How can I beat eBay scammers?

Wryel · 7 Feb 2006 at 14:35

This is really annonying, cause even if I don't fall for it my auction is ruined: The scammers make a stupidly high bid right at the end and proceed to start asking for the item to be sent to Nigeria. Now of course I told them where to go, but now I'm about to re-auction the item after 2nd chance failed, I'm worried its going to happen again! How can I stop these muppets bidding on my stuff?

Ripper · 7 Feb 2006 at 14:44

i dont get what these people gain from this apart from being utter *****.

as a solution to your problem the only way to help really is by setting it so that only people from the UK can bid, and that they must have a paypal account and positive feedback.

Language.

Otacon

Brynn · 7 Feb 2006 at 14:45

If you cant beat them, join them!

just kidding, what I do is always use paypal

Greenlizard0 · 7 Feb 2006 at 14:45

Aye as ripper^ says, make sure that people only in the uk bid for it, that helped me out a lot!

Vonhelmet · 7 Feb 2006 at 14:51

Ripper^ said:
i dont get what these people gain from this apart from being utter ****.

as a solution to your problem the only way to help really is by setting it so that only people from the UK can bid, and that they must have a paypal account and positive feedback.

The sad thing is that they wouldn't do it if it didn't work. Someone somewhere is making money off it, and the real twits are those that fall for it.

Your advice on avoiding it is good though.

pyro · 7 Feb 2006 at 14:52

With a stick?

Wryel · 7 Feb 2006 at 15:00

I've set it to UK only, but it didn't stop the fools from bidding: 'I do live in UK but am in Nigeria at the minute it is a present for my fiancee......' Shut up. Now.

4T5 · 7 Feb 2006 at 15:03

Buy yourself one of those cheap simcards.
Then in your auction tell all that Bids will only be accepted after you have spoken to the person on the phone.
This can be used to reassure the Buyer as well as the seller.
Any bids you dont like can be blocked saying no phone call no bid. Job done.
Odviously use the cheap sim card number in your add and rinse and repeat every 3 months.

9761 · 7 Feb 2006 at 15:05

Tell them not bid and if they do give them bad feedback.
Then email ebay and they cancel any negative feedback that they give.

I did it once but some idiot wanted me to post to australia!

dirtydog · 7 Feb 2006 at 15:12

9761 said:
Tell them not bid and if they do give them bad feedback.
Then email ebay and they cancel any negative feedback that they give.

no they don't.

Wryel · 7 Feb 2006 at 15:15

9761 said:
Tell them not bid and if they do give them bad feedback.
Then email ebay and they cancel any negative feedback that they give.

I did it once but some idiot wanted me to post to australia!

The one from the other day already had his eBay account closed.

Would be nice if it was a little more dificult to register with eBay instead of totally instant.

dirtydog · 7 Feb 2006 at 15:17

Wryel said:
Would be nice if it was a little more dificult to register with eBay instead of totally instant.

Swings and roundabouts. If you make it harder for people to register then you'll have less potential customers.

Set up your auctions so that only paypal account holders can bid, as well as making it UK only, no negative feedback etc. That should cut out most of the nuisance bidders. Also I personally don't accept 0 feedback bidders either unless they email me first.

9761 · 7 Feb 2006 at 15:17

dirtydog said:
no they don't.

Well they did it to me after a friend of mine told me I was able to do it.

dirtydog · 7 Feb 2006 at 15:19

9761 said:
Well they did it to me after a friend of mine told me I was able to do it.

9 times out of 10 ebay will not remove feedback. It's dangerous advice to give someone to leave a negative and then email ebay to ask them to remove retaliatory negs.

zain · 7 Feb 2006 at 15:44

You could pre approve bids, im sure I saw that option somewhere. A simple way is to check the auction regularly and remove the bidders and report them to ebay.

CLAWS · 7 Feb 2006 at 15:58

How exactly does this scam work?

/thickmode

Paulj · 7 Feb 2006 at 16:08

CLAWS said:
How exactly does this scam work?

/thickmode

Wouldn't YOOOU like to know

Vonhelmet · 7 Feb 2006 at 16:14

CLAWS said:
How exactly does this scam work?

/thickmode

They wire the money, you send the goods, their payment bounces.

Or they use a dodgy escrow service.

Or they hold your dog to ransom.

Or they pee in your shoes.

Or they hide all your left socks.

Some, all or none of the above are genuine scamming methods.

CLAWS · 7 Feb 2006 at 16:31

vonhelmet said:
They wire the money, you send the goods, their payment bounces.

Or they use a dodgy escrow service.

Or they hold your dog to ransom.

Or they pee in your shoes.

Or they hide all your left socks.

Some, all or none of the above are genuine scamming methods.

Blimey, people do go to extremes

With regards to the payment bouncing, is there no way of sending the goods once the payment has been received and cleared?

Sorry for being thick folks but....... :rolleyes:

Wryel · 7 Feb 2006 at 16:31

vonhelmet said:
They wire the money, you send the goods, their payment bounces.

Or they use a dodgy escrow service.

Or they hold your dog to ransom.

Or they pee in your shoes.

Or they hide all your left socks.

Some, all or none of the above are genuine scamming methods.

Or they send you the cash, you send the item, they say they haven't got it which you can't prove (cause its in Nigeria), they kick up a fuss and get a refund.