What is the deal with Ebay these days?

Mark Paquette · 09-14-2006, 08:11 AM

I've been selling stuff on Ebay for many years and have never had a problem. That all changed 2 weeks ago. I listed a DVD player and someone with 0 feedback that had just registered that day, swooped in at the last minute and way overbid on the player. He/She immediately sent me an email requesting that I ship the player to Nigeria for his son. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night and this smelled like a scam to me. So I did a quick Google search using Ebay and Nigeria and found tons of complaints linking to emails eerily similar to the one I received. I told this clown to get lost, filed a non-payment complaint with Ebay and requested the return of my listing fees. I received the fees back immediately because this scammer cancelled his Ebay account. I'm now in the process of re-listing the player. Fast forward to this week. I had an auction for a digital camera that ended almost identical to the DVD player. Someone with no feedback that had just registered that day way overbid and won the auction. This morning I receive an email from Caroline Herb telling me she'll pay $70 to ship an $80 camera to her fiance in Nigeria. She even was kind enough to send me a nicely designed fake Paypal email.

Has this happened to anyone here? So what's the deal with Ebay these days? How can I sell my old stuff without this kind of thing happening.

DougR · 09-14-2006, 08:46 AM

Don't know if this might Help?
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/manage_bidders_ov.html

Radioman970 · 09-14-2006, 08:59 AM

Ebay seems to be getting more crap than they can handle. The final thing I bought off there was a scam (2 DVD-r of the old show You Can't do that on Televsion) bought about 2 years ago. AFter I did a "buy now" on the thing I paypaled my money very quickly (probably a mistake...should've waited until the end date of the listing). The day the bidding was dated to end I got a message from ebay telling me the item had been cancelled. There was no way to get my money back at the time so I waited for something in the mail. I got crap that didn't work (missing sound on Season 2). The seller told me to mail it back for replacement. He never sent the replacement. Ebay wouldn't help at all since it seems that cleared themselves of the mess when they cancelled the listing after I'd bought and paid, and before the ending date of the listing and some time had passed. Thanks ebay.

That ended my relationship with them. It cost me about $22. I've since downloaded a working copy of the second season. I'll be happy to pay a little more to get a product that I know will work or I'll get it exchanged probably. Too many crappy people ready to take my money and not give me what they are listing. I guess bootleg stuff isn't the most reliable anyway. Many purchases have went okay. But I just don't trust the way ebay does things anymore. I think there are serious problems with their system that maybe weren't as much an issue when they started.

As a comparison, along with a short list others I got dupped by a scammer on amazon.com's marketplace and amazon refunded 100% of my money.

Chris Lockwood · 09-14-2006, 09:39 AM

Overseas + zero feedback = no sale from me

JonZ · 09-14-2006, 09:44 AM

Whenever I sold something on ebay, I chose the US resident only option.

I didnt want to have to deal with sending overseas.

I havent bothered with ebay much for awhile now.

**HTF Ads**

JohnRice · 09-14-2006, 10:01 AM

Not sure I would put so much blame on ebay. I am amazed by the spoof emails I receive trying to get oney out of me one way or another. I mean, I know this stuff pretty well and still some of them cause me to stop and think for a while. Just got one "from ebay" the other day saying my credit card was about to expire. The only signs it was fake were that I know the expiration date they listed was wrong, but how many people know that right off the top of their heads, and I noticed the "date of notice" said 8/28/06 but it wasn't sent until 9/12/06.

So many people pulling scams. It's amazing.

Jay H · 09-14-2006, 10:24 AM

Doesn't just happen on ebay.... Lots of classified ads get answered by these spammers...

Jay

Radioman970 · 09-14-2006, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnRice

Not sure I would put so much blame on ebay. I am amazed by the spoof emails I receive trying to get oney out of me one way or another. I mean, I know this stuff pretty well and still some of them cause me to stop and think for a while. Just got one "from ebay" the other day saying my credit card was about to expire. The only signs it was fake were that I know the expiration date they listed was wrong, but how many people know that right off the top of their heads, and I noticed the "date of notice" said 8/28/06 but it wasn't sent until 9/12/06.

So many people pulling scams. It's amazing.

One thing to remember: no company is going to ask such personal info via email. And if you need to check it then don't use the link given. Instead, go to the HOME site URL you trust and start there with questions about it.

That phishing stuff is really getting people. But the above info would stop it.

RichP · 09-14-2006, 12:17 PM

I block all 0 and lower feedback bidders from all of my auctions period. I'm not going to be a guinea pig, sorry.