Read thru here to learn about it. It's called "scambaiting."

http://www.419eater.com/and http://www.potifos.com/fraud/


Like I said earlier, a friend of mine bought an XBox 360 and tried to sell it on ebay to make some good money (which he did, BTW). The winning bidder sent my friend an email saying he's from Va..lives in England..but his daughter is in Nigeria. He will send his payment as soon as he gets comfirmation the package is on it's way. So basically, he was going to get the XBox shipped to him w/o paying.

Don't EVER send anything until you are 100% sure you've been paid. If you receive a personal check as payment, it will take up to 6 weeks to clear. If you deposite the personal check, then send out the package...the check can bounce...so the bank takes that money out of your account..and you've already shipped the package...so you're screwed both ways.

I won't even accept a personal check when I'm selling on Ebay...money orders are cheap and easy to get. I do use PayPal...NEVER had any problems with it, though I do know a couple of guys who hate it...not sure what exactly happened to them, but they won't use it. I only use the "free" PayPal account, so I don't lose a percentage during transaction.

BB, I have used PayPalthe few times I have sold on Ebay but it always has been under $500. Do you get any hesitation from buyers asking what protects them if they send you a MO od CC before they get the goods? I mean it looks like someone has to trust the other one way or the other unless there is something I'm missing.

One great scam about paypal.....

Let's say I bought a Shimano reel off ebay thru paypal. I have one already exactly the same, butsmashed and broken to pieces. I send my paypal payment in, receive my new Shimano reel. I can issue a "stop payment" thru paypal, and say I received and smashed on broken reel...in which I would send back to you.

Long story short, I get a new reel for free...and you get my smashed and broken reel for nothing in return. Paypal can really suck in situations like this.

Oh, try to stay away from the "Buy It Now" feature unless you put bidding restrictions on your item. Some people will "BIN"...then try to negotiate with you thru email. Often times, these users will close their account if they don't get the item. You are then charged with a relisting fee.


Another thing. Personal Checks aren't all that bad these days. You can take them to your local bank, and have then veryify it in seconds. Still, I prefer Money Orders myself. I always cash it first, then deposit it to my account. That way it can't be pulled back out for any reason.

But Pat, doesn't the buyer still have to trust you that you will send him his goods and what do you tell him when he says you want me to trust you that you will send my purchash after you cash my checkbut you don't want to trust me to send it before I send you said cash. Just trying to learn for future references

i sold an expensive digital recorder and got beat by the same type scam. always double box everything and describe the item worse than it is. never say like new. if they have no rating or several negatives dont waste your time.

If they receive the item and it's damaged, they better have had insurance on the package or it's THEIR problem. I will only buy from someone with a 99% or higher feedback rating, and I always read their feedback going back a year if they have any negative. I don't buy/sell that often, have been a member almost since they started, and have a feedback rating over 100...people can see from that that I'm not going to rip them off and ruin my rating. Still, I'm sure that sooner or later I'm going to run into SOME kind of problem either selling or buying...just the nature of the beast I guess.

Rickmur...that's one hell of a run-on sentence..lol.

Basically, you must protect yourself in the description section and payment section of your item.

What I do, I say I will ship the item as soon as I receive 100% payment. Fore-warn the bidders in the description that you will accept paypal, and once verified of received payment..the item will be shipped as described. For money orders/checks, describe to bidders that you will ship the item once the money order/check is 100% cleared at a certified bank of your choice. Verification of paymenthas precedentover shipping the item. That's the name of the game on ebay.

If you ship an item before being 100% sure you have been paid, you will get ripped off in no time. Scammers are everywhere on ebay. You must protect yourself against them by setting the standards of which payment/shipment are to occur.

I sell quite a few bows on Ebay. I'm not just saying this cause I shoot Bowtechs, but I find that Bowtechs hold their value and sell better on Ebay that most other bows. I accept PayPal and wouldn't do it any other way. I find it is extremely safe and easy. Sure you might have to pay and extra $2-3 dollars in fees, but it beats the wait and paperwork. Everything gets transferred into your band account for you. I either make my own boxes, for find free ones. Never pay for a box.