). The seller took almost 5 weeks to ship (I had to email her twice-she had excuses both times) & once I received it, it had bad spots in the tape (it would roll). Pretty worthless, actually. I was afraid to leave negative feedback because mine is excellent & I knew what would happen. The other time I got taken was when I bid on a disney DVD set. It stated that they were Region 1 and were in English (I was hesitant since the seller was in Singapore...now I know I should have been!). I received them & they wouldn't even work. There was oriental writing inside the covers but English on the outside. After much ado, the seller did refund my # through paypal, minus the shipping (I was very relieved since he unregistered shortly after I received it!). It does irk my though how sellers never seem to leave feedback until you receive your item & leave if for them. I ALWAYS pay right away & have never had someone leave feedback first! That stinks...

 

[Lauren]

I have bought and sold on ebay, nothing too much of either. You can get some really good deals! But my son bought a pair of $150.00 Nike basketball shoes with his own money. Of course we asked the seller about 300 ?'s. He had good feedback. So we sent the money via Paypal. About a week goes by no shoes. So we email back and forth. He sends a fake tracking #. Then makes excuse after excuse. Then I get an email from PayPal saying that my money has been reversed because this seller was not up to code or something like it. Then I receive a pair of shoes that were plastic 'nike' on it. from CHINA, the guy we bought it from was from Florida. So I emailed and asked him all about it. He said no those were not his. Which was bs, who else would send us tennis shoes out of the air. I told him they were, then he finally fessed up and said they were. I asked did he want them back? He said sure could I mail them. I said yes, send me $50.00 for shipping. (Kmart plastic tennis shoes were worth more!) I knew he wouldn't. I reported him and warned people on their board. So my son goes back on ebay and this moron is still selling shoes, he is not even smart enough to change the photo of them. It's very specific background in the photo. We bust him and turn him in at last count 6 times. Such a crackhead. How low can a guy go to try to steal money from a kid? :furious:

 

[Timex]

The seller never responded to either PayPal's inquirey or SquareTrades inquirey. PayPal tried to debit their account for my $1600.00, but the money had already been taken from their account, so they could not refund all my funds. I have received part of the money, and PayPal says they will continue to attempt to debit their bank account for the remaining amount due.

 

[nanandjim]

The seller never responded to either PayPal's inquirey or SquareTrades inquirey. PayPal tried to debit their account for my $1600.00, but the money had already been taken from their account, so they could not refund all my funds. I have received part of the money, and PayPal says they will continue to attempt to debit their bank account for the remaining amount due.

I hope that you will follow up with the police in the seller's area. One of the posts above, I believe, has details. I know that it is a hassle; however, I wouldn't let it drop. This seller needs to be prosecuted.

 

[Camper]

I have been following this thread. I am also wondering just HOW MANY times the seller sold the same item, perhaps asking for overnight money order or something similar.

We had a real estate closing once, where the seller had sold the house to two different buyers, the closings were on the same day an hour or so apart with different title companies.

Recently we had a NEW company open up for business in our area. THEY handle the entire Ebay transaction. THEY take the picture of the item, do the posting on line, I have forgotten the % they charge and handle the shipping. Seems like that might be the way to handle things in the future.

If this type of business spreads, the seller might just have to deliver the item to their local 'Ebay' handler before money changes hands. I like the sound of this type of activity. This of course leaves the sellers more time to find other GOOD stuff to sell, instead of hassling on line with a creepy transaction.

Good luck Timex!!


.

 

[PaulaKay]

I've been lurking on this website for many months, but just recently decided it was time to join. I thought I'd put my 2 cents in this discussion.

I've sold quite a few items on E-bay and only purchased 2. I've had only 1 buyer who never paid for my item. As a seller, I always post my feedback as soon as I get the payment and then e-mail the buyer as soon as I've shipped out the item. Thus far, I've had nothing but good luck on E-bay and I hope it stays that way.

Also, just recently, I received a question on E-bay from somebody that I've never sold an item to and wanted to know if I could do custom work for them. How did they know what I sold a month ago to ask me that question?

 

[BirdieBoo]

They've probably been watching your items for some time. I have certain sellers that I watch as well, because I like the items they sell, but the time might not be right for me to buy something.

I have had questions like that as well.
Sometimes people who have never bought from me ask me if I can get mass quantities of something and sell to them at wholesale LOL if i knew how to get mass quantities of something profitable to sell on ebay don't you think I'd sell it myself??

In my experience, as a seller, you get all kinds of odd questions...the strangest one I've had so far was a lady who had something she would like to return and buy something else....except she hadn't even bought the item from me.

 

[nanandjim]

I just heard on the radio that people who have been scammed from on-line auction sites should check out the FTC website for instructions as to what can be done. I will try to find a link to its website and post.

Here's one link. It tells you how to file a complaint if working it out with the seller is unsuccessful.

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/04/bidderbeware.htm

 

[forbidn2u2]

Another scammer caught & charged:

Woman pleads guilty to selling nonexistent beer on Ebay

D'oh! A woman has pleaded guilty to selling on eBay three nonexistent cases of Duff brand beer -- the favorite of cartoon character Homer Simpson.

Buyers paid money into Woodford's bank account, but contacted police when they never received the beer. Woodford was placed on 18 months' probation, and was ordered to reimburse the money and undergo counseling.

:dance:

 

[racer x]

I have been buying and selling on E bay for about 4 years, and have over 200 positive feedbacks, zero negative. I get sent a lot of FAKE ebay correspondance that all looks legit, (logos, links ) The scammers tell you that they are E Bay and your account has been suspended, follow this link to reactivate your account. People fall for it, give them their username and password. Then the scammers use the account by changing the password to a new one. This allows them to use YOUR account that has YOUR good feedback and YOUR contact information to scam others. Use your head when on e-bay. If the deal is too good, its a scam. If the seller is out of the country, don't bother, chances are its a scam. There are very few things you cant find here in the states. If the feedback doesn't seem right, its a scam. I buy industrial machinery quite often. I once had a guy I contacted, selling a machine that looked new for a great price. I contacted him and he claimed to be out of the country buying machines. send the money to him via western union in germany and he would ship the machine FREE. I looked at his feedback, 100% perfect. There were a bunch of red flags. 1) out of the country seller. 2) wanted western union payment. NEVER DO THAT!!! 3) feedback was all positive, selling BEANIE BABIES!!! obviously a hijacked account. 4) offered free shipping on an expensive large item. no one does that. Point is this, use good judgement. there are millions of good sellers. if they have good feedback, selling items similar to what you are buying, you are likely to have a smooth transaction. I have purchased 2 cars (even a nearly new Corvette) and much equipment for my business and have had nothing but great success but I keep a healthy dose of skeptisisem (sic?) . let the buyer beware!

 

[Mrs_Norwood]

I got scammed by a seller named Cyndurela. I ordered a waller and a purse from her both by Dooney and Bourke. I paid I think 80 dollars total. I never got either items. I got one e-mail from the seller and that was it. They deleted their account after I tried to contact them them through a fake number (UPS number) they gave me and their e-mail account bounced after that too.

 

[Sabrina]

Timex,

You need to first call your local police department and file a complaint with them, they will alert the police in the jurisdiction where this person lives. You can get the address of the seller from their contact information-- check both Paypal and Ebay, and then do some name or property searches to verify it.

I know of someone who had a similar situation for $1900 and the city attorney in Phoenix is prosecuting the seller.

This is the only chance you have for getting your money back. I know this is hindsight, but to pay a seller woth 0 feedback by E check for that amount of money was not prudent. It's obvious that this person was set out to scam people.

Paypal's investigations differ from Ebay. You need to contact Ebay immediately and let them know not only were you ripped off but the contact information for the seller is wrong.


You should also file a report here:
http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

When you pay by paypal, always do it from the credit card and NOT your bank account with an E check for this reason. Paypal sets the E check as a default (because it costs them nothing) You have to select credit card payment.

 

[nicbok]

Use your head when on e-bay. If the deal is too good, its a scam. If the seller is out of the country, don't bother, chances are its a scam. There are very few things you cant find here in the states. (sic?) . let the buyer beware!

Racer X, I just wanted to note something - I am an Australian eBay seller and regularly sell all over the world every week. I have over 5000 feedbacks, 100% positive. So please don't label all of us "overseas" sellers in the same basket. I agree that you need to be wary, there are certain countries I won't buy from either, but I regularly trade almost every day with the USA and would be happy to recommend to any fellow Aussie that trading "overseas" with the USA is safe.

 

[AutumnBorn]

I don't understand this ebay phenom. I once ordered a dress from there, brand new 1940s reproduction for $10, but that was it.

What is the deal? I mean, are you looking for things you need or things that you collect? Can someone explain this to me?

My friend Susan bought a bedspread for her little girl's bed on ebay...she was so excited about it. When it arrived, it was not quite the color that it appeared to be on her monitor. She ended up giving it to a niece. She was about to bid on a Pottery Barn Teen comforter and I told her to wait, I thought I'd seen it on sale at PBT. Sure enough, it was and less than the current bid on ebay!

Buyer beware, indeed.

 

[JimPence]

I don't understand this ebay phenom. I once ordered a dress from there, brand new 1940s reproduction for $10, but that was it.

What is the deal? I mean, are you looking for things you need or things that you collect? Can someone explain this to me?

I compare it to a giant garage sale. You can find some good bargains, but there's also a lot of junk. Basically, if I'm thinking of buying something, I read the seller's feedback file very carefully. If I get the feel that this seller is not reliable, I'll pass on an item, even if the price looks good.

Also, I don't buy stuff on Ebay just to buy it. I research my purchases and, sometimes, I can find better buys without using Ebay. I mostly buy computer parts, inkjet cartridges, etc. In other words, things I need. I have bought books before, but nothing collectible.

Jim

 

[puppyluv]

I don't understand this ebay phenom.

What is the deal? I mean, are you looking for things you need or things that you collect? Can someone explain this to me?

For me, it's fun to try and find a bargain. Sometimes people don't know the value of what they are selling. One man's trash is another man's treasure...

Also, you can find things hard to locate anywhere else but eBay. For instance, where I work it's noisy, and I use earplugs. I dislike the free ones my employers give out. On eBay, I found a collection of 5 brand new sets of earplugs, each a different style, all in their original packaging, for .99 cents. Shipping, only a dollar.
So for 1.99 I can try out 5 different kinds and see what I like best. It was exactly what I was looking for, I was shocked to find it.

For collectors, eBay is really fun. Maybe you can find that one item to complete your collection of...whatever you collect!

 

[Neptune'sMom]

We first used ebay to purchase a rare book we couldn't find anywhere else. I then used it to buy certain clothing items, specifically designer clothes for cheap. That worked out well for the most part. I made about 22 purchases with just 2 flunking out. One seller refunded my paypal and the other hasn't responded to my inquiries about a paid item that was won by me about 7 weeks ago. I may get burnt on that one as I'm reading in the comments section that the 'business' has a new owner.

I'm not crazy about ebay. I'm finding it can be quite risky. Another item I won I wasn't able to process the payment through paypal. The seller didn't respond to my emails asking how I could pay. When I complained in the feedback area, the seller wrote back that I was dumb and a jerk. At least I hadn't paid yet. My concern then was this was an unfinished auction. Ebay doesn't have a quick or easy way to send complaints or have them intervene. They offer a pay service for mediating. $20 to mediate with a seller who won't help me complete my transaction of $10? In the end, the seller ended up unregistering and is long gone.

I think the biggest complaint about ebay is the risk of getting taken in by their registered sellers. I can understand that vendors will want to be paid before shipping an item, but what guarantees are their for the purchaser?

That's my :twocents:

 

[BirdieBoo]

We first used ebay to purchase a rare book we couldn't find anywhere else. I then used it to buy certain clothing items, specifically designer clothes for cheap. That worked out well for the most part. I made about 22 purchases with just 2 flunking out. One seller refunded my paypal and the other hasn't responded to my inquiries about a paid item that was won by me about 7 weeks ago. I may get burnt on that one as I'm reading in the comments section that the 'business' has a new owner.

I'm not crazy about ebay. I'm finding it can be quite risky. Another item I won I wasn't able to process the payment through paypal. The seller didn't respond to my emails asking how I could pay. When I complained in the feedback area, the seller wrote back that I was dumb and a jerk. At least I hadn't paid yet. My concern then was this was an unfinished auction. Ebay doesn't have a quick or easy way to send complaints or have them intervene. They offer a pay service for mediating. $20 to mediate with a seller who won't help me complete my transaction of $10? In the end, the seller ended up unregistering and is long gone.

I think the biggest complaint about ebay is the risk of getting taken in by their registered sellers. I can understand that vendors will want to be paid before shipping an item, but what guarantees are their for the purchaser?

That's my :twocents:

The best and easiest ways to protect oneself on ebay is to research the seller through feedback, and only buy items from sellers that accept paypal payments funded by credit card.

Paypal offers protection for both buyer and seller, and they are much more helpful for purchases paid by credit card.