eBay scam?

[solalia.livejournal.com]

I think I've just encountered my first eBay scam.  I guess it's bound to happen.  I'm not sure what to do exactly...

I put up a #1 print of a newish piece of art, ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=390225365994 ) like I normally do, and started it at a penny, like I normally do.  Two people bid on it until it got up to $56, where it has stayed for a couple of days.

Today I get an e-mail from the current high bidder, who was also the first bidder that auto-bid it up to $50.

"I am really sorry to have to say this, but someone has gotten into my account and bid on this item. I have to shut my PayPal account, cut up my credit cards, bank cards and more. I think someone stole my personal information and has been using it to make purchases, as I have had calls from bill collectors (how I found out in the first place something was wrong) for things I have never bought. Please accept my apologies and put this item back up for sale. If I could, I would buy this item, as it's gorgeous, however until my financial issue is resolved, I don't dare make any purchases. I am deeply sorry for the confusion and the mess."

I sense a scam because 1. whenever I've heard about an eBay account getting hacked, it was an eBay account with a score higher than 3. 2. whenever I've heard about an eBay account getting hacked the hacker has changed the password.  3. they don't usually bid on stuff like artwork, but electronics and such.  4. The owner of the account doesn't usually pop up mid auction and tell the person to end the auction.  and 5.  "I would buy this item as it's gorgeous, however until my financial issue is resolved..."

Another thing, is that the ebay name she is using really sounds like one that one of my customers would choose.  It's a private listing and at this point, I'm not ready to say that this person is for sure a scammer or deadbeat, so I'll keep the name to myself for now, unless it becomes apparent this person is on a spree or something.

I have no intention of ending the auction early as the last bid placed by another user was $55 and I want that $55, so I will happily make a second chance offer to the last bidder.  But I have no idea how to proceed with this person.  :(

Comments

[snobahr.livejournal.com]

First, take a romp through eBay's help system. I draw your attention specifically to "Reporting problems with your buyers (http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/report_problem.html)," where it has policies in place for situations that sound similar to yours. Contact ebay with a copy of the email from the suspected fake bidder. If the issue doesn't get resolves, put that buyer on your blocked bidder/buyer list.

That's a freakin' gorgeous image, by the bye.

[taasla.livejournal.com]

Personally? I'd forward that note she sent you to Ebay themselves. Hey, if her account was hacked, then Ebay needs to know about it. If she's lying, then Ebay still needs to know about it.

[jurann.livejournal.com]

Start by blacklisting the bidder so they can't continue to place bids, then follow eBay's procedures to report them like the two other folks above me said. Frankly I haven't used eBay in many years, from what I've seen and heard it's changed drastically and gotten away from most of the principles that made me respect it, and which inspired me to include in FurBuy's design.

[solalia.livejournal.com]

If I block them will it stop them from auto-bidding anymore? Or will their auto-bid still be in effect?

[jurann.livejournal.com]

Honestly not sure, but that's a very good question. My GUESS is that it would prevent their proxy bids, but I can't say with any certainty... That gives me pause though, I'll have to check FurBuy's code and make sure that blacklists stop any proxy bids from continuing...

[genkigami.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a scam. When my mom got her account hijacked, they bid on electronics (cameras and video game consoles.)

I second Taasla, forward it to eBay. If it's a truth or a lie, it's something they should be aware of.

[solalia.livejournal.com]

That's kind of what I thought. I mean, why bid on some random artist's stuff?

[ellonwye.livejournal.com]

If this is a scam I'm not sure I understand the point of it. What would the scammer gain by getting you to end the auction? Why would you end the auction? Bidders can retract their bids with good cause, and if she has been hacked then she does have good cause and should contact eBay about it. If the auction ends and that person is the winner but doesn't want the item, then yes you can just offer it to the next highest bidder.

Although my idea of a scam is one that ends up getting money fraudulently out of someone, so is this is just an attempt at sabotaging your auction?

[taasla.livejournal.com]

It sounds more like buyer's remorse than a scam.

[tobekiyoshi.livejournal.com]

I second this. Sounds more like Buyers Remorse.

[solalia.livejournal.com]

As far as I'm concerned, whatever the motive, it scams me out of 50+ bucks.

[murdercrow.livejournal.com]

Here's how it works as a scam:

1) Seller ends auction at buyer's request, claiming it was hacked.
2) Seller puts up auction again.
3) Buyer re-bids, at a much lower price than before.
4) Buyer wins the auction and gets a piece of artwork for 20 bucks when the other buyer would have bought it for 55.

[borderdog.livejournal.com]

Unless the seller isn't too bright, that wouldn't work.
I know I wouldn't just be like "oh look they're bidding on my auction again. hope they win!" lol

[chicago-lollie.livejournal.com]

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/manage_bidders_ov.html
Scroll down to where you see "Canceling bids"

[solalia.livejournal.com]

Will this cancel all of her bids though? Or just the most recent?

[chicago-lollie.livejournal.com]

It's probably safer to assume that all her bids will be canceled. I've never had to cancel a bid before, but surely this would be better than restarting the listing (I don't think you're supposed to do that in your case, as you already have more than one bidder on your listing)

[solalia.livejournal.com]

I'm just worried if I cancel her bids I won't even get the $55 from the last bid.

[taasla.livejournal.com]

about.com says it will only cancel the bids related to that user. All other bids will stay intact.

[solalia.livejournal.com]

Yeah thanks.. .that dropped it down to $.01.

[taasla.livejournal.com]

Ugh. This is why I hate Ebay.

Actually, no, I hate Ebay because I have a 7 year old account with limitations as if I made it just yesterday.

[mandyseley.livejournal.com]

For future reference, the buyer can withdraw their bid: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/buy/questions/retract-bid.html

If you get someone saying that they've been "hacked," you should tell them to fill out a request to withdraw their bid. It's their responsibility to correct their "mistake," not yours. Let the auction continue as usual, and if they still "win" but don't pay up, offer a second-chance to the next highest bidder and file an unpaid item report about the "winner."

eBay will look into both the bid retraction request and the unpaid item report. If it turns out to be a legitimate hack, the buyer will be fine. If they just had buyer's remorse and tried to back out, then they'll deserve the negative feedback.

[solalia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wish I had just done that. I was going to do that, but everyone was saying to cancel her bid and block her. Blah. Hopefully the other person is still interested in it. I offered to put it back up with a buy it now price of $50, and they were willing to bid at least $55, so I hope they get back to me on that.

Now I basically have no recourse against her for causing me so much trouble. :(

[delgrotto.livejournal.com]

I get people like that ALL the time. "Oh, my child bought this by mistake" "I didn't mean to buy this item" "My account was hacked"

It's hard to tell the honest ones from the true. I just file an unpaid item dispute and let ebay deal with them. You can also leave negative feedback on the transaction they bailed on (that is, only once the auction/listing has ended).

I'm sorry that happened to you. It's discouraging and frustrating.

[actonrf.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the person has buyers remorse. I would have not canceled the auction but let it run and put in a non paying bidder complaint.

[maddogairpirate.livejournal.com]

You inform Ebay of exactly what's said, and of course they'll put a freeze on the account, investigate the 'fraud'. And if there is none, I dunno if they make a big thing about it, consider it a strike, what.

But yeah, offer to the 2nd place, probably best option.

[frazzled-niya.livejournal.com]

=\ report to ebay, yes.

Could be a scam or could be some poor person who has someone whom has a horrible grudge against them and used their account to try and rack up some debt? (even so if you were going to screw someone over like that it'd be like $100's I would think)

But erg very annoying for you :(