eBay

tuaau-l1btzk · ‎03-05-2021

So I really need a pair of AirPod Pros - and I bought a pair off eBay last night, but oweing to the fact that I couldn’t pay by PayPal (it was greyed out in the checkout) nor by my credit card (it would just say transaction failed or something of the sort after I clicked confirm to pay) I decided to ask for the seller’s bank account details for a bank transfer.

It took him hours to reply, and when he did I sent the money immediately and I spent the whole day expecting a notification that the item had been posted, and the more it wasn’t the more anxious I got.

i did some digging that I should have done last night before I made the purchase and realised that, although the seller was 100% reputable, all of his reputation and feedback was from buying, not from selling. This is despite the fact he has sold 11 AirPod Pros to date.

Further digging intensified my worry - eBay’s money back guarantee is not that extensive, and only covers transactions through the eBay checkout. Guess what one of the payment methods is that cannot be guaranteed for? Bank transfer!

Perhaps i’m being a bit paranoid, but it just feels all too convenient that the price was $105 below RRP, the payment method I used isn’t covered by eBay’s money back guarantee, the seller’s profile is made to look legitimately good, despite the fact he has never received a review for selling and the fact I was kind of nudged in the direction of using bank transfer, because the two most obvious options for payment weren’t working.

Should i be concerned? And suppose I was scammed, is there any way to retrieve the money as i used bank transfer?

jellybirddesigns · ‎04-05-2021

Unfortunately, it looks like you've been scammed.

There were lots of red flags prior to purchase and bank transfer is not covered as it is the least safe method of payment (Ebay cannot check that you have made a payment via this method).

An expensive lesson to learn, as you should never send bank transfer to a random person online. Bank transfer is for people you have met and trust, such as your gardener or a handyman.

You can try and contact your bank and tell them that you believe you have been unwittingly scammed. They may be able to recover the funds or trace them.

daydreams_12 · ‎04-05-2021

I would be worried if I were you. So many red flags as jelly says. You did a bit of digging but that should have been done first. The price being so far under rrp is always a fairly good guide. If you really needed them a B&M store would have been the way to go and you would have in your hand immediately. Good luck but not too sure. Where are they coming from?

tuaau-l1btzk · ‎04-05-2021

Australia actually

sandypebbles · ‎04-05-2021

It could still well be a scammer (and it sounds like it from what you have said)

It could also well be a hijacked account

Up until the seller sold all the AirPods, when was their last feedback (I know they only had it as a buyer, but was that feedback from a long time ago?)

Were they all the same stock photos on each listing?

countessalmirena · ‎04-05-2021

From a previous reply in another thread:

@countessalmirena wrote:

Do not pay by direct deposit.
Do not buy from a seller whose feedback shows it's been a dormant account for a while or has been primarily a buyer, and who then suddenly starts selling high-ticket items that are in huge demand.
Read the eBay Money Back Guarantee policy. It specifically states that you're not covered if you pay by bank transfer/direct debit, cash, Western Union, and so on. Protect yourself by paying by debit or credit card, or via PayPal (with your funding source being your debit or credit card), so that you have several options if things go wrong.
1. Your first line of defence is opening a request for refund on eBay. This is buyer protection under eBay's Money Back Guarantee.
2. If your eBay MBG is not successful (for instance, if it's just over the time limit), your second line of defence is opening a request for refund through PayPal, under their Buyer Protection. You have six months from the transaction date to open the request.
3. In the event of even your PayPal request for refund being unsuccessful, you have two options.
Ask your card provider (usually your bank) to do a chargeback; or
Make a complaint (against PayPal) to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
As you can see, successful recouping of money depends upon your being wise in your payment method.

The only times that I use bank transfer is when I have good reason to do so. For instance, our plumber does a job, sends me the invoice with his bank details, and I make the payment. No risk is involved; I know him, he's done the work, and there's not a P5 in sight.

I'm sorry that you ended up losing your money; it is an expensive lesson and I know it would be very frustrating for you as there's no remedy to recoup your money.