Don’t Be Screwed By eBay [UPDATE]
eBay used to be the only place people went to sell anything online, but more often we’re seeing more eBay alternatives because Ebay has, unfortunately, lost what made them great. Selling or buying anything on eBay is more nerve-racking then it used to be. eBay offers little security and customer support; leaving eBay users open to scams and fraudulent transactions. If eBay won’t help it’s users, I will. Here are some tips when buying/selling on eBay:
Be weary of “Buy It Now.” I always considered eBay’s Buy It Now a great feature to add to your auction. If somebody wants what your selling badly enough they can avoid the auction and purchase the item for an often increased price. To put Buy It Now on your auction it’s about ~.25, which I felt was worth it.
After a couple of auctions I had started (iPod, Monitor, Games) I noticed that a few of the items I had auctioned would sell quickly. Quickly as in a couple hours after I posted the item. Looking at the buyers of the auction, a red flag poked me in the eye. Firstly, the mailing address was from somewhere in Nigeria. Secondly, the sender sent me a fake invoice, which could be considered real by unsuspecting eBay users. Trying to contact to scammer buyer was somewhat of a game. I told them that “I would consider this a scam until I received payment.” The next day I got an email from the buyer (this time the buyer was named Mary, the day before it was John) attacking me about the accusations I had put on them.
What I’m trying to say is, skip Buy It Now. After the auction, I still have my item, but I have lost $3.00 in listing fees and eBay hasn’t responded to any of the emails I have sent them. Just go through with the auction and let other users bid on your item.
Don’t do ANYTHING until the money is in your account. So you’ve just sold something on eBay and you’ve sent the buyer an invoice. Most often you’ll receive a PayPal notification alerting you that the buyer has sent you the money. Sometimes, though, the buyer will send you an email with instructions on getting your payment. RED FLAG! You, as the seller, should NEVER have to play any game to get your money. If this does happen, send the buyer an email, but don’t think about sending your item until you get the money in your account.
Make sure to check your account. The email you recieve could be a fake.
If it’s at all suspicious, walk away. If any part of your transaction on eBay (buying or selling) seems odd, walk away, it probably is. If the item you bought seems too good to be true, it probably is. Walk away with your item in hand or your wallet full. There will be another chance.
As I was writing this email I recieved an email from a fraudulent buyer who “bought” my iPod Touch a few days ago. This scammer is extremely good at what they do, but I found a couple of problems with the fake emails.
This is a fake PayPal payment notification email. Thankfully, Gmail knew it was fake.
Click to enlarge
…and what has Ebay to say about this? Absolutley nothing!
If you are having trouble with eBay or need help trying to figure out if an email is fraudulent, send me an email (mail[at]r3fresh.com) and I would be more than glad to help you. This kinda stuff should never happen, especially with a big company like eBay.
[UPDATE] Here is another fake PayPal email by my buyer. I’ve got to give it to him, he doesn’t give up easy.
Click to enlarge
Top Picture by Ella’s Dad
Tags: auctions, ebay, fraudulent, help, paypal, rants, screenshots, tips
