Please help, I think I'm being scammed! 😱😰

[pooky-26]

I received 3 offers for the Iphone I just listed for $320. One offer has a message with the phone# asking me to text him if I accepted the offer and the other two looks suspicious - The location of both buyers were in Canada.

So I accepted the offer with the one who has a message without thinking that this might be a scam.

While the transaction still on “awaiting payment”, lotsof questions came to mind like why’s this buyer wants me to text to let them know I accepted the offer? 🤔 Then I noticed that the buyer is new to Ebay, no feedbacks, no purchases, and i’m trying to locate the address and it’s nowhere to find? 🤔🤔 My understanding is none of us should give any contact info, why did this buyer gave me their cellphone# to text them? The buyer did mentioned “for speedy paypal payment”? 🤔🤔🤔 

My gut is telling me that this is a scam. But I already accepted the offer ? Do I have the right to cancel it? 

[muttlymob]

If you do call, PLEASE come back here before doing ANYTHING they tell you to do.

PLEASE.  For your own good.

No, you cannot remove a sold listing.  You don't need to.

Whatever you do, don't send any text to the number you were given.  Don't give the scammer any reason to think you still might try to complete the sale.  Don't communicate in any way with him.

You can try to report that the buyer is attempting to make a fraudulent payment.  In past years this has sometimes resulted in the buying ID being suspended.  If the ID gets suspended you can immediately file and immediately close the Unpaid Item Dispute to get your Final Value Fee credit.  It may no longer work, but it's a quick report link so worth a try.

DO NOT just walk away and give up that final value fee credit.  It is simple to get, no hassle just a wait of 6 days if the buying ID is not suspended first.

To report a fraudulent payment attempt:

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/paying-items/avoiding-payment-problems-items-sold?id=4660

To report an unpaid item:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/resolving-unpaid-items?id=4137

Skip the Contact Buyer steps, go right for the Report an unpaid item button, available 48 hours to the minute after the purchase.  Then follow the timelines for closing the unpaid item 4 days after opening it.

Do not cancel.  File the Unpaid Item.

[pooky-26]

The buyer gave me a phone# to contact them once I accepted the offer. He communicated thru EBay message box (I think thats how you call it). I responded to it but never gave any info. I just sent a quick message saying “I accepted your offer”. Now, the transaction is pending cos i’m waiting for payment and the buyer hasnt reply since yesterday. My suspicion became stronger when I didnt received a reply back and payment immediately. I want to report it but I dont know how 😩

[pooky-26]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!! I will do what you say. Actually, I will do what all of you advised me to do. Thank you!

[muttlymob]

Good luck!

[pooky-26]

Update:
I found the address that the buyers listed on Ebay. I googled it. The street adress is located in a commercial area but the number was nowhere to be found. It pointed unto parking areas with different numbers address on every angle. This is definitely a bogus email. I will be following all your advises to how to report this. Will keep you guys on the loop on the progress. Thank you so kindly!

[pooky-26]

I meant bogus street address not email.

[a_c_green]

The eBay address might be bogus, but ultimately you would have received a valid shipping address one way or another (probably in email), because even scammers want to actually receive your item, of course. 

The key here is that you're never actually going to get paid. All you're likely to see is a bogus message supposedly from PayPal, claiming that you need to ship the item and then funds will be deposited in your account. That's not the way it really works. 

After 48 hours from end of the listing, you can file an Unpaid Item dispute against the bogus buyer, and 96 hours (four full days) after opening the UPI, you can then close it and recover your Final Value Fees on the item (which you would otherwise have to pay to eBay).

[missjen831]

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@pooky-26 wrote:
Update:
I found the address that the buyers listed on Ebay. I googled it. The street adress is located in a commercial area but the number was nowhere to be found. It pointed unto parking areas with different numbers address on every angle. This is definitely a bogus email. I will be following all your advises to how to report this. Will keep you guys on the loop on the progress. Thank you so kindly!

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What city? A lot of the time these scammers are outside the US and they use freight forwarders who are usually located in commercial/industrial areas or on docks.

[kensgiftshop]

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@pooky-26 wrote:
Update:
I found the address that the buyers listed on Ebay. I googled it. The street adress is located in a commercial area but the number was nowhere to be found. It pointed unto parking areas with different numbers address on every angle. This is definitely a bogus email. I will be following all your advises to how to report this. Will keep you guys on the loop on the progress. Thank you so kindly!

---

The address is probably a reshipper.

They try to get you to give them your Pay Pal email address, then they will send you a fake email claiming to be from Pay Pal, saying you got paid.

Some times the email will tell to ship the item and upload the tracking number for the payment to be completed.

New sellers will pack the item and send it off and by the time they find out they haven't been paid, the phone has left the reshipper and headed to another country.

[pooky-26]

The address shows Westbury, NY. The information that each one of you posted were so helpful. I’m just sad that I have to pay Ebay a fee for being a victim of the scammer. I never had issues with other apps like Poshmark, Let Go, Mercari, OfferUp where I the victim will have to pay for being victimize. It’s just wrong, don’t u think? I removed all the items that I have listed here. There’s no point for me to take anymore risk. It’s not worth it. Once this resolve, I will take down this account and close it permenently. 😞

[myescape]

you do not pay fees if you file a unpaid item case after the 48 hours have passed and close it after 96 more

http://resolutioncenter.ebay.com/

In future set price at what you want and use fixed price w immediate payment required function when listing and do not accept best offers

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/immediate-payment-works?id=415...

[pooky-26]

That’s fantastic news. Thank youbfor all the help! 😊

[pooky-26]

Update:

Before the 48hrs passed. I received an email from Ebay informing me that they had to cancel bid for that person due to not being registered through Ebay. 

I thank Ebay for making it easy for me to rectify the problem. Although, it’s tempting to use their service again, even if there’s the option BUy It Now. My risk of getting scammed here in Ebay still high. I read that the reciever could file report that they never receieved the item or the box was empty and Ebay will just return the money to the buyer. This is going to be too much for me to handle. I’ll stick with the other apps that I never had issues with for years.

Thank you all for your advices and support. Take care guys! God bless each and everyone of you. 😘😘

[cka197818]

I have had 3 of these over the years. They all were to be delivered to some loading dock in Miami, FL.  Knock on wood, everything turned out ok for me.

[pooky-26]

It’s always best to be extra vigilant to whom you sell the items. Yes, good luck to you! 👍🏻