spoof message after item sold: eBay shouldn't have allowed non-buyer to send message on sold item

[menglu99]

After sold an item today, I received a message via eBay message with the subject:

P&P for item # (the actual item #), that ended on Jun-06-18 15:31:52 PDT - Samsung Galaxy S8+ Plus SM-G955U - 64GB - Midnight Black (Verizon Unlocked) .

In the message the sender claims to be the buyer and requests the item to be shipped to another address. I replied by telling him/her only to use an address confirmed by PayPal, and if he/she insists on another address, he/she can add that address to PayPal first and then start a request for refund, and re-do the purchase again. Then I realized that this ID is not even the buyer! It's an ID with 0 feedback registered only 4 days ago.

Besides sellers to have common sense on selling, I feel that there are some loophole in eBay's system that need to be fixed.

The loophole is that eBay allows any user (not only the buyer) to send message to seller about an specific sold item. This should not have allowed at the first place. I just tried it myself to send message to the seller for a closed item where I'm not the buyer. I tried this with eBay app. After click contact seller, I was asked to select a subject from these 4 subjects:

1) General question about this item

2) Question about combined shipping for mutiple items

3) Question about how to pay for this item

4) Question about shipping for this item

I don't think any user other than the buyer should be allowed to send message regarding subject 2)-4), subject 1) is a maybe. Actually I think no user other than the buyer should be allowed to send any message to seller regarding an specific sold item at all because there is just no pooint. If you are not the buyer, what's the point to ask seller about payment or shipping?

On the other hand, ebay can do something to help seller to identify buyer's message easier with something like highlighting the buyer's ID.

Make sense?

[emerald40]

Scammers will always find a way in.

They search the sold listings for high value items then hope they can trick you into sending the item to them.

But I see your point.  Once an item is sold why should anyone but the buyer need to contact the seller for that item.

But for now -That is why you should never send anything anywhere other than to the address on the buyer's paypal account.

[dhbookds]

I've had buyers contact me thru the sold listing to see if I had another one to sell (list, they weren't trying for off ebay transaction.)  I'm sure that's not unusual, so I doubt ebay is going to restrict it. 

[thallidguy]

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@dhbookds wrote:

I've had buyers contact me thru the sold listing to see if I had another one to sell (list, they weren't trying for off ebay transaction.)  I'm sure that's not unusual, so I doubt ebay is going to restrict it. 

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And I can see a rush of complaint threads here if they did restrict it.

[emerald40]

I think what the OP is getting at is that it would eliminate scammers who troll the solds looking to redirect items if only the buyer could contact the seller on that sold item.

[pburn]

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@emerald40 wrote:

I think what the OP is getting at is that it would eliminate scammers who troll the solds looking to redirect items if only the buyer could contact the seller on that sold item.

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Well, maybe this is the only upside to the horrific changes eBay made to the sold/completed listings search, since even people who use that search for innocent reasons can't figure out how in the blazes it works anymore.

[yuzuha]

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@dhbookds wrote:

I've had buyers contact me thru the sold listing to see if I had another one to sell (list, they weren't trying for off ebay transaction.)  I'm sure that's not unusual, so I doubt ebay is going to restrict it. 

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I've personally contacted a seller via a sold listing for that exact reason.  It turned out they did indeed have another and were happy to list it for me, so they made another sale, I got the thing I wanted, and everyone was happy.

[luckythewinner]

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@emerald40 wrote:

I think what the OP is getting at is that it would eliminate scammers who troll the solds looking to redirect items if only the buyer could contact the seller on that sold item.

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I think everyone realizes that is what the OP is getting at.

I just think what others are getting at are the reasons why that that might not be a popular idea with all sellers. 

[emerald40]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@emerald40 wrote:

I think what the OP is getting at is that it would eliminate scammers who troll the solds looking to redirect items if only the buyer could contact the seller on that sold item.

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I think everyone realizes that is what the OP is getting at.

I just think what others are getting at are the reasons why that that might not be a popular idea with all sellers. 

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I get what the posters are saying, no confusion there.

I am just saying the OP has a point considering a scammer tried to do that with him/her.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@yuzuha wrote:

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@dhbookds wrote:

I've had buyers contact me thru the sold listing to see if I had another one to sell (list, they weren't trying for off ebay transaction.)  I'm sure that's not unusual, so I doubt ebay is going to restrict it. 

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I've personally contacted a seller via a sold listing for that exact reason.  It turned out they did indeed have another and were happy to list it for me, so they made another sale, I got the thing I wanted, and everyone was happy.

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Similar story.  Was going to buy two items from a series but wanted a third item from this series.  Emailed the seller, who had the item but didn't want to list it due to a broken foot.  Clean break, easily repairable, I had no problem with it.  He listed it, I bought all three, WIN/WIN/WIN.  Me/Seller/Ebay

[rocknrollgal123]

Responding to OP. I had this exact thing happen to me yesterday. Someone that joined ebay on 3/29/19 with 0 transactions sent me an ebay message linked to a Mac I had just sold (and shipped the day prior). They said they were the buyer and had sent payment but it was a gift for their daughter and I should send it to her. Well, since this was NOT the person that bought it and this person had never purchased anything and had not provided me with a new address (which I would not have sent it to any way) I ignored the message and sent an email to ebay alerting them to this member. Guessing nothing will be done, but can see how newbies could easily fall for something like that if able to directly link to a sold item. Ugh. 

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

Necro thread - but - ebay needs to reinstate the "report this message" button

[jason_incognito]

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@yuzuha wrote:

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@dhbookds wrote:

I've had buyers contact me thru the sold listing to see if I had another one to sell (list, they weren't trying for off ebay transaction.)  I'm sure that's not unusual, so I doubt ebay is going to restrict it. 

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I've personally contacted a seller via a sold listing for that exact reason.  It turned out they did indeed have another and were happy to list it for me, so they made another sale, I got the thing I wanted, and everyone was happy.

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So did you click the reason of "combined shipping"?

[kh-ornesh]

Hi everyone,

Due to the length of time that has passed since this thread began, we have locked it from future replies. If this is still an issue that warrants discussion, don't hesitate to begin a new thread HERE.

Thanks.