I have a high value watch for sale on ebay, someone from Belgium wants to buy it using escrow to send the payment?? I have never use this service. I have contacted the person and advised them i want to sell using paypal..... They have replied saying they have had problems with their paypal and that the member put a stop on his own account? He claims he has funds in his escrow account ready to send. Does anyone else think this sounds a bit of a scam????
2006-11-08 03:01:57 · 39 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Internet
No, no no. I am an Ebay Powerseller and have been for years - NO ESCROW - this is an old trick used daily on Ebay to cheat unsuspecting people. And do not contact people outside the auction to work deals with them. Make the person bid on the watch and win the watch according to the rules of Ebay.
Also, take only wire transfers to your bank account or Paypal payments.
2006-11-08 03:06:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Hi,
As a trading eBay shop owner I would concur with the majority of the advice offered here. Escrow is a perfectly good service, however one should only stick to the company that eBay recommends. There are too many 'fake' escrow services in existence that will advise you that funds have been made when in fact they have not. Paypal is possibly the safest method of payment you can use for this transaction, also keep in mind that the buyer can pay by credit card directly into your Paypal account without him having an account of his own (depending on the value of the item). One further option is payment by Bank Transfer where by you can give the buyer your account number and sort code and they can make a payment directly into your account (in most cases this is done free of charge by your bank and therefore you will have removed the paypal charge also). Don't worry, with just the account number and sort code the other person cannot use your account for anything untoward, nor can they withdraw funds from your account, but DO NOT afford them any other information concerning your account.
Hope this helps.
2006-11-08 03:25:55 · answer #2 · answered by fantasyforgeauction 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An escrow account works this way. The purchaser puts the payment into the account. The escrow company informs you that the money is there. You send the watch. The purchaser tells the escrow company to release the funds. He can't get the money back unless you inform the escrow company that the item was returned. The only problem with this method is how do you know that the escrow company is legitimate? I believe eBay even tried this method a few years ago but it seems to have flopped.
I would want a cleared check. It is up to the purchaser to trust you to send the watch.
2006-11-08 03:18:57 · answer #3 · answered by Barkley Hound 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its a scam dont let them have it if they dont go by paypal.
know these scams have been around a long time
Since most regular ebay users have a paypal account this information may be very valuable. It will present itself in a very official email of the receipt of a paypal payment from your account. When you open it , a very authentic looking paypal statement will appear. It will be for an item that you havent bought or even looked at, and will be for a more than nominal amount. On this invoice there will be a button that states if you did not pay for this item click here, on the premise that you will be opening a dispute. The next page you will see will be a VERY authentic looking paypal login page-very familiar to all paypal users. After entering account, password and login button , you will land on an empty link and you may even backscreen and make another attempt.What you have essentially just done is furnish an unscrupulous individual with access to your paypal account and all banking items that may be linked to it, including a wealth of personal information. If you indeed fall into this trap you must immediately change your password. In doing this make sure you login with the link that is available on the left column of your my ebay page, as this is probably your most secure link. You should always access your paypal account from your ebay page.Keep in mind that these type of scams are very hard to detect and for the most part are originating outside the US, from cybercafes and untraceable IP addresses
2006-11-08 03:28:07 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anyone that wants to send money from overseas other than paypal IS a scam. lets face it....how easy is it to get a paypal account? SUPER EASY! You just need an email address.
Dude, when I sold my car on Ebay I had all kinds of people trying to send me money for the car. Even more money then I was asking. They would say "I'll send you this check for 15,000 dollars and you can cash it. Take what you need and send the rest back." How retarded is that!
DON"T DO IT MAN! I smell it too!
Its funny what Renate says right above me. That people need to adhere to the rules of Ebay. This is another crappy thing about ebay. What if they don't adhere to the rules? You know what happens? NOTHING! All you get to do is leave them a bad comment...yes folks, thats it.
I paid 80 bucks to post my car with cool little features, and some guy won the bid on it, then backed out. Ebay didn't do squat! I had to pay another 80 bucks to re-post it. Ebay definitley has its downfalls. If someone wins the bid, they should make them pay, or atleast file a claim against them.
2006-11-08 03:07:23 · answer #5 · answered by Andrew B. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't do it!!!
Being a Power Seller on eBay there are only a few ways of making safe transactions.
1 PayPal
2 Nochex (similar to PayPal but not as big)
3 Cash (Sent Special Delivery)
4 Cheque (covered with name.address and card no...wait for it to clear your bank before sending the goods out)
Stay away from Escrow and Western Union very dodgy!!
Always check the feedback rating of the other party before making your desicion.
Good Luck and be Safe!
3
2006-11-08 03:10:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Escrow is "money held". Here in the US "escrow accounts" are used by mortgage companies. Part of your monthly mortgage payment goes into an escrow account and when it comes time to pay your property taxes, homeowners insurance, PMI, they take it out of the money that is in your escrow account. It's very possible that in Belgium "escrow accounts" are different, but if it isn't I highly doubt his lender is going to send you money that is put aside for his home.
I also don't know if there is something else out there that they named escrow but TRUE escrow, only means money held. Maybe escrow there is directly wiring the money out of one of his bank accounts into yours. But if your gut says no, don't do it.
2006-11-08 03:08:45 · answer #7 · answered by 81 Honda 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Escrow is not safe!!!! and i smell a rat too!!!! i would ask for a personal cheque and wait for the funds to clear, if he is genuine this will be acceptable if he wants the watch bad enough, assuming you are an honest ebayer he hasnt got a problem and you are safe!!!
2006-11-08 08:07:09 · answer #8 · answered by carol g 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds very much like a scam.
I would NEVER trust someone who bids on an item and then claims that they cannot use your specified payment methods.
That said you are under no obligation to send the item until your payment has cleared and the money is in your account.
Trust your instincts and proceed with caution.
Good Luck ;-)
2006-11-08 05:14:30 · answer #9 · answered by Justin G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Scam!
Most Escrow companies on the Internet are bogus. I know someone who was duped this way and she lost the lot!(£1500)
If it hadn't been my ex wife I wouldnt have found it funny!
Paypal or nothing. Clearly with something this valuable you need to protect yourself, and do everything by the book. (POD's etc)
I'd report them to EBay just for good measure!
2006-11-08 03:19:25 · answer #10 · answered by 'Dr Greene' 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋