Ebay scam, If you are looking to sell using ebay and paypal, my advice don't do it!

hermum

OP here's a similar case to yours from the last couple of days
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2759622

adsingleton

Thanks to those of you who offered constructive advice, I had not hard of goofbay so will check that out, I have now added paragraphs and I apologise if you take umbridge with any of my grammar, and thanks for sticking up for me durham girl,

I am not a regular internet user and do not know what trolling is, my rent is actually due I am not stating some sob story here I was made redundant this month and was trying to avoid having to claim benefits, the point I am making is that ebay at no time made this clear to me and it may well be a common scam however I discovered it the hard way and perhaps if someone made as much effort informing people of it as I will then maybe I wouldn't have fallen for it.

I appreciate any further helpful feedback

ps hope the paragraphs are ok

StaffsSW

So you handed over a £500 TV to a complete stranger, and not even the complete stranger who you had sold the item to either, and despite checking the paypal rules to establish the 21 day payment hold, you did not check them to find out about seller protection?

adsingleton

piglet25 wrote: »

Do you have any details about the 'buyer' apart from a mobile number? Did you take a car registration or other info which could help you to trace him, and what was his number of feedbacks (not percentage)?

I agree ebay could try to resolve this alot faster given your circumstances but there are so many cases going on I suppose they have to stick to their timelines otherwise it would just end up a big mess.

I didn't stupidly.
I know the vehicle was an off white transit van, but that is all, I think he had about 6 feedbacks.

Scarlett.1974

adsingleton wrote: »

Thanks to those of you who offered constructive advice, I had not hard of goofbay so will check that out, I have now added paragraphs and I apologise if you take umbridge with any of my grammar, and thanks for sticking up for me durham girl,

I am not a regular internet user and do not know what trolling is, my rent is actually due I am not stating some sob story here I was made redundant this month and was trying to avoid having to claim benefits, the point I am making is that ebay at no time made this clear to me and it may well be a common scam however I discovered it the hard way and perhaps if someone made as much effort informing people of it as I will then maybe I wouldn't have fallen for it.

I appreciate any further helpful feedback

ps hope the paragraphs are ok

Getting away from the point I know, but I would strongly advise you to get yourself over to the Benefits advice board and see what you might be entitled to to help you while you're out of work

adsingleton

stevew8975 wrote: »

So you handed over a £500 TV to a complete stranger, and not even the complete stranger who you had sold the item to either, and despite checking the paypal rules to establish the 21 day payment hold, you did not check them to find out about seller protection?

Wow thanks like I don't feel bad enough already, yes I admit I was a naive idiot, but should paypal not put that somewhere other than the small print, on top of that paypal actually agreed to release the funds it was only after that ebay then restricted my account.

I am a brand new user to ebay and paypal do you not think these guidelines could be made clearer, had I known about the 21 day rule I would've taken my TV to electronics exchange or tried to sell privately. I phoned paypal as mentioned and they did not state the 21 day rule they stated my money would clear when I received feedback.

macfly

If you had a paypal payment, you have his address.

mickeymad

Just wanted to say that all the digs and negative comments about paragraphs etc dont help. Dont know what to offer in the way of advice but i hope you get sorted.

fishingcinema

WOW way to show how nice we and welcoming we can be here at mse. (NOT)
Again another new poster desperatly seeking some advice and what do some posters do pick on how his/her post has been written, at the end of the day if you did not want to sit and read it then dont, there is no need to read through it then have a pop at the op.

Anyway welcome to money saving expert adsingleton

Unfortunatly as some of the nicer people here have said this is a well known scam, some low life scum prey on new ebayers for the exact reason being that as they are new to it all that they do not know of all the scams and how ebay and paypal work and how they will not only fob you off and not help paypal inparticular will just tell you what you like to get you off the phone.

As for the other person wanting you to phone a premium rate number, SCAM too, been there in my earlier ebay days got a phone call asking me to call a premium rate number and they will wave there magic wand and sort it all out, i did not call but can see why some people would as when something like this happens you are desperate for someone to make it all ok.

I too think it is wrong that you HAVE to offer paypal for collection only items when you list them as ebay and paypal are well aware of these types of scams but do not care as long as they get there final value fees and paypal fees for you receiving your money via paypal.

Unfortunatly in cases like this there is no advice i can give you as you are saying that the account that bid on your tv was hacked
(have i got that right?) and as they paid by paypal and collected you have no proof of delivery to the buyer so paypal will side with them.
even if you had got them to sign something saying they had taken the t.v this would still not have been good enough for paypal as they only except proof of delivery from post office/courier ect.

I think it is terrible and that ebay should make you aware of problems like this if you have to take tutorials if you do something wrong on ebay to be able to list items again ect, then why not set up tutorials for new ebayers to make them aware of scams like this.

I am sorry you have had this happen to you and that i can not offer any advice that will sort this out. :0(

Booley

Adam your story is the stuff of nightmares and I'd have probably done exactly the same as you. Having never sold anything on ebay I wouldn't have known all the whys and wherefores either. That's precisely why I don't sell but stick to bidding/buying instead.

I really hope that you can get some constructive help from Ebay/Paypal.