How not to get scammed when buying from online auction sites

Danny Fye · August 18th, 2004, 04:29 PM

"If you ever consider making a purchase like this off Ebay, ONLY PAY BY CREDIT CARD. If they cannot accept a credit card payment, do not buy it."

The problem is, there are buyer scams as well as seller scams.

I've seen reports where the seller was ripped-off because of charge-backs.

Because of this, many sellers won't take a credit card directly or through PayPal.

While a lot of what you say is good, some of it represents a "blanket approach" and that doesn't always work out very good and an honest person who doesn't take credit cards would be hurt.

Seems like for every good thing there is, there is a theif, seller or buyer to ruin it for everyone else.

Danny Fye

Josh Bass · August 18th, 2004, 04:35 PM

Can't you, as a seller, state that you'll only ship when the paypal transaction clears? I thought you could only do a chargeback while the transaction was still ongoing, once in your bank account, it's untouchable, no? I thought this was why buyers didn't have much leverage using paypal.

Danny Fye · August 18th, 2004, 05:09 PM

"once in your bank account, it's untouchable, no?"

The answer is no. Paypal will hold the seller responsible if there is a charge-back and the buyer can show a valid reason, such as item not being delivered, etc.

The problem is, the seller can still get ripped-off because sometimes the buyer will say things about the item that are not true and do a charge-back and the seller will have a lot of problems getting it solved with PayPal if at all.

This is why a number of sellers refuse to use PayPal.

Also, the seller must have a feed-back score of 50 or better to actually qualify for PayPal protection. Less than that then the seller could be out of luck.

I agree with the advice some others here have previously said about using escrow. Be sure to use only the one that Ebay approves of or there will be more problems.

I haven't used escrow before and I am not real sure how to use it and how many days I should allow the buyer to look at the item, but I will definitely look into it in the future when the value of the item(s) I sell exceeds the normal protection that Ebay and PayPal offers.

Bottom line with Ebay, use common sense and don't be too quick to jump on what seems to be a bargain. Also NEVER do business outside of Ebay.

I noticed that many who have come here and elsewhere about problems they have did do business outside of Ebay. I have received emails when buying and selling items asking me to do so and have deleted all such emails.

Danny Fye

Michael Morlan · November 26th, 2004, 12:09 PM

Mike Butler notes another BIG clue!

Be sure to click through to the eBay seller's feedback auctions. Beware if:

o they are all purchases and/or sales of unrelated, low-priced items;
o the transactions are so old that the pages are no longer online.

Either they have spent time setting up an account with a bit of feedback or they have hacked a legitimate user's account.

Steve Locke · February 8th, 2005, 03:29 PM

Good info here on the subject for sure.
I however have not had any bad experiences, all good.
I also purchased my XL1s using eBay from a guy that recommened this forum.

Mike Butler · February 9th, 2005, 07:51 PM

It's also a good place to sell the stuff you're not using any more (which I have accumumated a ton of)...including the pile of goodies I originally bought on eBay. Got the PowerBook on eBay, sold it a year and a half later on ebay.

"Oh, and this one time, at band camp..."

Art Willig · March 30th, 2007, 01:35 AM

This is an excellent review of purchasing on eBay.

I bought a HC1 on eBay via the buy-it-now option and didn't really think about it. Since I used my CREDIT CARD, I knew I was covered. But it turned out to be a scam.

DO NOT USE BUY-IT-NOW FOR EXPENSIVE PURCHASES!

Then, believe it or not, I found an authorized Sony dealer on eBay! I simply called him up and ordered the new HC5 that had since come out.

Karma...

Dylan Couper · June 4th, 2007, 04:55 PM

Updated the main post. This thread is still open for updates on current internet scams.

Carl Adams · May 23rd, 2008, 05:27 AM

Hi,all
I have just read this thread and there is one thing that has been missed that I would like to warn people about. I don't mean to frighten anyone as there is so many bad stories going around, I personally have had no bad experiences with Ebay except the odd CD/DVD not working and having to be replaced or tutorials that are copyrighted material from Linda.com or somewhere which were falsely advertised as being something different.

At the beginning of this thread there was a mention of picking up and paying in person being a safer option. This is not always so! Here in the UK (and this could happen anywhere) It was mentioned on the news about Ebayers carrying cash to pay in person for an item (It was cars but could apply to anything) They would agree to meet somewhere to make the deal (transaction) and would be led somewhere secluded where suddenly the situation would turn into a Gang (mob) situation, where the intention is to steal (mug, rob) the person of their money. These people know, 9 times out of 10 the person is going to have a large sum of money on them and this is a pre arranged set-up.

Now, I must admit this can be done very easily on some estates here in the uk, so buyers please have your wits about you and use your common sense.
Always meet in a public place where possible. Don't be led out from the bar (pub) if the seller says for example "come with me the item is just around the corner" and be aware of your surroundings.

If possible don't carry large sums of money with you, after all you might decide not to buy the item. And if you do, you can always go to the cash machine, after you have sussed the situation and the seller out.

Anyhow like I said earlier, I don't want to scare people, but I thought this should be mentioned as it has been missed.

This is such a good forum, keep up the good work people and be safe.

Carl (:-})

Mike Meyerson · May 23rd, 2008, 08:36 AM

There's also lots of Craigslist scams going around.

There was a post on CL not too long ago about a shooter who showed up for a shoot he was hired on through CL and got held up at gunpoint and all his gear was stolen.

Also, scumbags list items for sale and when you reply, they say they've just moved out of town, but would be happy to ship the item and take paypal or money order payment...and no item will ever show up.

Dylan Couper · May 23rd, 2008, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Meyerson

There's also lots of Craigslist scams going around.

There was a post on CL not too long ago about a shooter who showed up for a shoot he was hired on through CL and got held up at gunpoint and all his gear was stolen.

Heard the same thing about a guy who went to go buy a car with cash.

Mike Meyerson · May 23rd, 2008, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylan Couper

Heard the same thing about a guy who went to go buy a car with cash.

Pretty scary stuff huh?

August 18th, 2004, 04:29 PM	#31
Danny Fye Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Independence MO. Posts: 318	Credit Card "If you ever consider making a purchase like this off Ebay, ONLY PAY BY CREDIT CARD. If they cannot accept a credit card payment, do not buy it." The problem is, there are buyer scams as well as seller scams. I've seen reports where the seller was ripped-off because of charge-backs. Because of this, many sellers won't take a credit card directly or through PayPal. While a lot of what you say is good, some of it represents a "blanket approach" and that doesn't always work out very good and an honest person who doesn't take credit cards would be hurt. Seems like for every good thing there is, there is a theif, seller or buyer to ruin it for everyone else. Danny Fye __________________ www.dannyfye.com

August 18th, 2004, 04:35 PM	#32
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Can't you, as a seller, state that you'll only ship when the paypal transaction clears? I thought you could only do a chargeback while the transaction was still ongoing, once in your bank account, it's untouchable, no? I thought this was why buyers didn't have much leverage using paypal. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

August 18th, 2004, 05:09 PM	#33
Danny Fye Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Independence MO. Posts: 318	"once in your bank account, it's untouchable, no?" The answer is no. Paypal will hold the seller responsible if there is a charge-back and the buyer can show a valid reason, such as item not being delivered, etc. The problem is, the seller can still get ripped-off because sometimes the buyer will say things about the item that are not true and do a charge-back and the seller will have a lot of problems getting it solved with PayPal if at all. This is why a number of sellers refuse to use PayPal. Also, the seller must have a feed-back score of 50 or better to actually qualify for PayPal protection. Less than that then the seller could be out of luck. I agree with the advice some others here have previously said about using escrow. Be sure to use only the one that Ebay approves of or there will be more problems. I haven't used escrow before and I am not real sure how to use it and how many days I should allow the buyer to look at the item, but I will definitely look into it in the future when the value of the item(s) I sell exceeds the normal protection that Ebay and PayPal offers. Bottom line with Ebay, use common sense and don't be too quick to jump on what seems to be a bargain. Also NEVER do business outside of Ebay. I noticed that many who have come here and elsewhere about problems they have did do business outside of Ebay. I have received emails when buying and selling items asking me to do so and have deleted all such emails. Danny Fye __________________ www.dannyfye.com

November 26th, 2004, 12:09 PM	#34
Michael Morlan Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 79	Mike Butler notes another BIG clue! Be sure to click through to the eBay seller's feedback auctions. Beware if: o they are all purchases and/or sales of unrelated, low-priced items; o the transactions are so old that the pages are no longer online. Either they have spent time setting up an account with a bit of feedback or they have hacked a legitimate user's account. __________________ Michael Morlan . cinematographer \| local 600 operator http://michael-morlan.net . http://talltalepictures.com

February 9th, 2005, 07:51 PM	#36
Mike Butler Machinist Mate Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Southern Connecticut Posts: 644	It's also a good place to sell the stuff you're not using any more (which I have accumumated a ton of)...including the pile of goodies I originally bought on eBay. Got the PowerBook on eBay, sold it a year and a half later on ebay. "Oh, and this one time, at band camp..." __________________ I ain't straight outta Compton, I'm straight out the trailer. Cuss like a sailor, drink like a Mc. My only words of wisdom are just, "Radio Edit."

February 8th, 2005, 03:29 PM	#35
Steve Locke New Boot Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Barrie,Ontario,Canada Posts: 8	Good info here on the subject for sure. I however have not had any bad experiences, all good. I also purchased my XL1s using eBay from a guy that recommened this forum.

March 30th, 2007, 01:35 AM	#37
Art Willig Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Colorado Posts: 104	This is an excellent review of purchasing on eBay. I bought a HC1 on eBay via the buy-it-now option and didn't really think about it. Since I used my CREDIT CARD, I knew I was covered. But it turned out to be a scam. DO NOT USE BUY-IT-NOW FOR EXPENSIVE PURCHASES! Then, believe it or not, I found an authorized Sony dealer on eBay! I simply called him up and ordered the new HC5 that had since come out. Karma... __________________ "Shoot first and ask questions later"

June 4th, 2007, 04:55 PM	#38
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Updated the main post. This thread is still open for updates on current internet scams. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

May 23rd, 2008, 05:27 AM	#39
Carl Adams New Boot Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London UK Posts: 14	One thing that's been missed Hi,all I have just read this thread and there is one thing that has been missed that I would like to warn people about. I don't mean to frighten anyone as there is so many bad stories going around, I personally have had no bad experiences with Ebay except the odd CD/DVD not working and having to be replaced or tutorials that are copyrighted material from Linda.com or somewhere which were falsely advertised as being something different. At the beginning of this thread there was a mention of picking up and paying in person being a safer option. This is not always so! Here in the UK (and this could happen anywhere) It was mentioned on the news about Ebayers carrying cash to pay in person for an item (It was cars but could apply to anything) They would agree to meet somewhere to make the deal (transaction) and would be led somewhere secluded where suddenly the situation would turn into a Gang (mob) situation, where the intention is to steal (mug, rob) the person of their money. These people know, 9 times out of 10 the person is going to have a large sum of money on them and this is a pre arranged set-up. Now, I must admit this can be done very easily on some estates here in the uk, so buyers please have your wits about you and use your common sense. Always meet in a public place where possible. Don't be led out from the bar (pub) if the seller says for example "come with me the item is just around the corner" and be aware of your surroundings. If possible don't carry large sums of money with you, after all you might decide not to buy the item. And if you do, you can always go to the cash machine, after you have sussed the situation and the seller out. Anyhow like I said earlier, I don't want to scare people, but I thought this should be mentioned as it has been missed. This is such a good forum, keep up the good work people and be safe. Carl (:-})

May 23rd, 2008, 08:36 AM	#40
Mike Meyerson Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: mahopac, NY Posts: 293	There's also lots of Craigslist scams going around. There was a post on CL not too long ago about a shooter who showed up for a shoot he was hired on through CL and got held up at gunpoint and all his gear was stolen. Also, scumbags list items for sale and when you reply, they say they've just moved out of town, but would be happy to ship the item and take paypal or money order payment...and no item will ever show up.