Are you guys receiving random message from NEW buyer?

[marketshop2020]

Hello all, not sure if this fits this category, but are you sellers receiving message from buyer saying "Is this item still available?" or "Hi shop ^^!" Are these bots? I check when they created their account and it was created today or 2-5 days ago.

[downunder-61]

No I don't, but if I did I would ignore them as they are probably scammers setting you up for off eBay or similar.

Your item is listed - so of course it is available, Hi Shop - Spam. Ignore and add to your BBL

[fuzzymae]

Not here, but I do get them on my local selling sites.  I call them time-wasters.  Ignore and block. On my local sites, I can report them and they get removed as users, we aren't so fortunate here.  They are after your info, your money, or your item.  Like the guy on the hearing aid commercial says, "Whatever they can get!"

[dhbookds]

Judge it by the questions..........bear in mind during Xmas you get alot of new (legit) buyers who are unsure how to use ebay or are suspicious of sellers..........and whether they will ever get an item.

It doesn't hurt to answer an email......scammers will soon show themselves by wanting to take transaction off ebay or claim to have bought when they haven't.........

[itsjustasprain]

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@marketshop2020 wrote:

Hello all, not sure if this fits this category, but are you sellers receiving message from buyer saying "Is this item still available?" or "Hi shop ^^!" Are these bots?

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Probably. But they dont get anything of value from you if you did reply through Ebay messaging - not that I am suggesting that you need to reply. I think on Craigslist or maybe Facebook a reply might reveal your email address to them but that would be all. And on CL now I think you can use a disguised address so they might not even get your email. 

Probably if you replied to that inane question you would get a followup reply asking you to text them or email them at an outside address and THAT is when you would start to be lured into an offsite scam. So no - I dont think any reply is needed and you would not find a real buyer that way.

[lakeland_music]

Yes I am, zero feedback buyers that just joined. 
Some are asking me questions clearly listed in the description, like condition, price, etc.
Others are messaging with "Item still available?", or "is this still available?".  

They are scammers, block them immediately, I'm canceling any sale with zero feedback buyers now,

even if it hurts my business.  After 14 years I'm tired of it.