this blatant scam costing £150

FTD

Item number: 6385211183
Looks like the seller has passed off selling 'a picture' of a mobile phone as an actual Samsung D500 for £150!
I noticed this late last night (early hours this morning actually) and emailed the seller asking him/her to change the description to reflect what they were actually selling. Unfortunately he had a buy it now price of £150 so I had to try to contact the buyer ASAP.

I've emailed both the seller and buyer. I've very politely asked the seller to do the right thing and refund the money to the buyer. I've made the buyer aware that he has been conned.
The fact that 'the picture' is only mentioned in the the sellers payment instructions may be a way for the buyer to get his money back.

Can anyone offer any advise, i'll be able to pass on to the buyer?

p.s.
Before anyone says, No, I don't think that the buyer is at fault in any way here. (and no, i'm not the buyer either)

MyUserNamesTaken

Report it to Ebay.

Tojo_Ralph

FTD wrote:

Item number: 6385211183
Looks like the seller has passed off selling 'a picture' of a mobile phone as an actual Samsung D500 for £150!
I noticed this late last night (early hours this morning actually) and emailed the seller asking him/her to change the description to reflect what they were actually selling. Unfortunately he had a buy it now price of £150 so I had to try to contact the buyer ASAP.

I've emailed both the seller and buyer. I've very politely asked the seller to do the right thing and refund the money to the buyer. I've made the buyer aware that he has been conned.
The fact that 'the picture' is only mentioned in the the sellers payment instructions may be a way for the buyer to get his money back.

Can anyone offer any advise, i'll be able to pass on to the buyer?

p.s.
Before anyone says, No, I don't think that the buyer is at fault in any way here. (and no, i'm not the buyer either)

Only a COMPLETE Simpleton would try to pull a stunt like this, and include their contact details elsewhere!!! :rotfl:

"Call me on 0795-7337170 or email to sexy_scott69a@hotmail.com for further instructions"

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11326&item=8180027814

That said, only a fool would have bid on the auction.

FTD

the seller has replied to my email:

"Dear (removed),

hiya thanks for your lovely email. The ad did say that the aution was for a picture of a d500 and not the phone. This has all gone to far and was not ment as fraud but was done as a few mates messin around trying to see if sum 1 would be silly enough not to read all the details. I am in contcts with the buyer and tryin to resolve the problem. but legally it did say in the ad and not just in postage instructions. look forward to hearing your replay."

mrcow

Tojo_Ralph wrote:

Only a COMPLETE Simpleton would try to pull a stunt like this, and include their contact details elsewhere!!!

Yep - you've just summed it up!

Unless.......he's just mistyped and meant "picture phone" ie. camera phone (or am I too trusting?)

danmanchester

Hmmmmmm...does look like a scam listing. If the "buyer" has been conned then hopefully your warning will have alerted him/her to requesting refund/chargeback via Paypal.:rolleyes:
Seller obviously didn't spellcheck : "Seller's payment instructions
i except paypal. non payers will be banned!!!! YOUR PICTURE will be sent asap after confirmation of money recieved"

:rotfl:

spankymonkey_2

to be honest the best thing you could of done, was to have contacted ebay and not the buyer or seller. you may get in trouble for intervening(sp?) you could of complained to the seller if you had bid on the phone and won it.

BFG_2

Only mentions 'picture' in payment instructions, not in description.

It's easy to miss it (although to be fair, they do have it in capitals!!)

danmanchester

Just checking sellers completed listings, sold another one too:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=98872&item=6385163343
... for £155!!!
Another dodgy seller to watch methinks.......;)

BellaBargains

I think it says that it is only a picture of the phone in the bottom left hand corner of the picture- but I can't actually read it I'm only guessing that's what it says.

This kind of seller ruins eBay if you ask me.

FTD

BellaBargains wrote:

I think it says that it is only a picture of the phone in the bottom left hand corner of the picture- but I can't actually read it I'm only guessing that's what it says.

This kind of seller ruins eBay if you ask me.

It does say bottom left corner that it is a picture, but who would 'read' a picture for the description?