Buyer request for paypal & email info

[michellejane67]

I have a buyer who sent me this message. Is this a scam?  Should that info appear when they click the PAY NOW button?

Simply send me a paypal payment request to my paypal email ; angelafergs ( at ) Hotmail ( dot ) com or email me your paypal email address to enable me effect payment for the item before shipment.

Thanks,

Michellejane67

[audible_gold]

Erm, is this for the item you currently have listed? a jewelry item?

Alarm bells are ringing. For one, they are trying to avoid the paypal secure system to scam you. Second, it's a Hotmail account. Afaik, you cant open a paypal account with a hotmail adress (correct me if im wrong) but either way, so far it has all the early signs of a scam.

For example, they pay you from a stolen paypal account. You send item then paypal reverse the unauthorized transaction when the real owner of the pay pal account they used discovers the unauthorized transaction. You loose item and payment and they keep your item.

Thats just one possible scenario.

Stick to the ebay/pay pal system. If you ad listed acceptable payment via paypal/direct deposit/etc, then await payment only by one of these methods.
If they don't pay within a reasonable amount of time, report them as a non paying bidder.
If fact, you should report them now for trying to circumvent the paypal system already.

With that sort of item, take no chances at all doing anything outside of ebay/paypal protection. You will get burnt if you do.

[harley_babes_hoard]

There is really not a lot of harm in doing this if they have already purchased an item. They already have your email address if they could be bothered clicking the pay now button.

[harley_babes_hoard]

Alarm bells are ringing. For one, they are trying to avoid the paypal secure system to scam you. Second, it's a Hotmail account. Afaik, you cant open a paypal account with a hotmail adress (correct me if im wrong) but either way, so far it has all the early signs of a scam.

For example, they pay you from a stolen paypal account. You send item then paypal reverse the unauthorized transaction when the real owner of the pay pal account they used discovers the unauthorized transaction. You loose item and payment and they keep your item.

If anything they are the ones that will be without any buyer protection if the seller sends through a payment request without saying it's for a ebay purchase. In your example above that can happen even if it's paid through ebay checkout.

Also there is nothing wrong with having a throw away email addy for paypal, mine is a yahoo addy.

[harley_babes_hoard]

OP if the item is an expensive one just make sure you send it registered or signature on delivery so you are covered should buyer make a item not received claim.

[davewil1964]

I'd tell them to go through checkout. It DOES affect your seller protection (eg in the case of a chargeback down the line) if the sale doesn't go through eBay. And AFAIK Paypal won't process an eBay sale outside of eBay anymore.

Gold - you can open a Paypal account with ANY valid email address. Mine are gmail, but that is because it is a better system than hotmail.

Until recently, my internet contract didn't provide me with a 'real' email account. And I still don't use it because it is easier to not have to boot up Outlook Express every time I want to check my mail.

[digital*ghost]

A little more information would help before I could say one way or another whether it's definitely suspicious - though there's no real need for the buyer to request your PayPal address, and it is something that a scammers often seem to do...

You can register Hotmail, gmail, Yahoo...etc addresses with PayPal, so that in itself is not suspicious.

If they ask you to send to a different address, or give you some story about Nigeria / working on an oil rig / sending to their doctor / soldier son in a remote area...etc etc, then cease all communication and watch out for scam / phishing emails. 

The golden rules - if you are comfortable with the request and want Seller Protection - are, send the request for eligible goods that be being posted, making mention of the eBay item number. If a payment notification comes through, check that it is genuine by logging directly into PayPal (not via links in an email) and looking for the transaction on your account, post only to the address provided on the payment notification and using a registered / signature on delivery service that provides you with proof of postage.

[digital*ghost]

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@davewil1964 wrote:

I'd tell them to go through checkout. It DOES affect your seller protection (eg in the case of a chargeback down the line) if the sale doesn't go through eBay. And AFAIK Paypal won't process an eBay sale outside of eBay anymore.

---

Last year, PayPal extended Seller Protection to all eligible transactions, on and off ebay. Ages ago, there used to be a "Pay for eBay items" function in PayPal, but that was removed so you can't directly link an independed payment via PayPal to an eBay item, but it doesn't affect buyer/seller protection as long as the invoice clearly shows the payment is for eligible goods that are being posted.

Goods eligible for buyer/seller protection are the same on and off eBay.

[davewil1964]

Okay thanks. I knew the bit about them telling you to go through eBay checkout if was an eBay item.

[silversterio2]

"Is this a scam?"

Presuming this is your current listing, Yes, it's 100% SCAM

Have no further contact with the Scammer and beware of spoof/phishing emails you may receive .

Don't open them and don't click on any links.

Run all your spyware, keylogging and virus protection and change your passwords regularly.

Be sure to have these buyer blocks in place. Go to:

My eBay > Account > Site Preferences > Postage preferences > Show >
Exclude postage locations from your listings from your listings > Edit .......and Select the countries you don’t post to.

Tick … Apply to all current live listings
Click …Apply

And

My eBay > Account > Site Preferences > Buyer Requirements > Show >
Edit .......and tick:

1. Buyers in locations to which I don't post
2. Block buyers who haven't gone through phone verification…
3. Only apply this block to buyers who have a feedback score of 5 or lower(Having a Paypal Account and / or Credit Card details on file overrides this block)

Tick all other blocks of your choice.

Tick …Apply above settings to active and future listings.
Click …Submit

It's not recommended that you sell an item like this as a Buy It Now or with a Buy It Now option although you could require immediate payment. That doesn't prevent a Scammer paying with a stolen credit card though.

[silversterio2]

Have no further contact with the Scammer and beware of spoof/phishing emails you may receive .

Don't open them and don't click on any links.

Run all your spyware, keylogging and virus protection and change your passwords regularly.

Be sure to have these buyer blocks in place. Go to:

My eBay > Account > Site Preferences > Postage preferences > Show >
Exclude postage locations from your listings from your listings > Edit .......and Select the countries you don’t post to.

Tick … Apply to all current live listings
Click …Apply

And

My eBay > Account > Site Preferences > Buyer Requirements > Show >
Edit .......and tick:

1. Buyers in locations to which I don't post
2. Block buyers who haven't gone through phone verification…
3. Only apply this block to buyers who have a feedback score of 5 or lower(Having a Paypal Account and / or Credit Card details on file overrides this block)

Tick all other blocks of your choice.

Tick …Apply above settings to active and future listings.
Click …Submit

It's not recommended that you sell an item like this as a Buy It Now or with a Buy It Now option although you could require immediate payment. That doesn't prevent a Scammer paying with a stolen credit card though.