Is eBay itself a scam?

[johnjacque-0]

So let me understand, I receive an eBay giftcard (not even sure why the gifter thought I would ever buy anything on eBay) and scratch off the numbers in the back a week later and decided to sift through the million sellers in China to see if there's something I would actually buy here based in the U.S. and I find something...I go to pay for it and plug in my card numbers and it says the card has zero balance...I contact eBay and they tell me they froze the card because it wasn't linked to an account and the only way to unfreeze is to send photos of today's date with the receipt and photos of the card otherwise my only other option is to see if the original buyer has the receipts from where they bought it otherwise I will need to go back to the store where they bought it and ask for a refund (without a receipt after I've already scratched the back to reveal the code?)....and their reason is to secure the funds from scammers? So in essence in order to fight scams eBay just developed their own scam to bilk people out of money when they buy eBay giftcards?

I've been an eBay member for like 20 years and the last time I bought anything was probably 2003 which at the time turned out to be the worst online purchasing experience I've ever had and 20 years later I can't even get to the part where I buy something without it turning into a disaster...what a site

[stainlessenginecovers]

The information you received is not correct. The back of the card will have a website you can check the balance. If the balance is truly ZERO; the card was not rang up correctly (or activated) by the cashier at the 'place' your 'giver' got it from. 

[12345jamesstamps]

Its so easy to take any cards in a grocery store or any store and pocketing them and walking out the store not going up to a cashier to put money on it. Most people add the sales receipt on card nowadays when they give it to someone. It could be a Starbucks or Exxon Gas or whatever card as well as eBay.

You kind of answer your own question. Person thought you would never use the card so why put money on it.

[okapart0]

It's true, legitimate gift cards will result in an "error" at checkout and when that happens your gift card balance will reset to zero. Then, you can call ebay and they will tell you they froze the card and they will send you a link to unfreeze so you can send photos of today's date with the receipt and photos of the card.

Once you do that the card's value will be reset to what it was before the checkout error, and then you can use the card by going through checkout which will result in an "error" and your gift card balance will reset to zero. Then, you can call ebay and they will tell you they froze the card and they will send you a link to unfreeze so you can send photos of today's date with the receipt and photos of the card.

Once you do that the card's value will be reset to what it was before the checkout error, and then you can use the card by going through checkout which will result in an "error" and your gift card balance will reset to zero. Then, you can call ebay and they will tell you they froze the card and they will send you a link to unfreeze so you can send photos of today's date with the receipt and photos of the card.

And so on...

It never ends, it is an endless circle.

You will go between having full balance, trying to check out, getting an error, the balance resets to zero... You will call ebay, they send you a link, you upload photos, they reset the card to full balance and then the cycle repeats itself...

Over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over...

Until you get tired of their game.

How do I know this?

Because I have now in my hands two $200 gift cards with their value restored...

But if I go through checkout WITH MY ACCOUNT the balance will reset to zero with the error.

And I have been through this and there is nothing I can do.

[justafemster]

Why do I get the feeling that we're dealing with someone who 'sold' a car? 

[1tuna]

this is a good question

ebay is not a scam but gift cards are a big problem

if you dont want a bad gift card then dont buy them or accept one

if you dont buy a gift card then you dont need to worry about all the negative association with them