Is this a scam? How do I report a scammer on Ebay

[Chillimau]

There is a 5520 4wd cab for 13,000 ships to worldwide. This was previously listed I think in IL. Current listing is a different seller obviously has copied the orginal auction.

/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Chillimau]

Got it done!!! There are two 5520 scams on ebay this morning. Both have previously been listed for local sale. All of a sudden a different seller and he can ship worldwide and has the EXACT same auction page as the original seller!!

I reported these this morning, took me a few minutes to figure it out.

 

[Chillimau]

Just found another one JD 6300.

 

[jeepers94]

I hope you have LOTS of time!You're going to need it to report all the scams on ebay!I see at least a dozen on the first page of tractor listings,alone! I am very leary about buying on there anymore.I NEVER pay for anything above $50 without calling the person to verify the info first.Feedback has to be above 90% for me to bother bidding,unless it is petty neg. feedback!I have a 100% 200+ feedback rating,partialy because of that!Bottom line,buyer beware!

 

[GalwayBoy]

Gary,
It's a fairly common scam on e-bay.Hallmarks are - usually overseas, preapproved bidder requirement, free shipping for monstrously heavy items, wire transfer only offers to sell outside of the auction format and of course a ridiculously low price.
Somehow the scammer is able to spoof accounts that have legitimate feedback, and often times the items are bid up by ghosts ( there's a term for them, but I can't remember it) which are other accounts of or conspirators with the scammer.

I first stumbled accross this practice while looking for an ATV.
Found a factory new Polaris Sportsman 500 for something like $2k. Seller was in Romania. Somehow he didn't have the VIN handy though. Said he had a hook at the factory, bla bla bla.

Another was a vintage 1954 Fender Stratocaster guitar listed in the UK. Scammer did a cut and paste of the pics and text which were on my friends website. Didn't even bother to remove said friends copyright from the images. One of the members of alt.guitar. amps saw it and brought it to everyones attention. We bid THAT one up to around $10 million for laughs, before e-bay finally pulled it.

If it sounds to good to be true...... You know the rest.

Sad part is we all *want* it to be true. Scammers know it and prey on our lust for a great deal.

Best regards,

Jon

 

[Dargo]

Ebay should make it easier to report these scams. It always takes me a few minutes to figure out how. I frequently look for aftermarket parts and accessories for my Yamaha Rhino on eBay and, every time I look, there is someone trying to run a scam to "buy it now" for about half of what one sells for. I bet I've reported and had 20 of these auctions removed. Every single one of them had one thing in common. They all were "pre-approved" bidder only auctions. I've been on eBay since 1997, and I've never seen a "pre-approved" only auction that wasn't a scam. Why in the heck does eBay allow this???? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[awlchu]

schill bidding - To jack up the price (ghost bidding)?

Idea to minimize these scammers:

- Raise the listing fee to some large amount. Then refund the difference if the item does/doesn't sell etc. If the sale is proven to be a scam, the scammer loses all the upfront money! A legit sale the seller should not have a problem with this...... (Ebay could use historical data to set a price.)

Hit them where is hurts the most - in the wallet!

 

[Chillimau]

I know I'm fighting a battle that I can't win. There were more fraudulent listings than legit. Out of five auctions three were scams.

It is just crazy, went back at lunch to see if the listing had been removed and they had, BUT one of the same ones was back, little different format but same tractor.

If I can't drive somewhere and see it I don't think I will be buying a tractor off e-bay.

 

[Dargo]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If I can't drive somewhere and see it I don't think I will be buying a tractor off e-bay. )</font>

Great advice! That is one rule on all large ticket items I use when on eBay from which I will not deviate. If I can't go see it and pay cash on the spot if it is as advertised, I simply have to pass.