Ebay gift cards as payment for a car??

[ogl020]

So I'm trying to figure out weather its a scam or what I found a car emailed thr lady and she said she was using ebay tho sell this car. But I dont understand why I have to buy ebay giftcards to email to this ebay invouce why can't I pay with my debit card

[doc-holmes]

Let me guess...She's in the military and is being deployed. Or her husband or son died and the car gives her sad memories. It is a big, fat scam. Run away. 

[evry1nositswindy]

Scam!!  Don't do it!!

[campanaelia]

Raise the red flag

[nkmipgolf]

A 10 year old scam.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Archive-Motors/Craigslist-Scams-and-Fraudulent-Use-of-Vehicle-Purchase...

[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:

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.com, find the vehicle on eBay and complete the checkout process on eBay. You may have to pay a deposit. Then you typically meet the seller to inspect the vehicle and pay the seller.

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.

[divwido]

Because you can get the debit card money back.  You cannot get the gift card money back.

[7606dennis]

This is a well known scam.

[tutwa-20]

Could you please post the "eBay item number:" of the car in question?
All ebay listings have such a number.
Any listing that does not have the item number is not listed on ebay.

It would look like this:
eBay item number:  380898780250 

That one is an example but it's in the listing.

[jonathankirkland]

---

@tutwa-20 wrote:

Could you please post the "eBay item number:" of the car in question?
All ebay listings have such a number.
Any listing that does not have the item number is not listed on ebay.

It would look like this:
eBay item number:  380898780250 

That one is an example but it's in the listing.

---

There is no ebay item number. There is no listing. This is a scam.

[bluffgi86]

I saw this also. I almost fell for it but I questioned the " gift card" thing. She even sent an invoice. Her thing was she in military being deployed out of country soon. Husband died 4 months ago. Selling a toyota rav 4 for 600. I researched payment ways for a car on ebay. Gift cards were on a way to pay!. Glad I didnt go through with it. Do not do it... 

[pcarv0927]

Oh yes I've been looking since last year and got the same thing someone had died recently bad memories etc military deployment the gal last year was like didn't eBay send you their invoice it's not from eBay even tho I've gotten responses from them and if you read carefully on google supposedly the buyer pays for shipping why in the world would they not accept a cashiers check. Etc it's **bleep** I wanted this 2014 jeep son died etc then it clicked very vehicle I'm looking  at someone died why would u take photos of a gift card and never get your item how can u test drive the vehicle without registration or keys ( you supposedly ) get those after the transaction what if u get pulled over the cop ain't take no gift card 

[maxine*j]

100% SCAM.  A scam so old you can find hundreds of examples onf these boards, and probably thousands with a Google search.  There is no car.  There is no woman.  Whatever sob story is being told to explain the "steal of a deal" price is bogus.   eBay does not operate this way, and it never has and never will.  You will lose your money.  The thief wants gift cards as payment because they are untraceable, and no one can help you recover even one thin dime of the money.  RUN!

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[soh.maryl]

Your advice is excellent, but the original message is 3 months old. 

[maxine*j]

Ach!  Another zombie thread.  It is so hard to remember to always check dates.