Zero Feedback Account Question

[catorchinscards]

Hello, I recently started an auction for an item. I had this item set to BIN for $425 and I was getting no offers despite one selling in an auction for $900. So I switched it to auction and made the starting price $425. I instantly got a bid from a zero feedback account. This was strange to me especially because there was another auction for the same item active and the bid is currently way below my starting bid. Isn't it possible this account could buy the item, pay, receive it, then do a chargeback on their card? Wouldn't I lose the money and nothing would happen to them as it is a 0 feedback account and they could just start a new one and do it all over again?

[caldreamer]

There is no way to know "in advance" who might be a scammer.    Any customer has 6-months to contact credit card company and try to "reverse payment".   Credit card company usually does whatever their customer wants "no questions asked".    If this happens...customer gets to keep both "your money + your card".

EBAY has no control over what credit card company and does NOT punish scammers.

[catorchinscards]

Thank you, yikes that is a lot of bids. Seems unlikely a brand new buyer will follow through with all these. Thank you for the info!

[a_c_green]

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

Go to your listing and click where it says 1 bid, then under Bidder, click the buyers ID.

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You cannot be logged in as the seller if you want to see that 30-day history. You have to log out of your selling account, then view the Bid History and click on the disguised bidder ID. Here, for example, is what everyone other than @catorchinscards can see for that bidder:

The 30-Day Bid History table above actually continues much further...

So anyway, @catorchinscards, you have to log out of your account, and then you can see this bid history display above. It's not accessible to the seller himself.

[bonjourami]

Sure, looks like a sport bidder, bidding for fun, I would cancel and block him too. Just be aware he can open another id.

[reallynicestamps]

No because the buyer has to give a reason for the chargeback.

If the reason is Not Received, you give eBay (which mediates the dispute) the tracking showing Delivery. You win.

If the reason is Not Recognized, you give eBay the tracking and point to the address. If it matches the buyer's address, you win.

If the reason is Not As Described, you can demand the return of the item. This is trickier, but sometimes you get enough time to give eBay an pdf of a return shipping label, but when the item is returned you refund (and relist and resell).

However.

This is why experienced sellers discourage listing high value items by new sellers.

You are fresh meat for scams.

Fixed Price is better because you can add Immediate Payment Required which discourages the scammers.

Using Auction is naive, and makes you a target. Less than 15% of listings are Auction for a reason.

You can cancel any bid and block any bidder for no  reason.

I'd cancel this guy.

Now. There is a deadline on cancellations.

[12345jamesstamps]

The chargeback and "if" if the buyer knows what they are doing would do it under "doesn't recognize the charge" and that is how a buyer sometimes wins. It would have nothing to do with condition of card.

I did win a buyer chargeback in December with a lot of research.

Buyer has about 120 days to do the chargeback....so it will be out there for awhile.

A buyer can open any claims with eBay...not even a chargeback. eBay allows them. Doesn't mean buyer can win. I had buyers open item not received after 90 days...and actually got a hold on my funds...but eBay usually takes the hold off of funds after a day or two.

I think this buyer will just not pay.

[a_c_green]

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@catorchinscards wrote:

I tried this but when I click on the bid it prompts me to sign in and I don't have another account so I can't unfortunately. 

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Hmmm... okay, yes, I see what you mean. I logged out of my selling account (from which I generated my screenshot of your bidder's 30-day history) and it does want me to sign in again before showing that display again.

This might be a good time for you to open a new account just for buying. There are a lot fewer gymnastics required for doing that (as shown by your zero-feedback bidder), and that will enable you to have a non-seller view of your listings, which is handy for times like this. The (588) feedback value on your current selling account will make you a little less of an obvious target to scammers, who may not notice that your selling activity to date is actually much lower than 588. Keep selling on this account; use the other one for buying.

[gurlcat]

I see zero bids. 

Also I thought authentication was only for items over $750 (or if they get bid up to over 750, which this has not yet).  

EDIT: never mind, I found the AG page about trading cards.  $250.  That's crazy.  What a pain in the neck. 

[catorchinscards]

Yeah based on all this information I canceled the bid. Honestly, the verification over 250 is a godsend. That way no one can get the card and say it wasn't as described since ebay already authenticates that it was. So if there is an issue after that it's on them. 

[inhawaii]

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@catorchinscards wrote:

I understand so I am saying a seller/buyer that wants to protect their own account could just make a new one, steal, close it, and repeat. They can use ebay freely and there is no protection against this it seems as there is no penalty for doing so.

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Eventually they would get caught and permanently banned.

[a_c_green]

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@inhawaii wrote:

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@catorchinscards wrote:

I understand so I am saying a seller/buyer that wants to protect their own account could just make a new one, steal, close it, and repeat. They can use ebay freely and there is no protection against this it seems as there is no penalty for doing so.

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Eventually they would get caught and permanently banned.

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I also get the feeling that someone repeatedly filing chargebacks with their card provider will eventually have to find another card provider, and you can only do that a few times before your credit history starts to collect red flags. 

Of course, that's probably about as effective as Karma in terms of your present situation. You have to decide what's an acceptable risk for yourself, and not dwell too much on what should be done to problem buyers (but may or may not be).

[ckimodog]

@catorchinscards 

Yes, basically although it states no returns, you money is still somewhat held hostage for 180 days via the bank.