Possible ebay scam

[SaintHacker]

I've sold a couple of items on ebay, totally unconnected, to the same buyer. He has zero feedback, and his username is in chinese characters. He's paid although I'm still waiting for ebay to release the funds, and his profile says he's in Southampton, however he has contacted me asking me about 'freight' to deliver it.
It could be genuine but it just feels weird to me. Its a couple of hundred pounds so not an insignificant amount. Anyone heard of a scam that starts like this?

 

[Blue in Munich]

I've sold a couple of items on ebay, totally unconnected, to the same buyer. He has zero feedback, and his username is in chinese characters. He's paid although I'm still waiting for ebay to release the funds, and his profile says he's in Southampton, however he has contacted me asking me about 'freight' to deliver it.
It could be genuine but it just feels weird to me. Its a couple of hundred pounds so not an insignificant amount. Anyone heard of a scam that starts like this?

Can’t say I’ve heard of it as a scam but something isn’t sounding right, hope for your sake I’m wrong.

I have seen buyers put on that they will not accept bids from anyone with less than x feedback comments which I never quite understood but that is possibly making me more sceptical here.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

It sounds dodgy to me. Have you sent the items yet?

I'm always weary about ebay, here's a little reason why.

My mate was selling a Rolex on there last week. He had it up for £9k.

Somebody based in Bulgaria copied his listing including pictures and started selling his watch!!

 

[pokerjoke]

I would cancel the sale
Never pay for delivery until funds are cleared(I’m sure you wouldn’t).
Selling to someone with a little amount of stars is out of your hands unless they contact you first.
Scams on eBay and Marketplace are getting ridiculously high and we as sellers have to be very cautious.
I never do any sales or payments that don’t use PayPal.

 

[chellie]

If your gut says scam go with that and cancel the sale.

 

[Oddsocks]

Happened exactly the same when I had the business. After waiting theee days with the funds still pending the transaction disappeared from my eBay account.

 

[SaintHacker]

Happened exactly the same when I had the business. After waiting theee days with the funds still pending the transaction disappeared from my eBay account.

OK, guess he's hoping I'll deliver the stuff before it clears. Not likely!

 

[Oddsocks]

OK, guess he's hoping I'll deliver the stuff before it clears. Not likely!

I think that’s the motive and theory behind the scam. Report it to eBay and PayPal and do not ship!

 

[Wabinez]

Issue with eBay is, they don't release funds now until item has been delivered.

I had a nervy week a couple of weeks back. Sold a Scotty to a guy with 0 feedback (buy it now). I overloaded the guy with messages and tracking numbers etc. Dispatched the item on a Saturday, and then he was out when it tried to be delivered...eventually he collected on the Friday, and I got paid on the Sunday.

As a seller, eBay seems hell bent on making things a bad experience

 

[cliveb]

Issue with eBay is, they don't release funds now until item has been delivered.

When did this come in?
I haven't sold on eBay for a while, but last time I did, the buyer paid eBay who then transfered it to my bank (minus their not inconsiderable commission, of course) within a couple of days.

 

[Oddsocks]

Issue with eBay is, they don't release funds now until item has been delivered.

I had a nervy week a couple of weeks back. Sold a Scotty to a guy with 0 feedback (buy it now). I overloaded the guy with messages and tracking numbers etc. Dispatched the item on a Saturday, and then he was out when it tried to be delivered...eventually he collected on the Friday, and I got paid on the Sunday.

As a seller, eBay seems hell bent on making things a bad experience

Looks like eBay is off my selling list. I purchased a shotscope off a forum member who despite sending recorded, Royal Mail left unsigned (even with neighbours ) I left it in plain sight in top of our front door light. I could have easily claimed non receipt and had it been eBay he would have been out of pocket.

Like anything there is a balance, at the moment due to fraud sellers (see post about a watch further up) the scales have been moved to far into the power of the buyer.

 

[SyR]

I sell very occasionally on ebay, I tend to use it mainly to buy. Last time I sold an item for about £300-£400 my funds were withheld for over a week after delivery by ebay. The seller paid straightaway and I dispatched by recorded next day delivery. It was signed for and the buyer posted their positive review within 2 days of the auction ending.
Ebay explained that sellers with low feedback, very little recent feedback can have their funds withheld by ebay to protect the ebay experience.
They also promise they don't gain interest while the funds are on hold...
While I can understand there may sometimes be a need for caution, I don't understand why they couldn't warn me of this before I sold, and also why the recorded delivery and buyers feedback couldn't trigger the release of the funds.

 

[Imurg]

When I sell on ebay I get notification that the money has been released to my account within 12 hours of the sale...and I've probably not even packaged it up bybthen.
Theinew system isn't instant like it was with PayPal but it doesn't take long to get funds released

 

[jim8flog]

Issue with eBay is, they don't release funds now until item has been delivered.

Not on my account I get paid as soon as I add a tracking number.

 

[Wabinez]

Not on my account I get paid as soon as I add a tracking number.

only assume mine was different as the guy had zero feedback maybe. still, I’d mainly sell golf clubs….and it’s easier to just use Golfbidder or GolfClubs4Cash

 

[GreiginFife]

Rather than start a new thread I'll just repurpose this one as I get the feeling someone is trying to run a scam on me on t'bay.

Recently upgraded my son's gaming PC and eventually got round to selling some of the old parts. Primarily the graphics card which sold no problem to a buyer with low (but not zero) feedback.

Two days after he received it, I get a return request that eBay seems to auto accept these days rather than allow the seller to decide (but that's another issue) and the reason given is that it doesn't fit in his case...

Now this in itself is odd, he knew the model of the GPU and the case that he has, and it's not an inordinately large GPU, I would say "standard" as in two fans long and two I/O slots thick. So my cynical mind kicked in pretty much straight away and I remembered the old scam - buy a part that's the same as a faulty one you have and then say you changed your mind and return the faulty part (as it's cosmetically identical) and get a refund, free replacement part.

But I am wiser than that and log all part serial numbers with the manufacturers upon install, so I have asked for him to provide the serial number of the product he is returning (and so there is a record of it) so that it can be cross references against the item and the MSI warranty database prior to issuing a refund... Oddly now got radio silence from him.

How dumb to people think others really are? Be interesting to see where this goes. Genuine mistake or attempted fraud...?

 

[Rooter]

My money is on them being a chancer. Well played with the serial number logging!

 

[chrisd]

I'm going fraud too

 

[SteveJay]

I have had something similar in the past. A chinese bidder bidding very high on a couple items I was selling, then no payment. Not sure if it was a scam but was annoying as it obviously put off genuine buyers.

If ever i list items now I specify UK buyers only.