OK, so I've been using ebay on occasion for a long, long time. Currently I'm selling a few items there, and I've experienced a first.
I was contacted by a guy who gave me a convoluted story about how awful PayPal is and how he can't use that as a payment method (I accept PayPal only, for eBay stuff). He asked if he might be allowed to pay via money order if indeed he should win an auction on one of my items.
Nothing about this guy raised my "scam" radar - only the request itself was odd. He'd been bidding on my item since it was first listed. I thought long and hard about his request. I decided to give him a chance. I told him I would accept a personal check or money order accompanied by photocopy of front and back of his Driver License. Further, the item would not be shipped until the funds were secured by my bank. To these terms he agreed.
Then, today, about two hours before my item is to end, I receive a message stating that alarms bells had gone off for him, because of my "un-trusting" requirement regarding his ID. He says he's uncomfortable about sending his ID info to someone so close to the Mexico border.
So I have informed him that I prefer he drop out of the bidding. I have no interest in this guy's (or anyone else's) personal identification. My only goal was to protect myself in the event I were to receive a bad money order, in which case I would share that information with the authorities.
Now, here's the thing. I don't blame the guy for not wanting to share personal info with someone he doesn't know on the internet. But, I think it takes an idiot to think I would not be suspicious of a man who contacts me requesting special payment considerations. In all the years I've been on Ebay, he's the first to do this.
I'm selling freaking musical instruments. What, I'm supposed to be trying to steal a guys identity by offering musical instruments for sale?
Signed,
Agitated in Abilene
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