The ebay scam 99p listings.
Discussion
sim16v said:
It's comical.
Try to give your mobile number to someone wanting to collect a £20 part and you are liable to get your account blocked, but thousands of scam listings are constantly on there.
This^^^Try to give your mobile number to someone wanting to collect a £20 part and you are liable to get your account blocked, but thousands of scam listings are constantly on there.
I've had a few threats of a ban from ebay when I've offered a phone number or email address to an ad to allow someone to come and view yet these scammers are allowed to post at will.
Presumably they don't pay the listing fee. Controlling a listing by not going live until a fee is paid would stop it.
I noticed when trawling through ebay last night for E-Types that there were about a dozen or more E-Types under the "recently listed" section that were advertised for about 3 grand, I think nearly all of em had a price or starting bid around that figure. With the high price market for E-Types, I think you would have to be Mr Bean to fall for a silly low figure like that. It's common sense to avoid something like that when it's plainly obvious it's too good to be true.
I do wonder what the real owners of these cars are thinking when they see their pride and joy advertised for sale when it clearly isn't. Of course the photos can be easily obtained if they've been uploaded to a website at some point.
I do wonder what the real owners of these cars are thinking when they see their pride and joy advertised for sale when it clearly isn't. Of course the photos can be easily obtained if they've been uploaded to a website at some point.
You'd be surprised at how many people fall for it. I know of at least one or two a month via facebook - and those are the ones that will come out in public and admit to it. Caravans/motorhomes are good ones - the thought of living the dream etc draws people in easily. Plant equipment seems to be a regular one too.
Maybe classic cars are too mainstream for people to fall for it, plus guide prices can be found very easily, but the fact that there are so many popping up constantly must suggest they're successful.
Only takes one in a thousand viewers to transfer 5 grand on the basis of full ebay protection (there is NO protection at all on ebay Motors) and you're onto a nice little earner.
Maybe classic cars are too mainstream for people to fall for it, plus guide prices can be found very easily, but the fact that there are so many popping up constantly must suggest they're successful.
Only takes one in a thousand viewers to transfer 5 grand on the basis of full ebay protection (there is NO protection at all on ebay Motors) and you're onto a nice little earner.
Huntsman said:
Dinoboy said:
Polluted with them again today, utterly pointless even trying to browse.
Same today, endless listings at £4800. Its making ebay utterly pointless.MikeStroud said:
Hi it's Mr Naive here!
So a car is listed at less than its expected value to get bidding started (eBay recommend this approach). People bid, someone wins, pays via PayPal. If car doesn't materialise then you get your money back from PayPal.
Where is the scam? Where am I wrong?
TIA
They are not listed as an auction but a classified sale, the latest batch are all for £4,800.So a car is listed at less than its expected value to get bidding started (eBay recommend this approach). People bid, someone wins, pays via PayPal. If car doesn't materialise then you get your money back from PayPal.
Where is the scam? Where am I wrong?
TIA
There is always a throwaway e/mail address (usually gmail) in the ad as the seller is "going to be away" so cannot be contacted via eBay.
They do not take pay pal, only Western Union or something equally dubious.
daveenty said:
MikeStroud said:
Hi it's Mr Naive here!
So a car is listed at less than its expected value to get bidding started (eBay recommend this approach). People bid, someone wins, pays via PayPal. If car doesn't materialise then you get your money back from PayPal.
Where is the scam? Where am I wrong?
TIA
They are not listed as an auction but a classified sale, the latest batch are all for £4,800.So a car is listed at less than its expected value to get bidding started (eBay recommend this approach). People bid, someone wins, pays via PayPal. If car doesn't materialise then you get your money back from PayPal.
Where is the scam? Where am I wrong?
TIA
There is always a throwaway e/mail address (usually gmail) in the ad as the seller is "going to be away" so cannot be contacted via eBay.
They do not take pay pal, only Western Union or something equally dubious.
Why can't we report them, the system appeared not to work?
daveenty said:
MikeStroud said:
Hi it's Mr Naive here!
So a car is listed at less than its expected value to get bidding started (eBay recommend this approach). People bid, someone wins, pays via PayPal. If car doesn't materialise then you get your money back from PayPal.
Where is the scam? Where am I wrong?
TIA
They are not listed as an auction but a classified sale, the latest batch are all for £4,800.So a car is listed at less than its expected value to get bidding started (eBay recommend this approach). People bid, someone wins, pays via PayPal. If car doesn't materialise then you get your money back from PayPal.
Where is the scam? Where am I wrong?
TIA
There is always a throwaway e/mail address (usually gmail) in the ad as the seller is "going to be away" so cannot be contacted via eBay.
They do not take pay pal, only Western Union or something equally dubious.
Scammer withdraws the funds sharpish and the poor fool who sent the money is left out of pocket.
You know those emails saying there is a problem with your account/a dodgy transaction that get you to log into your paypal account via an embedded link? Don’t ever use the link they supply.
You know those emails from your bank/HMRC/credit card company/other financial institution that you may have dealing with that ask you to log into ‘your’ account via a supplied link? Don’t ever use the link they supply.
That’s how people get their accounts hacked and used to scam others.
Bit of common sense and it’s easy to stay safe online (sadly common sense seems to be very rare when people think they can grab a bargain).
V8 FOU said:
If Ebay stopped the bulk uploader, the problem would be reduced. There were over 2000 of these ads the other day.......
I wonder if they aren't a scam, but someone who has a grudge against Ebay? Screws up sales big time I would guess.
Why on earth would anyone have a grudge against Ebay . . . . . . . oh hang on . . . . . .I wonder if they aren't a scam, but someone who has a grudge against Ebay? Screws up sales big time I would guess.
It's funny that the last poster suggested someone with a grudge against Ebay. As the fake posts are so obviously fake, I wondered whether it was even more sinister than that. It is well known that some foreign powers are actively hacking UK systems to cause mischief. Could it be possible that one target could be one of the most successful businesses operating in the UK, which does all its business online ? It would, perhaps, be an attractive target for anyone wanting to attack our economy and way of life? It is definitely being done on an industrial scale by someone well organised and resourced. I no longer even look at Ebay car ads, and there must be many more like me. How many sellers does it put off?
lornemalvo said:
It's funny that the last poster suggested someone with a grudge against Ebay. As the fake posts are so obviously fake, I wondered whether it was even more sinister than that. It is well known that some foreign powers are actively hacking UK systems to cause mischief. Could it be possible that one target could be one of the most successful businesses operating in the UK, which does all its business online ? It would, perhaps, be an attractive target for anyone wanting to attack our economy and way of life? It is definitely being done on an industrial scale by someone well organised and resourced. I no longer even look at Ebay car ads, and there must be many more like me. How many sellers does it put off?
I've got a bargain-priced roll of tinfoil here, specially designed for making hats... 
But seriously, if it is someone targetting Ebay, I suspect it is much more likely to be someone that the Orange-Headed Turnip from across the pond has cheesed off - it can't be a very long list, can it?
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