New Fraudulent Ebay Listing for A4 Snakehead

[Rich Michaud]

Today, someone in England listed my A4 Snakehead, EBAY #270026464022, for sale. I bought it on EBAY several months ago and I assure fellow cafers that it is not for sale now. Beware. Rich Michaud

[F5G WIZ]

Did you let ebay know? What did they say if anything?

[trevor]

I have reported it.

[Rich Michaud]

I have sent three emails to EBAY to pull the ad-to no avail yet and I sent one to the seller as well. I am a former criminal prosecutor and an attorney in Boston and let them know that as well for credibility purposes. So far, EBAY has done nothing. They should be acting promptly particularly as there are 2 bids on the item. Trevor-this can't be good for your business as an international seller. #The natural tendency is to lump all foreign sales in the category of potential fraud. #EBAY should have better fraud enforcement. Rich

[trevor]

Rich,
I don't think frauds on Ebay effect me directly, I hope my reputation is good and I have a 'bricks and mortar' presence unlike an anonymous ebay seller. I get angry and report everything because that's the kind of person I am... these smucks get me really anoyyed.. and perhaps because I was stung a couple of times before I stopped using Ebay.

I have reported a quite few frauds and all but one was removed, it usually takes a few hours.

[Tom C]

For that price, with no reserve, I marked it as suspicious in just a glance.

That is one great A-4. I do not think I ever saw a blonde A-4 snakehead.

[F5G WIZ]

Wonder if you could bid 10,000 knowing it is fraud to keep someone unsuspecting from winning.

[trevor]

A few years ago a couple of CoMando members did this, bidding fraudulent items up to six figures. But you risk being black-listed by ebay if they don't see the point in what you are doing. Technically not paying for a winning bid is illegal too...

[Rich Michaud]

After three emails to EBAY they still have not pulled the sale which now has 9 bids on it and is above $1800.00. This will be a shame if someone bids and pays. It is a great instrument but I own it and its not for sale. Rich

[Ken Sager]

I hope it gets pulled. Somebody will be irked is eb*y doesn't respond quickly. Can you list another auction like it and state this one is a fraud?

[Darren Kern]

I tried to bid on it with an ebay account that I set up and only used once (I've got another one I use somewhat regularly with different info, credentials), entered a bid of 25,000 but it wanted to make me confirm with a credit card so I had to back out. Sorry.

[Tighthead]

So try $8 or $10k?

[Greenmando]

I will go ahead and create a link. Item number: 270026464022 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2F27002646402 2)
I reported it as well the other night.

[Darren Kern]

I tried again, and kept going down until it accepted it at 6k, which is over $11k USD. #The bid right now is 1,020 but if anyone else bids, my bid will automatically outbid them. #I should probably write the guy and tell him to cancel the auction because I know he's a fraud and I have no intention of paying.

Somebody should get in a bidding war with me and stop at 5k, knowing I'll automatically outbid them.

[arbarnhart]

If you tell him you won't pay, he will just cancel your bid and disallow you from the auction.

[Rich Michaud]

I did write the guy and told him to pull it as I know its a fraud and I reported it to Ebay. Needless to say, he has done nothing. The bigger problem is that there are no apparent consequences for fraudulent activity. The perpetrator needs a shot of criminal justice.

[brunello97]

It seems that by keeping bidders' ids private, the scammer prevents anyone from contacting a bidder and suggesting they withdraw the bid. I sent him the usual "I'll be in London, can I come by and pick it up if I win" note, but was ignored.

He probably feels like he has a nibble on the line and wants to land it. Is that the scammer's ad language or was that copied as well? Seems like the scammer might know a bit about mandolins. Maybe an 'inside job'?

Mick

[mrmando]

Hm. Somebody in Fox Island, Washington just put a Gibson Doyle Lawson up on eBay. No feedback, description horribly misspelled, starting bid $1K with no reserve. Sure looked fishy, but I put it on my watch list. It's already gone. Why some frauds are removed immediately and some take forever I'll never know.

A local seller got $6,600 for a snakehead A2Z a while back (I looked it over before it sold). That instrument's been on a world tour of fake auctions ever since.

[Dave Hanson]

This item has been reported to eBay so many times you wouldn't believe, incredibly it's still there.

Save H

[trevor]

Its gone, don't know why it took so long and so many emails but at least no one will get ripped off!
I wonder how many get by without getting spotted? This guy made some pretty stupid mistakes.