Facebook scammers coming to eBay????

[suavepenguin]

Just had a user with 0 feedback, 4 month old account, message me through the "question about returns" option, and ask "Is this xxxxx still available?"  Sounds like a Facebook Marketplace message! How would you all respond?

[stuff4divas]

@suavepenguin  i've had a few of these messages and i tell them i only list available items

[a_c_green]

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@suavepenguin wrote:

Just had a user with 0 feedback, 4 month old account, message me through the "question about returns" option, and ask "Is this xxxxx still available?"  Sounds like a Facebook Marketplace message! How would you all respond?

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No harm in saying, "Yes, if it's not marked as Ended or Sold, it's still available." I had one two days ago, which kind of puzzled me at first, but I figured out after a minute that he'd been searching Completed listings, and it had in fact not sold.

No need to look too deeply into it at this point. A red flag would be him asking you to text him or email him extra photos (instead of attaching requested photos to your eBay message reply, which you can do), because texting or emailing will reveal an off-eBay contact for you, and you could then receive completely-fake payment or shipping notifications, but simply asking you in messaging if a given item is still available does not gain him anything if you respond.

[ckimodog]

@suavepenguin 

I would answer the question.  If they ask you to Text them or take it off the platform, then I'd take action by blocking them.  Just my thoughts.

Happy Selling

[robbie31415]

I mean some people come from other marketplaces where things are done differently. 

They might not understand that it isn't a norm for this marketplace to ask such a question because eBay is very strict about out of stock.

I don't see where 'scammer' comes in at all in this.

[ittybitnot]

If they ask you to Text them or take it off the platform, then I'd take action by...

@ckimodog 

You can report the message right on the message page itself under the Action tab.  I think you can BLOCK the user from that as well though I have not looked in a while. 

 How would you all respond?

@suavepenguin 

Maybe with a simple "Yes, all listings are available until purchased."   Funny thing, the latest "red flag" on F.Book Marketplace and Buy/Sell groups is the message that comes in like this:   "I am interested in this item and can pay and pick it up today.  Call me at xxx-xxxx-xxxx.  I will say that F.Book  now gets rid of the message and the account holder before I am even done reading the message, much less have time reply.  

A while back I had one request my phone number.  I replied with the phone number of the FBI in W.Palm Bch. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Haven't you read about the mental health problems and learning disabilities which resulted from the covid lockdowns.

[inhawaii]

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@suavepenguin wrote:

 How would you all respond?

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I would tell him if the item was still available or not. 

[mordecai8614]

Just had a guy message me "is this still available?" with single digit feedback about a week ago. I responded "yes it is". He purchased & left positive feedback as soon as it was delivered. At no point did my mind go to "facebook scammer"...

[ittybitnot]

"is this still available?"

@mordecai8614 

As a seller there that gets 40 or 50 of those inquiries a day, the phrase per se is not indicative of a scam.  It is  a preselected choice one can use when contacting a seller.  It is easy to hit it on your phone if you have big fingers by mistake.  I would say 80% of the people that use that simply "ghost" you anyway no matter what you respond.    I am so often tempted to reply:  "It certainly is available. Can I answer any questions for you, or do you just want to know if I still have it."  But alas, I don't say that, nor any other of the not so nice things that pop in my head when the same person has sent the same message on seven items that day.   I have seen others post:  "If it is visible, it is available.  Don't ask! " but I think it is sort of off putting..... just part of doing business.   

[byrd69er]

Block first.

Then respond.....Yes. It is available, but not to you.

[itsjustasprain]

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@byrd69er wrote:

Block first.

Then respond.....Yes. It is available, but not to you.

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Why?

[sin-n-dex]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

A while back I had one request my phone number.  I replied with the phone number of the FBI in W.Palm Bch. 

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Reminds me of being in chatrooms where people asked for a picture... I sent a jail mugshot (not of me).

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@byrd69er wrote:

Block first.

Then respond.....Yes. It is available, but not to you.

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What if the buyer is completely unhinged?

10 years ago doing auctions I had a stalker nut that was doing all sorts of auction interference. His beef was that I put tracking on his package and he couldn't file an INR. I was new to auctions and selling, so I had ways of doing things that made it easy to be scammed, I put tracking on a hunch on his low priced stuff and he stalked me until I went on vacation for a few weeks, by the time I came back he'd moved on.

C.

[mordecai8614]

@byrd69er 

That's about the response I would expect from someone with "69" in their username