How does ebay detect scammers posing as sellers of pick up only items?

[jummy_boy]

Purchased an item 30 Dec 2020. EBay website did not give me option to review purchase or select payment method. After clicking on 'Buy now' - nothing. No options to review purchase or confirm purchase. No chance to select payment method. PayPal receipt  appeared in email a few moments later. Payment since has been processed through PayPal with name of seller and ebay identity. Appears as a debit of $3900 on my credit card.

It was a 'pick up' only purchase valued at $3900 AUD. Item located at Bass Victoria. Seller rating 100% with most recent activity in August 2020. Another 'buy now' item for sale by same ebayer is still on ebay. Pick up only from Bass Victoria for this item as well.

Have sent numerous messages through ebay to seller but no response. I have no way of contacting seller except through ebay. I cannot pick up my purchase if I am not given an address.

This ebay transactions now appears to be the work of scammers.

Purchase details:

greenspeed  sports recumbent bike

Item price; AU $3,900.00

Item number: 254493117032

Postage service Local Pickup

[jummy_boy]

No protection for buyers if seller of a 'buy now' item with 'pick up only' DOES NOT respond to requests for pick up address after PayPal payment has been processed. Anyone else encountered this problem? Item located in rural Vic community. Are scammers using rural locations now? 

[padi*0409]

You haven't given enough information for us to give a meaningful response.

!. How long ago did you buy the item?

2. Are you actually allowed to travel to the seller's location with any COVID restrictions in place.

3. Normally with pickup items it's best to pay cash on pickup, then if the item is not as described you can walk away from the deal.

[kopenhagen5]

Could be a hijacked eBay account.

With such a high priced item you should contact the seller to view and pay cash on pick up.

If no repsonse, open a case for INR in eBay as soon as you can.

As stated in the listing the seller has health issues so may be back in hospital or similar.

[jummy_boy]

With no way of contacting seller other than through ebay, and the seller not responding to my messages, at what point in time do I decide this ebayer is scamming? My situation highlights a major flaw in ebay's security & systems. Buyers do not have access to seller email. Buyers should see seller's email address when efforts to make contact through ebay's messaging system have been exhausted.

[*tippy*toes*]

At no point can you decide the seller is scamming you. That is not your call to make. The seller stated they were selling due to bad health. Maybe they are in hospital. Maybe they died. Doesn't mean they are scamming you. Look at the ETA of the item and once that has passed, if you haven't heard anything from the seller, open an item not received dispute to get your money back.

Sadly, people die. It's happened in the past here where a seller with exception feedback and history started racking up dozens of negative feedback. Several members contacted eBay about it, and it turns out the person had in fact died.

[eol-products]

You should be able get there number using these instructions.

https://www.ebay.com.au/help/buying/resolving-issues-sellers/contacting-seller?id=4021&st=3&pos=2&qu... 

[lyndal1838]

Ebay cannot and does not detect scammers without help from members.  It is useless to just contact ebay and give them your suspicions....they want proof in the form of actual facts as to what has happened (or not happened as the case may be).

Tippy has told you what to do and when to do it.

[jummy_boy]

Followed the link, then went to contact seller - yet again. Clicked on 'other'. Nothing about seeing seller's phone number. Are you sure?

[jummy_boy]

Ebay's information about seeing seller's phone number or email carries the following proviso: "You can find a seller's phone number in the following places on eBay, if they've opted to share their number:"

Sellers who have not "opted to share" contact information cannot be contacted. This is a major flaw in ebay.