Is this an Ebay scam

[Black Stuart]

Hi all,
I mentioned on a previous thread that I thought I was being targeted for a scam purchasing a particular make and type of valve.

It appears that on 2 occasions on Ebay, where I was bettered by someone else, they have either failed to complete the transaction or for whatever reason and as the second highest bidder I have been offered the 2 lots at the price I bid.

Is this a genuine Ebay site - best.items@hotmail.com.

On reading through the Ebay 'security section' it states that any message should appear in both my email site and in my messages.

Both these offers appear only on my Hotmail account and they are both expressed in 'natural' English when I know from various communications with the genuine seller that his English whilst OK is far from perfect.

These messages ask for my account name/ID and my address both of which the genuine seller would have since I have bought from him very recently.

Ebay does'nt offer a phone service to check, so I'm checking here.

I also received an offer, again in perfect English to buy 7 of these valves. I sent an email demanding certain answers and so far - nothing.

I would dearly love to buy these valves at the price I bid but I don't want to lay myself open to 'identity theft'.

The email contact address for the 7 valves offer has been looked into by Tourmaline who is an IT man, who knows how to check if the ISP is genuine or not - it looks like it is'nt.

Answers ASAP please.

[freefallrob]

I've bought and sold quite alot on ebay (user id freefallrob), and so far they have all been pretty painless bar one chap who was determined to leave a parting swipe about some epos speakers I sold him which were absoluty perfect ( rant over ).

I don't buy off anyone I don't 'feel' right about, buyer beware and all that. If the second chance offer isn't in your ebay inbox, don't go near it.

If something smells fishy it probably is.

[Black Stuart]

Thanks Rob,
I have just used the 'ask the seller a question' link to alert him to scams purporting to come from him.

There does'nt seem to be anywhere in Ebay's 'security centre' to send them email addresses to check them out - do Ebay care, probably not.

[pre65]

Hi Stuart-you know in your own mind its a scam,don't you !

The vast majority of scammers rely on our need for a "bargain" or just plain greed.

The old adage of "if it looks too good to be true,it probably is"
is VERY valid.

So put this out of your mind,it's just not worth expending any energy worrying about it.


Philip

[Black Stuart]

I have to take back what I said about Ebay (smacks himself on the wrist hard).

If anyone has a niggling doubt about anything on Ebay go to Ebay Security Centre - look for 'Live Help' you will immmediately be put through to their security centre, deal with a real person and be told within a couple of minutes if something is kosher or not.

The scam offers really look like a genuine communication from Ebay. where they fell down with me was that I know from numerous contacts with the genuine seller that he does not have good English. Most importantly if you hav a 'hot' product, why would you offer it below the current market value?

Con artists always work on the greed factor - caveat emptor. If I was still drinking ( I can't, allergic problems) it will have to be tea - yes I know, life's a bitch and all that.

I had a second offer a while ago after bidding for an amp. As the original offer was based in the UK I asked for a phone number and to pay by cash after meeting to inspect the goods. needless to say the guy backed out. I reported to ebay & they confirmed it was a scam.

Shortly after I had another one - after bidding on a DAC, I asked for and got a phone number and it turned to be a dealer who had 2 for sale - I bought it.

[Black Stuart]

Shellac exactly,
discard your common sense and pay the price.

I'm a tit-for-tat person always have been and time has proven for me that it is the right way to proceed.

So, if I was a hot-shot IT man and had the knowledge to implement it, I would have assembled some super-duper viruses and sent them by e-mail. The greed of the would be scammers would have made them open the said emails without thinking - gotcha you hijos de puta madres.

[Baggy Trousers]

Originally Posted by Black Stuart

- do Ebay care, probably not.

My experience confirms that they do not. Neither do the police who become irritated when asked to investigate something that diverts them from their revenue-gathering activities on the M4.

[Ianm2]

ha ha, the police really aren't the revenue gatherers anymore, its been contracted out to the speed camera and mobile partnerships, along with traffic wardens who now lets not mince words, catch out law abiding people making an error, rather than targeting deliberate multiple offenders.

why are we paying so much with the roads so appalling, I wouldn't complain if the roads were world class, but if we are being taken from, I expect and demand excellent services.

the police I am afriad are sitting in the classrooms and filling in paperwork, wondering how not to offend and to social engineer and be politically manipulated.

its all to prevalent, the job of 'customer services' is to keep decent irritating people away from those who don't want to speak to them, esp. in the public sector.

stewart, you don't give your password to anyone, that's how you know its a scam, and whilst the wording may come from someone with a TOO english sounding name, also the spelling and wording may be slightly sophisticated, but the grammer tells it, the context sometimes doens't quite ring true. its subtle but definite