I found a seller with 0 feedback, but they have positive reviews from years ago as a seller. How?

[dusur_9]

So I found an item that I am interested in purchasing, but the price seems a little too good to be true. So naturally I check the reviews, and they have 0 feedback.

But then I look around on there profile more, and I see multiple verified purchases and reviews from a year or more ago. Seemingly positive reviews as well (with defunct listings since it says “more than a year ago”).

I contacted the seller with other questions I had on the item, and they seem responsive and helpful. Nothing felt like a red flag in my limited eBay experience.

How does this happen? If they have older reviews they should be counted right? Why does it still say “0 feedback”?

And what would you all advise on the risk of purchasing an item in this situation? The feedback part is what’s making me a bit skeptical, besides the little too good to be true price. But the fact they they were responsive and didn’t evade my questions made me feel like it could be legit.

thanks for helping me out 👍

[kensgiftshop]

Feedback % is based on the last year.

Feedback longer then a year will not count and if they haven't received any within the last year, their % will show zero.

[simba6]

eBay only displays the feedback going one year back in the totals.  Feedback older than that is no longer counted.

Watch out for too good to be true prices.  They always are...........

[kathiec]

I would be wary. A dormant account that suddenly starts selling at too good to be true prices can be a sign of a hijacked account. 

[ferncliff-39]

@dusur_9

Can you tell from their old Seller feedback if they were selling items similar to what you are looking at now,or is this completely different?

Sometimes older, inactive/dormant accounts are hijacked by scammers that post items with too good to be true pricing to lure in unsuspecting buyers.

[dusur_9]

The items they sold before are all completely unrelated. There isn’t any pattern that I can discern. 

but they haven’t sold items of the type I’m looking at before.

[ferncliff-39]

@dusur_9 

I would certainly be wary.

You're not allowed to post the Item# or Seller ID  for us to look at (rules) - sometimes it can be easy to discern a hijacked account, sometimes not.

You can do reverse image & title searches to see if there is another one out there - scammer hijackers tend to copy whole listings & photos they find elsewhere.

If you do purchase, only pay with eBay checkout, no other off-eBay payments, and you will be covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee., although that could also mean your money may be tied up for awhile.

[mtgraves7984]

You're not allowed to post the Item#...

@ferncliff-39 

Color me 'out of the loop'. When did this start? I know I've recommended OPs to do that so we could eyeball it. 👀

[ferncliff-39]

@mtgraves7984  - so have I, but they get removed sometimes. The Item# gives you the Seller ID, and we're not supposed to name sellers, as in this case.

[mybigsale]

Could be a seller who is getting back to selling or it could be a hijacked account.

Be careful or you may have to use eBays Money Back Guarantee. 🙄

[simba6]

I was once told by the mods you could give the item number as long as the poster was not having an issue with the item or user.  You could not give it if they were having any problem.

For what it's worth, I never did see a written set of rules about it.

[janet9988]

The i next to feedback % explains how ebay calculates the score...

[albertabrightalberta]

IMO, it sounds like a hijacked account. 

[readabouthorses]

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@albertabrightalberta wrote:

IMO, it sounds like a hijacked account. 

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Or it could just be a seller like me who has taken a break from selling. Since eBay did away with Turbo Lister it is really hard to create listings here because of my slow pathetic DSL internet connection.

[kathiec]

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@readabouthorses wrote:

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@albertabrightalberta wrote:

IMO, it sounds like a hijacked account. 

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Or it could just be a seller like me who has taken a break from selling. Since eBay did away with Turbo Lister it is really hard to create listings here because of my slow pathetic DSL internet connection.

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It's not just the break from selling that leads some of us to suspect a hijacked account. It's the break from selling coupled with a too good to be true price.