Concerned About Buyers

[wiscbookreseller]

I listed a new PS4 for sale and so far all of the bids have been from buyers with very low feedback, like single digit. I just got a bid today from a buyer that has 0 feedback, but it shows he's been a member since 2014.

I'm concerned about what is going on. I don't want to cancel the auction, but I have a feeling I am about to be scammed.

Obviously, I want to sell the item, and create a good buyer experience, but I need to protect myself as well. I am very concerned about shipping off a brand new PS4 to someone with 0 feedback (assuming they win) that has been a member for years.

I know it's against the terms of service to reject a buyer based on the number of feedback, but I also feel that I need to use some common sense.

I guess I'm just looking for some advice from more experienced sellers. I haven't been selling that long.

[divwido]

Excuse me, but that's nhot your job.  You list and you ship when someone pays.  That's all.  No debating, no refusals.  Just do what you came here to do.

[wiscbookreseller]

It is my job to be aware of what is going on, especially when selling higher value items.

[takikawa4]

Unfortunately, the PS4 is a fairly high-scam item. Your best bet is to list it as fixed price with immediate payment required.

[wiscbookreseller]

How does listing it like that help prevent scams? Even if I list it as an auction, people will still need to pay before I ship the item.

My main concern, is that the person I'm shipping it to, will try to claim something which allows them to end up with both the PS4, and a refund from eBay. Even though there is supposed to be protection in place for things like that, I can't rely on that completely.

[mr_lincoln]

@wiscbookreseller  How soon after you listed the PS4 did you start getting bids?  When you priced it did you research what others are selling theirs for?  If so, where does your price fall compared to the other Sellers? 

You can always click on the various bidders' IDs and see what if any Feedback they have or left for others.  Guest Buyers don't have much background ... and this IS the gift buying season and if yours is NEW then it is potentially a nice gift for someone who may be here as a Guest.

I would not panic, if a Buyer wins the Auction and you get paid simply ship the item.  If they Buy and payment gets delayed and they start to communicate in a strange way then I would be concerned ... just don't go into the purchase sounding suspicious regardless of who wins the auction.  AND don't hesitate to come back here and share what's going on.

[wiscbookreseller]

I had several bids within the first hour or two of listing it. I'm still waiting to see what's going on. I haven't had any issues selling on eBay yet, but this one has me a little concerned.

I will make sure to take pictures of the PS4, and it's serial number before I ship it, with tracking, insurance, and a signature required. I will try to do everything I can to make sure it goes through.

The payment is via PayPal, so the money should show up in my PayPal account before I ship it.

[mr_lincoln]

@wiscbookreseller 

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@wiscbookreseller wrote:

I had several bids within the first hour or two of listing it. I'm still waiting to see what's going on. I haven't had any issues selling on eBay yet, but this one has me a little concerned.

I will make sure to take pictures of the PS4, and it's serial number before I ship it, with tracking, insurance, and a signature required. I will try to do everything I can to make sure it goes through.

The payment is via PayPal, so the money should show up in my PayPal account before I ship it.

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Yes, do not ship until the $$ is in your PayPal account (ever).  Regarding the signature required, alert the eventual Buyer that you are doing that.  The reason I say this is it is not always convenient for them to sign if they are at work.  This has happened to me twice.  Tracking & Insurance are the most important and the signature is for EVERYONE's protection and nice if it works out.

The reason I asked about how quickly the bids started is (and not to get you concerned) is scammers will pounce on things but if the item is highly sought after AND you are priced well to the competition then quick bids happen too.  I think I would have been more concerned if someone messaged and said hey, I'll offer you "X" for it!  Hang in there ...

[pargran3]

wrong way about.

Pictures taken while you are shipping mean absolutely zip. Nada. Nothing.

Do you have international bidders blocked?

Do you have buyers without a paypal account blocked?

Very iffy item for an inexperienced seller to list.

[antium385]

I been a seller on ebay for 9 years,this fall has been the slowest I have seen in a while blame it on the election,every 4 years it seems to die around this time,so lets just hang in there an wait and hope,,

[dhbookds]

If you are going to be afraid to sell it..........don't try to sell it here........

MOST scammers will NOT PAY for the item, but will try various things to convince you to send it to them, ie. fake paypal paid emails or marking item paid in Ebay as opposed to actually paying......so checking your paypal account is a must, if you do get a payment.  If the price goes too far above normal price, probably a problem, ......if they want to change the shipping address and offer you more $ for your "trouble", definately a problem........and for those you want to declline, canceling with a problem with buyer's address reason...and then BLOCK the id.

That said, there is NOTHING anywhere that can totally protect you against the person who says it doesn't work or who mails back an empty box on a return........that's a risk we all take.......just as a B & M merchant risks shopllifting. 

There are millions of these types of items sold on ebay every day and if there were that many scams...no one except new sellers would list them, but that's not true......

just thoughts

[ittybitnot]

know it's against the terms of service to reject a buyer based on the number of feedback, but I also feel that I need to use some common sense.

You can cancel a bid from anyone who placed one within certain time limits.  Buyer feedback is meaningless They cannot get anything but a "positve"  even if they are ebay's crook du jour for scamming sellers,  Ebay, to protect their income, has decided this information is not necessary for sellers on this site.

As a consequence, a buyer that bids/wins 15 or more I phones, and pays for nothing (other than sending the typical fake PayPal notice) is good to go.....we are not allowed to know anymore.

Common sense for me has been the fact that I like MONEY more than feedback. However, it is set up so that if I am reluctant to "pay off" a scammer, I get in wose trouble for not satisfying the crooks demands. 

I sell someplace else.

[faithandbutterflies]

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@dhbookds wrote:

If you are going to be afraid to sell it..........don't try to sell it here........

I agree with dhbookds. If you are afraid to sell it or can't afford to lose it then don't sell it. I've been a small time seller here on & off for many many years and this is how I've always worked. I'm not going to sell something high priced that I can't afford to lose. It's sad to say that but sadly sometimes sellers will lose money here on eBay.  I understand your worry and concern. I've been there and when I found myself worried all the time about buyers I saw that as a time for me to take a break from eBay. 

[baggs-2024]

DEFINITELY, block all international bidders and block bidders that have a non-US paypal account. I would never sell that here, but if you must, make it Immediate Payment Required ONLY.  Pick a price that you are happy with. 

There are only so many blocks you can set, but make sure they are all set to the most stringent.

You are selling an item that is a high scam item and as such, you will get scammers.  Best bet is to sell it local pickup ONLY, and cash ONLY on pickup, no shipping.  Use ebay as your advertising.

[retrose1]

OP, I have been on ebay for over 10 years.  I advise others on how to fight scammers.  I have a load of feedback and experience.

And I would NEVER list a PS4 or any game system on ebay to sell.

They are high scam items and there is no way to protect yourself 100% from a scammer.  And the odds are good that you will get a lot more scammers than honest bidders bidding on your item.

My favorite suggestion would be to not list anything on ebay that you do not have as much recent selling feedback as the dollar value of the item.  That way you can gain the experience you will need to recognize the basic scams and learn how to fight them.  Plus scammers tend to target newer sellers.

Or, there is the old standby mantra - If you can not afford to lose it - do not list it on ebay.

So if I were you, I would cancel the bids - end the listing and spend some time reading up on the basic scams and start listing low dollar items.