Scammed by an Amazon seller

[Bluesgirl]

So I ordered a digital camera from an Amazon seller on Sunday. They asked me to email them to confirm it was in stock and so they could reserve it for me; asked me for my name, address etc. I then received two emails, one from the seller and another from Amazon confirming the order and requesting payment via direct transfer to Amazon Payments. Except now it transpires the second email wasn't from Amazon at all. So yesterday I sent the payment via SWIFT. Today I tried to email Amazon Payments, the email bounced back. I email the seller and the email bounced back. Amazon don't recognise the order number and are looking into it. It'll take them a week to email me to let me know the outcome. I'm gutted.

[jamoor]

yes money lost if you paid using swift.

Amazon usually take the money and give it to the seller.

[Bluesgirl]

There are other sellers on the site right now doing exactly the same thing with the same product. How can Amazon have no responsibility?

[hyperblue]

It's not really clear how you "ordered" the camera, I take it you didn't complete the purchase through Amazon checkout?

Any request for a bank transfer should've had alarm bells ringing I'm afraid.

[silverthorn2151]

Don't really understand this. Having bought millions of things through Amazon I have only paid them.

You make it sound like ebay.

[Nickyboy]

Why on earth would you buy something expensive from "Amazon" but not pay for it via Amazon? Sounds very bizarre

[Exige77]

Nickyboy said:

Why on earth would you buy something expensive from "Amazon" but not pay for it via Amazon? Sounds very bizarre

^^^^^What he said. If you buy something from Amazon you pay Amazon surely ?

[northwest monkey]

I'm a seller on Amazon and can only accept payments through Amazon - no exceptions. If somehow you've paid via another method, then basically you haven't bought anything.

What exactly happened?

[Bluesgirl]

As I said in my original post, I had en email from Amazon telling me to pay Amazon Payments and a bank account to pay into. I asked several times why it was different this time and was told I had to pay by SWIFT for the item as it was from Europe. The email appeared to be from Amazon but I now realise it wasn't. The order confirmation appeared to be genuine too.

Im very cross that Amazon can advertise these goods as being genuine from bona fide sellers when they're a scam and then deny any responsibility.

[Hoofy]

Twit them!

[TEKNOPUG]

Link?

[northwest monkey]

Bluesgirl said:

As I said in my original post, I had en email from Amazon telling me to pay Amazon Payments and a bank account to pay into. I asked several times why it was different this time and was told I had to pay by SWIFT for the item as it was from Europe. The email appeared to be from Amazon but I now realise it wasn't. The order confirmation appeared to be genuine too.

Im very cross that Amazon can advertise these goods as being genuine from bona fide sellers when they're a scam and then deny any responsibility.

Ok, first thing, you haven't had an email from Amazon. You've had an email which looks like it's from Amazon, but isn't. When you buy something (anything) from Amazon, you use their checkout & use your credit / debit / gift card. You don't have the option to pay any other way.

Amazon do check the validity of the seller, however the responsibility of not paying someone the correct way is yours. If you get someone asking you to pay outside Amazon, you should have reported them & then Amazon would probably have suspended their account immediately and you'd still have your money.

Sorry for sounding a bit harsh, but the responsibility is yours. I don't understand how you ordered something without paying though?

[Bluesgirl]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00XW693...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00XW693...

The seller I was in touch with isn't listed now (EShop UK Ltd) but others are operating the same way.

[Bluesgirl]

I wonder how many people will be doing exactly what I've done before Amazon get around to checking the validity of their sellers?

[anonymous-user]

Do you have address details for payment? was in in the EU?

have you got a link to the page your ordered from.

The problem you have is that Amazon say do not send any payment outside of amazon payment system, so they will wipe there hands clean of this.

I would raise a action fraud log.

Contact your bank to try and cancel the swift payment.

Edited by The Spruce goose on Tuesday 29th November 23:23

[Bluesgirl]

The payment details were all in the email from Amazon which confirmed my order (the fake email, that is).

[Hoofy]

I've twitted them with one of your links.

[Fastdruid]

Looks like the ones there now are using an unrelated company for their name and details.

Also: https://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=...

I note there is no easy "report this seller" on Amazon.

[Dromedary66]

Bluesgirl said:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00XW693...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00XW693...

The seller I was in touch with isn't listed now (EShop UK Ltd) but others are operating the same way.

Sadly they prey on naivety - all their items are at least £200 less than other sellers. That and their lame attempts to get around amazon's direct contact limitations "Bef..ore orde.ring con..tact us; info-B00XW693XE`@` store-express.co.ukThanks" should have made alarm bells sound.

I imagine amazon cull them frequently but for every one they close down two probably pop up in their place. Absolute scum.

I expect it would be exceedingly unlikely you could recoup your money but you should inform your bank on the off chance that the recipient's bank becomes aware of the fraud while there are still deposits. No harm in doing so.

[Bluesgirl]

Thank you, Hoofy.

I've used Amazon hundreds of times for purchases for my business, home etc. The fact that they're obviously not verifying their sellers is what is really bugging me - it looks as if any old Del Boy can set themselves up on Amazon and use them as a platform.