I have a buying request of Tod's bag from a us buyer. is this fraud?

[allenyan521]

as titled.. is this a fraud buying behaviour?

[*tippy*toes*]

Is that the bag with 4 almost identical photos that doesn't show any of the bag except one side? No way to know if it's a scam buyer or not. If you don't want to post overseas, you need to block international buyers from bidding. Go up to the top of any eBay page and hover over where it says "G'Day <your name>" then select account settings. Next page select site preferences from the menu on the left.

Next screen locate postage preferences and click on show. Locate "exclude postage locations from my listings" and click edit next to it. Make sure all the boxes are ticked. Tick to apply to all current listings and then submit.

Next I would suggest setting up buyer requirement blocks to help stop bad buyers. If you are selling expensive items, then you will attract them. Even more so because you have 0 feedback. Go to this link (which can also be found on the site preferences page where you just were) http://offer.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?BuyerBlockPreferences

Buyers with unpaid item strikes, change to 2 in 12 months

Buyers in a location I don't post to, tick it.

Buyers with policy violation reports, change to 4 in 6 months

Buyers who haven't gone through phone verification, tick it.

Apply to current and future listings, tick it.

Don't allow blocked buyers to contact me, tick it.

Submit.

Now, if I'm out of line, forgive me, but you need to fix your listings up, especially the bag. Showing 4 almost identical photos with a description of "ggood condition" is setting you up for a negative feedback. Take photos of the whole bag. You can use 12 photos. Use them. Take photos from each side, including the ends, and the top and bottom. Take photos of the inside.

If it has ANY faults whatsoever, put them in the description. Even something as minor as a tiny scuff on the bottom or a pulled thread in the lining. Describe absolutely everything. Believe me, if you miss one tiny thing, a buyer will find it. You then risk negative feedback, having to refund the buyer and them possibly keeping the bag. Yes, it happens! Even more with high end items.

Saying something is "authentic" is not enough. You need to prove that it's authentic by having a purchase receipt or certificate of some kind. EBay is loaded with "authentic" items that are cheap knock offs. You know it's authentic, but no-one else does. A buyer could claim it's a fake, you can't prove that it's not, they get a full refund and get to keep the bag. Buyers know they only have to scream fake, even if they know it's real and they get a free bag.

Once you get those blocks set up you shouldn't have any issues with overseas buyers.

It's taken me a little while to post this due to connection issues, so if someone else has replied in the meantime and I've repeated what they've said, I apologise!

[davidc4430]

personally i'd be more worried about you being a scammer

a seller with 0 feedback selling expensive items throws up red flags to experienced buyers.

i hope you are genuine.

[fixnwear]

alenian521,

you have a problem!

All your listings are with wirtually no description nor measurements. That will not do, just plain lazy.

Not to mention even a couple words that you do have (read useless to any buyer) are miss spelt.

For the bag you'll need so many more pictures, from every angle, including several from the inside.

If you sell to anyone in the US, if they are not happy - which they won't be for number of reasosns, least of all lack of pics and measurements, you'll loose the money as well as the item, almost certainly. That is how their return system works.

[phorum_junkie*]

Most newbie sellers learn to walk before they can run. They sell some cheap, low value items both to get a feel of how selling works and to build up some feedback for selling. They don't usually jump straight in the deep end when they have swum before.

Are you sending items worth more than $100 without extra insurance? If you are then you are leaving yourself wide open to be scammed by everyone, it won't need to be anyone from overseas. For ebay seller protection you need SOD as well as tracking and if the item does go missing unless you have paid for insurance AP will only compensate you for the actual cost of posting.

It is usual that only sellers of counterfeit items claim they are 'authentic', sellers of the genuine article don't see any need to say that as they know it is genuine and expect a buyer to be knowledgeable enough to make sure of that fact when they receive it.

[glenbankloel]

Tippy, after reading your post "Red flag went up" so I went back and double checked our preferences and ticked some more!

Your advice reaches far beyond the original poster, so Thankyou. 

[davidc4430]

i think tippy and several other forum regulars should write a book,

"buying and selling on ebay for beginners"

i'd recomend it everyone

[*tippy*toes*]

Trouble is that everything changes so much that a book would be obsolete within a few weeks. By the time it was published the rules would have changed again.

[davidc4430]

doesnt that fit with the whole ebay creed, sell something thats useless real quick so you can sell the new improved version to the saps?