eBay

portlander · ‎08-03-2018

I often resell iphones. So my items are higher priced. The problem comes when buyers with zero feedback buy an iphone. I have most issues with new buyers, some sign up the same day or are 'Guest' buyers.

So now to avoid the issue I list my iphones somewhat higher than market value and add 'Best Offer'. That way I can pick an choose my buyer. I choose the buyer with 500 feedback over the zero feedback buyer.

This may sound mean, but if a person wants to buy an iphone on ebay, they should buy a few other items first. That's how ebay works. Reputation should provide value and security.

sin-n-dex · ‎08-03-2018

@portlander wrote:
I often resell iphones. So my items are higher priced. The problem comes when buyers with zero feedback buy an iphone. I have most issues with new buyers, some sign up the same day or are 'Guest' buyers.
So now to avoid the issue I list my iphones somewhat higher than market value and add 'Best Offer'. That way I can pick an choose my buyer. I choose the buyer with 500 feedback over the zero feedback buyer.
This may sound mean, but if a person wants to buy an iphone on ebay, they should buy a few other items first. That's how ebay works. Reputation should provide value and security.

I got scammed by two different buyers who had over 1000 FB. One scammed me for $20 worth of postage stamps (older ones, but not valuable), the other scanned me on common modern coins to the tune of $97, and then he created a different ID and tried it again.

With a phone, zero is often bad news unfortunately, but picking someone with higher FB doesn't suddenly make your sale "safe".

Cheers, C.

portlander · ‎08-03-2018

If an item has seller protection, we should not be getting scammed, but it still happens. Sorry.

everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures · ‎08-03-2018

@portlander wrote:
I often resell iphones. So my items are higher priced. The problem comes when buyers with zero feedback buy an iphone. I have most issues with new buyers, some sign up the same day or are 'Guest' buyers.
So now to avoid the issue I list my iphones somewhat higher than market value and add 'Best Offer'. That way I can pick an choose my buyer. I choose the buyer with 500 feedback over the zero feedback buyer.
This may sound mean, but if a person wants to buy an iphone on ebay, they should buy a few other items first. That's how ebay works. Reputation should provide value and security.

If someone were really out to scam you the price you have it listed for will not matter and no one is required to make an offer. A scammer can and or will just purchase it as a BIN because they know they will get their money back anyway.
So you are really not avoiding anything.
Number of feedback is irrelevant.
And ebay has no such rule about the number of items that must be purchased prior to purchasing an item from you. A new buyer is allowed to purchase the same as one that has been purchasing for 10 yrs or longer.

missjen831 · ‎08-03-2018

Smart decision. One of the best things about best offer is that it gives you the chance to check the buyers feedback left for others. The buyers feedback left for others can tell you a lot about the buyer. So this will help avoid protential problem buyers because you can block those who make an offer & have FLRO that is full of red flags. You can decline their offers and block them. Seasoned sellers have used BO this way for a long time now 😉

One life is all we have to live
Love is all we have to give

**Formerly known as MissJen316**

southern*sweet*tea · ‎08-03-2018

@portlander wrote:
If an item has seller protection, we should not be getting scammed, but it still happens. Sorry.

The ONLY seller protection here and through Paypal is protection from item not received cases as long as you have tracking that states delivered. Any other seller protection is a myth.

If you can't cover the loss, don't sell it - not just here, but anywhere. I make my own protection through self insurance.

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.

We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell

everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures · ‎08-03-2018

You may also want to note that you posted this plan you have on a public board that goes out all over the internet...so you possibly now could have drawn some unwanted attention now or in the future as well..as scammer do read and look for easy targets. ...and you just made public how for them not to buy from you and how to buy from you. Just sayin'. Be careful.

luckythewinner · ‎08-03-2018

@portlander wrote:
Reputation should provide value and security.

Glad it is working for you.

But IMHO buyer feedback tells you nothing about a buyer's "reputation", because they cannot receive negative feedback. A buyer who did not cheat 500 sellers could easily have screwed 500 other sellers.

missjen831 · ‎08-03-2018

@everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures wrote:
You may also want to note that you posted this plan you have on a public board that goes out all over the internet...so you possibly now could have drawn some unwanted attention now or in the future as well..as scammer do read and look for easy targets. ...and you just made public how for them not to buy from you and how to buy from you. Just sayin'. Be careful.

Nah. OP is clearly not an easy target and he shouldn’t be worried about posting this on the internet. If there was really reason to worry I am sure all sellers replying here would be using posting IDs 🙂

One life is all we have to live
Love is all we have to give

**Formerly known as MissJen316**

everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures · ‎08-03-2018

@missjen831 wrote:
@everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures wrote:
You may also want to note that you posted this plan you have on a public board that goes out all over the internet...so you possibly now could have drawn some unwanted attention now or in the future as well..as scammer do read and look for easy targets. ...and you just made public how for them not to buy from you and how to buy from you. Just sayin'. Be careful.
Nah. OP is clearly not an easy target and he shouldn’t be worried about posting this on the internet. If there was really reason to worry I am sure all sellers replying here would be using posting IDs 🙂

Thank you for sharing your opinion but my comment was for the OP and although you may be unaware many here have posting id's for reasons such as becoming targets as they have said many times over the years. But this thread is not about posting ID's either so not sure why you added that in.
There is and are always higher risks when selling things like iphones etc. Also something well documented here on the boards as well as elsewhere...not to mention why the OP was looking for a way to protect himself better.
And yes anyone selling these kind high risk items should always be worried and on guard.

savent-0 · ‎08-04-2018

No seller is safe on ScamBay™ or ReturnBay™

penguins_dont_fly · ‎08-04-2018

@missjen831 wrote:
@everything-from-trinkets-to-treasures wrote:
You may also want to note that you posted this plan you have on a public board that goes out all over the internet...so you possibly now could have drawn some unwanted attention now or in the future as well..as scammer do read and look for easy targets. ...and you just made public how for them not to buy from you and how to buy from you. Just sayin'. Be careful.
Nah. OP is clearly not an easy target and he shouldn’t be worried about posting this on the internet. If there was really reason to worry I am sure all sellers replying here would be using posting IDs 🙂

@missjen831

😄

You forgot your <sarcasm> tags again LOL

We wouldn't want humorous replies to be misconstrued, would we? *snort*

penguins_dont_fly is a Volunteer Community Mentor
Buying and Selling since 2013

portlander · ‎08-08-2018

I can't say that I've actually been scammed deliberately. Possibly once. I did have a $200 loss from a new ebayer recently. It was concerning an iphone he returned dead. I had to refund him. When I finally got the iphone running I found out it had an icloud lock on it. He claimed it was his friends id on it and did not know the password. Apple was of little help. When I offered the guy $60 to remove it, all of a sudden he was all ears and offered to do it. I went to the Apple store and showed them the conversation and they were able to remove the icloud. That is called icloud blackmail. I'm not sure of how common is it but I know it does happen.

portlander · ‎08-08-2018

I am not afraid of cancelling a purchase. No one can force me to walk into a trap. If it looks like a skunk and smells like a skunk, it is probably a skunk.

gew6463 · ‎08-08-2018

Smart thinking on documenting the conversation!

BTW, the only fancy phone I ever had was lifted from my shopping cart in Portland (OR) . Not sure if you are Oregon or Maine 😉 The thief broke the password and was selling it before I even reached home. They know what they're doing for sure.

It sounds like a good idea to use the best offer. Hopefully it will give you a better chance of finding honest buyers.