Ebay Scams From Scambusters one the emails I get is from Scambusters. They report various scams going on. A recent emmail was on Ebay scams both on the buyer and seller side. With their permission I happy to share this with you.
Ebay Scams From Scambusters Introduction
Most of us have bought or sold stuff on eBay and many of us will either have been scammed or been suspicious enough not to deal with a buyer or seller who looks potentially crooked.
Ebay Scams From Scambusters Scams
But how exactly do scammers operate and know how best to target their crimes?
One obvious starting point for phony sellers is to find out which items are most in demand and then list their own non-existent versions.
That’s not tough to do because eBay actually produces a list of its most searched-for items.
For instance, you may not be surprised that sneakers and other sport shoes are among the most in-demand items. Games consoles and toys like Lego are also popular.
But some of the others might surprise you — for example: candles, model horses, and various obscure collectibles.
(You can see the site’s trending list here: https://www.ebay.com/trending. It changes regularly.)
eBay doesn’t seem to disclose how much of their business is subjected to fraud, and of course, it’s a perfectly reasonable and helpful thing for the auction site to tell potential sellers where they’re most likely to score a sale.
It’s also worth pointing out that both eBay and PayPal (as well as credit card issuers) offer financial protection against scams.
Nevertheless, falling victim to a con trick and then trying to recover your losses can be a long and painful experience.
So, knowing what’s hot on eBay, as the crooks do, can help you at least be alert to the greater risk of being scammed when you make a purchase.
Ebay Scams From Scambusters More Warning Signs
But there are also a number of other warning signs that you may be lining up for an eBay buyer scam.
Individually, most don’t necessarily mean you’re about to be ripped off, but when several of them appear together, that’s almost certainly a red flag.
Here are seven to watch for.
1. The item is listed as “Buy Now” at a price well below the current market value.
2. The seller has little or no feedback or, if they do, they are all recent and for selling small, cheap — a couple of dollars or so — items for which they’ve attracted five-star feedback.
3. The seller of a used item or collectible either doesn’t provide an original photo, or they use a stock one they’ve downloaded from the Internet.
4. There’s no information about the item beyond its name. Or there’s maybe a vague description with little or no detail.
5. The seller asks you to work outside of the eBay system. Why would they do that unless they had dubious intentions?
6. The seller doesn’t accept PayPal. These days, this would be highly unusual but it’s a trick sometimes used by overseas scammers, especially in Nigeria.
7. Sales spiels that try to rush you by suggesting it’s a one-day sale or there’s some other urgent need to buy now.
Ebay Scams From Scambusters Sellers are Victims Too
Sellers, of course, can also be on the receiving end of a scam.
Recent tricks include returning items for a refund that are really cheap knock-offs of the original, or are damaged in some way.
In a recent case in the UK, a crooked buyer slipped out of reach of the victim after the victim signed for the “returned” items — two valuable swords — when they were delivered, without first checking the contents of the package.
The package contained a brick and one broken sword but eBay allegedly initially refused to reimburse the victim because he’d signed for them — yet they refunded his money to the crooked buyer!
After a British newspaper intervened, the issue was resolved and the fake buyer was suspended.
The message here is clear: If a “buyer” is supposed to be returning something valuable to you, check the package before you sign for it.
A more common trick is for a fake buyer to claim the item they bought never arrived, which is virtually impossible to disprove unless you send items either tracked or with signature confirmation.
So, if you’re selling expensive items, or even anything over $50, it’s worth paying the extra to track its progress.
And before you even send it, check the feedback of the buyer. You can always cancel the sale and give a full refund. At least you’ll still have your items.
Ebay Scams From Scambusters Fake Message
The other well-used trick is to fake a message from PayPal telling a seller that payment has been received, prompting the victim to mail off the sold item.
This one is easy to side-step. Never accept a payment message like this at face value. Log on to your PayPal account to be sure the money is there.
And don’t be taken in by some sort of statement in the fake email that it could take a couple of days for the transaction to appear. With the real PayPal, that’s not true.
eBay is a great buyer/seller market and the company does a lot to try to prevent fraud but, when you’re dealing with people you don’t know, it always pays to be extra cautious.
Is way more to this and I’m.my opinion all saying here is protecting ebay system w out mention the failure of the system.
There plenty way you seller could loose more.
If scam buyer return an item.All buyer has to do is return or print pack return label automatic (provided by ebay after holding-freeze seller money amount) and buyer send an empty box back or else.Automatic before seller receive box buyer get the credit back as soon tracking shows in the way pack.
So ebay do not wait x seller received item returned at all.
If seller try claim back .Ebay will always turn back on u as not way proof either way and they won’t credit you as seller because u can not proof them wrong.
So dishonest transaction are millions out there and very easy to affect seller thanks to SCAM EBAY systems.
I use tracking all time.Still buyers could claim something is missing and be true or not ;he/she will get discount or credit back and ebay does it once buyers open a case without any hesitation and or proof.
I’m not saying most buyer are all bad but there a lot doing harm out there …
I never ship items by looking paypal but direct looking at ebay when it say is ready to ship.
The seller is not paypal.
Us ebay .
So any paypal email I ignore and read always direct my account.
Paypal also protect transactions and often credit buyers on top of ebay credits.
So scam ebayers could easy get double credit out one transaction easy.
EBay and paypal high fees to sellers ONLY cover for most credits given to these matters.
Is all a game .ALL they want is buyers and buyers happy.
Sellers are always in the loosing side in ALL.
There is way more…
My thoughts…
Best
The BIG scammer is EBAY SYSTEM itself .The play the game as sellers are one listing and paying fees and buyers buying,so in both way they get their moneys and fees and never lose.
The moneys credits to buyers come from seller’s transaction.
The money from sellers is hold/freeze as Paypal and ebay are associated and both have right to keep your money till they feel too.
If buyers get the item wrong or not happy they( Ebay resolve all by using seller money and fees charged) Very simple and in that way they keep buyers buying ..same way retailers does in returns refunds if offering you store credit.
best..
I was just scammed on a pocketknife auction. The price was only $13.99 for a pocketknife that usually sells for over $25.00. I should have known. The day after I did a Buy-It-Now eBay pulled the auction. I contacted the seller, and got no reply. I got a notice the next day that the knife had been sent but it never arrived within the time limit. After the estimated date passed I was able to submit a claim to eBay and eBay refunded me for the auction.
Not saying they are scamming me, but has anyone had trouble with Hobby Bunker? Way back at the beginning of August, I ordered a set of AIP Woodland Indians in rust brown. They sent me the cream set, so I arranged to return them and they said they would get me the red brown ones.
Weeks went by and when I contacted them they said the red brown were unavailable and asked if I would like something else. I told them what I wanted instead and assumed they would be sending it. Weeks later it had not arrived and I asked again and they told me the other set is either out of stock or loaded on the truck for the Chicago show.
So after the show was over and they had time to get back home, I asked them to just refund me the money. No answer. Asked again a couple of days later and still no answer from Matt. As it stands today, I am out $20.00. I have been buying from Hobby Bunker for years and never had any problems before.
Mark T .
No idea i never buy online to HB .Generally they are very good in transaction as far i know or heard but i bet experience like this are not few.It may happen when volume of sales is large and few to handle or any new person covering ,still not acceptable.
I recommend you use the HB forum to make former complain direct been well heard so it sound loud and noise .
my thoughts.
best
Mark,
i had a few problems with them recently, but just minor oversight or shipping delay type things. they did make good, but it took a bit of reminding. keep all of your receipts, invoices, and emails. i kind of get the impression that maybe the new kid is a bit overwhelmed, perhaps still learning the business.
i also had similar problems with Battlefield Legends that took a bit of doing to rectify. it seems like a lot of dealers are drop shipping, selling things they don’t actually have physically in stock, but are acting as middlemen. i guess that reduces inventory cost, but it also means you pay for things that might not ever be available.
Mark, Call Matt and explain what happened. I’m sure that he will rectify the situation as soon as possible. Sometimes things slip through the cracks. Give Matt a chance to make it right.
I’ve dealt with Matt (and Bill before that) and never had a problem.
That’s 40 years, now.
Come to think of it, except for one knucklehead from NJ (and later Pennsylvania), all the dealers that I’ve had dealings with, have all been stand up guys.
I agree. It is true about the rust-brown Indians – you can’t even get them from AIP. I’m sure that it’s a simple (though pain in the butt) oversight. If they are looking through the Chicago show inventory, they have mountains of stuff to unload.
Never had a problem with HB. I will say that OTSN is usually a hectic time fot most dealers. As the others have suggested I agree a personal contact and patience.
Most folks I’ve dealt with (only one exception) who’ve been around awhile are pretty straight or word of mouth would have made them toast long ago.