Seller Beware?
After almost getting scammed by a buyer (Allegedly), I am a little weary of all buyers at this point. Is anyone else bothered or skeptical about a buyer that creates an account and makes a $100+ purchase, same day? Should I be worried again?! And is there a way to give EBAY a heads up, just in case??
Or am I overthinking!
10 comments
tarotfindsandmore
·6 months agoMany people create accounts specifically to make that one $100+ purchase. Our items show up in google searches so if someone is hunting for something specific and they find it on ebay but don't have an account, they might create one (especially if they don't want to deal with being a "guest").
If the transaction goes south for some reason, you follow ebay procedures for such things and move on.
meme6253
·6 months agoPeople start new accounts all the time, You should be glad they chose your item, Give them a great experience so they come back again!,How would you feel if you started a new account & someone immediately thought you were a scammer?
squinkercat59
·6 months agoSome years back I had a friend who was restoring an older car and needed a smaller part, an emblem or something if I recall. I told him to check out Ebay. He did, found the part he needed, and bought as a guest buyer. The seller cancelled the sale simply because my friend had no Ebay history, and for years later he wasn't afraid to tell people what he thought about his negative experience, putting Ebay in a not-so-good light. Who knows how much he might've purchased through the years if things had been different.
powell-collectibles
·6 months agoYou shouldn't worry about most items. Okay, maybe you worry, but you understand that every sale carries with it a certain risk, and you price accordingly. So, you spread your bets - there isn't a good way to get to 0% risk, other than to not sell anything. Well, I suppose that you can get close with pick-up only and an all-cash requirement. Yes, I know that this is likely not in line with eBay policy, but I know that plenty of sellers have this requirement. I don't do local pick-up, so it isn't something that I practice. I'm not endorsing, just thinking through how some would reduce risk.
It is all just a numbers game. If I get a stinker of a sale - for whatever reason - I think about the big picture, and realize it isn't a big deal. You just need for your business model to incorporate these occasional stinkers.
A buyer creating an account to buy an item isn't a big red flag for me. Someone finds your item and wants it so much he creates an account - that isn't a bad thing. I wouldn't create an account somewhere if I wasn't intent on buying something that day. It would seem more odd to me for someone to set up an account in 2025, buy nothing, then pounce on one of my items today.
bonanza125
·6 months agoMajority of the time things go smoothly. You may run into buyers who give problems. Business especially online is a risk. Yes sellers and buyers both get scammed. Yes things could land up costing you. There are ways to prevent situations from happening. Ebay does offer buyer and seller protection. Things happen.
onefootflipper
·6 months agoThose have always made me pause, but to be honest I never had trouble with one of those. Most of my trouble has always came from longstanding accounts.
fabrics24
·6 months agoI understand the nervousness; I think all good sellers want to leave a good impression, and it's frustrating when people take advantage of systems meant to financially protect.
I'm relatively new to eBay sales, but I've gotten lots of good advice by reading these forums. The two biggest ones are 1.) Never sell anything you aren't comfortable taking a financial loss on, and 2.) Thoroughly understand the process of returns.
Ebay is ultimately a marketplace, so it makes sense that if someone wanted to buy a something, they'd make an account and want to purchase things right away. It's designed for ease of navigation, so that people can get things they want as conveniently as possible.
For big purchases, I'd keep an eye on how that $100+ was spent. If they're buying random things like housewares, toys, small collectibles, or books, I'm not so worried; they're probably just someone looking to make their house a little nicer for a decent price. If it's a high value item like vintage pieces, coins, jewelry, or something big, I'd definitely be on higher alert. People who genuinely love and collect really expensive items exist! But it's also a playground for scammers. Buyers who frequent high-ticket items know this, and should not take (a reasonable amount of) caution from you personally. I love collecting gemstones on my time off, and when I'm at a show or store I have no problem with being filmed, not being allowed to take photos, or having my bag checked; I know a lot of people want to steal this stuff!
When it comes to returns, the best strategy seems to be accept them readily, direct any threat of negative feedback or anger towards opening a return, and then, only once the item is back in your hands, safe and in the condition you sent it, then you can issue a refund.
Scammers are counting on sellers who don't know how to deal with their antics. The moment you propose they open an INAD, they realize they're dealing with someone who knows their rights.
tobaccocardyahoo
·6 months agoTotally depends on what you sell and the percentage of the buyers for that item are likely to be crooks, just as it does for choosing sellers.
Ebay does not accept heads up or provide personalized enforcement of its trust and security practices.
Every Ebay seller runs the risk of being cheated. Never sell anything you cannot afford to suffer a total loss on.
soh.maryl
·6 months agoDon't know for sure, but I'll bet there are new buyers signing up every day. And isn't that what we want?
How were you almost scammed? And what would you want to give eBay a heads up about?
dhbookds
·6 months agoOverthinking in my opinion. Everyone started with a new account. Absolutely scammers are here (everywhere)........but ebay wouldn't be 25 yrs old with millions of sellers and a hundred million buyers if everyone was a scammer.