Buyer with high feedback asked me for my email so they could sent payment via PayPal

[annaauctions]

I just sold a guitar for about $500. Buyer has over 1000 stellar feedback at 100%. They want an invoice via paypal so they can pay. I sent them an eBay invoice.  Don't worry, I"m not going to do this as I know it is against eBay policy. 

What gives? What would you do next?

[chrysylys]

How recent is the latest FB?  If it's more than a few months, that would be a significant sign of a hijacked account.

[bigdeals.etc]

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@annaauctionswrote:

I just sold a guitar for about $500. Buyer has over 1000 stellar feedback at 100%. They want an invoice via paypal so they can pay. I sent them an eBay invoice.  Don't worry, I"m not going to do this as I know it is against eBay policy. 

What gives? What would you do next?

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Although weird, is this really against ebay policy? You actually sold the guitar in an ebay listing which the buyer won, right? So you already got charged FVF. Even if you send a paypal invoice to them, you'll still get charged Paypal fees when they pay you. Then you just ship it and link the tracking to both the paypal payment and the ebay transaction. You're not taking the sale outside of ebay at all. Or am I missing something?

[chrysylys]

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@bigdeals.etcwrote:

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Or am I missing something?

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We probably need more information.  This could be one of those where the 'buyer' really wants the sellers PP email address so they can send a fake notice of payment.

[bigdeals.etc]

Oh I see. Yea I'm not familiar with that scam tactic. I've heard about it but never looked into the details of it. I once had a buyer who made a weird request like that because she was buying for her company and they only expensed her if it was a paypal invoice or something.

[missjen831]

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@bigdeals.etcwrote:

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@annaauctionswrote:

I just sold a guitar for about $500. Buyer has over 1000 stellar feedback at 100%. They want an invoice via paypal so they can pay. I sent them an eBay invoice.  Don't worry, I"m not going to do this as I know it is against eBay policy. 

What gives? What would you do next?

---

Although weird, is this really against ebay policy? You actually sold the guitar in an ebay listing which the buyer won, right? So you already got charged FVF. Even if you send a paypal invoice to them, you'll still get charged Paypal fees when they pay you. Then you just ship it and link the tracking to both the paypal payment and the ebay transaction. You're not taking the sale outside of ebay at all. Or am I missing something?

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It’s still considered taking the sale off eBay. By bypassing eBay checkout. Sending a PayPal invoice would be a policy violation and eBay has a zero tolerance policy for that. Also eBay charges the FVF on shipping when the buyer pays so unless shipping is free, eBay wouldn’t be getting the full FVF right? Since the buyer didn’t pay through eBay.

[mistwomandancing]

Glad you know this situation looks VERY suspect...  any buyer with an account showing 1000+ positive feedbacks knows how it works here and would have no reason to try to pay by direct PayPal invoice instead of straight through the eBay invoice system.

Could certainly be a hijacked account, which would be my first guess.   Possibly a competitor, attempting to get you in trouble with eBay, etc. but I'm guessing the first.

If it were me, I wouldn't respond to an email of this type, would await my payment through the eBay/PayPal system as it is set up, would then open an Unpaid Item case after a few days to get my already-charged selling fees refunded on this sale that isn't likely going through, and then I'd relist.

[a_c_green]

Ayup, he doesn't need your PayPal address in order to pay. Just tell him to whack the Pay Now button visible to him in the listing. If no response (i.e. payment) after 48 hours from end of listing (which I suspect will be the case here), file the Unpaid Item dispute. (Do not cancel.)

[touchdownarkansas]

All buyers have 100% positive feedback.

[annaauctions]

It does look like they do some selling too.  This just feels weird to me.  I'm going to do as other say and just wait to open an "item not paid" if they don't pay for it.  

[thallidguy]

eBay provides everything that the buyer needs to pay by PayPal. There's absolutely no point to you sending an invoice.

I agree that this is most likely a hijacked account and you're being set up for a scam.

[timemachine777]

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@annaauctionswrote:

I just sold a guitar for about $500. Buyer has over 1000 stellar feedback at 100%. They want an invoice via paypal so they can pay. I sent them an eBay invoice.  Don't worry, I"m not going to do this as I know it is against eBay policy. 

What gives? What would you do next?

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Just because a buyer has 100% FB means nothing. Sellers are not allowed to leave them negs, and if they do so under a positive FB, eBay will remove it anyway. Cover yourself and just send them an invoice through your sold item drop menu on the right, under your my eBay page. If they continue to ask for your email, then contact eBay about the transaction.

[timemachine777]

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@bigdeals.etcwrote:

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@annaauctionswrote:

I just sold a guitar for about $500. Buyer has over 1000 stellar feedback at 100%. They want an invoice via paypal so they can pay. I sent them an eBay invoice.  Don't worry, I"m not going to do this as I know it is against eBay policy. 

What gives? What would you do next?

---

Although weird, is this really against ebay policy? You actually sold the guitar in an ebay listing which the buyer won, right? So you already got charged FVF. Even if you send a paypal invoice to them, you'll still get charged Paypal fees when they pay you. Then you just ship it and link the tracking to both the paypal payment and the ebay transaction. You're not taking the sale outside of ebay at all. Or am I missing something?

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eBay's system is automated and the dumb AI bot will still pop them. 

[sam9876]

Why should they contact eBay?

[timemachine777]

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@chrysylyswrote:

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@bigdeals.etcwrote:

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Or am I missing something?

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We probably need more information.  This could be one of those where the 'buyer' really wants the sellers PP email address so they can send a fake notice of payment.

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I never ship until I see the payment posted and cleared in my PP account.