Person says wants to know how to get letters back to family, asks if I'm Kin.

[mozartbach1971]

I have some letters listed and a person messaged me and said they are his great aunt and uncle, and says I don't know who you are or how you got these, but I would like to know if we are kin and says my mom wants them please let me know how we can get them back to our family. Later they sent another message and asked if I'm getting the e-mails and the family is anxious to know how they are on here. I do from time to time get messages somewhat similar to this, however not that often.  I usually try to ignore these messages. Would that be the right thing to do in this case?

[this*old*attic]

Hero.

[this*old*attic]

I had that happen in the early days! Sold a vintage ladies' 2 pc. outfit to a department store for their museum... Macy's, I think?

[reallynicestamps]

My grandfather and two of his sons fought in WWI. Both my grandmothers were born in 1870 and died ~ 1951-2.  Father and other uncles fought in WWII.
Both parents were youngest children and I am the second youngest in my family. I'm 75.

OTOH I worked with a Somali woman of about 25 whose mother had just celebrated her 40th birthday.

[this*old*attic]

I remember this too (wow, some of us are OLD!!!). LOL.

My dad put it on his stereo equipment, our bikes, the t.v.'s.....

Speaking of tvs, is anyone here old enough to remember taking the tubes out of your tv, going down to the local grocery store, checking them in some kind of tester machine, and then replacing the ones that turned out bad?

[mozartbach1971]

The person e-mailed me again and said either your not checking your e-mails or this is a scam, first of all that's my family, however that street address has never existed, if these are real I want them and will pay. 

 I'm not sure if I want to respond to this person at all after this message.

[bigdeals.etc]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

Personally, I'd skip the details of how I obtained the letters.  You do not owe anyone that information. 

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They fell off a truck.

[chapeau-noir]

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@mozartbach1971 wrote:

The person e-mailed me again and said either your not checking your e-mails or this is a scam, first of all that's my family, however that street address has never existed, if these are real I want them and will pay. 

 I'm not sure if I want to respond to this person at all after this message.

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Oh for pete's sake -  they sound like every huckster flipper I've ever known - pushy and annoying - "Scam"  indeed - who peddles fake letters from unknown people?  I'd tell them that they can certainly place their bid, but you don't take transactions off eBay (as that would be a scam - but don't tell them THAT).

[bigdeals.etc]

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@jayjaspersgarage wrote:

"If you want to be a hero...you should give the letters back to the family."

Dear seller of the classic Malibu beach house my grandfather built in the 1950's.  We owned that house and demand that you give it to us because we want it back in the family.  

Uh, no they wouldn't be a hero for falling for a potential scheme.  Now if the person writing had the same exact return address that the letters were sent from or received at you might be on to something.

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“Dear Ferrari,

My last name is Ferrari. Please give the company to me because we want it back with the family.”

[7794heather]

After that message, I would block them. If they wanted it badly enough they would have put a bid in. THEY sound like a scam, not you. Do what your gut is telling you. Sounds like they may be trouble AFTER the sale as well. No seller needs that. 

[dirk12955]

This whole thread reminds me of the messages I get so often.    "I'm a disabled veteran and want to start a nice stamp collection for my 3 grandsons.    I'm on disability and can't afford to pay much.    Would you be willing to help a disabled American and send my Grandsons some stamps?    God Bless."

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@mozartbach1971 wrote:

The person e-mailed me again and said either your not checking your e-mails or this is a scam, first of all that's my family, however that street address has never existed, if these are real I want them and will pay. 

 I'm not sure if I want to respond to this person at all after this message.

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Yikes, this has gone too far.  I'm going to revise the opinion that I offered earlier.  This potential buyer is trouble.  I wouldn't want to deal with them. Put him on your BBL and follow your instincts about not responding.

If the auction has no bidders yet, I would take it down.  Or revise it to offer something else completely different, so the original listing just disappears.

[this*old*attic]

OK, I'm on the sympathetic side but that isn't just aggressive - its a little weird, quickly approaching unhinged.

[chubbycatcollectibles]

I've have had the same issue.  Family members sell off their deceased persons life at estate sales.  Sometimes it is heartbreaking to see all the photos and documents that they felt were not important enough to keep.   So I would just ignore them and go on and sell.  If they cared so much in the first place, their family members personal history wouldn't be on ebay.  

[doc-holmes]

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@jayjaspersgarage wrote:

"If you want to be a hero...you should give the letters back to the family."

Dear seller of the classic Malibu beach house my grandfather built in the 1950's.  We owned that house and demand that you give it to us because we want it back in the family.  

Uh, no they wouldn't be a hero for falling for a potential scheme.  Now if the person writing had the same exact return address that the letters were sent from or received at you might be on to something.

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That Macbook Pro used to belong to my uncle. I'm not sure who you are or how you got it, but how can I get it back to him? 

[soh.maryl]

To be fair, and this does not change my recommendation, maybe this family member was unaware that the letters existed, or maybe he had no idea some other family would list them on eBay.  That's presuming his claim is legit.