Buyer with 0 feedback, joined today, offered above asking price

[snowclonestudios]

I'm really new to this game. I have an item I listed as Buy It Now for $299.99. Someone made me an offer for $300. They have zero feedback and they joined today. I'm assuming it's a scammer but I'm not sure. I'm a new seller also with zero feedback and I think the buyer may be trying to take advantage of my inexperience. What should I do?

[plumbingspecials]

It's a scam. Do not reply at all.

[nawlinsron2]

Run, Forrest, Run...

[jonathankirkland · Accepted solution]

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@snowclonestudios wrote:

I'm really new to this game. I have an item I listed as Buy It Now for $299.99. Someone made me an offer for $300. They have zero feedback and they joined today. I'm assuming it's a scammer but I'm not sure. I'm a new seller also with zero feedback and I think the buyer may be trying to take advantage of my inexperience. What should I do?

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If you do not have it already set as a requirement, setup immediate payment required on your buy-it-now. This will not apply if you accept a best offer, but it will apply if someone buys the item outright.

In this event, the scammer is trying to get you to accept the offer so they can circumvent immediate payment required, then contact you insisting they need your Paypal email address provided to them (which by the way is against ebay policy), at which time they would then send you a fake payment notification email trying to trick you into sending the item out without actually being paid.

Do not reply, block this person, decline the offer and move on.

[snowclonestudios]

Okay. What would have happened if I accepted? Isn't the worst that would've happened is I wouldn't have been paid (but I kept the item)?

[a_c_green]

If you'd accepted, you would have gotten bogged down in a ridiculous exchange of messages with the pseudo-buyer, in which they would have some unspecified "problems" simply paying you through the listing as normal, and might insist on having you send a PayPal invoice to a different address instead, after which you'd receive bogus payment notifications directing you to ship, etc. 

[snowclonestudios]

How do I require immediate payment?

[jonathankirkland]

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@snowclonestudios wrote:
How do I require immediate payment?

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You should use the Advanced Listing tool.

To switch to this I believe you go to "sell" like you are going to sell a new item and then switch from the Basic Listing tool to the Advanced Listing tool.

This will give you a lot more options for your listing, and you can even remove the "best offer" option from here if you are not interested in that, which will prevent this kind of thing from happening again since the person paying for it must pay in advance.

[plumbingspecials]

The person is going to give you some sob story, somehow he "can't pay through paypal" or "can you change the shipping address" or some other odd request. Absolutely do not ship anything that is not paid through paypal, and do not ship to any other address than what is on the paypal/ebay order receipt.

But if I were you, I would decline the offer and block the buyer immediately.

[cambriachick]

Hey snowconestudios,
It might be a good idea for you to list some less expensive items so that you build up some feedback and get more familiar with the whole workings here.
Good luck.

[siberians_forever]

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@snowclonestudios wrote:

Okay. What would have happened if I accepted? Isn't the worst that would've happened is I wouldn't have been paid (but I kept the item)?

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No, the worst is that you are a new seller with zero feedbacks yourself.  The two items you have listed are I-phones.  Not only are phones a high risk scam magnet, but you yourself being "New" to selling, makes yourself a scam magnet.

The worst is that you may actually sell these phones, only to be informed your buyer has decided to return them for whatever reason or say item was never received.  They will return you an empty box or just say they never got it and file claims either way.  eBay will refund the money you recieved to your buyer and you will loose your phones and have no money as well.

As a new seller I recommend you not sell these items for your first selling experience on here.

Just my humble opionion here so take it for what it's worth...

[snowclonestudios]

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The worst is that you may actually sell these phones, only to be informed your buyer has decided to return them for whatever reason or say item was never received.  They will return you an empty box or just say they never got it and file claims either way.  eBay will refund the money you recieved to your buyer and you will loose your phones and have no money as well.

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Let's propose a scenario. I sell the item and I record one uninterrupted video showing me placing the item in the box, getting the shipping with tracking, and sending it.  It's clear from the video that the item is correct in the description. The tracking shows that it was delivered and the video proves that it was the correct item. How else could they still get me?

[snowclonestudios]

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@cambriachick wrote:
Hey snowconestudios,
It might be a good idea for you to list some less expensive items so that you build up some feedback and get more familiar with the whole workings here.
Good luck.

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Okay, that seems reasonable. What sorts of things should I sell?

[thenobletuckylife]

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@snowclonestudios wrote:

Okay. What would have happened if I accepted? Isn't the worst that would've happened is I wouldn't have been paid (but I kept the item)?

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Evening,

Scammers do not look to just play around with your listing...they look to get it in their hands for FREE.

Meanwhile you also will not have access to your funds (if there ever is any) until after it has been received since you will have hold on your funds as a new seller.

The buyer then has 30 days to file a claim against you for SNAD and then behind that, Paypal allows claims to be filed for 180 days.

LOTS can happen during these timeframes.

Mr C

[tellmemama]

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@snowclonestudios wrote:

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The worst is that you may actually sell these phones, only to be informed your buyer has decided to return them for whatever reason or say item was never received.  They will return you an empty box or just say they never got it and file claims either way.  eBay will refund the money you recieved to your buyer and you will loose your phones and have no money as well.

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Let's propose a scenario. I sell the item and I record one uninterrupted video showing me placing the item in the box, getting the shipping with tracking, and sending it.  It's clear from the video that the item is correct in the description. The tracking shows that it was delivered and the video proves that it was the correct item. How else could they still get me?

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You can have Scorcese film it for you but it makes no difference.  Ebay does not accept video as proof of what you shipped.  Will you be filming it going from the PO counter to the back and to the truck driving away?  Because even if you film as far as you suggest you could turn off the camera, easily ask the clerk for it back, and switch the item out.  Not saying you would but it certainly could happen.

Don't waste your time.