Buyer can't pay right now because account blocked due to money stolen; what do I do?

[deala0621]

So 

My buyer is from Slovenia and bought a watch from me, but they can't pay right now because there account has been blocked due to several thousand dollars being stolen from it.

They said they'll contact me if it's resolved.  Do I wait?  I'm not sure how long it will take to be resolved?

Thank you. 

[simba6]

Sounds fishy.  More like a setup for a scam.   I would file an unpaid case and get my selling fees back. 

[ckimodog]

@deala0621 

I smell a scam.  Tell them sorry.  Cancel the sale after 4 days and relist, block this person as well.  If there account is blocked there's a good reason for it, most likely because they have tried to scam others.  It's not your problem and you owe this person nothing. You are not in the business to chase your money or provide a lay away plan for customers.  This is not how Ebay works.  Just tell them no and move on. 

Happy Selling.

[deala0621]

Yea, I was a bit suspicious but just never heard of this.  I'm not sure even what they mean.  Do they mean their ebay account was blocked?  And was the money stolen from there payment account they had on file?  Why would the latter cause a block on the ebay account?

[deala0621]

I appreciate your cut and dry approach!  Feeling a bit timid about blocking though, have yet to do that to a  buyer.  But if I were to relist and it is a scam, of course, they could repurchase so it would protect me.

I have not responded yet.  Perhaps I'll just wait out 4 days before messaging.  If nothing happens by then, I can cancel.

They actually sent me an offer and I noticed I made a mistake in the listing.  I had "open box" in the title and the description as "new".  I didn't want to make a sale with that discrepancy in case they oddly claimed not as described (even though it's better than described since it's new and not open box).  

So I declined the offer.  Corrected the listing then sent the same offer and they accepted.

Would they make an offer on an item they would scam?

[ckimodog · Accepted solution]

@deala0621 

Wrote: Would they make an offer on an item they would scam?

Well, their money is allegedly blocked so they can't pay thru Ebay.  They'll attempt to get your Paypal, Venmo or what ever account/info to pay you, only to send you a fake invoice.  You'll ship the item and never get paid.  Then they'll file a INR complaint and you'll have to refund them something they never paid for in the first place. Do you see where I'm going with this scenario? We see this every day on this forum.  I hope I didn't come off to you as abrasive because that's not why I'm here.  I just get so fed up with these scammers who continue to virtually steal on this and so many other platforms.  It is a 100 trillion dollar epidemic with ecommerce sites and it only seems to get worse.  I just don't want to see another good seller get taken.  Just looking out for a fellow seller.  Do the right thing and cancel the sale. 

Have a good night.  

[luckythewinner]

---

@deala0621 wrote:

Do I wait?  I'm not sure how long it will take to be resolved?

---

You can cancel for nonpayment as soon as it is eligible. 

Or you can wait as long as you want. 

It's entirely up to you.  

[deala0621]

No, I didn't find your comment abrasive at all!  I could tell you were looking out for another seller!  I appreciate it 🙂 

I see the strategy now.  Funny, I'm familiar with that scam tactic on Facebook marketplace, but never encountered it on ebay.  

Well, I'm glad to know I'd never fall for that one because as soon as they asked to pay outside of ebay, I'd be like, "NOPE!"  But I guess that's why there's the story and maybe even the offer, to make it feel like a legit purchase. 

I'm getting rid of a lot of larger items around my house through Facebook and I quite regularly get that scam where someone asks for my zelle or paypal to pay even before seeing it?!?  So I'm pretty weary when buyers make requests regarding payment methods.

With ebay, I mainly look out for people trying to claim 'not as described'.  But you never know what scams are there if they haven't happened to you yet.  I'm glad if I have an alarm bell go off I can come to the forum here.

[ms.rodriguez*]

Do NOT wait. Cancel with buyer did not pay.  I too smell a scam. Plus, I would never ship anything to Slovenia unless its under the Ebay international program.  

[deala0621]

I thought I can't cancel until 4 days?

[brightlightbookseller]

You're correct, you have to wait 4 days (96 hours, technically) to cancel for "Buyer has not paid".  The option will not appear before then.  Cancel as soon as it does, though.

[maxine*j]

I believe it's a scam.  Even if it's not a scam, it is not something to involve yourself in.  Do not engage in any more back and forth with this person.  Wait the four days for payment and then do Non-Paying Bidder, block, move on.

-

[umoraski]

This might be a scam or not.  I would just file non payment claim and then just cancel the sale after the time period.  If you wait, you might wait a long time.  This way you can re-list without the hassle.

[traditonalproducts]

Disregard and move on. 

[showmecurrency4u]

best to wait and file the unpaid item and cancel the transaction ant it  i do not safe ship over seas. i quit about 10-15 years ago.