sharing mobile numbers in ebay messages

[ginjaaz_store]

hello ebay community!!

what if i do when a buyer tries to contact me with sharing his mobile number and try to contact me through whatsapp or emo asking about my products? 

will it be a problem to my account if i do not reply them.

[ittybitnot]

will it be a problem to my account if i do not reply them.

No.  When you get this sort of message in your Ebay Message Inbox, there is a 99.9999999999999% chance you don't have a "buyer" anyway.  It is just a scammer, wanting you to contact them off ebay to start the (same old tired) scam that is reported here daily. 

[southern*sweet*tea]

Mono version:

This is a setup to a scam.  Ignore and block: https://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?bidderblocklogin

Stereo version:

Anytime a buyer wants you to text or email them, it is a SCAM.
Do not engage with them at all. Give them no information.

Report the "buyer"

Block https://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?bidderblocklogin

Ignore

The whole idea is for the seller to be blinded with greed, or just stupidity, and for the scammer to get the seller's phone number or email address. Once that happens, the seller receives a very real looking, but very fake email stating that they have been paid, and in order to receive their funds they need to ship the item right away. Sometimes these emails will also have a phone number, for the seller to call and "verify" the transaction. That phone number is a direct line to the scammer.

These scammers depend on a seller's greed/naivete/ignorance/stupidity to ship the item without checking to see if they have actually been paid. It works surprisingly well, even with established sellers, because for some strange reason people want to "trust" emails.

There is no reason on this planet for a buyer to need a seller's email address, phone number, or any sort of financial/payment information. Everything a buyer needs is right there when they click the buy now button on a listing.

In addition to the above, anyone asking for a gift card to be included is a SCAMMER. Anyone offering to pay more for an item than the listing price is a SCAMMER. Anyone making an offer higher than the buy it now price is a SCAMMER.

[lightlily_arts]

All communications need to go through eBay messages.  It definitely is a problem for you as eBay may think it's an attempt to sell off eBay and it could be a scammer.  Do not respond to these types of contacts.

[ittybitnot]

All communications need to go through eBay messages. 

Of course, but where do you think these scam attempts are coming from?  Yep, eBay messages.  Used to be that something that came into your eBay message inbox had some inferred credibility of being a valid communication.  Those days are soooooo over.  The "report this message" feature has been removed, and there is no on site place to report these. 

The same scammers are now using the "Best Offer" feature.  They are making a decent offer,  and the seller doesn't know it is from a "text me" scammer until they accept.  eBay is still adding the best offer feature to listings where it is not selected by the seller.  That procedure is no longer a function of using an app or the "short listing" form.  

[lightlily_arts]

I do not respond to messages where someone provides me their contact information or asks for my contact information.  I also check the raw message headers on all emails from PayPal and look in my PayPal account for the original message. Most of all I rarely use Best Offers so I don't need to respond to offers. After being on the internet for 30 years  you've seen it all.  There isn't a week that goes by that someone doesn't attempt to scam me as I list and buy on multiple venues.   Emails supposedly from Amazon, Apple,  PayPal, and those who attempt to steal my phone number through Google Voice codes via Craigslist.  It's really disgusting what people do.

[eburtonlab]

@ittybitnot 

The same scammers are now using the "Best Offer" feature. They are making a decent offer, and the seller doesn't know it is from a "text me" scammer until they accept.

One possible workaround: list in a fixed price format with Immediate Payment Required. When an acceptable offer is received, lower the price of the listing to the offer (or counteroffer) price rather than accepting the offer. This requires the buyer to go through checkout and pay immediately to initiate the transaction. A legitimate buyer has incentive to pay quickly since anyone else can take advantage of the new price, but if the buyer does not act you have the option of raising the price or leaving it at the new lower amount as you see fit.

Otherwise, if you accept the offer outright and then receive a message requesting you to text, you will have to wait two days to file an unpaid item dispute and then wait an additional four days to ask eBay to step in.

[doubledz-a2z]

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  Emails supposedly from Amazon, Apple,  PayPal, and those who attempt to steal my phone number through Google Voice codes via Craigslist.  It's really disgusting what people do.

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Phone numbers seem to be the new ID and Passwords for many sites which leads right to your private info.   I never include my number anywhere and will not confirm it here or any site that asks.  I do not use apps or mobile banking.  I sleep like a baby every night.