More ebay weirdness;

[allenhopkins]

This is a very puzzling listing: <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Mandolin-Play-Well_W0QQitemZ250255960873QQihZ015QQcategoryZ10179 QQssPageNameZWDVWQ
QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">"Vintage Mandolin Play Well"</a>

Evidently an F-2, but the photo cuts off headstock and "Gibson" logo. #Starting bid of $799. #Seller "flyingdragon888" from Beijing has limited but 100% positive feedback -- including a couple of "withdrawn" negatives.

Alarm bells started ringing when I clicked on the item. #As I said in another post, "if it's too good to be true, it isn't true." #How's an F-2 get to Beijing, only to be re-sold back into the US? #Description weird and uninformed; seller has also listed a bass clarinet, bass saxophone, and two suits of Japanese samurai armor. #All the instrument pictures seem a bit "off," as if they'd been lifted from the internet rather than photographed by the seller.

Don't know enough to consider reporting this to eBay as a scam, but that pic of an F-2 is mighty enticing, the initial bid price is incredibly low for that instrument, and I can see someone thinking "bargain of the century!"

[Joel Spaulding]

Just tried the link. The page comes up but the photo area is blank and there is no description, only a grammar-poor "welcome to my ebay shop" and shipping info.
This might just be my computer - but I usually have no problems reaching ebay.

Keep us posted Allen. Based on your description, I suspect your alarm bells are correct.

[MikeEdgerton]

The price went up. The last time I saw that add it was only $499.00.

[Jim Garber]

Here is the only picture. I did a quick image search to see if I could find another like it on the Web with no success.

[jaco]

The F2 I was looking at on e-bay turned out to be a total fraud. Someone's account had been hijacked and used as the "seller's" platform. I reported the SOB to the FBI's internet fraud site. Had to change my passwords on the home computer as these scumbags also thrive on identity theft. E-bay can't keep up with these crooks and has become haven for internet fraud. Caveat Emptor should be the name of ebay.

[MikeEdgerton]

...E-bay can't keep up with these crooks and has become haven for internet fraud...
I'll go out on a limb here and say eBay really doesn't care a whole lot as long as they get their percentage paid.

[Bernie Daniel]

I'll go out on a limb here and say eBay really doesn't care a whole lot as long as they get their percentage paid.


Mike I think you are in very little danger of falling off that limb -- I think that is a good bet -- eBay's concern/interest is limited to their bottomline and their ability to maintain order is slipping.

Likewise, recent decisions on feedback policy as well as the rules PayPal keeps adding onto the the backs of the sellers -- and the limited (apparently) communication between eBay auction/sales issues and PayPal payment isues makes the whole idea of an on-line auction less and less attractve to me -- although it sure is a handy CONCEPT.

Recently eBay sent me a coupon for $10 off on any single auction item as long as you pay with PayPal. #So I bid on an item and won it.

But after I'd committed to the purchase via PP I find out there is a problem with coupon redemption code --even though I've followed all the rules and I am still 2 days inside the time period -- so I email eBay Customer Service -- but their 24 - 48 hour response time is really 72 - 96 hours and then they tell you - "sorry its a PayPal issue -- please contact PayPal". #OK great. #

I figure out how to do that and email PP -- but after another 72 hours and no response from them I decide to contact PP via phone. #This is not easy but it can be done -- hoops to jump.

But PP tells you that there is no record of this transaction because you did not use the coupon for the purchase! #I wonder why? #But the good news is they are sorry and there will be future coupons. #I can hardly wait.

The only encouraging trend I have seen addition of "real time" consumer for eBay and can actually talk to a human on PayPal issues if you jump through all the hoops and miagrate through their phone options menu.

eBay is now my vendor of last resort.

[TomTyrrell]

"Let the buyer beware" is nothing new. To my knowledge "Caveat Emptor" has never been suspended. Why blame ebay for the stupid actions of other people? Those sellers who get their accounts hijacked are the ones who fell for the most common phishing scheme on the net. Ebay even tells them not to fall for it but they do anyway.

All you have to do is send emails to a few million people that say "YOUR EBAY ACCOUNT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED!" and give them a link in the message to log in and get their account unsuspended. They really won't notice that the link took them to a website called "ebay.hijackyou.com" and they really will type in their username and password for you to add to your database.

Then you log into the account and post some really good stuff for sale. Be sure to put "Don't bid on this, contact me directly to buy at a ridiculously low price" in the auction description because you don't want the person whose account you hijacked to know what you are up to.

Since you have nothing invested and you won't be paying any ebay fees any money you take in is 100% profit.

[TomTyrrell]

...E-bay can't keep up with these crooks and has become haven for internet fraud...
I'll go out on a limb here and say eBay really doesn't care a whole lot as long as they get their percentage paid.
Ebay cares a lot about the fraud like jaco found. When I report those they get removed within a few minutes.

I don't report them as fraud, I report them as avoiding ebay fees.

[Martin Jonas]

Recently eBay sent me a coupon for $10 off on any single auction item as long as you pay with PayPal. So I bid on an item and won it.

But after I'd committed to the purchase via PP I find out there is a problem with coupon redemption code --even though I've followed all the rules and I am still 2 days inside the time period -- so I email eBay Customer Service -- but their 24 - 48 hour response time is really 72 - 96 hours and then they tell you - "sorry its a PayPal issue -- please contact PayPal". OK great.

I figure out how to do that and email PP -- but after another 72 hours and no response from them I decide to contact PP via phone. This is not easy but it can be done -- hoops to jump.

But PP tells you that there is no record of this transaction because you did not use the coupon for the purchase! I wonder why? But the good news is they are sorry and there will be future coupons. I can hardly wait.
I had much the same problem, but a rather different outcome. I had a GBP10 ($20) coupon which I tried to use a few hours before it was due to expire, but when I tried entering the code, Paypal said that it had already expired.

I complained to both Ebay and Paypal. Ebay said it was their mistake, and gave me a Paypal credit for the amount of the coupon. Paypal said I didn't adhere to the terms of the coupon (although I did), but that they would give me a credit for the amount of the coupon anyway as a matter of courtesy. So, I ended up with twice the amount of the coupon, paid as straight credit to my Paypal account (no redemption necessary). I've since had another GBP15 coupon, which I was able to redeem without problem.

Martin

[allenhopkins]

Bidding ended, no bids. No bids on any of the seller's other items, either. Perhaps prospective buyers are getting more savvy...?