Suspcious Ebay buyer - Advice please!

The_Grouch

So this is the story: a couple of weeks ago at a local car boot I bought a piece of computer equipment for a few pounds with the intention of selling it on ebay. This item is quite rare and is only the sort of thing that a collector or a ‘computer nerd’ (for want of a better phrase) would buy.

I listed it on ebay later that evening and 7 days later it sold for about 10 times what I had paid for it. This was a lot more than I had expected! However alarm bells started to ring when I saw the buyer. The item was paid for within a couple of hours by paypal, but this ebay user has a feedback rating of only 1, and this was received over 2 years ago. This might not be too suspicious on its own, however this person also lives quite near to me, within the same city, and on ‘the wrong side of the tracks’ if you like.

I sent them an e-mail on the night the auction ended asking if they would like to collect the item as they are local – no reply. So the next day I had gone in to serious paranoia mode and e-mailed them again saying look I’m a bit suspicious of this transaction, I don’t want any trouble, but can you contact me. 2 days later and still no reply.

I didn’t know what to do, so yesterday I posted the item – now I’m wondering if this was a foolish move….

What would you read into this? Am I right to be suspicious? Or am I losing my mind? I’m so worried I’m not eating or sleeping well, and I can’t concentrate at work….Any advice would be appreciated.

janegal

Hello The_Grouch
You have not to worry that much. The guy put a bid in, won, he paid for it, right? You have his money, so you sent the item. I hpe you have sent it recorded and signed for, so he has no chance to say he did not receive it. You should be fine.

In the future, if you are unsure, you can cancel the transaction or offer to the second highest bidder - called 2nd chance. Once I was bidding on an item and the seller cancelled the transaction. I complained to eBay and they told me that the seller has the rights to choose his buyer in the same way a buyer can choose from whom he is going to buy from.

Robertf

If you've been paid, no problem! Advice to send recorded is good though - saves any arguments about whether it arrived or not.

pinkshoes

Posting it (recorded delivery if under £36, special delivery if over £36) is safer than him collecting it, as Paypal will want a tracking number to prove delivery. (if he collects, he could open up an "item not received" dispute and you'd have no proof...).

Did you send it to the Paypal address given?

The_Grouch

Thanks for the replies - maybe I am losing my mind, as I was thinking along the lines of:

Unexpected buyer profile + living local + not replying to e-mails = car boot seller angry at my reselling is reclaiming their item and coming to get me.....not impossible is it?

CBo

But if you just play by ebays rules hardly suddenly going to disappear into thin air is it. Some ebayers don't apperciate having to jump through a loop if they think they have paid and done all that is required. Being local can always be a concidence. Best just to send it via tracked method and you'll be fine. Make sure you have some photos incase of not as described

POSSETTE

did you send it special delivery? recorded doesnt always get a signature,you could fall foul of the "item didnt arrive" scam if he gets away without signing for it. Then he will get his money back from PP

max2009

Maybe it is stolen goods and the car booter is trying to buy it back to cover his tracks.If stolen it maybe the rightful owner.

The_Grouch

This might sound stupid but I didn't send it recorded because I didn't want to include a return address incase they are 'aggrieved car boot seller' and they want to pay me a visit. Although I know they have my postcode at least from ebay so finding me wouldn;t be hard anyway but I didn't want to help them!

Please just tell me I'm losing my mind and worrying about nothing. But I can't put this out of my mind. I'm so worried I'm thinking about cancelling my weekend away, lest my parents recieve a 'visit' while I'm not there...

frivolous_fay

Hm, I have news for you... ebay will supply your full contact details to anyone who has traded with you who requests them.

Tell us you at least got proof of posting!

ANGSTDATA

Dont worry about it - bootsales and Ebay alike - you win some - you lose some - I really cant imagine anyone coming round to get goods back that they sold to you at a car boot sale!:rotfl:

you bought the gear in good faith -especially if it was electrical equipment - how did you know it was functioning - would they be bothered if they sold it from a car boot and didnt work - NO !!

Regards