Does this seem suspicious (Ebay)?

OK, I bidded for this item on ebay, and won. It was advertised as a Rotel RA-930 BX2 amplifier. It is possibly worth pointing out at this stage that the guy claims to have moved to Australia but has this amp in Scotland.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5852273790&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

However, the first thing that aroused my suspicion (I guess I should have realised this earlier) was hificrazy's post on Hifi Wigwam stating that he had emailed this guy because there is no such amp as a Rotel RA-930 BX2. The guy emailed him back and told him that he had made a mistake and the amp was actually a Rotel RA-931 Mk2. See Hificraxy's post 3/4 the way down the page below.

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/forum1/2997.html

So... I wont the amp, I was the only bidder. Starting to know why now... So I sent a message asking how he would like me to pay. His reply was "yes paypal is fine, click on the link within the page".

Fair enough. So I go on the page, and there is no option to pay by paypal and instead, I end up sending him an email confirming that I will do a wire transfer. So I sent him another message asking why there was no option. His reply to this was:-

"yes the paypal option isn't there.have had people withdraw funds just at the wrong time and have missed out after item was sent(not going to happen agian).Please pay via bank deposit direct,still works just takes a day or two more.as for postage i dont know where to send it.please send me your details."



So (still perhaps stupidly not questioning it) I asked for his bank details. He sent me those, and off I went to the bank. Only to be told that it was a £20 charge. Well for a £42 amp, I dont think so...

I sent him a message back saying I was not prepared to do this, and his message was that I should "try a Wetsern Union Money Transfer or as a last resort paypal". I messaged him straight back to say that I would happily pay by paypal, and that I'd even cover the 3.5% fee, and that my feedback should speak for itself. I did not get any reply.

Finally, I asked him to send me the town where he lives as Western Union Transfer thingy asks me for this information.

However, I am very suspicious about this now, and too many things don't add up. Yet the feedback he has is 49, 100% which seems pretty good. However, I am now getting a bad feeling about this. What do you lot think?

 

I've had the briefest of looks (not even enough time to read everything!) - but if you have any doubts then don't do it...

 

I wouldn't!

I mean you should have checked to see if he accepts PayPal on the add, I have made that mistake. But if he wants direct transfer or Western Union then bollocks to him. Ask him to send the amp and then you will pay. You have good feedback right and he will have your address? Tell him he is coming across as a bit dodgy.

 

Say that weston Union is used by scammers and is he a scammer?

In the mean time I would move quickly now and use the full utilites in ebay to get the ball rolling on a dodgy transaction, I think this protects you from bad feedback, then email the guy and gracefully pull out of the auction.

Chances are for 40 odd quid its not a scam, but the guy should have been clearer on payement.

 

Hi Paul,

Buyer beware!

Ebay don't recommend you use Western Union. Western Union is a good way of sending money to friends and family but not to people you don't know.

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/buy/payment.html

Report them to ebay.

SCIDB

 

Thanks chaps.... looks like its time to report this to ebay.

 

Seems a little odd, but he has feedback of 50, & recent purchases are all in Oz, so would seem a genuine story. It's not enough money to be worth scamming, so I would go with it if you want it. Can't say much for his speling (or product knowledge). I wouldn't use Western Union. Make it Paypal or nothing.

Then again....does look a bit sunny outside for Scotland..;-)

 

Right, I have reported this to ebay now. Do you think I should tell this guy that I have reported him to ebay, or shall I just tell him that I am no longer going forward with this transaction?

 

Well.... look at his feedback closer. A lot of duplicate users in there, and a lot of people who are no longer registered. That seems to ring more alarm bells to me. Too late now though, I've reported it

 

I thought that e-bay recently sent out a mail saying that sellers are no longer allowed to ask for Cash in the post or Western Union as a payment method ?

I'm not convinced that the seller is a definate scammer, however there seems to be quite a few aspects of this sale that make it less likely to be a succesfull transaction.

From my own personal point of view, as soon as i'd checked out the Rotel website and seen that this amp wasn't a pukka model number it would have been off my radar, if the seller can't get the basics correct then it doesn't instill confidence....

 

Well I've now sent a polite message to him advising him that the product number is misleading, and that his insistence in using payment methods that not recommended, and are outside the T&C of ebay, as well as his reluctance to use the official method of paypal has cost him a sale. I have told him that I have reported his ad to ebay. Lets see what comes of this...

 

Hi Paul, havent seen this post until now. Just been reading through all thats gone on. Must admit it all seems a bit suss. I would say walk away mate, bummer though as i thought you might well have landed a bargain.

 

Yeah I remember getting that

 

This doesn't strike me as a dodgy scam - yes,the seller could maybe of handled things better but that doesn't turn him into a Nigerian overnight .

As for duplicate users - that is nothing strange,I have a few on my Ebay account where a seller has more than one thing you're interested in - it doesn't add to your feedback as such either (thats why he has a rating of 50 based on 71 transactions).

Of course,I could be wide of the mark here and you've saved £46

 

You could be right.... however, this guy has wasted quite a bit of my time so far anyway, that this alone is almost enough reason on its own to pull out.

Never, ever have I had so much hassle buying something on ebay as this - most transactions are very painless. That being said, there was one guy who insisted that I changed my paypal payment into his currency - now paypal does this for you, so that WAS akward as well.... but at least he took paypal.

I haven't heard anything back as yet.

Its a pity in a way, because now I am once again looking for an amp, and it appeared for a while that I got a bargain here.

 

Understood - you've probably done the right thing.

There's an adage somewhere that goes something like ...only a greedy man can be conned.

Hope it all comes out in the wash mate.

 

Just had a reply.... the guy says he is fine with what I have said and done, and he is relisting it with the correct model number and a paypal link to buy.

Guess he is genuine after all.... oh well.

 

Gut instincts:
a) what's the point of building up a feedback circa 50 (honestly or otherwise) only then to scam 42 squids?
b) bank transfer with currency conversion is mad money regards fees (hence why PayPal isnt such a monster as people will make out)
c) he may not have been aware of the change in eBay policy regards Western Union.

If you can win the relist and pay by PayPal I reckon you'll be ok. On the other hand never pay by Western Union. I think you did the right thing, but I reckon he could be genuine.