Sold laptop on ebay, seems fishy...

[Ikith]

So I just sold my laptop on ebay and I get this:

"Hello seller i am the one who just won your item out of eBay please i want you to send me more Photos of this item to my email address now asap ...... ([email protected]) and also want you to get back to me with your correct PayPal email address,so i can proceed with payment as soon as possible.Regards
Rebekah"

Now through the few years I've also sold stuff on craigslist this seems completely fishy, the format and the asking for photos when there is one of the laptop on the auction itself, as well as the UK yahoo account. The phone number on the persons profile is also non existant (Tried calling) and it's a brand new user.

Another thing is during the last few minutes of the bid it went from $710 which was below reserve to $720 from a new user to $730 new user to $1,220.00 then $1,299 then finally $1,329 all bids are from a new user with 0 history.

Should I continue to process this or what do I need to do?

[ikariiiii]

don't sell until you can talk to them and verify who they are

[Jaybar]

I've recently been involved with something like this - I continued and got to a point where the buyer needed me to pay a Western Union "agent" to process the check from Paypal to my bank account. It required me to send a large sum of cash to the buyer so they could continue with the processing (and then I would get that large sum of cash back to my account). That's where I threw my hands in the air and got the fuck out.

But yea, at this point who knows - the bids are fishy but at the moment there isn't enough information beyond speculation. Is this an international account (judging by the e-mail) and perhaps that is why her phone did not work?

[Ikith]

No it is not international the shipping address is in IL, I made sure that there was no international shipping option. Also talked with ebay customer support, they said submit the invoice and if she doesn't pay within four days to open an "Unpaid item ticket" and then after 7 days to close the ticket and that will be the end of the auction and I can either offer the second highest a second chance or just re list.

Just sent invoice. We will see what happens.

Edit: Support also said that this user has a BUNCH of unpaid item tickets.

[hey]

No way that's legit.

[Ratatapa]

I never believe a message that says Hello Selling instead of Hello Username seems like a preprogrammed message

[Ikith]

I even emailed the buyer to give them the benefit of the doubt, no response, incoming Nigerian spam emails that I can troll.

[Weederr33]

I've had something like this happen to me. I had my laptop on Ebay to sell, and the people would be asking for me to ship to Africa or South America and said it was for said customer's relative. I even specifically said no international shipping. I've noticed that certain things you sell on Ebay, these spammers will make fake accounts and instantly buy your item if they can or send you really unusual emails like the one you got. I just said fuck it, and sold my laptop to a friend instead!

[Ikith]

Weederr, that's the thing, I had a buy it now price of LESS than they paid and they still bid it up, and it's a local address so I sent them a proper invoice, still waiting on some AWESOME Nigerian email spam though.

[Pikarya]

Selling on Ebay still. Wut?

[Smed]

If it does happen that they pay, wait the 60 days to lock in the Paypal payment so they can't reverse it once the item has been shipped.

[Milks]

just set up your auctions to allow only US bidders with at least 1 feedback. I'm almost positive that if you set it up correctly people without a certain amount of feedback won't even be able to bid.

[fantasticdan]

just set up your auctions to allow only US bidders with at least 1 feedback. I'm almost positive that if you set it up correctly people without a certain amount of feedback won't even be able to bid.

This, just relist the auction with a feedback requirement. 99% this guy is trying to scam you.

If it does happen that they pay, wait the 60 days to lock in the Paypal payment so they can't reverse it once the item has been shipped.

Not this. They absolutely still can reverse it, it will just leave your paypal account in the red, locking you out of using it or ebay in the future, as well as paypal selling your 'debt' to debt collectors if you don't pay up. You'd also lose any sort of protection you have as a seller (not much in the first place), by waiting that long to ship (the maximum is iirc 7 days after payment for a non-preorder) . If they claimed anything against you at that point, you would lose. You probably wouldn't be able to get negative feedback reversed either.

EDIT: If you do end up selling it on ebay eventually, make sure you use signature confirmation on shipping.

[Ikith]

So just for lawls I sent more pictures to the email they provided, the next email I get is as follows:
"Thanks for the pics.I will be glad you get back to me with your PayPal email address,so i can proceed with the payment as soon as possible."

My reply:
"The transaction MUST be continued through eBay."

After two fake (they look completely fucking real, I even had to check my paypal to confirm that there was no actual payment made, I'm astonished last time I dealt with a scammer the paypal email was pretty shitty looking)

Their reply:
"Dear seller

I want to notify you that payment for your item has already been made and the necessary funds have been deducted from my PAY PAL account.i want you to send the item to the address below,am buying it as a birthday gift for my Son,who is currently working with the UNICEF and he is on special duty in Nigeria at this moment.

I have provided 120.00 USD available for the shipping USPS (United State Postal Service international Express Mail sign for 3-5 Days Available for EG or EI) So endeavor to get the item in post ASAP,so that it can get to my Son on time for his birthday Gift,coming up next week.

I want you to get the item to my Son as soon as you receive notification from the PayPal. Because I want my Son to receive the item before his birthday.

Name.......Chigovio Dare
Address....No 60 Amoo Street,
City.......Agege,
Zip code...23401,
Country....Lagos,Nigeria.

Many Thanks and God bless,.

Rebekah"

At this point I'm pretty fed up because I'm new to ebay, and ebay customer support won't let me void the auction short of the 4 days to file a no payment and then the 7 days after to appeal and void the auction. They also won't let me re list because I've "reached my limit for postings in that section as a new user".

So I reply obviously pissed:
"Nigerian Scammer,

Until you pay via ebay's paypal link and it says the payment is confirmed and no longer "Waiting for payment" I will not be shipping the item, and if you do pay for the item via ebay's paypal link I will be shipping the item to the address provided to ebay."

Ebay customer support follows policies so tight assed that even if it is obvious that I won't get paid they still have me follow procedures.

They even went as far as suggesting I get the buyer to respond via ebays messaging system when they've already asked me for my paypal address outside of ebay.

/rant

[The Stig]

Yeah the moment I read the first line of the buyer's e-mail reminded me of:

P-P-P-POWERBOOK!!!!

http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/

[Ikith]

Had I not been frustrated with the fact that ebay has me jumping through hoops just to void the obviously fake transaction I would have proceeded to fuck with them, but at that moment and right now I'm a little irked at customer services failure to realize exactly what is going on (even though the buyer has several unpaid items) and void the auction so I can re list. A little bit too tight assed on policy if you ask me.

[test123]

Shit in a bag and send it instead, for the lulz.

[Ikith]

Shit in a bag and send it instead, for the lulz.

IIRC customs will check it and refuse to send and maybe even fine me.

[Souj]

And this is what you get for using Ebay.
Both Ebay and Paypal have become completely ridiculous. especially when it comes to how hard Ebay constantly tries to screw over sellers.

[Acevalefor]

Ebay still exists? Holy internet Batman!

Is there a reason you can't just freeze any accounts associated with ebay/paypal, yank the laptop and don't ship anything or deal with anything else regarding ebay?

I think Dave Ramsay says it best when dealing with scammers and those that facilitate scamming. "They can't take what you don't have or don't give them"

Just sell the thing on CL local only, green cash, exchanged face to face with the buyer. If ebay or paypal throws a fit, piss in their coffee and never deal with either company again. On second thought, never deal with either company again even if they don't throw a fit.