eBay Hacks, 2nd Edition

Avoid Buyer Scams

Spot the red flags associated with buyers who try to rip you off.

Just as there are sellers out there trying to scam buyers [Hack #25] , there are unscrupulous bidders on eBay trying to take advantage of unsuspecting sellers. Here are some of their more common tactics:

Beware bidders offering to overpay.

Someone contacts you and offers to send a $4,000 money order for a $2,000 item. Then, you’re supposed to ship the package and send back the difference. Only after you’ve parted with your item and $2,000 in cash do you find out the original $4,000 money order is a fake.

Hello seller.

Most of your customers will be ordinary people with ordinary needs. But once in a while, you’ll see a particularly formal message, in which the author has assembled an utterly plausible, yet needlessly complicated scenario. Invariably, these messages begin like this:

Hello seller

Am elisabeth jones, i deal with exporting of goods to African countries

But to start with, we will like to ask some general questions concerning

the item and the transaction:

1. Do you accept western union auction payments (bidpay)also called money order in which they will bring the money cas to ur doorstep and they are very trustworthy in case of handling money and cash.

2. Will you be able to release the package for FEdEx express as soon as you get the payments confirmation letter from western union??

3. How many of this items you have readily available instock??

4. Whats is your best prices?

i am buying this because its urgently ...