Increase in ebay scams or no?

Melisande R.

Melisande R.

Urban Archaeologist
Feb 20, 2007
894
0
#1
Those of you checking out or posting on the Authentication or Fakes threads may have a sense of this. Seems to me there have been some new ebay scams - and sellers - who are quite problematic.

Today, there's an auction on ebay with a fake Neiman-Marcus receipt (and a fake bag to go with it). There's a seller (Avelinos) who looks like a reincarnation of the auction-stealing Rayaria (sp?) talked about near the end of the Fakes thread. That person has one more name. Here are some tips on sorting through ebay auctions, just as reminders:

Sellers (like Avelinos) who have zero feedback and who won't send you serial numbers should be avoided. The fact that they say they've been "selling authentic bags for years" is meaningless if they have little or no feedback.

Check to make sure that 100% feedback ratings are for selling and not just buying. Also check to see if the person sells lots of other handbags - and if so, ask them where they get them. Legitimate consignment sellers will be happy to tell you about the general nature of their clietele.

A legitimate seller will be happy to answer questions (there are several auctions up right now where the sellers say not to contact them with any authenticity questions and even one person who has threatened to ban potential buyers if they ask authenticity questions - that seller is active on ebay's community boards and doesn't usually sell handbags).

A legitimate seller will be happy to send you pictures of the bales and the serial numbers.

Finally, buy through paypal and pay with a credit card - not a direct transfer, even through paypal and you'll have recourse if the bag turns out to be fake - or not significantly as described, no matter what the seller says about returns.

So ask away with questions about those bags, good sellers rise to the top like cream, and we get wonderful buys on ebay. At the very least, always pay through paypal - I've been scammed 3 times with money orders or wire transfers (including Bidpay - avoid Bidpay like the plague). I'm too lazy to check out or list Ebay's list of problem payment companies (paypal-alikes), I just use paypal.

Just recently, someone here was refunded by paypal when sold a fake...
 
#2
thanks for all the helpful info, melisande. i thought bidpay sounded a little dodgy, but your words just confirm that...

also, a question for anyone...

i was wondering if it's valid to write off ebay listings as fakes/scams/not-worth-the-time if the photos are generic (you know the type, they look like professional product shots) - i usually never bother opening those listings at all because i would prefer to buy from someone who gives a human touch to their listings...
 
#3
Melisande R. said:
Those of you checking out or posting on the Authentication or Fakes threads may have a sense of this. Seems to me there have been some new ebay scams - and sellers - who are quite problematic.

Today, there's an auction on ebay with a fake Neiman-Marcus receipt (and a fake bag to go with it). There's a seller (Avelinos) who looks like a reincarnation of the auction-stealing Rayaria (sp?) talked about near the end of the Fakes thread. That person has one more name. Here are some tips on sorting through ebay auctions, just as reminders:

Sellers (like Avelinos) who have zero feedback and who won't send you serial numbers should be avoided. The fact that they say they've been "selling authentic bags for years" is meaningless if they have little or no feedback.

Check to make sure that 100% feedback ratings are for selling and not just buying. Also check to see if the person sells lots of other handbags - and if so, ask them where they get them. Legitimate consignment sellers will be happy to tell you about the general nature of their clietele.

A legitimate seller will be happy to answer questions (there are several auctions up right now where the sellers say not to contact them with any authenticity questions and even one person who has threatened to ban potential buyers if they ask authenticity questions - that seller is active on ebay's community boards and doesn't usually sell handbags).

A legitimate seller will be happy to send you pictures of the bales and the serial numbers.

Finally, buy through paypal and pay with a credit card - not a direct transfer, even through paypal and you'll have recourse if the bag turns out to be fake - or not significantly as described, no matter what the seller says about returns.

So ask away with questions about those bags, good sellers rise to the top like cream, and we get wonderful buys on ebay. At the very least, always pay through paypal - I've been scammed 3 times with money orders or wire transfers (including Bidpay - avoid Bidpay like the plague). I'm too lazy to check out or list Ebay's list of problem payment companies (paypal-alikes), I just use paypal.

Just recently, someone here was refunded by paypal when sold a fake...
Click to expand...


What is so bad about Bidpay? You pay using a Visa or Mastercard only. They provide buyer and seller protection and it is approved by Ebay. So why is PP so much better?
 
#5
I have used bidpay with no problems. I guess it depends on your experience, paypal can be NIGHTMARE also. There are always plenty of nightmarish stories with all these sites right?:P
 
#6
I would avoid money orders and bank wires, that is a no brainer, even though I have sent them a couple of times because I felt comfortable enough. It's just taking a bigger chance. But Bidpay is as safe as PP, which even PP doesn't have a definite guarantee. None of the payment services are perfect, though I feel very comfortable with Bidpay.
 
#7
I am currently using Bidpay and haven't encountered any problems. I had to run fast and far from Paypal. I got scammed by a buyer BIG TIME by using Paypal services and Paypal could care less. The scammer used a stolen cc to pay for items I sold!!! Hate Paypal!!!!
 
#9
zacorey said:
I am currently using Bidpay and haven't encountered any problems. I had to run fast and far from Paypal. I got scammed by a buyer BIG TIME by using Paypal services and Paypal could care less. The scammer used a stolen cc to pay for items I sold!!! Hate Paypal!!!!
Click to expand...
ITA, same happened to me. Scammer got the goods & the money! paypal don't give a damn!
 
#13
I agree with what you have to say about the scammers. However, I happen to like bidpay and have completed many successful transactions using it. It is definitely no worse than paypal!

Also you do not necessarily get your money back through paypal if the bag turns out to be a fake. There is absolutely no guarantee of that at all and many times paypal will only offer $200 worth of protection.
 
#14
I am too, using Bidpay, for buyers who does not have Paypal confirmed address or outside the USA buyers for items for over $250 (or again, does not have confirmed address with Paypal) One thing for sure, buyer can't make a false claim to get their money back in full such as with Paypal (I know they will still can do chargeback) In one time, one of my buyer returned the item for a refund (minus shipping and all that) I just simply made a phone call to Bidpay and told them how much money should be refunded, etc.
And, there are still too many scam going on at eBay both buyers and sellers need to be extra careful.
 
#15
Re: Bidpay.

Bidpay is the same thing as Western Union. Unfortunately, Western Union is operated by hundreds of local vendors - and they are not secure. Within the past month, we paid for 1 Bidpay auction (despite my own advice - my daughter made the purchase, didn't notice). Within 72 hours, someone had used our credit card number two more times - for a total of $700 of fraudulent cash transfers.

My bank has refunded the money and it has been turned over to law enforcement.

On one prior occasion, after the money was sent, we received a box with an old used item inside it - when we had paid $800 for a brand new item. Bidpay does not refund your money like Paypal does! When a similar thing happened with paypal, we received our money back. With Bidpay, we were simply out the money.

Three years ago, I had another fraudulent use of my credit card involving Western Union (not Bidpay per se - but I won't deal knowingly with Western Union at all).

My bank fraud management office (fortunately) caught the more recent Western Union fraud - after they charged the first set of fraudulent transfers, they tried again for another $1,000 worth of wire transfers, but my bank (Wells Fargo) automatically flags Western Union transactions and calls the customer if there is more than 1 in a certain time period - and they warned me not to do business with Western Union because of this problem.

That's why I don't do Bidpay, even though it's allowed by Ebay.

I did not recommend using paypal unless you use a credit card as well. However, with the paypal account I use, I'm guaranteed for up to $2000 - and yes, you do get your money back if there's fraud and the bag is not authentic.

Selling a counterfeit handback is a violation of state and federal laws where I live, and it is also a crime reportable to the Post Office - if it was shipped via the post office (which is yet a third crime). Paypal is more than happy to refund your money when it knows it is dealing with a potential criminal seller. Sellers who guarantee the authenticity of their bags or use any words like "Authentic" or "Guaranteed Balenciaga" in their listings must then ship a genuine bag - or else face really stiff legal penalties.

Not that there's any federal oversight these days - but the threat of it is enough to get Paypal (which is owned by Ebay) to comply. Ebay lost several lawsuits in the past couple of years over this issue and is anxious not to lose any more.
 
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