Wanting to check if an item is real

[kentay8845]

I am trying to buy a trailer from a seller who decided to sell through the "Ebay Money back Guarantee" through the Ebay motors. I just wanted to check if the confirmation number/ order number was real, but the automated assistant was giving me the "run around" and not letting me in contact with a person to check if the item was real in their systems. The email I got with the confirmation order looks real, but it is wanting me to get Ebay cards to pay and my banker told me that was a common scam tactic. I just wanted to check if the item was real.

[eburtonlab]

Beware scammers who advertise on other sites and tell you that the transaction will be handled through eBay.

That is not how eBay works. eBay does not rely on users finding ads on Facebook or other sites and sending contact information to a seller. Likely the seller will send a phony "invoice" that appears to be from eBay but is not, asking you to pay with gift cards to have the vehicle shipped to you for a free evaluation period.

eBay has no warehouse and does not ship vehicles. eBay does not handle such transactions or provide "vehicle protection orders". Scammers often promise those things, though. Any phone number you may receive on such an "invoice" does not connect to eBay, but to the scammer.

Anyone that asks you to purchase gift cards or to send card codes to them to complete a transaction is trying to take advantage of you. Anyone asking for a gift card is looking for a gift at your expense. Once anyone else knows the code, your money will be gone and you will have no recourse.

See here for some info about avoiding such scams (US links):

https://pages.motors.ebay.com/buy/security/index.html

https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes/online-vehicle-sale-fraud

The only way to purchase a vehicle on eBay is to sign in to eBay, find the vehicle on eBay and complete the checkout process on eBay, so that the item appears in your Purchase History. Then you typically meet the seller to inspect the vehicle, pay the seller, and collect the keys, title and vehicle.

If you encountered an ad on another site, contact that site to have the ad removed. eBay is not involved with any ads listed on sites other than eBay itself.

Give your banker a nice Christmas gift.

[kensgiftshop]

@kentay8845 

That's an old scam that's been around for years.

Ebay doesn't have anything to do with items found on other sites.

The only place you use Ebay gift cards is here on the site.

[shipscript]

@kentay8845 

Hooray for your banker in trying to keep you safe!! 

And kudos to you for checking here before falling for the scam.

Please report the scam to the website where it was found, and send that fraudulent email to car@ebay.com, as an attachment, so they can add it to their ongoing investigations.