eBay

sandychristmas2012 · ‎02-03-2018

I looked up lots of Cricuts cartridges and I see a listing for less than 3 days with a very low price on it. 98 cartridges plus more. But when I go to the description, it says that bidders will be cancelled and that it is really a buy it now for $1100. And it has prices in other currencies.

My question: is this okay to do? If it is listed at an auction, don't they have to honor the auction (it does not have a BIN at $1100 on the listing, but only within the description). So I tried to message the seller, but they don't accept messages at this time.

I'm not going to spend that kind of money in such a weird listing without contacting the person. But can you even cancel bids once it is 12 hours away? It is at 19 hours right now. It seems like this whole listing is violating some policy, right?

professor-t · ‎02-03-2018

Sounds like a Chinese bait-and-switch. Do not deal with this person.

a_c_green · ‎02-03-2018

I looked up lots of Cricuts cartridges and I see a listing for less than 3 days with a very low price on it. [...] But when I go to the description, it says that bidders will be cancelled and that it is really a buy it now for $1100.

That's an old scam trying to lure you into an off-eBay payment, and good luck actually getting what's being advertised. Report the listing, and stay far away from it.

muttlymob · ‎02-03-2018

Looks like a hijacked account. Lots and lots of new listings completely different in type and price range from their past sales. A jpeg image with the instructions to use an embedded Buy It Now button that wasn't on their past sales. And some of those listings have already disappeared.

Anyone who hits that Buy It Now button in the description will get directed off site to instructions to buy gift cards or itunes cards or whatever else they are using now (all untraceable) to make payment.

emerald40 · ‎02-03-2018

Report this using reason of fee avoidance.

This type of report usually gets very fast results.

sandytexas1961 · ‎02-03-2018

UPDATE: cancelled it right before the 12 hour limit and has now relisted it again. I'm not sure why they don't just do a BIN at $1100. Not going to buy it with so many questions.

muttlymob · ‎02-03-2018

wrote:
UPDATE: cancelled it right before the 12 hour limit and has now relisted it again. I'm not sure why they don't just do a BIN at $1100. Not going to buy it with so many questions.

Did the seller cancel it, or did eBay remove it? If you can no longer see the item and eBay just says the item #xxxxxxxxxxx cannot be found, that means eBay got rid of it. I don't see the listing in completeds, so either it hasn't shown up there yet or eBay took it down.

I didn't note the name of the seller in the first auction I saw, but it is not the same seller who has the same listing up now. The current "seller" is the same set up - lots of new listings in a different format and for a much different product type and price range than what they historically sold.

THESE ARE HIJACKED ACCOUNTS. They don't do the BIN at $1100 because the hijackers aren't trying to make a sale through eBay. They are trying to get people to hit that buy it now button that's embedded in the description. Then the buyer will get taken off the eBay site either to get instructions to pay in a way that is untraceable and irretrievable. Or asked to enter passwords and get their own account hijacked. Or both.

"Not going to buy it with so many questions."

There should be no doubt whatsoever that this is a scam.

muttlymob · ‎02-03-2018

Also look at the other 1-day auctions by the current seller.

Every one of them, no matter what is being sold, has the same image in the description with the same price and instruction to use the Buy button in the description.

cameras, telescopes, sewing machines, Rolex watch, John Deere 4x4, etc. - all the same price of $1100 US.

The hijacker isn't even setting a price for each item. Just copy/pasting the same image into each description.