Invalid User - Scammer

[vrkmsellers]

I am a new seller on Ebay. I have had three people try to scam me; ask to negotiate payment via his/her private email, send item to a completely bogus address and threaten me saying that if I didn’t contact him/her via email they would demand I send full refund for item (that they had refused to pay) to apparently a p.o box. 

I have tried three different times via Ebay to block these three “buyers” and the site says this cannot be done as they are all Invalid Users. My question: How in the world does an Invalid User get onto Ebay much less is able to place bids and make offers? My second question is how can I as a newbie, avoid or attempt to avoid this ugliness?

Thanks for any help or guidance, Victoria

[lamber9347]

@vrkmsellers Most likely they are now invalid users because eBay has suspended their accounts due to reports from others. 

As a new seller with zero feedback you are a magnet for scammers. You "look" like you have no experience because, well, you have zero feedback. You need to start selling low priced items in order to get some quick sales. Also start purchasing from this account. All activity will increase your status and present the fact that you understand how online sales work. You need to invest your time and build up your account. You can do this, just need to put in the work beforehand. Best of luck to you....

[alcoforever]

Another thing you can do is list your items in BIN format with immediate payment required.   That alone filters out a lot of scammers.

[maxine*j]

So far, you are doing great, because (unlike many new sellers) you are alert and are not falling for scams.  And your listings are very nice, professional, with plenty of good, clear photos and relevant descriptions.

Beyond that, I would just repeat what Lamber9347 said:  Gain some more experience by buying and selling less expensive and easier-to-ship items.  Like Alcoforever, I think new sellers are better off with fixed price, immediate payment required listings.

Anyhow, you will get there in time.  Continue to be smart and patient.  Good luck!

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[discountdenimdeals]

This happens to a lot of new sellers. Ppl just looking to take advantage of your lack of knowledge of the site. There are some evil scammers out there, and evil sellers. Some ppl will bid on your item, win and never pay because it takes that item off of the search results, which is intentional because they're selling the same item using another account. So they get your item off the search results for 4 days because that's how long they have to pay. My advice as a new user, do not do auctions or accept offers. Also, go into your seller hub and change the settings for who can and can't buy your items.