Has anyone ever dealt with a proposed purchase via ebay where the goods have been put on hold/reserv

[margarewhitfiel_0]

I have responded to an newspaper ad for the sale of a motor home. The seller told me that the vehicle has been put on hold/reserve for me through ebay and that the purchase will be made through ebay with them holding the funds, via Commonwealth Bank Trust until confirmation from me that I accept the vehicle.

However, the emails I have received regarding the purchase have supposedly been from ebay but there is no insignia on the emails and no item number given. And apparently because the vehicle sale has been placed on hold it is not viewable on ebay.

Also, a livechat was arranged but it was not conducted through the ebay site but from support@livechatinc.com

I don't know if this is a genuine deal or not. The email address for the correspondence from ebay was ebay@ebay.dealsdepartment.com.au.

So, has anyone ever purchased items via ebay in this manner? I did contact the help department here and was told to ignore the emails but the response to that from the seller was that I had 'reached a different department'

I have only just registered with ebay so don't really know how everything works, but this just sounds suspicious to me. I would really appreciate it if anyone who has had the same experience or knows more about the workings of ebay could give their advice.

Thank you.

Margaret

[margarewhitfiel_0]

Thanks for your response and advice. I've learned a lot more about ebay now and quickly ceased all communication with the 'seller' without giving them any information!

[margarewhitfiel_0]

Thanks very much for your detailed reply and advice. I ceased all correspondence with the 'seller' and reported the email as spoof to ebay. I've certainly learned a lot more about ebay now and appreciate all the replies that were received to my enquiry.

[margarewhitfiel_0]

Thanks for responding:) I'm still getting used to ebay and how it works and didn't realise so many people had responded to my enquiry, I really appreciate all the feedback that has come in. And yes, it was an obvious scam but at the time I wasn't sure exactly how ebay worked, which is why I was trying to find out more detail. Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

[margarewhitfiel_0]

It is certainly a minefield negotiating any motor home/camper van sales that are not through a registered dealer, I've learned that much at least! Unfortunately there are a lot of interstate vehicles advertised through various mediums but after this episode I won't be looking at purchasing anything unless I can view it personally! Thanks for your response, I appreciate it.