Scam or legit buyer?
I've had an eBay account since 1999, but haven't been very active here for many years (but 100% rating with a whopping 69 reviews, mainly as a buyer). Recently, I decided to sell a few items, including some camera equipment that I no longer use. One of those items sold today. The value is around $1,000. It was Buy It Now, and the eBay seller page indicates that the buyer has paid. While getting ready to ship the item, I noticed that the buyer has only 1 review, and it's from several years ago. They opened their account in 2021. The address appears to be legit (a house in another state in the USA), and as far as I can tell, public records indicate that the address is legit for this name. I'm shipping it insured & signature required. But, the fact that: (1) I'm a new seller, (2) The buyer has only one review, (3) the item is fairly valuable. Should I be concerned? I haven't shipped it yet. Thought I'd ask here first. Thanks for your sage advice!
tty812
OP1 year agoFinal result: The buyer with only 1 prior review was happy with the $1k camera & left positive feedback. I did the same. Yay for honest humans! They do exist.
tty812
OP1 year agoI really appreciate everyone who took the time to respond. I just shipped the item. Cheers!
albertabrightalberta
·1 year ago@tty812
Should the buyer be concerned to be turning over $1000 to a seller who hasn't had a sale in years?
Ebay says to ship so you should ship. For seller protection against INR (item not received), you must purchase signature confirmation (for $750+ total sale).
You should also be aware that you probably won't get your funds released for at least 30 days. As a new/infrequent seller, ebay holds the funds until the MBG (money back guarantee) time elapses.
tty812
OP1 year agoExcellent points. Many thanks!
rosachs
·1 year agoOr until the buyer leaves positive feedback, whichever comes first. Unless they've changed/removed that feature...
-Bob.
dbfolks166mt
·1 year agoAlways go by the #1 rule as a seller on eBay and that is to never list an item you are not prepared to take the financial loss on. While most transactions take place without any issues there are a LOT of scammers out there. About the best you can do is to mitigate those risks as much as possible.
Bottom line is you listed this item, the buyer has paid and you are requiring signature delivery so you should ship it.
tty812
OP1 year agoMuch appreciated!
caldreamer
·1 year agoI make it a point never to "research my customers" this relieves a lot of stress. Only thing I can tell you is there is no way to "predict who will scam you". Also, bear in mind that EBAY will give you a "defect" against your account if you cancel the sale and the customer can still leave you negative feedback.
tty812
OP1 year agoThanks for your response! That’s a very helpful perspective.
Mainly, I’m just trying to make sure that I’m not falling into some well-known scam. Given that the buyer has already paid, it seems legit. But as you point out, you never know.