Scammer problem.
Does anyone know what a scammer has to gain by delaying my ability have a transaction canceled. I stupidly purchased an item that was too good to be true. Now it appears I need to wait 7 more days before I can involve eBay because the scammer chose a 10 day shipping option. I assume, when the item doesn't arrive I will eventually be issued a refund. What does the scammer have to gain by delaying the process?
16 comments
mudshark61369
·2 years ago@gipper1981,
Some sellers who may travel for work, have a busy family life, or live in a very rural area where USPS pickup is not available, may have an extended handling time, to cover those contingencies which could delay them
In case you are not up on how the MBG works, though as a seller you should be, you will not be able to file an item not received dispute until one day after the last estimated delivery date, of February 15th.
mudshark61369
·2 years ago@cj7886,
"The scammer gains time to potentially collect more payments or personal information from other victims before eBay intervenes and refunds you".
What personal information can a "scammer" collect beyond a buyer's address? None of their financial information is made available to them. Their account only shows a payment deposited by ebay commerce.
"Delaying the cancellation process sadly allows them to prolong their fraudulent activities and evade detection for as long as possible".
When people follow the terms and time frames of the Money Back Guarantee they do not get scammed in most cases. If ebay were to allow an extended time to cancel it would not make a difference since a contract was formed between the seller and buyer, when the buyer committed to buy or won an auction. One party to a contract cannot unilaterally cancel it, without the other party being in agreement. eBay cannot interfere with the contract, since they are not a party to it. The OP in this case admits there was a 10 day handling time and that the last estimated delivery date is the 14th. They agreed to those terms when they bought the item.
gipper1981
OP2 years agoI understand the scammers game now and unfortunately I played into its hands. I stupidly purchased a card that was too good to be true. I attempted to cancel 15 minutes later after I read the negative feedback (accusing it of being a scammer) and noticed it had sold the same card three times in the last month. Two hours later it printed a shipping label and refused to cancel. The packed was never delivered to the post office. Yesterday, the card arrived in a stamped envelope, no tracking. I requested a return because the item was not as described. It sent me a shipping label and later accused me of not return the card it sent. I am forced to return the card at am at the mercy of eBay hoping they recognize that this was an obvious scam from the beginning. If I lose out to the scammer I will live, but this one is going to sting to the tune of $220+/-. I am assuming the scam is that it will say I damaged or switched the card. The frustrating part is I cannot contact eBay until this plays out. If I was a dirt-bag and more patient, I should have waited and said the card never arrived.
eburtonlab
·2 years agoI am forced to return the card at am at the mercy of eBay
If you filed a "not as described" case with eBay and used the return label provided by eBay, once tracking shows delivery the seller will be forced to refund you. If not, after three business days ask eBay to "step in" and eBay will take the money from the seller and give it to you.
simba6
·2 years agoThe refund might not be as easy as you think. You could become the victim of the fake tracking number scam. Those too good to be true listings always are.
eburtonlab
·2 years agoDoes anyone know what a scammer has to gain by delaying my ability have a transaction canceled.
That is the wrong question. You should ask: what would a scammer gain by allowing you to cancel? If you are actually dealing with a scammer, the answer is: Nothing.
Scammers do not make money by allowing their potential victims to easily back out of a transaction. Scammers make money by offering something that is too-good-to-be-true, and then making it as hard as possible for anyone to get money back.
I am fairly comfortable that if nothing arrives I will get my money back.
You should not be so confident. Scammers prey on overconfidence.
Do you know what to do if a seller can provide tracking that shows delivery even though you receive nothing? Because that can happen if you are dealing with a scammer, or a drop-shipper that orders from a scammer.
gipper1981
OP2 years agoI'm not 100% confident or I wouldn't be posting here. I don't know what the game is. As a seller, you have very little room to argue with eBay that is why I am hopeful. It uploaded the tracking information to eBay, but the carrier has nor received it according to the website. I have been communicating with it hoping to have have a history of false statements that should work in my favor. It assured me that it called eBay, for example and they told it the package would be delivered between 2/9 and 2/14. I am fairly certain eBay doesn't provide that kind of assurance.
eburtonlab
·2 years agoAt this point you will have to wait and see if tracking is updated or if anything arrives by the last estimated delivery date, and then take it from there.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoYou need to brush up a little bit on your MBG options.
If/when the buyer does not arrive by the estimated delivery date as seen in the listing, you, the buyer, can open an item not received case and have 30 days to do so with eBay.
If it does arrive, but is not as described, you can open an item not as described case and have 30 days to do so with eBay.
Neither of those actions will happen automatically. You, the buyer, have to take charge of the situation in a timely manner.
gipper1981
OP2 years agoThank you for the response. I am fairly comfortable that if nothing arrives I will get my money back. I think I'm just frustrated by the wait. I realized within 15 minutes of purchasing it was a scam so I attempted to cancel. It was before 6am. The scammer printed a label two hours later and said it was too late to cancel because it has shipped. It chose a ten day delivery period, so I have to wait to request a refund until at least the 14th. It still has not been received by the post office according to the tracking details, which I gather from reading here, is a good thing. It will be a lot easier to win if there is never proof of delivery.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoI hate to nag, but have to ask again: You do know that, if it doesn't arrive, you do not automatically get your money back? You will have to open a did not receive item case.
stainlessenginecovers
·2 years agoCould be nothing, they are a big company, very busy and haven't 'uploaded' tracking info yet (or they do't have to, and all they are suppose to do is mark as 'shipped' (tracking is optional although that is beneficial for you and NOT for them)....
or...
They will ship a small rock to a neighboring 'store' with the same zip code.
You will open a 'not received' refund case.
Your case will be denied because tracking shows the 'package was delivered to your zip code'
You will then have to watch that tracking, go to post office when you don't receive, they will tell you it went to a 'different name/ address' (and if it shipped UPS or Fedex-they won't tell you anything since you are not the account holder, ebay is-which there is another way to deal with it, not fun or easy)
or...
they are drop shipping and don't know the tracking yet
or....
they are trying to just 'sell and run' and don't realize that they will hever get paid...but in the meantime you will be struggling to get your $$ back.
gipper1981
OP2 years agoI am angry with myself for making extra work. If I had checked the feedback or looked at recent sales I would not be wasting my time on this. I guess my best case scenario is that it never actually delivers it to the post office? I know the tracking can be spotty with eBay standard envelopes but I believe the price was too high for that.
stainlessenginecovers
·2 years agoIs your shipping address a PO Box located at the Post Office??
gipper1981
OP2 years agoIt's not. I don't think they ever intend to ship anything. It has been four days and the tracking indicates that it has not been received by the post office.
lakefor94
·2 years agoI hear ya, same here as for other sites with 3rd party sellers including AMZ. We have to vet the seller and listing before purchase.
It is a waiting game now but the buyer always holds the trump cards.
Good luck.