Having only sold about 10 items I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to eBay. However this happened with my last sale and it just struck me as a total scam. What do you think...?
The reason I smell a scam is because...
1) Because I'm forced to list it with 'Free Postage', the foreign-based buyer can and did specifically request a postage method which, as far as I know, only allows the item to be tracked to the point where it leaves the UK. Once it leaves the UK, it's basically off the radar.
2) The buyer can say it never arrived, even though it probably did, and I've basically got no proof so I have to give him a refund.
3) I can only post positive feedback on the buyer.
4) According to his history, the Italian buyer only buys games (which all have to be listed with free postage), and he only buys them from UK sellers (presumably so he can force the same untraceable postage method scam).
5) The same buyer has a strange/suspicious purchase history... from his small number of visible purchases (less than 40) he's bought 3 copies of GTA and 9 copies of Resident Evil.
Defiantly looks like a scam to me, he can easily 'buy' games and claim they didn't arrive because of the crappy postage method he can enforce, then he easily gets his money back, plus the game... which he then probably sells locally or via a different eBay account.
- I puy my copy of GTA4 up for auction on eBay.
- Because it's a game, I'm not allowed to enter a postage fee, so it has to be 'Free Postage'.
- The item sells for £10, but the winning bidder is from Italy.
- The Italian bloke sends me an invoice request, with a very specifc demand for me to post the game via 'Royal Mail Airmail: Small Packet'.
- I give him an invoice for £11.70 (£10 + £1.70 postage).
- He pays.
- I post the item.
- 3 weeks later he says "it hasn't arrived, where is my game?".
- He logs a case with eBay.
- eBay's automated system automatically takes £11.70 out of my Paypal account and holds it until the case is resolved.
- I have two options, issue refund or find another GTA4 and post it.
- I have to issue a refund.
- Mr Italian gets his money back.
- The automated eBay system says "Thanks" and closes the case.
- Unless I put a claim into Royal Mail, I've lost my game and my money.
The reason I smell a scam is because...
1) Because I'm forced to list it with 'Free Postage', the foreign-based buyer can and did specifically request a postage method which, as far as I know, only allows the item to be tracked to the point where it leaves the UK. Once it leaves the UK, it's basically off the radar.
2) The buyer can say it never arrived, even though it probably did, and I've basically got no proof so I have to give him a refund.
3) I can only post positive feedback on the buyer.
4) According to his history, the Italian buyer only buys games (which all have to be listed with free postage), and he only buys them from UK sellers (presumably so he can force the same untraceable postage method scam).
5) The same buyer has a strange/suspicious purchase history... from his small number of visible purchases (less than 40) he's bought 3 copies of GTA and 9 copies of Resident Evil.
Defiantly looks like a scam to me, he can easily 'buy' games and claim they didn't arrive because of the crappy postage method he can enforce, then he easily gets his money back, plus the game... which he then probably sells locally or via a different eBay account.
