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View Full Version : ebay -- way too conducive to scammers?



TNTtoys
09-04-2007, 10:22 PM
I have been thinking in great detail about some late developments on the ebay site, and it is almost as though the landscape is protecting the scam artist more than it protects the consumer he victimizes. Here are my complaints with the current process:

It is common knowledge that we, as a community, are able to spot the fake every now and then. Trouble is, when we confront the seller, he ignores us or replies with nonsense. We then...

1. Write to ebay with hard facts. They do not do anything about our email other than reply with a form letter instructing us not to write further or inquire about the opened case, because it is confidential from that point on. Days go by with no action until the item is sold, usually for big money.

2. Out of frustration due to ebay's lack of action, we attempt to write to bidders to warn them. Trouble is...

a. ebay blocks this communication often because their software knows we are not in a transaction with the other buyer. It tells us that it reserves the right to block this communication for "safety" purposes.

b. the item reaches a price point where the complete buyer list is scrambled -- hence, we can't even write if we tried. Again, this is for "safety."

The only safe haven I see being created is for the scam artist. He can continue to sell his fraudulent item despite an entire community knowing it is fake because -- nobody is taking action, buyers are still there, and the only mechanisms in place to warn the prospective buyers are being blocked and/or ignored.

What are your thoughts regarding this matter? Is there anything we as a community can do collectively to help this situation?

cigarman44
09-04-2007, 10:30 PM
Ive just started collecting and would like to say I am probably done with Ebay. If I have to pay a little or a lot more for that matter and get somethng from the Cardinals Authentic store or MLB.com I think I would do it, just to insure legitimatcy.

metsbats
09-05-2007, 05:54 AM
I agree with you Nick on this. Ebay is a haven for scammers and Ebay makes it easy. I've been burned on ebay once for the sum of $275 but was able to recover about $175 from ebay's buyer protection plan. This was a case where the seller did not deliver the product and never intended to. To minimize getting ripped off on ebay I do the following:

- Never bid on an item from a new seller.
- Never bid on an auction where the seller only accepts Money Orders.
(unless he has tons of + feedbacks)
- If it's too good to be true then it probably a scam.

I've also gotten ripped off once on overstock.com auctions and they do absolutely nothing for a victim (worse than ebay) and have never bid there again.

David

34swtns
09-05-2007, 06:18 AM
The title of this thread says it all.
The ebay marketplace is a den of thieves and ebay does nothing in the way of policing it's sellers or levying any sort of punitive consequences when a buyer has been taken.
It's easily the most flawed system I've ever run across but if you think of it more in terms of an unregulated flea market rather than a legitimate retail outlet you'll have a better understanding of what ebay truly represents.
Just remember.....buyer beware.

cjmedina1
09-05-2007, 11:25 AM
TNTOYS

Everything you said is correct.I saw an car auction of a 1969 SS IMPALA.The funny thing is it had the same vin numbers as my car:confused: .When you decode the vin numbers it comes out as an 1969 ss impala convertable.The car in the auction was a hard top.I have tried to contact the seller and buyer but no response.I even let ebay know first again nothing happen.The car has sold 3 times over the last 5 years for over 20k.Again the buyer is the one getting stiffed,Ebay gets there money for the listing and final auctions fees.The seller gets their money.You all see where I'm going with this.

Here is the up side.We have this great web site called Game Used Universe.They also are starting to have auctions.So in time the auctions are going to get bigger and bigger.So now we all wont have to search on Ebay to take a chance when we know we can buy here with.I cant speak as to what the owners would like to do with the site auctions,I do know that we want to try and educate new people in the Game used hobby.By doing that is promoting this site.:D Although I havnt meet anyone here in person,but through emails and posting we all are here to help each other.And thats what going to keep this site as the best for Buying,Selling,Information for game used items!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carlie Medina III
carliemedinaiii@sbcglobal.net

PS

Incase anyone would like to know I did file a police report on this auction and I have not seen this car up for auction in over a year.Maybe they got caught or arrested I hope:)

Vintagedeputy
09-05-2007, 11:35 AM
I agree with you Nick on this. Ebay is a haven for scammers and Ebay makes it easy. I've been burned on ebay once for the sum of $275 but was able to recover about $175 from ebay's buyer protection plan. This was a case where the seller did not deliver the product and never intended to. To minimize getting ripped off on ebay I do the following:

- Never bid on an item from a new seller.
- Never bid on an auction where the seller only accepts Money Orders.
(unless he has tons of + feedbacks)
- If it's too good to be true then it probably a scam.

I've also gotten ripped off once on overstock.com auctions and they do absolutely nothing for a victim (worse than ebay) and have never bid there again.

David


David,

I think that you have to look at everything on a case by case basis. I have been on ebay since June of '98 and have a feedback number of 268 (100%). Until here recently, I never accepted paypal, only cash, checks and money orders. Then ebay cracked down on asking for cash, so I finally broke down and started accepting paypal and I like it so far. I'd hate to have you not bid on my auctions because I took money orders. Now I wonder how many bidders I lost over the years because I didnt use Paypal.

Jim

cjmedina1
09-05-2007, 11:40 AM
Is Pay-Pal Owned by Ebay?

3arod13
09-05-2007, 12:07 PM
Is Pay-Pal Owned by Ebay?

Yes!

sylbry
09-05-2007, 02:26 PM
I seem to be getting taken lately by ebay itself. Three times in the past four months I have had a non-paying bidder. I open up a dispute and ebay never gives me a final value fee credit. (Hey flightposite, feel free to respond to the dispute).

One of the disputes was over a Porsche I sold to a guy in Germany. I wanted a $500 deposit after 24 hours and payment in full in 14 days. Three months went by and nothing. The car is still sitting in my garage. Will never sell a vehicle on ebay again.

aeneas01
09-05-2007, 06:08 PM
yes, ebay is undoubtedly a safe haven for scammers and crooks but it still remains a fantastic source of gems if the buyer knows what to look for - as a matter of fact, i believe ebay's reputation as a cesspool often works in the buyer's favor given that many competing buyers are often dissuaded from even bidding on an item offered through ebay.

and, as i've mentioned in other posts, there are ways buyers can protect themselves 100% from loss when dealing on ebay - as such, i really don't see any risk other than perhaps a few bucks and the time it takes to return an item on ocassion.

what i like most about ebay is that it's still filled with many folks that spend their weekends (or more) foraging garage sales, estate sales, local goodwill stores, etc. for goods they think they can flip for a profit - folks that are always dragging the second-hand lake and offering their findings, valuable or not, on ebay. in short, ebay has many drawbacks but imho it's still one helluva market place.

speaking of ebay-related gripes, here's one that really makes me chuckle and one that i was going to comment on in another thread: the buyer that wins an absolute treasure for chicken feed from an inexperienced or uniformed ebay seller then whines incessantly if the the seller gets wise before shipment and reneges on the deal. somewhat akin to to the buyer in the electronics store who sees a $2,000 big-screen tv mismarked for $20 and demands that the store honor the mismarked price.

don't get me wrong - i'm no saint. if the ebay seller doesn't wise up and sends the item or if the electronics store doesn't wise up and sells you the tube at the mismarked price i say all the power to you. but, honestly, if an iexperienced ebay seller tells you that they made an honest mistake or an electronics store tells you that the tv was grossly mismarked how on earth can a decent person demand the item - how can a decent person face the seller and basically state "i'm ripping you off because of your stupidity" ? jmo...

metsbats
09-05-2007, 07:57 PM
David,

I think that you have to look at everything on a case by case basis. I have been on ebay since June of '98 and have a feedback number of 268 (100%). Until here recently, I never accepted paypal, only cash, checks and money orders. Then ebay cracked down on asking for cash, so I finally broke down and started accepting paypal and I like it so far. I'd hate to have you not bid on my auctions because I took money orders. Now I wonder how many bidders I lost over the years because I didnt use Paypal.

Jim


Jim,

I agree it would depend on the feedback (both volume and quality).

Let me clarify, if a seller has 100+ positive feedbacks and only takes MO or checks I would bid.

I won't be a pioneer with new sellers.

David

cards-bats
09-05-2007, 09:49 PM
I just got scammed for the 2nd time on Ebay with game used bats.

I sent my money and NEVER got anything in return. The latest one was nice enough to leave positive feedback however.

I think we should call the dirtbags out by name!

Here is my latest: Jeff Perro in Antioch, TN (burb of Nashville.)
His ebay ID is jgperro.

He just scammed another guy out of 2 bats and won't respond to him either.

We are both filing police reports this week.

Vintagedeputy
09-05-2007, 11:42 PM
"Perro" in Spanish is "dog"

How fitting !