Scammed for Thousands

because the buyer asked them to and the seller didn't know that the eBay account had been hacked?
 
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ernesto said:
because the buyer asked them to and the seller didn't know that the eBay account had been hacked?
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Again, why on earth would you do that, Paypal make it crystal clear only to ship to the registered address. If someone asks for it to be sent elsewhere I insist that they add that address to their Paypal account before sending payment, so that the transaction is covered. If they've already sent payment you simply refund it and ask them to resend once the shipping address has been added to the account.

If they won't do it then simply refund the money and walk away .
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Again, why on earth would you do that, Paypal make it crystal clear only to ship to the registered address.
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because they didn't read the Paypal advice maybe.

Assuming that everyone reads everything and fully understands how to use eBay is maybe where the high expectations come from :)

Saying that, I rely on people not being able to do simple searchs for prices meaning I often find myself selling items used, for more than they cost me new...
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Again, why on earth would you do that, Paypal make it crystal clear only to ship to the registered address.
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Like I said, it was many years ago (9-10 if not more), ebay and Paypal were different back then and a lot of the anti-scam advice wasn't really shouted about like it is now. Plus I was young and liked to trust people.
 
Toggerman said:
Like I said, it was many years ago (9-10 if not more), ebay and Paypal were different back then and a lot of the anti-scam advice wasn't really shouted about like it is now. Plus I was young and liked to trust people.
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Even back then, in fact especially back then, Paypal were at pains to warn people never to send goods out to addresses that weren't registered with them. It was a classic scam...
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Even back then, in fact especially back then, Paypal were at pains to warn people never to send goods out to addresses that weren't registered with them. It was a classic scam...
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I don't recall it being like that, I didn't see thousands of messages saying "only to confirmed address or else you're stuffed". Like there is now.

Even so what does it really matter now, I was just sharing a story of something that happened a while ago on a similar subject, I wish I hadn't bothered now. I thought everyone made mistakes, especially when they're young, must just be me then.

Like I said, I used to like trusting people and seeing the good in them, don't worry, I don't anymore thanks to scammers and forums.
 
Yep, it is just you that has ever made a mistake. :)

Just remember, stay bitter and never trust anyone, ever.

I agree, I don't remember Paypal screaming out not to send to anything but a confirmed address and I have been using eBay and Paypal for 10 years.
 
I read this thread the other day after ordering a 70-200 2.8 lens on the bay, through a shop I'd never heard of in Holland. Have to say, I was getting a bit worried when the first bank transfer failed and they gave me an alternative bank in cyprus. I took the plunge, there was a good saving over buying it here [€700!!] and if anything happened, well, I'd nobody else to blame but me. Thankfully it arrived today, all perfect :) But I wouldn't often make purchases that large on there, for me it's mostly restricted to small bits and bobs. Filters, batteries, brackets ... that kind of thing.
 
admirable said:
Another common trick;
You purchase item and pay via paypal. A few days later postie knows at your door with a letter requiring a signature. You or someone in the house signs for it. The envelope is empty.
The item doesn't turn up so you file an 'item not received' claim.
The sender has a signature, for the empty envelope, so you're struggling to get the dosh back.
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If you look in the 'Disputed threads' section of Classified, someone bought a Sigma 70-200 lens and only received the box and bits but not the lens.

Just wondered if anyone knew if that was resolved?
 
BlackCloud said:
If you look in the 'Disputed threads' section of Classified, someone bought a Sigma 70-200 lens and only received the box and bits but not the lens.

Just wondered if anyone knew if that was resolved?
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I believe it was, the mods seem helpful when it comes to disputed trades.
 
ernesto said:
How can you get scammed when selling? You wait until they have paid and payment has cleared in Paypal. You then have your money and send out the item.

Why did you send the item before the payment was cleared?
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Of course I didn't send it before getting payment.

I received full payment and even had it transferred into my bank account before posting. In my case paypal flagged the payment but then cleared it and told me to send the camera.

Then 3 weeks later my account was frozen and put into over £2k of debt. Why? Because the camera had been bought by someone using a hacked account. Once the real account holder had found that their bank account had been cleared they lodged a complaint. By then the hacker had the camera in their possession and probably already sold it.

The hacked account had a good history - 100% positive feedback as buyer and seller and I was posting to the registered address. Their last 12 months of auctions had included some camera gear and they readily and articulately communicated via email, so there was no alarm bells.

As I had proof of postage, correspondence with the seller and had been given the ok to send the lens by Paypal they found in favour of my case (although it took nearly 6 weeks to resolve, during which time I was unable to use my paypal).
 
So to lighten the mood how about we see photos of both the wives? ;)
 
decigallen said:
Of course I didn't send it before getting payment.

I received full payment and even had it transferred into my bank account before posting. In my case paypal flagged the payment but then cleared it and told me to send the camera.

Then 3 weeks later my account was frozen and put into over £2k of debt. Why? Because the camera had been bought by someone using a hacked account. Once the real account holder had found that their bank account had been cleared they lodged a complaint. By then the hacker had the camera in their possession and probably already sold it.

The hacked account had a good history - 100% positive feedback as buyer and seller and I was posting to the registered address. Their last 12 months of auctions had included some camera gear and they readily and articulately communicated via email, so there was no alarm bells.

As I had proof of postage, correspondence with the seller and had been given the ok to send the lens by Paypal they found in favour of my case (although it took nearly 6 weeks to resolve, during which time I was unable to use my paypal).
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Not really scammed then as you got your money and you were always going to be alright with that one as it can't be your fault that an account was hacked. Worse case is Paypal lose £2000.
 
scam (Noun):
A dishonest scheme; a fraud.

I think its fair to say that it was a scam.

Worst case scenario is that the hacked account is discovered later and I no longer have the necessary documentation to prove a case. Whether its a scam or not it was protracted and a good deal of hassle.
 
Not quite in the same league but was recently scammed on Ebay when buying a Canon grip for my 7D. The seller immediately left feedback as soon as I paid and that was the last I heard from him despite numerous messages from myself.

Ebay refunded me within a few days of filing a dispute ... he was also selling a 24-70mm and 7D and I notice someone else left negative feedback.
 
Surrey Sam said:
I was scammed in an auction last year for a £4300 camera and lens.

The perpetrator sent a disposable camera and bottle of men’s shampoo instead of the actual auction items. It was all reported to the police, eBay and PayPal and after a couple of fraught and sleepless weeks; a refund was forthcoming from PayPal after going through all their protocols for such circumstances.

Needless to say, I ended up buying the equipment from a UK retailer in the end. I still use eBay for big ticket items, but will now only do cash on collection.
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That's shocking. I have been very fortunate on ebay, but I do follow the rule of if I am not prepared to lose the cash I will collect the item.

Even on here I got scammed by a seller who did not post a lens hood or pouch with the lens I bought. The lens was just bubble wrapped and posted, thankfully it was fine and worked perfectly but it has made me rethink about buying things from people with low or no feedback.
 
To add, Paypal are possibly the worst company I've had the misfortune to deal with.

Back in 2004 I was very active in selling mobile phones via eBay. Sold 3 phones to a guy in Russia (nothing unusual about that as I was selling 30 or so a week, all over the world). Whenever I sold phones to places like Russia I would always wait for the money to hit by bank account AND get confirmation from PayPal.

Had the money in my account and the confirmation so I sent the phones out via ParcelForce. Not an hour later my Paypal account is suddenly in negative balance and they tell me the funds were fraudulent.

What followed next is possibly the best piece of quick thinking I've ever done. I phoned ParcelForce and told them Nokia (it was an 8310 phone) had issued a recall on the phone's batteries and that under no circumstance could they fly otherwise they could explode.

I then spent the next two hours in ParcelForce's depot in Action sorting through thousands of parcels to find my 3 packages! And indeed I found all of them! Very, very lucky.

Now, to Paypal. I was obviously quite annoyed that they told me it was ok to send and then a week later suddenly change their minds. As they kept the PayPal fees from the transactions, even if I transferred the original money back in to my account I would still have been out of pocket due to their error. They refused to budge so I never put my account bank in credit ... and that is why today I still don't have a PayPal account!
 
decigallen said:
Whether its a scam or not it was protracted and a good deal of hassle.
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Yes, I imagine it was. eBay can be quite a bit of hassle and not always because of scams, some buyers and seller really are clueless and shouldn;t be allowed near a computer.

But those are the risks of buying and selling online to people you know nothing about I suppose.
 
An ex GF of mine ran a couple of internet selling businesses and the horror stories she told about ebay were shocking. I haven't bought much from private sellers but every item has been wrongly described or damaged in some way and I now only buy cheapo items like adapters and the like from companies.

I've been very happy with the items I've bought from here, every one has been as described and I've been very happy with every deal.
 
Yep, buying used on eBay is a right crap shoot.
Buy from someone like me and you will always be pleased (I add lots of photos, describe every blemish, post next day etc,. and quite often have feedback of better than expected!)
I wish I could say the same about the majority of things I have purchased...
 
Toggerman said:
I don't recall it being like that, I didn't see thousands of messages saying "only to confirmed address or else you're stuffed". Like there is now.

Even so what does it really matter now, I was just sharing a story of something that happened a while ago on a similar subject, I wish I hadn't bothered now. I thought everyone made mistakes, especially when they're young, must just be me then.

Like I said, I used to like trusting people and seeing the good in them, don't worry, I don't anymore thanks to scammers and forums.
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No-one said there were "thousands of messages", they did however warn you in their terms and conditions, and in payment confirmation emails to only ship to the buyer's registered Paypal address. If you choose not to read these then :shrug:
 
Flash In The Pan said:
No-one said there were "thousands of messages", they did however warn you in their terms and conditions, and in payment confirmation emails to only ship to the buyer's registered Paypal address. If you choose not to read these then :shrug:
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To be honest I'm struggling to understand why you're so obsessed to criticise a mistake someone made a decade ago. I never said it wasn't my mistake and it was only me who suffered, it didn't affect you at all. I merely told a story fitting with the OP, I was still scammed and scams work because people fall for them such as I did. And yes I often choose not to read the full t&cs of things, so what, I am allowed that choice.

Now, for all I know you may have something like an ASD and genuinely not understand why someone would do something differently to you, especially when there are black and white rules to follow, and that's fine, no problem at all. But as I tell my eldest (who has higher functioning autism), "there are many options in life and many people will do things differently to you, some completely different, others not so much. Whether they're right or wrong people can make whatever decision they want, it is a fact and you will just have to accept it. As long as it doesn't affect you just leave them to it. If they are wrong they might learn from it, if they are right you might learn from it."
 
I generally agree to send to unconfirmed address if they pay me by bank transfer. On small value I am willing to take the risk if the buyer has long positive history on ebay. Although history checks seem unreliable today as sellers can not leave negative feedback anymore. The scenario of receiving bricks instead of goods is scary as there is very little one can do. My countermeasure is to avoid selling to ebayers who have not been long with ebay or have very few feedbacks. Also it is quite possible for the delivery guy to swap the contents - consider the way some courier companies recruit their staff today! Soon we will have to start putting tamper-proof seals on packages!
 
That is almost unbelievable sadly though in today's world totally believable!,

Wish I had big enough balls to try to scam a scammer
 
Ebay is OK for the odd thing at a few quid, like a phone charge cable or spare phone battery..

But id never ever spend much more than that, lets not forget its still a auction site & from my past experiences of auctions no matter where they may be, in a pub or skeggy market, they all out to rip you off of your cash...
 
As I said earlier in the thread, I took a big chance and ordered a pricey lens on there. I saved a bundle, but it could have gone so wrong. And looking at links like the above ... well, I think I'll stick to Amazon & bricks and mortar stores ... though at least I know now I have one solid store through the bay that delivers.

End of the day, harsh as it may be/seem, it is our own fault if we get scammed. We go there to save some dough, we know of the risks, we tend to ignore them when we see tasty prices. It's human nature, we cannot resist a bargain. Scammers know all of this, and prey upon it. Never spend any money on there you can't afford to lose.
 
Cagey75 said:
As I said earlier in the thread, I took a big chance and ordered a pricey lens on there. I saved a bundle, but it could have gone so wrong. And looking at links like the above ... well, I think I'll stick to Amazon & bricks and mortar stores ... though at least I know now I have one solid store through the bay that delivers.

End of the day, harsh as it may be/seem, it is our own fault if we get scammed. We go there to save some dough, we know of the risks, we tend to ignore them when we see tasty prices. It's human nature, we cannot resist a bargain. Scammers know all of this, and prey upon it. Never spend any money on there you can't afford to lose.
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Cash on collection if in doubt (taking all reasonable precautions) - applies here too without a doubt

Most ebay scams are rather obvious, like 'photo of', different adresses, different payment method requested, somewhat strange or lacking description, selling 'on behalf of mate' and so on... Just move on even if it looks cheap (for a reason)

The only 'scams' I had were bad copies of lenses (inlcuding the famous Sigma 24-70 :bat:). Arguably the poor sods had little clue about their merchandise, and they had to take it back. On the other hand, thousands of duff lenses leave factories every day. Shops are full of brand new garbage.

Now brick in the post is something new, I wonder what the way to deal with that is
edit: a recent +tive feedback for an expensive item(s) should be reassuring?
 
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The brick job is an old one. People got caught with that one in car-boot sale jobbies. They just didn't bother to check inside, it would be cellophane wrapped and had weight, all god right? Until they got home, scammers were well gone.

It's not even the typical scammer that is scary. Any "shop" on there could send you a tracking order, and once you receive the wrong, much cheaper item, or an empty box ... they may already have moved houses/addresses. They could sell to a bunch in one go. Move on, new addy, do same. I imagine it's not all that hard spark up your rating. Sell a tonne of cheap stuff, get the feedback, move up a notch ...

So easily done, but we have to trust some time.
 
Cagey75 said:
The brick job is an old one. People got caught with that one in car-boot sale jobbies. They just didn't bother to check inside, it would be cellophane wrapped and had weight, all god right? Until they got home, scammers were well gone.

It's not even the typical scammer that is scary. Any "shop" on there could send you a tracking order, and once you receive the wrong, much cheaper item, or an empty box ... they may already have moved houses/addresses. They could sell to a bunch in one go. Move on, new addy, do same. I imagine it's not all that hard spark up your rating. Sell a tonne of cheap stuff, get the feedback, move up a notch ...

So easily done, but we have to trust some time.
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Oh well.. A big chain store in US just sold a bunch of iNotepads in an iPad box http://feeds.neowin.net/~r/neowin-m...-buyer-in-wal-mart-receives-a-box-of-notepads
 
I hate this term, but: Wait, what?? Aren't WalMart responsible for any outgoings in this case? whether or not one of their own employees as pulling a fast one, that's their end. Surely they should compensate? That's ridiculous.
 
Toggerman said:
To be honest I'm struggling to understand why you're so obsessed to criticise a mistake someone made a decade ago. I never said it wasn't my mistake and it was only me who suffered, it didn't affect you at all. I merely told a story fitting with the OP, I was still scammed and scams work because people fall for them such as I did. And yes I often choose not to read the full t&cs of things, so what, I am allowed that choice.

Now, for all I know you may have something like an ASD and genuinely not understand why someone would do something differently to you, especially when there are black and white rules to follow, and that's fine, no problem at all. But as I tell my eldest (who has higher functioning autism), "there are many options in life and many people will do things differently to you, some completely different, others not so much. Whether they're right or wrong people can make whatever decision they want, it is a fact and you will just have to accept it. As long as it doesn't affect you just leave them to it. If they are wrong they might learn from it, if they are right you might learn from it."
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I was just wondering how a grown adult could be so gullible ;)
 
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