topic Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer? in Selling

How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

dude_burger — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 12:57:56 GMT

TLDR version - Have a suspicious Chinese buyer back again and not sure the best way to stop him buying my stuff?

About a month ago both my partner and I were selling items using each of our own accounts and both had people with a Chinese postal address win some items (So I had buyerA win items on my account and she had buyerB win some items).

We both didn't have China listed as a postal option - worked out we had to change the setting in seller preferences to block this - and messaged the buyers to tell them it was a mistake and could we please cancel.

The strange thing was that we both got exactly the same message back from buyerA and buyerB pleading that we please send them the items anyway. I looked into the postal address for both buyer accounts and they had the same postal address in China with a slightly different name.

It looked too suspicious to me - and looking at feedback had a few 'Positive' feedback saying they were a non paying buyer etc - so I said I wouldnt send and eventually the non-paying cases timed out and the items were cancelled.

Well anyway, now the same person is back again! This time I am dealing with buyerB (last time it was buyerA), and I had changed my settings to not send to outside of Australia, but now the person has an Australian address (which looks fake with a last name of YJJBRB).

I messaged them to say that I would not deal with them due to how suspicious it was last time and now they have given me a speel that they are on a business trip to Australia so it shouldn't be a problem.

Isaid I won't send it to them, but I am expecting that if I did they would say to send it to a Chinese Address.

Is there anyway I can stop this? Both of the accounts have made their feedback private, but have positive feedback as I suspect even though they are positive they are saying negative things (like what I saw initially with comments of them being a scammer/non payer).

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

amber-eyed-girl — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 13:08:48 GMT

Put both of them on each account's blocked bidder list so they cannot do it to you again.

http://offer.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?bidderblocklogin&hc=1&hm=v%7F.rp*g252%6066

if you get any bids from people who you think are A or B, masquerading as C with a new ID, talk to eBay as using a different ID to circumvent blocks is against policy.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

horizon1907 — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 13:06:59 GMT

I would just put them on your Blocked Buyer List. Sounds all to "Suss" to me.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

dude_burger — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 13:23:38 GMT

Thanks guys. I wasn't aware of the blocked bidder list.

Cheers

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

thecatspjs — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 13:40:36 GMT

and that is eBays fault that you do not know about the blocked buyers list OP.

Safer trading information that would be very, very helpful for sellers is not that easy to locate if you don't know it exists.

it is BURIED within the THOUSANDS of pages on the sitemap.

if eBay promoted SELLERS SAFE TRADING TIPS rather than BIG SUNDAYS, just OCCASIONALLY we might ALL have a SAFER TRADING place.

*rant over*

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

j*oono — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 14:16:37 GMT

I agree with you Cats.

Helpful information is so difficult to find now. There is the site map but otherwise you have to click on customer support at the top of the page which makes you think that you are trying to contact ebay staff.

Then you type in your question and it takes you to all sorts of topics which the newer ebayers would just get lost with and not know where to go.

Then ebay expects people to ask for help on the boards and frankly it is not always correct or accurate. Much of the information is to "just look at the site map".

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

davewil1964 — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 07:22:58 GMT

Site Map > Selling > Block buyer bidder list. Right out there on the first page. Hardly buried. Plus the site map link is on the bottom of EVERY page.

And the site map is something every member should at least scan before they operate on the site. That's what it's for, after all.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

thecatspjs — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 07:36:40 GMT

If you didn't know there is a block buyers process then why would you search for it ?

Some sellers and buyers would not know what a site-map even is.

If you do make it to the A-Z index, where would you start ?? - there are over 50 topics under A alone.

"Scanning" may not necessarily reveal the block bidders process - other topics such as unpaid disputes, etc may catch someones attention more.

The set up of the boards including the Q&A area contribute to the confusion IMO.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

davewil1964 — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 07:39:40 GMT

it's on the first page under 'Selling" or "Selling Tools".

Like I said hardly buried. And if people don't read the site map to find out things that is hardly eBay's fault.

They provide the tools.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

thecatspjs — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 07:50:44 GMT

I disagree with you, but I realise you do not understand that there are people, that are not only new to selling, but are not all that confident with computers and/or the web.

eBay links can lead you through a maze of information that is not always what you are looking for and can be confusing.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

j*oono — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:35:55 GMT

I disagree too. If it was so easy Davewil then why do we even need these trading help boards?

The help directory is useless and it's called customer support.

OK, so I typed in "seller wants to cancel"

the prompts I got were:

I am a seller and want to cancel a transaction

I want to cancel a bid on an item I am selling

How do I become a top rated seller

The seller isn't answering

The seller demands positive feedback

Oh look! 6th one down. The seller doesn't want to sell.

So I clicked on that and the answer was "We couldn't find any item that corresponds to the issue you're trying to contact us about.Enter the item number to search for the item, or find it on my ebay."

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

languidlady49 — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 15:10:06 GMT

yes the site map is a fabulous tool but I was buying and selling here for 10 years before I knew of it's existence, I only found out about it when I started reading these boards. Perhaps new members should have the site map pointed out to them when they join e.g. welcome blah please read the site map located in small letters at the bottom of the page before you begin.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

phorum_junkie* — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 16:10:14 GMT

How can you not know there is a site map? Nearly every web site you visit has a site map and the link to it is usually at the bottom of the page as it is for ebay.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

*crikey*mate* — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 21:59:26 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:
it's on the first page under 'Selling" or "Selling Tools".

Like I said hardly buried. And if people don't read the site map to find out things that is hardly eBay's fault.

They provide the tools.

..............................

It's also on the first page in the Safety Centre, a link to Safe Trading is provided in the User Agreement, so

*shrugs*

as you say, hardly buried, and certainly not hard to find.

Furthermore, failing the ability to find all of that, eBay have provided these boards for peoploe to ask questiuons and as seen, the buyer now knows a solution to their situation.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

*crikey*mate* — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 22:06:19 GMT

Every member reads and agrees to the User Agreement before they even join.

They even tick a box which is the equivilent of an electronic signature saying they have read the User Agreement before they join.

Section 19 provides all kinds of links, instructions and directions.

It doesn't get much more front page than that.

As Dave has said, eBay provide the tools.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

thecatspjs — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 22:21:34 GMT

Its ok, it is very clear that a few posters do not understand others experience of ebay including the difficulty of navigating the site if you are a newbie or a not so confident pc and/or ebay user or you are just plain busy living life in the real world.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

chezzy — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 22:33:15 GMT

@*crikey*mate* wrote:
Every member reads and agrees to the User Agreement before they even join.

They even tick a box which is the equivilent of an electronic signature saying they have read the User Agreement before they join.

Section 19 provides all kinds of links, instructions and directions.

It doesn't get much more front page than that.

As Dave has said, eBay provide the tools.

I would bet not everyone (and I'd even guess not many) would absorb everything that is within User Agreements. So commonplace on the internet, scroll scroll scroll, blah blah blah, tiny print tiny print tiny print.

As for Site Map, why the heck is it called that and why is it in tiny print down the bottom of some pages. And on some pages it is not even obvious. In fact on my ebay front page it does not even show, hello site map where are you? (all the while people are probably looking for something more obvious like "help" or "faq".....)

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

j*oono — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 03:16:47 GMT

Too right. Bring back the old help section and link at the top of all pages and make ebay more open as it once was.

For every dodgy scammer that has been reported to ebay they have made it harder to spot them and harder to get help and avoid them.

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

putney32 — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 03:23:45 GMT

@chezzy wrote:
@*crikey*mate* wrote:
Every member reads and agrees to the User Agreement before they even join.

They even tick a box which is the equivilent of an electronic signature saying they have read the User Agreement before they join.

Section 19 provides all kinds of links, instructions and directions.

It doesn't get much more front page than that.

As Dave has said, eBay provide the tools.
I would bet not everyone (and I'd even guess not many) would absorb everything that is within User Agreements. So commonplace on the internet, scroll scroll scroll, blah blah blah, tiny print tiny print tiny print.

As for Site Map, why the heck is it called that and why is it in tiny print down the bottom of some pages. And on some pages it is not even obvious. In fact on my ebay front page it does not even show, hello site map where are you? (all the while people are probably looking for something more obvious like "help" or "faq".....)

because for the last 15 or more years, that is what its called, on all web sites, and where the site designers put it.

ebay didnt invent the word, it is in internet vocabulary. Why is using the internet called ''the web'... or many other words used in internat terminology.?

Re: How to deal with potential Scammer/non-payer?

bsal6160 — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 06:56:51 GMT

Yes it sounds suspect so add them to your BBL.

But I also think this thread has missed another important point.

Did you report the other sellers who left False Positive feedbacks?