I don't understand this scam out of South America

bgrisso · Jan 2, 2020

I've had three times now, with the same seller, where I buy a watch (fairly expensive, a few grand). The seller never ships the watch, they make up a new excuse each day, and then eventually Ebay just refunds the money, and the seller gets negative feedback.

What's the point? Someone takes the time to create a listing, to respond to tons of emails, and then eventually their feedback rating just goes lower and lower. What do they get out of this?

I don't think Ebay is taking the hit, I can't imagine they would allow someone to keep selling if they got burned, even once. I am truly perplexed.

Anyone else experience this, and have any ideas why people bother to do this over and over ?

Om3ga321 · Jan 2, 2020

Why would you buy from the same seller the second time?
Once bitten twice shy,I say.

mzinski · Jan 2, 2020

I've wondered the same thing - what's the scam?
If I venture a guess - Scammer sets up a dummy PayPal account with not-so-legit bank account and credit card (I don't know how but someone probably does). I suspect there must be instances where PayPal/eBay don't put the funds on hold. The scammer extracts the funds from PayPal, cashes out the bank account, abandons the accounts, and - voila - free money. But if the scammer doesn't have instant access to money, this doesn't work.

bgrisso · Jan 2, 2020

Om3ga321
Why would you buy from the same seller the second time?
Once bitten twice shy,I say.

Because I want the watches, and I don't see any risk with the ebay guarantee.

Actually my GF bought the watches the second time around, and had a bit of fun with the seller along the way. He always had some new batshit crazy excuse each day, and she would always one up him. For a while she had a whole thing going where her sick uncle was in the hospital on deaths door, and the only thing keeping him alive each day was knowing the watch was coming...................and so on. Lol, she's a keeper

bgrisso · Jan 2, 2020

mzinski
I've wondered the same thing - what's the scam?
If I venture a guess - Scammer sets up a dummy PayPal account with not-so-legit bank account and credit card (I don't know how but someone probably does). I suspect there must be instances where PayPal/eBay don't put the funds on hold. The scammer extracts the funds from PayPal, cashes out the bank account, abandons the accounts, and - voila - free money. But if the scammer doesn't have instant access to money, this doesn't work.

yes of course this would be the obvious scam but ebay assured me the funds were not released to the seller, and like i said, this happened three times in a row just with me, and I'm sure many more times with others. There is no way in a million years ebay is going to take a few grand hit and let that seller keep scamming.

So..........................what's the deal, I really don't see the angle.

SpikiSpikester · Jan 2, 2020

a lot of scams are a numbers game - they keep plugging way and every so often it comes off. Not sure why you want to keep increasing your chances that you'll be the one caught out though...

MyVintageOmega · Jan 2, 2020

Curiosity kills the Cat........move on

bgrisso · Jan 2, 2020

SpikiSpikester
a lot of scams are a numbers game - they keep plugging way and every so often it comes off. Not sure why you want to keep increasing your chances that you'll be the one caught out though...

What are the mechanics of the scam? If eBay won't release funds to seller until delivery is confirmed, how is the seller getting anything by not shipping items, other than negative feedback?

SpikiSpikester · Jan 2, 2020

bgrisso
What are the mechanics of the scam? If eBay won't release funds to seller until delivery is confirmed, how is the seller getting anything by not shipping items, other than negative feedback?

I don't know how this scam works. What I do know is that scammers don't go fishing in empty ponds - that's enough to keep walking on ! If I want to gamble my money, I'll go to a casino. If I want to buy a watch, everything about it needs to check out securely.

gatorcpa · Jan 2, 2020

I think there are two possible explanations:

1. Variations on those described above, where "seller" doesn't really own the watch, can't ship what he doesn't have and is hoping you just forget about it and never put in a claim. All it takes is one sucker and he gets a windfall, or

2. He is trolling for a certain price on the watch. In other words, you "win" the auction and pay for the watch. The seller decides not to sell it for your price and simply relists it under another account.

In either case, it's "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me".

Time to move on,
gatorcpa

Evitzee · Jan 2, 2020

bgrisso
Because I want the watches, and I don't see any risk with the ebay guarantee.

Actually my GF bought the watches the second time around, and had a bit of fun with the seller along the way. He always had some new batshit crazy excuse each day, and she would always one up him. For a while she had a whole thing going where her sick uncle was in the hospital on deaths door, and the only thing keeping him alive each day was knowing the watch was coming...................and so on. Lol, she's a keeper

Your idea of fun is a lot different than mine. I have no time and no patience for game playing when I'm buying or selling something, I don't care what kind of guarantee eBay gives you, it's a big hassle and a complete time waster. But everybody's idea of amusement is different.....I would say your's and your GF's is a bit quirky.

jsducote · Jan 3, 2020

Evitzee
Your idea of fun is a lot different than mine. I have no time and no patience for game playing when I'm buying or selling something, I don't care what kind of guarantee eBay gives you, it's a big hassle and a complete time waster. But everybody's idea of amusement is different.....I would say your's and your GF's is a bit quirky.

I'm in this camp. If I genuinely want the watch, by the time I convince myself to click "buy" I am emotionally invested and would take a psychic hit if it turned out to be a scam. Even if I got my money back. The only way I could play with scammers is if I never wanted the watch in the first place.

bgrisso · Jan 3, 2020

You guys are totally missing the point and focusing on MY psychology instead of the sellers 🙄

The first time around, after I bought the watch, seller said it stopped working when he went to ship, needed to be repaired now. Sounded like total BS, especially since he would not refund the money OR ship the watch. But when it popped up a few months later, from same seller, same watch, but with completely new pics, I figured it was worth a shot. He happened to have a second watch in auction at the same time that was also very nice, so I bid on them both, and ended up winning both.

Trying to outdo each other via Ebay DM's was not the point, it was just a bonus.

Anyhow everyone has their own approach to buying watches, but I'm trying to figure out the mechanics of this scam on ebay, and it doesn't sound like anyone has any better ideas than I have come up with so far. I just don't understand the angle. Ah well.

If I come back and post about the 4th and 5th time I buy this watch, perhaps a flogging is in order.

Or maybe I'm going to get that watch hell or high water ! Either it ends up in my hands or I will single handedly run his seller feedback to ZERO 🤬

I don't understand this scam out of South America

bgrisso

Om3ga321

mzinski

bgrisso

bgrisso

SpikiSpikester

MyVintageOmega

bgrisso

SpikiSpikester

gatorcpa

Evitzee

jsducote

bgrisso

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