Getting scammed

[shirleyk21]

I’m just finding out about a scam going on with people selling cars on eBay but in actuality it’s through Craigslist. My friend found a car on Facebook Market and sent me the link in which i contacted the person on messenger. They replied but asked if i could email them in which I did. The car was being sold for 1,000 dollars in which I had to ask the question of why? I was told they had moved as well as the spouse passed away and the car is too much memory. They said eBay is helping to sell it and all I have to do is give my name and address and it would be shipped to me in 3 days and I had 5 days to check it out and then decide if I want to buy it or not. Once I seen all that I emailed the person to decline. I need to hear if others know about this scam plus I’m not real familiar with what eBay legitimately sells or has anything to do with people selling their cars and eBay holds them at a shipping company? 

[mudshark61369]

@shirleyk21,

This is a very common scam that pops up on FB, LG. CL, and other sites.  eBay does not extend buyer protections to vehicles bought on other sites.  It has no system for shipping cars to be inspected.  They do not have warehouses where vehicles can be stored either.

You were smart to check things out before buying, many fall for the scam and lose their money.   CL has a how to spot scams link at the bottom of the left column on the main landing page. 

Listings on any site with sick, dying, dead family or friends.  The seller or family member being deployed, low priced vehicle, free shipping with an inspection period, payment using gift cards of any kind, are all signs of a scam. 

If you find a vehicle listed from out of state, you either travel to see it in person, or hire a vehicle appraiser in the seller's area to do an inspection. NEVER, pay until an inspection has been done.

[sew734]

The car scam has been around for quite sometime.  The first I heard of it was from my son.  He sent me a link and of course they wanted a certain amount to be sent to them upfront stating they were paypal backed.  I told him to turn his back on that one it was a scam.

Many things are sold on ebay.  The buyer's protection is paying by Paypal.  Ebay offers a money back guarantee.  These are safety nets for buyers.

The thing to watch for is a seller asking for your Paypal information, banking or credit card information, social security number, gift cards or asking for a cash deposit.   Should they start asking for personal information, stop all communication.

Years ago when I first began buying on ebay, I found a wonderful "deal".  I paid through paypal, and waited and waited for my item.  when I did not receive it I filed an ebay claim and was refunded.  A week later another buyer had seen I purchased that item and they contacted me. I was told they had been given a second chance offer and had not received their package.  I told them to file a complaint in the ebay resolution center as it was a scam,.

Usually if it seems to good to be true, it is.  Some buyers think if it is on ebay there are no scams and blindly give  into a scammers demands.

[labs118]

@shirleyk21 
Facebook, Craigslist, Letgo all scams
ebay doesn't warehouse cars or deliver for free 5 or 7 day trials
These are all very old well known scams
Send the scam emails to the email address from the link below.

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


And
https://pages.ebay.com/motors/buy/purchase-protection/


Alert: Internet Vehicle Scams on Craigslist and Other Non-eBay Sites
eBay's Vehicle Purchase Protection covers only certain vehicle transactions that are completed ON eBay.com. If a Craigslist or non-eBay seller 'promises' you the eBay protection plan, this is fraud and you should walk away. Learn more.
Common warning signs:
Vehicles advertised well below what it is worth may be tempting, but should be a red flag. If it appears too good to be true, it probably is.
You are unable to see the vehicle in person first or have it physically inspected prior to payment
There is an urgency to complete the sale quickly because the seller has a health or family issue, is being deployed to the military, moving out of state/country or is going through a divorce/marriage
Seller pushes to get money in advance and transferred through a fast payment method, or sent to a fake escrow account to avoid you as the buyer losing out on the deal before another buyer purchases the item first
Criminals want to lure you into feeling safe and may also disguise their websites or emails to look like they are from eBay, when they are not. View additional warning signs and examples of vehicle scams.