Ebay Scams ! Ever eperience any first hand??

Question

Relate your scam experiences.

Answer 1

Greater than 90% of my transactions are satisfactory...

However:

I've bought things that were described or photographed to hide their flaws. Bought an unusable computer case once, a $300 Jabsco pump ($550 if it were new and retail) that had a cracked chamber that didn't show up until I tried to use it after installing it on the boat (this one really pissed me off because it was so much work to install/uninstall, the pain of having it fail when I needed it, then shell out more bucks for a replacement and then reinstall), a broken laptop keyboard, several laptops that had been shoddily refurbished and were okay for a couple months and then became continual problems. I've been buying stuff off and on from ebay since no later than '95 (can't say exactly when I started, but the guy who started it was still blogging on the entry page about his "little experiment").

I've caught and alerted ebay mgmt about several scams as I've come across them over the years, too. Ones that were either blatant or highly suspicious if one were intimately familiar with the product.

I really haven't liked ebay much since it became a public company but there aren't many working alternatives. Misrepresented merchandise, condition, or hidden flaws seem to be the most common problems I've encountered on ebay, followed by shipping charges that can make something used cost more than buying it on sale locally. I'm also pretty suspicious about some buyers using ringers to bid up their merchandise, but that's pretty hard to prove given how easy it is to create multiple accounts on ebay and ebay doesn't really have an interest in catching them (because it *does* increase their commissions) unless they're totally and blatantly stupid about it.

On the other hand, I've gotten out and out ripped off ($1750 for a non-existant laptop) using yahoo auctions, so.....ALWAYS USE A CREDIT CARD and avoid going through paypal to use it, if possible - they're a huge hassle and manage to add several extra layers of hoops you have to deal with when something does goes wrong.

Answer 2

Scams are ripe on Ebay...but if you know to check feedback carefully, and research what a you are buying ..you will more than likely get a great bargain
Remember if its too good to be true - it probably isn't!
Most EBay sellers are wonderful to deal with - its a great place.
Always ask the seller a question, wait their answer, before you buy - if they dont answer you - dont buy

Answer 3

A friend of mine ordered a cell phone. It was $50.00. She sent the money (plus shipping and handling) and when the phone came in it didn't work. When she contacted the guy he told her to send the phone back with shipping and handling (AGAIN on the shipping and handling she had already paid for the broken one.) and he would replace it. He never sent a new one.

Answer 4

im a buyer from eBay.com for past 2 years now and i never experience any scams from there

Answer 5

Never first hand. I do remember a kid who was selling old 800 Mhz laptops but saying they were 1.2 Ghz. He got busted.

Answer 6

There was one time I didn't get what I ordered....wasn't very expensive, but I tried to get ahold of them and couldn't and so I gave them a bad comment at the end.