HELP!Sold item for first time. Buyer has item and still hasn't paid for it.

[tylerlippe]

 So here's my story, I was going to upgrade my phone so I figured I would sell my old phone on eBay. I posted it on here, it was an iPhone 4 32gb factory unlocked for $330. When I checked the next day how it was going someone already bought it. I then received an email from eBay saying it sold and that I would receive my funds the sooner I sent it out. I was confused by this and did research about it and found out that first time sellers have their funds on hold until the buyer gets the item (I read this all from eBay). So I sent it out on a Saturday and he received the package on Monday, which he signed for. I then waited a couple days for my funds and a response from the buyer asking him how he liked it. A couple days went by and no money and no response, so I called eBay and they directed me to PayPal. When I talked to them they told me that I was not going to receive any funds because the buyer never even paid. I contacted eBay and they gave did not help very much, they just told me that I should try contacting law enforcement and the buyer. I tried both, buyer won't respond to anything, and the law enforcement isn't helping at all either. I don't know what to do anymore and don't want to sue anyone but I really needed that money. PLEASE someone tell me what I should do! The buyers username is jrrezvi73

[scotty*75]

When you get  paid you receive a notification email from paypal telling you funds have been received..

Also the dollar sign $ in my purchases turns blue.

This guy is buying ALOT of phones..Not sure what you can do about it, seems he is taking advantage of your mistakes...not very ethical..

[*new2vintage]

You aren't allowed to name a buyer here and doing so makes no difference. Members can't do anything about him. He has scammed you. Ebay do not handle payments. I'm sorry but common sense should tell you that you should never post an item before you receive payment. There is an online fraud squad. Someone might give you the details. I believe he has sent a fake ebay email to you. I can't imagine ebay stating that a first time seller can't access a payment until they've posted an item. Where have you read that ? You can receive payment via a money order, a bank deposit, cash for a pick up item or Paypal. No company holds on to payments.

[viewmont1071]

. I then received an email from eBay saying it sold and that I would receive my funds the sooner I sent it out. I was confused by this and did research about it and found out that first time sellers have their funds on hold until the buyer gets the item (I read this all from eBay).

Th email you recieved was from the scammer then they redirected you from the links on that email to the bogus ebay site information.

Down the bottom of every page there is a link to ebays site map.

If you are going to research then start there arther than links from a bogus email.

Was the word "escrow" used??  Escrow services are not available in Australia AFAIK but are a common source of income for scammers. There is a link in ebay help as to how escrow services work

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/tp/payment-escrow.html

Use caution when considering an escrow service

    If you are a buyer or a seller and choose to pay or be paid through an escrow service, we recommend you use www. escrow.com

    There are fraudulent escrow services, so use caution if a seller suggests using a service other than www.escrow.com.
    If your trading partner insists that you use a specific escrow service and will not accept www.escrow.com (or an eBay approved international escrow service for international transactions) as an alternative, please decline the transaction and report the seller or buyer to eBay:

    Report a seller
    Report a buyer

    To avoid being deceived by fraudulent emails, you should sign in to www.escrow.com to verify information you have received via email. Make sure you type the entire address (www.escrow.com). Do not let the browser auto-type the site address for you. It could auto-type a fraudulent address.

    If you're a seller, be cautious about buyers claiming to have paid for an item through an escrow service other than www.escrow.com.

    Look at the item listing to see the seller's policy about escrow. If it's not clear, ask the seller a question.

Just remember this ebaynever ever hold money until a seller delivers an item NEVER.

If you get a message from paypal that your funds are on hold never ever click on a link from an email but rather manually type the paypal URL (not autotype) into your browser url bar and log into your paypal account for confirmation of the hold and the reason.

Unfortunately you have done your dough. I would report the incident to the online fraud squadl. You can also report the fraud and find more information here

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/693900

and report the scam here

https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/reportascam/

[*new2vintage]

By the way you live in the USA - this is the Australian site. Some things are done differently in the USA so I advise you to open a thread about this there as well and don't mention your buyer's ID.

[viewmont1071]

I wonder what is broken that is redirecting US ebay members enquiries to this board.... disregard what I typed unless you are an ebay au member????

OP you need to ask on the ebay US help boards

[joz*garage]

heres what is written in my email from ebay when an item has sold...

Good on you! Your item sold. Please post this item to the buyer [within 2 business day(s)] after your buyer pays.

sure you didnt misinterpret it?

have you got a copy of the email?

[joz*garage]

first time i heard a seller ships an item without payment :^O

....sorry i shouldnt laugh but ebay does advise the obvious.... 

Step 5: Complete the sale

At the end of a successful listing, you'll receive an email from eBay that includes your buyer's postal address and payment method. If the buyer is paying with PayPal or Paymate, wait to receive online payment confirmation before posting your item. Leaving feedback for your buyer after you complete the sale is optional, but it is an important part of participating in the eBay Community and will help you establish your reputation as a seller.

[*new2vintage]

Do you know he is American ? He might not come back.

[joz*garage]

the only thing i can suggest is to open an unpaid item dispute, good luck