Did I Fall for an eBay Scam? or Am I Paranoid

LIrrelevancy on 07/07/2019 - 22:14
Last edited 07/07/2019 - 22:21

Hi guys

I recently made an offer of 335 for a new item that retails at 375 to 400 at brick and mortar shops (BIN price was 389). The offer was accepted, but prior to making payment I realised that the seller has 0 feedback with no previous sales / purchases.

He had one other item on sale (also at a realistic price) - both were listed to be in the same suburb of NSW with shipping via auspost. He only accepts PayPal payments.

How likely is this to be a scam, with me receiving a brick in the mail after payment? Am I being paranoid?

Thanks!

General Discussion

Related Stores

eBay Australia
eBay Australia
Marketplace

Comments

  • altomic on 07/07/2019 - 22:18
    +10

    pay by paypal.
    record your receiving /unwrapping the package.

    might just be a new seller.

    • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2019 - 23:01

      I think it depends a bit on OP' record as a buyer also, as to which way paypal will decide if there is a dispute.
      I never filmed any opening of packages (though ideally, it is a great idea).
      I had many disputes, and always won. PayPal and ebay could see I was purchasing thousands of $$ goods every month consistently, so if say 1 in every 20 was not as described (or some other issue) and I had to open a case with PayPal, I think PayPal (or anyone) can see whom is most likely being honest and which person is not.
      If you haven't got a good history with PayPal/ebay yourself, I probably wouldn't risk it. If you pay by paypal using a mastercard/visa , then you can always go over paypal's head and cancel through the bank, if it comes to that. PayPal will probably close your account though, if you force a visa card charge back. Best to go through PayPals internal case process and resolve that way if at all possible.

      • Irrelevancy on 07/07/2019 - 23:10

        Thanks I've always been pretty careful so havent a dispute for the last few years. Appreciate the information

        • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2019 - 23:17

          Yw. You should be fine then. Ebay changed things so a couple of years back, whereby they started to show extreme bias in favour of the buyer. As long as you keep all communication within ebay, should be fine. That said, if it is a matter of $10 or so, I would prefer to pay the extra $10 for a more trusted/secure purchase. Simply because although I would know I will win and get $$ back through PayPal claim,It's annoying waiting and the nerve-wracking time wondering if it will arrive…. or if it won't arrive,and you have the hassle of forcing refund thru paypal.

  • pinchies on 07/07/2019 - 22:40
    +3

    Likelyhood to be a scam: 6.5/10

    • Irrelevancy on 07/07/2019 - 23:09

      Thanks, I'm a statistician by training so that truly number helps me understand whats going on :D

      • RockyRaccoon on 08/07/2019 - 07:58
        +2

        ROFL

        Garbage in - Garbage out (basic Stats training)

        Of course pinchies maybe an insider at ebay, which if so I apologise in advance

        BTW scammers usually have increased their rating by various means before trying a scam.

        Remember the old saying, Conmen are so "believable", if not they wouldn't be a conman

        • pinchies on 08/07/2019 - 18:40

          I’m not an insider, but my statistics are only 42% arbitrary.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/07/2019 - 22:49
    +2

    Likelyhood to be a scam: 6.5/10

    I had 6.66666666666'/10 by my calculations. I could be wrong though, there's a first for everything 😃

  • Godric on 07/07/2019 - 22:58
    +2

    The above calculations show it is Likely to be a scam

  • Irrelevancy on 07/07/2019 - 23:17

    Thanks all, if it's likely to be a scam is there a way to get eBay to cancel the sale without a non payment complaint lodged against me ? Cheers

    • AdosHouse on 08/07/2019 - 00:04
      +1

      Just wait and see if it is legit first. We all start somewhere on eBay. Also if they are a new account, Paypal won't release the money to the seller for…. a month I think (?). Plenty of time to deal with it.

    • Love a bargain on 08/07/2019 - 14:19

      A scam or not, it's better to go through with it (in my opinion anyway).

      If you cancel the transaction now, you get a strike on your account with 100% certainty.

      If you go through with it and it turns out to be a scam, you should be able to claim your money back via the eBay guarantee. Otherwise, you end up with an item that you want at a price that you're happy with.

  • ibuy on 08/07/2019 - 01:34

    If you’re really concerned make the payment using paypal with your credit card as the funding source. That way if Paypal or eBay for any reason reject an issue you have you can file a chargeback with the bank on Paypal. Note that in some circumstances this may result in paypal closing your account however that is normally an extreme result.

    New sellers on eBay are subject to many restrictions and monitoring. So if you do receive a brick in the mail or an item that is not as described you can open a case. The turnaround time is normally within three days or you send it to eBay to decide. If the seller has insufficient proof then eBay will rule in your favor.

    I have purchased from zero f/b sellers before and things normally go well. I would say one in every 200+ transactions with zero feedback sellers has been an issue. So the chances of being duped are normally small. Think in the positive - as long as everything goes well you have a bargain. Don’t forget to check with ozbargain for any discount codes that can be applied to your purchase before making payment.

  • whooah1979 on 08/07/2019 - 06:47

    Buyers are covered by MBG and Paypal buyer protection. Pay for the item and wait for it to be delivered.

  • the Unforgiven on 09/07/2019 - 02:47

    I have bought from sellers with 0 sells & I have never had a problem; everyone starts at 0, even buyers

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join