Amazon market place - beware of scams

sebtomato

Just happened to me yesterday: I put a Samsung mobile phone on sale. I then receive an email from Amazon stating that the phone had been sold and I should despatch it to an address in Nigeria (billing address was in the UK).

I contact Amazon to confirm, and receive another email 10 minutes later confirming that I should post the item to Nigeria and that relevant postage had been paid.

The issue is: when logging on my account, no signs of the transaction, since all emails were fake (but not flagged as such by Gmail, which is unusual). The person had anticipated me contacting Amazon, and therefore had also forged a fake response.

Therefore, if you sell stuff on Amazon marketplace, do check your online account first before sending anything! Amazon does not display the address to ship to on their emails, to force people to log on their accounts.

lulu650

I'm probably being thick, but how does anyone find your email address via Amazon if you're selling? All queries have to go via Amazon onto the seller.

sebtomato

lulu650 wrote: »

I'm probably being thick, but how does anyone find your email address via Amazon if you're selling? All queries have to go via Amazon onto the seller.

No, a very valid point.
They send you a private message and their email addresses, asking to contact them that way. Once you reply to them directly, they have your email address and can start sending you some fake Amazon emails.

soolin

sebtomato wrote: »

No, a very valid point.
They send you a private message and their email addresses, asking to contact them that way. Once you reply to them directly, they have your email address and can start sending you some fake Amazon emails.

Which is why of course Amazon warn sellers to use the Amazon messaging service only and not private emails.

Obviously if sellers are looking to work outside of Amazon and trade away from the site then they may be subject to a scam.