I sold some gold - to a Scammer. Block him
TopographicOceans
Posts: 6,535 ✭✭✭✭
On eBay a 1 oz. assayed bar for $1190.
I saw the item had an hourglass under the payment, which usually means it is a PayPal echeck. But the hint says Buyer has marked the item as "Payment Sent"
It's a 6 FB buyer who hasn't bought anything in over a year. There is no checkout anymore for non-PP so I don't know how he would have gotten my address?
I Google mapped his address and it is a nice 2-story Victorian house in Delaware. I'm not sure what his game is yet, but if anything other than an envelope full of cash shows up in my PO box, I'll be opening a non-paying bidder dispute.
--- UPDATE ---
I get an email from PayPal saying they are reviewing a transaction and not to ship yet.
I log in and see my friend Kaoru (ID 24kaoru) sent me a PayPal payment.
Then I get an email from Toshihiko Umekage explaining he is Europe and wants me to ship to Japan (I guess that's the far Eastern part of Europe).
So I called PP and they said that the buyer opened 3 new PP accounts and tried to pay with 3 different credit cards, but didn't know his middle initial so PP declined it.
He said PP would notify me 24-48 hours that it is OK to ship after their review is completed.
I said it was obviously a scam and told him about the email to ship to Japan and asked what PP is going to do.
He said I should refund the payment and say "Dude, I know you're a theif."
I used the Report a Buyer on eBay, but I'm sure no one reads it. I'm going to wait and see what PP does instead of issuing a refund.
Since I'm not going to ship I relisted it. I blocked 24kaoru and suggest you do the same.
Hi, sorry for late response but I'm in Europe right now and just got an internet connection. We have had sent $1295 (the additional $ is for shipping fees) to your paypal account. You may ship when funds clear (usually 24 hours or less) and I prefer USPS Priority Padded Envelope or USPS Registered mail or USPS 1st Class Mail Int'l, whatever convenience, insurance is optional. Shipping address is:
Parji San
Nagoya, Aichi 459-8001
Japan
Since this item will be shipped half of the world, to make faster delivery, please insert it in a small padded envelope. Do not forget to inform me with the tracking number when item shipped out. Give me also your number, will call only in case I can't reach you via email. I'm waiting for reply. Thank
I saw the item had an hourglass under the payment, which usually means it is a PayPal echeck. But the hint says Buyer has marked the item as "Payment Sent"
It's a 6 FB buyer who hasn't bought anything in over a year. There is no checkout anymore for non-PP so I don't know how he would have gotten my address?
I Google mapped his address and it is a nice 2-story Victorian house in Delaware. I'm not sure what his game is yet, but if anything other than an envelope full of cash shows up in my PO box, I'll be opening a non-paying bidder dispute.
--- UPDATE ---
I get an email from PayPal saying they are reviewing a transaction and not to ship yet.
I log in and see my friend Kaoru (ID 24kaoru) sent me a PayPal payment.
Then I get an email from Toshihiko Umekage explaining he is Europe and wants me to ship to Japan (I guess that's the far Eastern part of Europe).
So I called PP and they said that the buyer opened 3 new PP accounts and tried to pay with 3 different credit cards, but didn't know his middle initial so PP declined it.
He said PP would notify me 24-48 hours that it is OK to ship after their review is completed.
I said it was obviously a scam and told him about the email to ship to Japan and asked what PP is going to do.
He said I should refund the payment and say "Dude, I know you're a theif."
I used the Report a Buyer on eBay, but I'm sure no one reads it. I'm going to wait and see what PP does instead of issuing a refund.
Since I'm not going to ship I relisted it. I blocked 24kaoru and suggest you do the same.
Hi, sorry for late response but I'm in Europe right now and just got an internet connection. We have had sent $1295 (the additional $ is for shipping fees) to your paypal account. You may ship when funds clear (usually 24 hours or less) and I prefer USPS Priority Padded Envelope or USPS Registered mail or USPS 1st Class Mail Int'l, whatever convenience, insurance is optional. Shipping address is:
Parji San
Nagoya, Aichi 459-8001
Japan
Since this item will be shipped half of the world, to make faster delivery, please insert it in a small padded envelope. Do not forget to inform me with the tracking number when item shipped out. Give me also your number, will call only in case I can't reach you via email. I'm waiting for reply. Thank
0
Comments
<< <i>Opened the non paying bidder yet it's been a hour?
I googled "Victorian house in Delaware" and this was the most prolific image to pop up.....somehow that's gotta be a good omen.
I just don't know if
1) The guy will pay and I'll save 3% PP fees
2) The guy won't pay and just marked it as paid
3) A scam is a brewing and I'll get a bogus money order for my gold
Only time will tell
<< <i>I had a buyer insist he send me a money order once. A note with the MO said PLEASE do NOT leave feed back??? Great transaction but I always found it a odd one. >>
Maybe he planned to flip the item and didn't want prospective buyers to know what he paid for it.
<< <i>OMG - That's the house
I just don't know if
1) The guy will pay and I'll save 3% PP fees
2) The guy won't pay and just marked it as paid
3) A scam is a brewing and I'll get a bogus money order for my gold
Only time will tell >>
The correct answer is #3
Glad you were saved on this one. We get this and other similar scams on a regular basis. The big red flag is that one can purchase an ounce of gold in nearly every country in the world for the same price. Why would someone order an ounce of bullion from the other end of earth?
<< <i>Cancel the sale, block the buyer and move on. You are spending way too much time and effort on this. >>
Yep.
The rest sounds fishy too-- I can understand traveling and alternate delivery but I don't get where the house in Delaware comes in. I might stop short of calling him a thief and just say sorry, I can only ship to a verified address. I have no idea how PayPal verifies the non US folks, or how eBay takes payment if they don't/can't use PayPal...but this doesn't sound right at all. Maybe he lives in Delaware, travels in Europe and wants to send his gold to his mother in Japan? Or, not.
Still, it would be better to blur out the mailing address. I'd be unhappy with a seller questioning my honesty and publically showing my delivery address for all to see. If it's not a scammer, that's pretty bad. If it is a scammer, you may be exposing an innocent address.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
My YouTube Channel
<< <i>request payment via postal money order, the post office knows if its good at the time you cash it. don't sweat it, worst case scenario you open a NPB and get your final value fees back as the buyer wont be able to prove he paid for the item. in the meantime chill out and laugh at that UGLY fu***n house ! >>
How would someone in Europe get a USPS money order?
<< <i>
<< <i>OMG - That's the house
I just don't know if
1) The guy will pay and I'll save 3% PP fees
2) The guy won't pay and just marked it as paid
3) A scam is a brewing and I'll get a bogus money order for my gold
Only time will tell >>
The correct answer is #3 >>
agreed
<< <i>
<< <i>request payment via postal money order, the post office knows if its good at the time you cash it. don't sweat it, worst case scenario you open a NPB and get your final value fees back as the buyer wont be able to prove he paid for the item. in the meantime chill out and laugh at that UGLY fu***n house ! >>
How would someone in Europe get a USPS money order? >>
You intellects are all alike. Your so encumbered by having to be logical.
<< <i>How would someone in Europe get a USPS money order? >>
By FedEx ?
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
But they have a new address in GA which I assume is the billing address for the CC used.
DE is the address on file with eBay and Japan is the requested shipping address (with a different name) provided outside of eBay and PayPal.
He did pay an extra $109 for shipping to Japan, because this may seem like generic gold to some, but in fact it is rare eBay gold. So there is a big demand for that.
Since he did pay extra for premium customer service on this rare eBay gold I can do one of three things:
1) Ship it to Japan as requested and wait for the chargeback and lose my gold.2) Ship it to the PP billing address in GA and pocket the extra $109, where it would either be refused or accepted and then I get a confirmed delivery of an empty box in the mail and wait for the chargeback and lose my gold.3) Issue a refund, block the bidder and file a NPB in 4 days to get my eBay fees back.
I chose #3.<< <i>How would someone in Europe get a USPS money order? >>
Easy - you just take a flight from Japan over to Europe, then to the USA, buy the USPS MO, hop on a plane back to Europe and then off to Japan to pick up your gold. No wonder he is willing to pay a $109 extra to ship to Japan. It saves him a ton of money.
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Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
<< <i>3 is the right answer. I think you can cancel an order immediately thru e-bay if the buyer requests item to be shipped to a different address. >>
There are 2 options to cancel:
1) Buyer asked to cancel or there is an issue with the buyers address.
2) I'm out of stock or can't fulfill the order
#1 The buyer has to agree or you get a defect and no FVF credit. If they don't respond within 10 days then eBay will cancel it without a defect and refund the FVF.
#2 Gets you a defect right away, but you get a FVF credit.
I'll go the NPB route.
<< <i>PP sent an email saying Payment Review Outcome: Cleared, OK to Ship.
But they have a new address in GA which I assume is the billing address for the CC used.
DE is the address on file with eBay and Japan is the requested shipping address (with a different name) provided outside of eBay and PayPal.
He did pay an extra $109 for shipping to Japan, because this may seem like generic gold to some, but in fact it is rare eBay gold. So there is a big demand for that.
Since he did pay extra for premium customer service on this rare eBay gold I can do one of three things:
1) Ship it to Japan as requested and wait for the chargeback and lose my gold.2) Ship it to the PP billing address in GA and pocket the extra $109, where it would either be refused or accepted and then I get a confirmed delivery of an empty box in the mail and wait for the chargeback and lose my gold.3) Issue a refund, block the bidder and file a NPB in 4 days to get my eBay fees back.
I chose #3. >>Or, there is the option to let the customer know that PayPal only allows shipping to the local address, see what he says, and THEN ship or not ship BUT you refund his $109????
<< <i>Or, there is the option to let the customer know that PayPal only allows shipping to the local address, see what he says, and THEN ship or not ship BUT you refund his $109???? >>
Sure I could go back and forth with him for days or even weeks, but I decided to put everyone back to where they started. I relisted the item, and he can find other eBay sellers willing to ship to Japan with payment outside of eBay. He'd probably even add an incentive of $200 or more to find the right seller.
He made one payment and got a full refund and PP reversed their percentage. I'm out the 30c transaction fee, but that isn't as much of a loss as an ounce of gold.
But my loss can be your gain.
You can list an item titled au2japan4u with a 1 oz. assayed gold bar for $1295 BIN with free shipping to Japan. Then send him an eBay message with the item number and see if he bites.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>request payment via postal money order, the post office knows if its good at the time you cash it. don't sweat it, worst case scenario you open a NPB and get your final value fees back as the buyer wont be able to prove he paid for the item. in the meantime chill out and laugh at that UGLY fu***n house ! >>
How would someone in Europe get a USPS money order? >>
You intellects are all alike. Your so encumbered by having to be logical.
It's "you're"!
Leo
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection
<< <i>Love the house !!! >>
nice example but a little sparse on the woodwork and iron. i presume this is a revival.
.
So what would they have done if you had gone through with the sale? Where does the scam occur? Presumably the account is hacked? Would you have to eat the loss despite PayPal telling you that the payment was "ok" from their perspective?