Winning bidder with FAKE postal address & Wrong Pay details help ?

Van_Wilder

Hello there,

I know this is becoming more common now as I have recently found out and would like some advice please. :-/

Last night I sold a used mobile phone and the winning bidder had no feedback and had joined the same day as the auction ended. I said in the post and payment details that I send to UK only and would use Paypal or cheque (once it had cleared). Anyway, they supplied a fake postal address (after checking on http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/).

I was then really reluctant to invoice them as I didn't want to give away my main email address in case of spamming and home address.

So I contacted them using a different email address and they sent this reply -

---

Hello Seller ,

Many thanks for the invoice i will need the total cost and the shipment cost of this item to my mother inlaw in africa (Nigeria) via royal mail first class delivery to nigeria , i will be doing the payment via western union auction payment which fast and relable .get back to me with your full information for the payment transaction..your name .contact address where your money will be delivered too and city ,state and your zipcode .reply expected asap for the payment details


Name
Address
City
State .Oyo
Country ..Nigeria
Zipcode

Thanks.

---

I only ever stated I would post to UK and use Paypal or cheque. How do I cancel this auction and re list it without possibly getting bad feedback from these scammers ?

When I went onto EBay's help page it said I could file a 'unpaid item dispute' BUT first they would send a reminder of the item to the winning bidder which I presume would include my HOME ADDRESS and email address ? I don't want to give that info out if you see what I mean ?

Any help would be appreciated as I have NEVER had any problems buying or selling on ebay before.

Many thanks,

Van Wilder

motorguy

Surely they can get your details off ebay anyway?

Not going to be of any help on how to deal with this BUT for any mobile phone or laptop or pc i put on ebay, i add 'if you have zero or significant negative feedback please contact me 24 hours BEFORE you bid with your full address and phone number details and i will have them checked and email you back confirming you can bid'. Invariably i get some bozo who just bids anyway but i then cancel their bid. Plus the last day i check the auction every hour, then in the last half hour i watch it constantly. Awful way to have to auction your phone BUT it does help sort out the troublemakers.

Van_Wilder

Thanks for that, will certainly take on board your advice when reselling this item ! )

motorguy

no problem, better people than me will advise on your current problem though...

smartie1976

I think you can NPB them for being in breach of your "buying" terms and conditions (ie you will not ship outside UK, and not paying by cheque or paypal).

wigginsmum

Don't touch this with a bargepole! If they've got dodgy cash from stealing or drug money, and they then pass it to you via Western Union, they've effectively fulfilled the third phase of moneylaundering, namely intergration, reintroducing their dirty money into the 'clean' system. And they make you criminally liable - assisting a moneylaunderer carries a maximum sentence of 7 years if I remember correctly. Correction: it's 14 years or an unlimited fine.

It may be kosher of course, there's no way of knowing, but I wouldn't touch it at all.

Jules

Van_Wilder

If I do that, does that mean EBay submit the invoice off to them ? Thats what I'm a bit concerned about - giving away my home address to them. I haven't submitted an invoice at all to them because they haven't supplied a correct address in the uk to me.

Also - how soon would I be able to 'second chance offer' it to the second highest bidder ?

svmitche

Total scam mate. Don't sell to these people and cease communication with them immediately.

The Nigeria scam is well known on eBay! A quick search of the boards here should reveal quite a few posts related to this for mobile phones and computer goods.

Also, even Western Union recommend you don't pay for eBay items with Western Union and the likelihood of your getting any money from these people is slim.

soolin

Like the others have said ignore your buyer he is a scammer.

Offer the phone on a second chance offer now while there is still a chance the second highest bidder is still interested. Then go through the NPB process on the original bidder on the basis that they don't comply with your auction terms.

As for your address, your buyers will always get that anyway if they complete checkout, you can't hide away on ebay, but frankly once the scammer has been rumbled he/she has no further interest in you and you are very unlikely to hear from them again.

Soo

Van_Wilder

Yep this is what people have started saying to me at work - put it on a second chance offer asap and if that doesn't work relist it but add a note to say I won't accept posting outside uk or if a bidder has less than 5 feedback to get in contact before hand.

I will admit all future sellings I do will be watched very closely especially in the last hour.

Many Thanks

Van Wilder
:j

Van_Wilder

UPDATE

Ebay have cancelled the scammers account - end of auction ! Wahoo

Well thats something I didn't expect to happen.