Scam attempts are preventing me from selling anything

[oregon_element]

I've been trying to sell 3 phones for 3 weeks.  I've tried buy now and auctions.  My allowance for sales is almost depleted.  It doesn't matter what I mention in the description or that I don't ship outside of the US.  

eBay has charged me for the reserve price and I cannot sell a **bleep** thing.  eBay is literally useless to me **bleep**.

Moving on, never using eBay again, this absolutely sucks

[robbie31415]

Your description is a policy violation.

4. If the buyer created a new account with zero purchases and feedback I will cancel the sale, block the buyer and re-list the item.

Don't sell things you can't assume the risk for because you are only assuming they are scamming.

Sellers like you hurt the platform.

[12345jamesstamps]

I see you have a iPhone for sale now on auction.

Why not sell iPhones to a friend, family member or employee? Must be someone in Oregon who needs an iPhone which you purchased and it has a sales receipt.

And by the way, if you sold nothing high end on eBay for 30 days expect at least 30+ for you to receive any funds from this sale.

[titipeo]

Cellphones are very sought after and has a high potential for scams. I feel that you are going about this the wrong way. Just list the phone locally, cash only, where buyer and seller meet, inspect the goods, and buy. I do this all the time when I upgrade my phone. Always meet buyer at a local cell store of his choosing so that he can verify the phone and activate it right there. Saves me hassles and commissions to others. 

[albertabrightalberta]

@oregon_element 

Ugh! That listing is a total turnoff to most buyers. There's no need for those nonsense policies you've posted, several of which aren't allowed.

In addition to the hold on your money as described above, you are also a magnet for scammers who see an inexperienced seller with a high fraud electronics item.

But since you're running into scammers (or non-payers?) and looking for advice, there's a very simple solution. STOP having auction listings. List the item at the BIN price you want to sell for, have IPR (immediate payment required) and you'll never have a non-payer again. 

If someone asks you to text them or to change the shipping address after a payment has been made, ignore the request and add them to your BBL. This is less stressful and easier on you than the unenforceable "rules" you're posting.

[ten_o_nine]

You really should try to have buyer friendly policies; you need to encourage potential buyers to buy from you.

Your stated policies discourage buyers. Think about it, a scammer will scam you no matter what policies you have stated on you listing, and after all, you can do some of this without advertising them to your buyers.

[monroe67]

"eBay has charged me for the reserve price and I cannot sell a **bleep** thing."

All your other responders have focused on the dangers of selling cell phones here on eBay.
I want to focus on the "Reserve Price" for which eBay charged you a fee. 

As I recall -- and I'm sure there will be other regulars here who can be more specific about this -- 
As I recall, on the listing forms, just above the field where you list your chosen reserve price, there is a statement that A Fee Will Apply, with another little icon, perhaps a stylized "i" in a circle (meaning "information") that explains the fee percentage, minimum and maximum fee amounts, and how it is calculated.  

I suggest that, in your haste to sell expensive cell phones in the hope of receiving easy and quick money, you overlooked those words and symbols and just assumed that the fee will be minor and will apply only when the item sells. 

You have now learned (1) that fee is not a tiny amount, and (2) it is charged whether the item sells or not.  

Lesson:  Do Not Add Reserve Prices To Your Auctions. 

Reading seems to be a dying skill.  

[rugerskick]

Its probably best as a new seller, to start with some lower dollar yet desireable items.  Get some positive experiences under your belt.  In the meantime, sell your higher dollar items locally where you can meet with people at a police station for the exchange.

New sellers are prime targets for scammers.  Develop some experience first on safer items, rack up some good sales history, sell expensive stuff locally, safer, first.

[brightlightbookseller]

Real buyers hate reserve prices.  Scammers love new sellers.  You're in a perfect storm for scam magnets and wasting money.  List as Buy It Now, Immediate Payment Required, and your problems will disappear (mostly, at least any problems with scammers on eBay).

[sextons-sweet-deals]

Best to sell phones as pick-up only so the buyer can check it out and then pay you personally. They are a high target for scams. Many local police stations offer a meeting area for such transactions if you don't want the buyer to come to your place. 

If you don't want to do that, you can always donate to a local Women's shelter for survivors of domestic violence or other possible charities.  Claim a tax deduction on your taxes. 

There is always someone posting about being scammed on cell phones and other electronics. 

[oregon_element]

Thank you everyone.  All very helpful advice.  I sincerely appreciate it.

[dbfolks166mt]

      Probably a good idea that you are moving on and did not actually sell any of the phones. Cell phones are probably the most highly targeted item for scammers on eBay especially when it's from a new seller. Using the reserve price was a mistake but you should have been aware of the fees for using that option before you posted it. 

     Regardless of what site you move to if you are going to try to sell cell phones, unless you are getting paid in cash, retain the IMEI number for the phone if you are scammed you can at least report the IMIE to the blacklist and render it basically useless to the buyer/scammer. 

[inhawaii]

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@oregon_element wrote:

Moving on, never using eBay again, this absolutely sucks

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Since you're leaving ebay, I wont go over what you're doing wrong.

Good luck to you!

[femmefan1946]

Less than 15% of eBay transactions are Auctions, because buyers don't like them and don't bid.

Switch not only to Fixed Price but to Immediate Payment Required.

Your listing will stay open until someone actually pays.

[dbfolks166mt]

Less than 15% of eBay transactions are Auctions, because buyers don't like them and don't bid.

Switch not only to Fixed Price but to Immediate Payment Required.

Your listing will stay open until someone actually pays.

     There are multiple reasons sellers use the auction format and changing to FP/IPR is not a silver bullet and comes with its own drawbacks. If you look at the OP's listings they were doing just fine with the auction format and obtaining multiple bids. The fact that the OP set a reserve price is what prevented the actual sales which was probably to the sellers benefit considering they were selling cell phones. 

     I use the auction format almost exclusively and while I do not buy a lot on eBay anymore I source at a number of online auction sites and auction houses and the bidding can be VERY active on a lot of items driving the price well above what a person could obtain it for on eBay at a fixed price. 

      I also consign items to auction houses and have obtained very good prices on most of those items. There is no silver bullet when it comes to selling but each seller has to try multiple approaches to obtain their desired results.