More ebay scammers
Author
Discussion

rsvmilly

Original Poster:

11,288 posts

270 months

Monday 18th April 2005
quotequote all
I'm just trying to sell a cheap car on Ebay and I get this from the winning bidder.

Some Ebay tt said:
Hello Seller,
I am very happy to informed you that i am the lucky winner who won your item listed on ebay and sorry to get back to you lately i went to the church since yesterday as a pastor of a church may they lord almighty be with you and how is your own service in your church hope booming good? cos ebay contact me yesterdaay that i am the highest bidder for your ityem.My payment and shipping method for the item goes thus, am okay with the price of the (ITEM), A client of mine is owning me some funds in United Kingdom (£3,900), I will instruct him to issue a cheque for you and as soon as you cashed the cheque. You will deduct the cost of the ( ITEM) and
the remaining balance will be Send to My Shipper via Western Union Money Tranfer for immediately Shipping Arrangment for it from your location. Do get back to me If this is okay by you with your information (Full Name, Contact Address, Phone Number), so that i can forward it to my Client to issue the cheque for you ASAP.
Hope to hear from you soonest.
Best Regards


I had already booted off two nil-rated buyers with non-working email addresses. This clown, who'd been signed up for 1 day yet had 1 (private) feedback bids in the last few minutes of the auction.

I haven't sold much on ebay but it it possible to restrict bids to those with a minimum number of positive feedback?

tinman0

18,231 posts

269 months

Monday 18th April 2005
quotequote all
What is Ebays policy on these scammers who screw up auctions?

Can you sell to the second highest bidder instead?

rsvmilly

Original Poster:

11,288 posts

270 months

Monday 18th April 2005
quotequote all
Yeah, but its a PITA.

In theory, I should wait 7 days to send a reminder to the buyer. He then has another 7 days to pay (or something like this)

We all know this buyer is less likely to materialise than Dr Who.

rsvmilly

Original Poster:

11,288 posts

270 months

Monday 18th April 2005
quotequote all
UPDATE - He has already closed his ebay membership.

c4koh

735 posts

273 months

Monday 18th April 2005
quotequote all
Hi,

This sort of scam is indeed a pain in the arse.

As a professional photographer, I get this sort of thing twice a week... "You have been chosen to be photographer... work out your cost... I will send a cheque... and you Western Union me the change!!"

The scam apparently works that the "cashiers cheque" is cleared instantly by your bank (e.g. £5000), so with expanded coffers you go off and Western Union the difference (e.g. £3000). It apparently takes ages and ages (up to 40 days!) for the cashiers cheque to ultimately bounce, leaving you down £3000...

How anybody falls for these scams though is beyond me; they are usually - if not always - accompanied by the worst grammar with a strong African lilt, and then the cut-to-the-chase is so blatant you have to laugh...


agent006

12,058 posts

293 months

Monday 18th April 2005
quotequote all
tinman0 said:
What is Ebays policy on these scammers who screw up auctions?


Ignore them, as they do every activity that doesn't involve making money.

parrot of doom

23,075 posts

263 months

Monday 18th April 2005
quotequote all
Log into your account, seller preferences, there are options you can set so that people with more than -2 feedback cannot bid, also people abroad etc.

You can't stop zero feedback persons from bidding, it wouldn't be fair. The best you can do is to state in the auction that people with low feedback contact you privately to prove their identity.

simpo two

92,694 posts

294 months

Monday 18th April 2005
quotequote all
parrot of doom said:
The best you can do is to state in the auction that people with low feedback contact you privately to prove their identity.

You could also watch the last few minutes of bidding and cancel any bids that look dodgy.