O/T Ebay/PayPal Question

[garycox]

Yeah here are probably other threads/websites for this etc but I couldn't be bothered to find them, sorry.

 

I'm 'selling for a friend' (my housemate) a mobile phone he got as an upgrade and doesn't want. Similar ones go for £450-£550 on Ebay, so I've listed it with a £400 start and a reserva a bit higher.

 

I got a message yesterday saying

 

"Is this item still in good condition??"

 

Which was a bit odd, as I said it was new and unopened etc in the listing. I replied saying

 

"It's brand new, still sealed in the box. The box is as new too."

 

Then today I got this:

 

"Thanks for the reply,I'm buying this item for my cousin outside UK. I'll be offering you £699 including the shipping cost via Royal Mail international signed for, please get back to me with your PayPal email address for me to make out the payment."

 

Now, this obviously sounds mega-dodgy but does anyone know of a specific 'thing' that might be going on? I mean, if I get the funds in my account, then post it using the Signed-For thing with a receipt and tracking etc, and withdraw the funds once the've cleared or whatever, what could they do? Basically I don't get what the catch is.

 

Help please!

[retrogeezer]

Don't touch them with a barge pole, add the user to your banned bidder list asap as it is a scam no question.

[garycox]

I thought it was (I wasn't actually gonna give my details obv)

 

I still don't 'get' it though!

[seacow]

Walk away the money goes in and come out and the international post doesn't protect you. My brother works at royal mail and gets loads of these. You will get a good price for the phone in this country

[Cavcraft]

Yeah, one million percent scam.

 

Of all the grumbles, groans and moans about buying and selling on eBay absolutely the worse thing you can do is list a decent mobile 'phone on there. It always seems to end in tears when I've tried including scammers, spammers and knobheads. In fact three times now I think people have bid using hijacked accounts.

 

Try Mazuma(sp/) Cashformachines, or one of those types of place. Ok you generally get a little less but it's a hassle free sale.

[seacow]

I have sold quite a few phones over the last few years - upgrades etc playing the phone companies at their own game to get a free Iphone etc etc and maybe I have been lucky but I have attracted a few scammers who I have ignored - you just need to make ebay and paypal work for you and beware - if anything smells even a little bit move on!

[Mr Lobster]

If you sell anything for over £120 then make sure you send it using a fully tracked method rather than Recorded / International Signed For.

 

PayPal seller protection is ok as long as you follow their rules - items upto £120 are covered as long as the item is sent Recorded / Int Signed For. Above £120 and they only cover you if it is sent by a fully tracked (as opposed to just signature on delivery) method.

[Lankytim]

Maybe give him the email addy of another scammer?

[garycox]

I don't have a scammer's email - I'm happy to if anyone knows one though!

[Mr Lobster]

Alex has a few contact details for scammers

 

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[fordperv]

im calling you to clear the pigeons from your paypal acount