# Ebay scam



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I got a bid on a phone I have on eBay yesterday, I always start a few quid more than I want and let people make offers so we agreed on a price and I messaged him say CASH on collection no Paypal, so he turned up just now and tried to pay with Paypal, I do not have a problem with Paypal, I actually prefer it but if someone collects and pays Paypal you have Zero proof that they have the item, been caught out once that way, but you have my address he says, so what! if I posted it, it would be fine, if you say you don't have it I can make a claim to the post office but I have no claim for collections.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Well spotted Kev. Ebay is (And perhaps rightly so) very much geared up for the buyer now. Look how I got scammed over Christmas over a laptop. Used it all over Christmas for about three weeks then claimed it was faulty. Ebay just sides with the buyer every time so I had to take it back. Absolutely nothing wrong with it and I sold it on privately in the end. Buyer delighted with it. In some respects its good though as that header tank I got sent from somewhere in Europe was totally the wrong one. Just had it sent back FOC. All the buyer would have to do as you say is just say they never got the goods. They could of course be doing it for their own protection in case it turns out to be faulty. From my point of view as a buyer I wouldnt pay cash for a phone off ebay. I would want it delivered and via paypal for that very reason. If it turns out to be faulty you have to take it back and refund.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> I got a bid on a phone I have on eBay yesterday, I always start a few quid more than I want and let people make offers so we agreed on a price and I messaged him say CASH on collection no Paypal, so he turned up just now and tried to pay with Paypal, I do not have a problem with Paypal, I actually prefer it but if someone collects and pays Paypal you have Zero proof that they have the item, been caught out once that way, but you have my address he says, so what! if I posted it, it would be fine, if you say you don't have it I can make a claim to the post office but I have no claim for collections.


Wat happened then Kev? Did they get shirty as I guess you refused them the item?


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

He wasn't very happy, but I did say pay cash if collecting.

I also say NO REFUNDS in my listing, and that all identifying marks or numbers are photographed.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

I guess he didn't come back with the cash then?


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> He wasn't very happy, but I did say pay cash if collecting.
> 
> *I also say NO REFUNDS *in my listing, and that all identifying marks or numbers are photographed.


You will only get away with that now if its a cash sale. If they buy from you via ebay and Paypal they can keep whatever you send them for several weeks then make up any reason they like to reject it and Ebay will refund them and charge you return postage. Its pretty pointless specifying no refunds or returns now.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

GMJ said:


> I guess he didn't come back with the cash then?


No, he said he only lives half a mile away, I didn't take it off ebay anyway.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

barryd said:


> You will only get away with that now if its a cash sale. If they buy from you via ebay and Paypal they can keep whatever you send them for several weeks then make up any reason they like to reject it and Ebay will refund them and charge you return postage. Its pretty pointless specifying no refunds or returns now.


Not so Barry, I sold a saw a few weeks ago and they tried to return it, ebay messaged me and told me I didn't have to refund or accept the return


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> Not so Barry, I sold a saw a few weeks ago and they tried to return it, ebay messaged me and told me I didn't have to refund or accept the return


Did they file a not as described claim though? If its just because they dont like it or have buyers remorse and dont go through the official channel then maybe thats the case but all the buyer has to do is say its not as described whether they are making it up or not and your stuffed. Plenty about this on the ebay community website. In some respects its good for buyers as it will weed out people selling duff stuff but its open to abuse buy buyers totally as Ebay will always come down on the buyers side.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

It was a not as described claim, but I had backup pictures and a video of it working so he was stuffed before he started, he actually listed it later with my pictures and description for more money.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> It was a not as described claim, but I had backup pictures and a video of it working so he was stuffed before he started, he actually listed it later with my pictures and description for more money.


You have been lucky then as the Ebay forum is littered with complaints from sellers regarding buyers falsely claiming "not as described" and (according to the Ebay experts) Ebay now totally sides with the buyer because there is no way you can prove even with a video of it working that it reached the buyer in that state. Basically they just file a claim and if you dont refund, the clock ticks down and then ebay automatically refunds them.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I agree this is normally the case but as with anything there are exceptions where Ebay themselves conclude that the buyer is trying it on, they are aware that without sellers they make no money at all, I had to ring and speak to someone about it though.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

I can recall only 2 occasions when a buyer tried it on with me, when I was running a small Ebay business. On both occasions Ebay sided with me. I got the goods back but Ebay ensured that there was no negative feedback. Ebay also refunded the buyer as well as I was able to prove that the goods were not faulty and that I was being reasonable in my communications.

I agree with Barry though, the internet is littered with complaints about this issue


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Communications are vital as they examine every message both ways, I'm sure they analyse the wording of the buyer and seller to see what's going on and of course, as a buyer, I too have had refunds and even got to keep some things, like the 2 tubes of Stixall I got to fit the solar panel, they have a shelf life but there was absolutely no date on either of them, I range Everbuild and they tied the date down to early 2021 so would likely have been on the out of date limit due to the way the tubes were printed, I contacted seller told them what I'd done and they refunded me, normally I might have just used them but with it being solar I bought new ones locally.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

The fun has kind of gone out of Ebay for me really. I regularly get bits of IT kit, laptops, old computers etc and ill fix them up and punt them out for beer money rather than skip them if they are worth sorting out and I think someone will get some use out of them but ive had a few issues. For a while before Ebay clamped down on it you would get people bidding stupid bids of crazy money then they would just not bother paying. I suppose they got some kind of pleasure out of this. Then this whole business with the "not as described" rubbish after they used it all over Christmas. I just used to put stuff on at 99p and see where it would go. Usually anything from £50 to £100+. Cant be bothered now so I just punt them out locally as and when. Not only that but Ebay now pay you into your bank account two to three weeks later which is pointless for me as I never see the bloody money, Michelle will just spend it on shopping or something. It was better when it was in paypal as I would mount it up and spend it on guitar stuff and other rubbish and she would be none the wiser.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Ebay have been paying me after 2 to 3 days for stuff I have been selling. It's not been high value but still, 2-3 weeks seems a long time. It's not a business account though so maybe that makes a difference?


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

GMJ said:


> Ebay have been paying me after 2 to 3 days for stuff I have been selling. It's not been high value but still, 2-3 weeks seems a long time. It's not a business account though so maybe that makes a difference?


Its caused all sorts of problems. My issues were compounded by Ebay not being able to process / validate my card. Its only them, nobody else. As far as I am aware its still not resolved. Apparently there can be issues if you have not sold anything for 90 days or more also which is bizarre as Ive had my account for about 15 years+ with 100% feedback and above average ratings.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

I had massive problems with Paypal with my Visa card and not being able to update it, so much so that I took out anther card just to use on Paypal...and then they resolved the issue shortly afterwards after I emailed the Chief Executive!

The Ebay transition went fine for me though. Usually I had to go in to Paypal to get my dosh now is paid straight in the bank account in a few days as mentioned.

Might be worth a try...

https://www.ceoemail.com/index.php?s=A


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I just checked my feedback, some scrote gave me a negative back in November says they messaged me and I told them to get a new charger, news to me, searched but no message so I just replied to that effect.


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