How can I go about getting my money back?

[leran-97]

I think it is a scam and I am a victim cause yesterday I had sent this person 800$ to purchase that 2006 dodge charger srt8 Red and still have not recieved a tracking number or anything and I googled to see if there is a military base in riverton utah and there is not. How can I go about getting my money back?

[mr_lincoln]

@leran-97   If you did not purchase through eBay and just sent someone money then you have been scammed.

[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.

If you have already provided gift card codes to the scammer, you can contact law enforcement to let them know you have been scammed, but your money is gone.

[bonjourami]

Why didnt you Google that information before you sent the gift cards?Old,old, scam..but I am sorry you fell for it.

[ripsmc]

This is going to sound cold but...you get no sympathy from me and you are not a victim. You shot your own self in the foot. You saw that ad and I bet your heart rate instantly went to 140 with the first thought being "gotta jump on this now before someone beats me to it".

Take a deep breath and think for a few seconds. On what planet in what universe can anyone buy a 2006 SRT Dodge Charger for 800 bucks? A wrecked one will bring far more than that and your money is vaporized; never to be seen again and there are zero options for getting it back.

Sounds like the recent listing for a 2007 Nissan Sentra with low miles. great condition, no problems, free shipping, and money back guarantee; all for 675 dollars.

[crazie46]

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@ripsmc wrote:

This is going to sound cold but...you get no sympathy from me and you are not a victim. You shot your own self in the foot. You saw that ad and I bet your heart rate instantly went to 140 with the first thought being "gotta jump on this now before someone beats me to it".

Take a deep breath and think for a few seconds. On what planet in what universe can anyone buy a 2006 SRT Dodge Charger for 800 bucks? A wrecked one will bring far more than that and your money is vaporized; never to be seen again and there are zero options for getting it back.

Sounds like the recent listing for a 2007 Nissan Sentra with low miles. great condition, no problems, free shipping, and money back guarantee; all for 675 dollars.

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@ripsmc  Well said. My thoughts exactly. No sympathy from me either. Wonder if this one had free shipping too.

[kensgiftshop]

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@leran-97 wrote:

How can I go about getting my money back?

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Sorry you fell for that old scam, but there's no way to get your money back.

You need to report the ad to the site you found it on and file a police report.

[Anonymous]

No legitimate transaction begins on another site (craigslist, facebook marketplace, offerup, letgo, etc) and ends on eBay.  None.  When the scammer tells you the transaction will be completed on eBay, you immediately know 100% that it's a scam.  There are no exceptions to this rule.  

The bait is the super low price.  You think, "Wow, what a deal! I had better jump on this fast before someone else beats me to it.

The scammer almost always claims to be a woman who (take your pick) is recently widowed, recently divorced, a grieving mother who lost a child and the vehicle belonged to the child and it brings bad memories, or deployed in the military and doesn't have time to deal with the sale but not to worry, Ebay will take care of it for her.

The scammer will tell you that the vehicle is either at an eBay warehouse or in an eBay shipping container, ready to ship.  The thing is, there are not eBay warehouses or shipping containers

The scammer will tell you that shipping is free and it should arrive at your place in two days, three days tops.  You will also be told that you have five days to inspect the vehicle and if you decide you don't want to keep it, return shipping is also free.

You will be sent a fake eBay invoice.   Any phone numbers or other contact information on the fake eBay invoice will go not to eBay but to the scammer's phone.

You will likely be asked to pay with gift cards, typically in $200 increments.   The scammer will assure you that eBay will hold the money until you receive the vehicle and are happy with it.  But, eBay does not hold money for buyers.   And as soon as you give them the numbers off the cards, your money is gone forever and it cannot be traced.

eBay had nothing to do with it.   Scammers list things for sale all over the internet at super low prices and it works.  People take the bait, hook, line and sinker, because people want to get something for nothin'.

This is an expensive lesson, for sure, and one you won't soon forget.  My suggestion is that you contact the site where you saw the car and report the scammer.   And warn your friends.  I first got on eBay under another user name 19 years ago, and this scam has been going on at least this long if not longer.

[ripsmc]

Yes, I suspect there was free shipping and a money back guarantee to boot with an "eBay warehouse" involved.

Many years ago I used to feel some sympathy for people who fell for this scam but that disappeared. This scam is well known and there is no reason in the world for someone to not spend a couple of minutes doing a Google search. Even the Federal Trade Commission (among many others) warns of this scam.

People see those fake ads, adrenaline and greed take over, and at some point the realization  they've lost their money hits home. THEN the fear sets in and they want to know how to get their money back. Not gonna happen.

There is nothing wrong with filing a police report but it's a waste of time. The officer will politely take the report but between his or her ears they're thinking "Sucker; can't believe you fell for that." before putting that report into the file with dozens of others to collect dust.

[adrsc_7402]

She almost got me she was going over and over how she is honest woman and etc!!! Glad I did my research!!!!

[mingotoy]

If you are buying a car and it's NOT on Ebay, it's NOT an ebay item.  It is definitely a scam if the seller claims it's Ebay and you find the post on another site.

[kh-gary]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.