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Fishy Ebay Auction
mtcards
Posts: 3,340 ✭✭✭
Hi guys, I dont post that often, but I have come across a peculiar situation that happened to me on ebay.
I bought a run of Silver Proof Sets (1999-2006) from this person. He claimed he had to go "out of town" and wouldn't be able to ship them for 5 days. OK no problem. 9 days later, when I recieved them, I opened up the 1999 and there was a 2000-S (not silver) in the set. Obviously, this is an impossibility and upon later checking all the sets, I noticed that the 1999,2001,2003 and the half from 1999 were all replaced with clad coins and were not silver.
I checked out this guys most recent purchases on ebay and found that he had purchased multiple empty proof set boxes. (The sellers of these are of questionable integirty in of themselves) He had also purchased some of the replaced coins. My guess is, he had to wait for the empty boxes or replacement coins before sending out my sets and did not actually go "out of town"
Although he was very cooperative in issuing me a refund, he insisted on sending a check and not through Paypal as I had actually Paid. Upon recieving the check, I took it to the local branch here and discovered it was "rubbery" so to speak and could not be cashed. I emailed him and demanded an immediate refund through paypal and I would return the goods to him, which he did.
That being said, my questions are...
Should I proceed to notify anyone else on this, or just be glad I got my money back?
Is this really as fishy as I think or is it my imagination?
His screen name is "Dante61003", I woulf appreciate anyone else here checking my facts and any advice on this matter would be appreciated.
I bought a run of Silver Proof Sets (1999-2006) from this person. He claimed he had to go "out of town" and wouldn't be able to ship them for 5 days. OK no problem. 9 days later, when I recieved them, I opened up the 1999 and there was a 2000-S (not silver) in the set. Obviously, this is an impossibility and upon later checking all the sets, I noticed that the 1999,2001,2003 and the half from 1999 were all replaced with clad coins and were not silver.
I checked out this guys most recent purchases on ebay and found that he had purchased multiple empty proof set boxes. (The sellers of these are of questionable integirty in of themselves) He had also purchased some of the replaced coins. My guess is, he had to wait for the empty boxes or replacement coins before sending out my sets and did not actually go "out of town"
Although he was very cooperative in issuing me a refund, he insisted on sending a check and not through Paypal as I had actually Paid. Upon recieving the check, I took it to the local branch here and discovered it was "rubbery" so to speak and could not be cashed. I emailed him and demanded an immediate refund through paypal and I would return the goods to him, which he did.
That being said, my questions are...
Should I proceed to notify anyone else on this, or just be glad I got my money back?
Is this really as fishy as I think or is it my imagination?
His screen name is "Dante61003", I woulf appreciate anyone else here checking my facts and any advice on this matter would be appreciated.
IT IS ALWAYS CHEAPER TO NOT SELL ON EBAY
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Comments
File a complaint with eBay. Sorry not much help beyond that.
He tried a low-level scam and got caught.
He doesn't want it reported to anybody so the next time he does it there wouldn't be any record of his scam.
Be happy you got your money back and make sure he has this in his background.
Report it to eBay's Trust and Safety Department
This is also an excellent example of a rare event when eBay feedback could be useful.
I'd leave him a negative and explain what happened.
Which is another tip for people, if a seller insists on using fedex or ups and refuses to use the USPS, be on the lookout for a scam. Most scammers avoid the USPS to avoid federal prison if they are ever caught on wire fraud.
If this happened to me I'm pretty sure I'd be able to tell by his communication if I believed he is a scammer or not. but reading people is a skill not easily developed.
So for balance I'll just post Hanlon's Razor: "Never attribute to malace that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
<< <i>Around here you will soon attract the ebay haters who will want you to track down the guy and shove bamboo shoots under his fingernails.
If this happened to me I'm pretty sure I'd be able to tell by his communication if I believed he is a scammer or not. but reading people is a skill not easily developed.
So for balance I'll just post Hanlon's Razor: "Never attribute to malace that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." >>
John
SFC, US Army (Ret.) 1974-1994
Also got a link to the auction or the sellers name so I can block the thief!
Oops just saw his name at the bottom of your post "blocked" actually I already had this guy blocked for smoe other reason that I can't even remember!
Local police will most likely tell you they can not do anything. The crime takes place in different states, the state where paypal is incorprated and the state where the seller's bank account is held. The reality is this is a federal issue (FBI) because its interstate (across state lines) and good luck trying to get the Feds to look at it.
You also have Mail Fraud going on and can file a claim at your local postoffice. You may get some results, you may not but if every one this guy sell to files a mail fraud claim sooner or later the feds will track them down.
P.S. I have been selling on ebay since 1998
As for being able to tell whether or not he knew, its hard to say. Although, I will say that if you take the number of proof sets he buys and sells, that he would be able to see the difference himself. Add to that the question of WHAT he is doing with the empty boxes and I feel pretty sure he knew.
That would be cool.