My first 9 buyers wanted me to contact them via their phone numbers or email addresses.

[patsysvaluedc_35]

2 buyers are no longer registered with eBay. I cancelled their purchases. Here's how I answered their questions and requests, "I cannot contact you outside of eBay Messages." They asked for me to send extra pictures, so they can proceed with the payment, or please answer my question by calling my phone number, so they can proceed with the payment, or contact my provided email address to answer a question, or text me at my phone number or email address provided. Could these type of buyers be legit. So far, I had to cancel 5 out of 9 buyers purchases, but those last 4 are questionable? I just started selling, and I'm so disappointed to have my first 3 days started like this...

[soh.maryl]

Seriously? The OP is a new seller who asked why this was happening to him.  Multiple responders explained the reason and their explanations were entirely correct.  What more do you suggest they could have done? And if you can think of an answer that would be more helpful to the OP than the ones already offered, why not simply return here and supply that answer? 

[ckimodog]

As a new seller you are a target for scammers.  Want it to stop?

Avoid auction style listings, do give a best offer options, list all items at a buy it now Fixed Price with Immediate payment checked off.

I kicked auctions to the curb years ago and now every time I have a sale, I get paid.

Sorry for your experience. Wishing you better days and more positive sales. 

[johnrj1226]

Some people  will "steal" anything as along as the can get it for "free"  in the safety of their own home plus they  save gas and avoid  the security guards /police at a say Walmart or similar store to get the same thing.

[johnrj1226]

Some scammers must be doing their Christmas shopping earlier to get first pickin's.

[newlifeforoldstuff2]

There are other reasons scammers try to get you to contact them than the items. Once they get the basics, they work on getting more and then you end up finding your identity stolen and they'll be making a mess of more than your ebay account. 

[atlasesattic]

I've had this happen a couple times on FB marketplace....of course I ignore them and block them, I am not a gullible person and I am wary of these scams, I've even had people ask if they can send me a money order or send me cash western union.

[mam98031]

---

@rugerskick wrote:

Seriously, you know exactly what is posted here.  No one backs the sellers, not even many of the other sellers.  Its always something the seller did wrong or should have known better about.  No empathy, often zero help.  Half the time it would have been better if those sellers never even posted.

---

I've seen you say that on a few threads.  Clearly at some point someone didn't answer a question for you and/or rubbed you the wrong way.  

This thread, if you read it, is full of help and understanding of the OPs problem.  So if you actually read the thread, you would see that you are completely off base on this one.

[patsysvaluedc_35]

My last 5 items that I thought could be legit sales, I had to cancel, too! They asked for me to contact them outside eBay via phone, text, and/or email. I had to cancel them via bad address, because the drop down menu didn't show the option of no payment. Now, I've got to figure out how to report them. Even though I cancelled the sales of all 9 people which totaled 12 items purchased. My 90 day total shows 12 sold totaling almost $500, but it should show 0 sold totaling 0 dollars. Maybe, they can fix their selling page to reflect correct totals, because if mine is incorrect, probably everybody's are incorrect?

[patsysvaluedc_35]

Wow...that's scary, about voice scams! I feel bad for the newbies who get excited about a sale and fall for their scam! I read all the pages of info on how to get started supplied by eBay. I'm glad I read about "no contact outside of eBay." I thought, all was good, and I had 12 items sold in a couple days of starting! Those 9 buyers, all were scammers! It took a couple days for me to regroup, and start canceling all those sales.  I thought about not doing eBay, and go to a different site to sell on line, but the community says, it's happening on all the sites to an extent.

[patsysvaluedc_35]

On my day on eBay, and questioning why someone would bid $100 on a $10 item. I sent an email via eBay messaging, asking did you mean to bid $100 on a $10 item? Is this a typo? And, their response was contact them outside of eBay, I responded you can message me via eBay messages, but never got a response. I sent them an invoice with a message, you must really want this item. Thanks for your bid. But when another buyer started buying 4 items, and asking for me to contact them outside eBay, then another with words almost the same, saying answer my question giving me their personal phone number or email address.

With an invoice going to them, they now know my name, right?

Do they now have my address, too?

[bonjourami]

They are not interested in coming to your house, they are interested in scamming you for gift cards, etc. As has been suggested to you many times in here, you can cut way down on these scam attempts by using fixed price and immediate payment required. Then your listing wont close if they dont pay.

[mam98031]

I have never heard of one seller having so many problems with these type of buyers.  You really need to contact Ebay and explain what is happening to you.  I would suggest Twitter or Facebook where the better CSRs are located.

Here are your options for contacting Ebay Customer Service.

https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/


If when you use the link below you can only get to the Automated Assistant, type AGENT in the box and hit enter. You will then get more options.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851

For the Payment Team
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/getting-paid-items-youve-sold/payments-hold?id=4816&&...

[mam98031]

You also may consider to stop doing auctions and only do Fixed Price listing with immediate payment required.  That way no one can purchase from you unless they pay too.

[seymourssi]

A couple of things:

1- It sounds like the same guy doing the asking, 9 times.  Why?  Because in 20 years of selling on eBay, I'm seldom asked for my phone #.  Certainly not 9 times in a row.  It's just 1 guy trying to scam you with multiple accounts.

2-  you cannot give your phone # in a message, but you can tell the buyer where to find it.  Go to "Contact Seller" on the right side of any of any of your items, right below "Seller Information". This will bring you to a new page. Hit "Contact Seller" in the blue circle on the bottom. Then a bit to the right click on "get the sellers phone number".

[simply-the-best-for-you]

I'm sorry you're experiencing this.  I also tend to think it's 1 scammer b/c it's highly unusual for your type of items.  This IS a problem for new sellers, but they usually target high value items, not the type of items you are selling.  

Do NOT communicate at all with them.  There is absolutely no need to.   If they have not paid on day 5, then you will have the option to cancel the TX for non-payment.  Do NOT cancel it before that option appears, which is at the beginning of day 5 from the purchase. 

Again, do NOT answer them.  Do NOT communciate with them AT ALL!  Just wait til day 5 & you can cancel the tx for Unpaid.   As others have said, consider making your items Fixed Prices.   I don't think you can use Immediate Payment Required yet b/c you are too new.  But when you get some experience under your belt, you can use that too.  

There's no point in reporting them, I wouldn't waste my time.  They are most likely not in the USA.  It is highly unusual to have so many in a row, especially over basic, inexpensive items.  It will get better, what you are experiencing is pretty rare.