Is this ps4 a scam?

[fright_97]

There is this super sketchy ps4 seller for like $15 and has 600 sold for some reason, when I went to checkout it was from Hong Kong, I’m assuming it’s a scam?

[tdumonde2014]

Of course it's a scam.  You can't buy a new controller for $25.00.

[marnotom!]

Given that the item has “free” international shipping and the seller has made his reputation selling hair clippers for pets, I’d say we’re likely looking at a hijacked account.

[eburtonlab]

@fright_97 

If a listing is too good to be true -- such as a new item that is selling for a fraction of its retail cost -- that is certainly a warning sign. And if a relatively new seller is suddenly selling thousands of dollars worth of multiple quantity listings at fire sale prices with free shipping from overseas with extended handling times and very long shipping estimates, you should be very concerned, particularly if the items are expensive electronics, cameras, musical instruments, tools or outboard motors.

In general, you can avoid a lot of headaches by choosing to purchase only from established sellers that have recent and past positive feedback as a seller for selling items in the same category that you intend to buy. If someone is selling a dozen apple watches, but has no feedback, or only has feedback as a buyer, or only has feedback for selling dress patterns or fishing lures (actual examples I have seen), perhaps wait until they have a track record of positive feedback for selling electronics before you buy from them.

You might miss out on a good deal from a new seller once in a while, and nothing can guarantee that you won't still run into a scammer anyway, but you can avoid a lot of potential problems by choosing to do business with established sellers. Anyone can put together a listing that looks nice -- it is not hard at all to simply copy an existing listing -- but it is much harder to create a history of consistent sales and positive feedback.

[fright_97]

Yes I completely think it’s a scam but already purchased it on accident when I thought I was purchasing a different ps4 apparently I was on a different page and I tried to cancel it within the hour but it said to wait a few minutes and didn’t let me cancel at all, the seller isn’t answering my messages. Should I refund on PayPal? What happens if I refund on PayPal?

[eburtonlab]

If the seller is a scammer, there is no point in asking to cancel -- scammers won't. And if the seller is not a scammer, you have just caused a headache for an innocent seller by cancelling.

Typically you have to wait until the last estimated delivery date has passed to start an Item Not Received claim on eBay; if the seller is removed and eBay does not send you a message about that, and if you can no longer find the item in your Resolution Center, you can start the process on your PayPal account (if you used PayPal) or your credit card account. There are various deadlines that have to be met at each stage, and you must take care not to make more than one claim about a single transaction at a time or your claim may be dismissed.

If the seller actually ships something (but not your item), you must file a Significantly Not As Described claim (and typically return the item), as a valid tracking number that shows delivery would cause you to lose an Item Not Received claim. There are other scams that involve shipping an item to another location in your zip code which can complicate matters further.

Bookmark the seller's feedback page so that you can monitor that to see if the seller's account has been removed from eBay, just in case the item listing disappears.