Question:
(snip) I sent an email to a seller via the question for seller ebay form asking to take part in her restricted auction (these were the instruction on the page when I went to bid). (snip) Hence we felt secure and transfered payment, very stupidly by Western union. We’ve learnt our lesson and don’t need any more people to tell us "you should have …. first". (snip) However we did eventually get contact info by contacting people who had dealt with this user in the past. I phoned her and am convinced that she is a victim of identity theft. She was in the USA while the person we sent money to was in Italy on that day. Likewise the email I’d been sending to was subtly different from her email address.
Did you fund your payment with a credit card? If so, you can do a chargeback with your credit card company. But…(and I know you said not to do this) this one had warning flags up the wazoo: A seller in the US, but you have to send money to Italy, only via wire transfer and on an private auction to boot? A $3200 item that was such a good deal that you couldn’t purchase it locally? Keep ALL of the emails you exchanged…those headers are important. If you want, post the headers here and we can find some clues for you. I"m sorry this happened to you. What a way to start on eBay, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you stayed away from eBay forever after this. Kris
Response:
@hotmail.com hocked up this mighty verbal hairball… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A friend and I were just robbed of $3200 after we bid on a very attractive deal on ebay. This was our first time buying something and made some stupid mistakes. I sent an email to a seller via the question for seller ebay form asking to take part in her restricted auction (these were the instruction on the page when I went to bid). She replied very promptly and made us an offer for the item, after a days exchange by email we decided to go for it. We checked the users feedback carefully . The feedback was fanatisic going back 2 1/2 years from many users, most of them with large numbers of great feedback themselves (there was no way the feedback was false). Hence we felt secure and transfered payment, very stupidly by Western union. We’ve learnt our lesson and don’t need any more people to tell us "you should have …. first". This was our first bid on ebay. Straight after payment the person dissapeared. We went back to ebay to try and get the contact info. The user had that day (what irony) been suspended by ebay and the item no longer listed, so we couldn’t get contact info. However we did eventually get contact info by contacting people who had dealt with this user in the past. I phoned her and am convinced that she is a victim of identity theft. She was in the USA while the person we sent money to was in Italy on that day. Likewise the email I’d been sending to was subtly different from her email address. I don’t know where to go from here, I’ve tried contacting ebay via the forms on their site but they haven’t replied yet. Has this happened to other people? Where do you report the crime? Is there any chance of recovering money? I’d appreciate any help anyone can give – thanks
Conan recalls hearing this before, repeatedly. However, since you are in such a sorry state, it is understandable that you might be given to babbling, and I will show mercy. The FBI has an Internet Fraud Complaint Center in the US: http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp You might also wish to alert the news media. Is there a consumer action reporter in your town? Or use Google to search for recent articles on eBay fraud and contact the reporters who wrote them. Reporters often need to do follow-ups. eBay, like most corporartions, is very sensitive to bad publicity. It is also possible that this seller has ripped off other buyers and that you can work with them on this matter. There is strength in numbers. There may be websites of people who have been defrauded online, who can be of further help to you. Use Google to search this group for telephone numbers for eBay that have been posted here in the past. Do not hesitate to call and demand attention. If necessary, fly to San Jose and walk naked in front of their offices, bearing a sign that says "I lost my shirt on eBay." That will get their attention.
Response:
On 02 jul 2003 Jonathan used a few bytes in alt.marketing.online.ebay to let us know that: I’d appreciate any help anyone can give – thanks
Uhhm… With Western Union you have to know where the seller lives, right? Didn’t it occur to you you can easily find the seller’s location according to Ebay? — Giovanni http://www.nmmusic.nl/gio8.jpg <–my new P.A. "I thought I saw a puddy cat." "I did. I did see a puddy cat."
Response:
If necessary, fly to San Jose and walk naked in front of their offices, bearing a sign that says "I lost my shirt on eBay." That will get their attention.
Make sure you are carrying an AK-47 at the time. That would probably be the only way to get customer support from ebay at this point. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – @hotmail.com hocked up this mighty verbal hairball… A friend and I were just robbed of $3200 after we bid on a very attractive deal on ebay. This was our first time buying something and made some stupid mistakes. I sent an email to a seller via the question for seller ebay form asking to take part in her restricted auction (these were the instruction on the page when I went to bid). She replied very promptly and made us an offer for the item, after a days exchange by email we decided to go for it. We checked the users feedback carefully . The feedback was fanatisic going back 2 1/2 years from many users, most of them with large numbers of great feedback themselves (there was no way the feedback was false). Hence we felt secure and transfered payment, very stupidly by Western union. We’ve learnt our lesson and don’t need any more people to tell us "you should have …. first". This was our first bid on ebay. Straight after payment the person dissapeared. We went back to ebay to try and get the contact info. The user had that day (what irony) been suspended by ebay and the item no longer listed, so we couldn’t get contact info. However we did eventually get contact info by contacting people who had dealt with this user in the past. I phoned her and am convinced that she is a victim of identity theft. She was in the USA while the person we sent money to was in Italy on that day. Likewise the email I’d been sending to was subtly different from her email address. I don’t know where to go from here, I’ve tried contacting ebay via the forms on their site but they haven’t replied yet. Has this happened to other people? Where do you report the crime? Is there any chance of recovering money? I’d appreciate any help anyone can give – thanks Conan recalls hearing this before, repeatedly. However, since you are in such a sorry state, it is understandable that you might be given to babbling, and I will show mercy. The FBI has an Internet Fraud Complaint Center in the US: http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp You might also wish to alert the news media. Is there a consumer action reporter in your town? Or use Google to search for recent articles on eBay fraud and contact the reporters who wrote them. Reporters often need to do follow-ups. eBay, like most corporartions, is very sensitive to bad publicity. It is also possible that this seller has ripped off other buyers and that you can work with them on this matter. There is strength in numbers. There may be websites of people who have been defrauded online, who can be of further help to you. Use Google to search this group for telephone numbers for eBay that have been posted here in the past. Do not hesitate to call and demand attention. If necessary, fly to San Jose and walk naked in front of their offices, bearing a sign that says "I lost my shirt on eBay." That will get their attention.
Response:
A friend and I were just robbed of $3200 after we bid on a very attractive deal on ebay. This was our first time buying something and made some stupid mistakes. I sent an email to a seller via the question for seller ebay form asking to take part in her restricted auction (these were the instruction on the page when I went to bid). She replied very promptly and made us an offer for the item, after a days exchange by email we decided to go for it. We checked the users feedback carefully . The feedback was fanatisic going back 2 1/2 years from many users, most of them with large numbers of great feedback themselves (there was no way the feedback was false). Hence we felt secure and transfered payment, very stupidly by Western union. We’ve learnt our lesson and don’t need any more people to tell us "you should have …. first". This was our first bid on ebay. Straight after payment the person dissapeared. We went back to ebay to try and get the contact info. The user had that day (what irony) been suspended by ebay and the item no longer listed, so we couldn’t get contact info. However we did eventually get contact info by contacting people who had dealt with this user in the past. I phoned her and am convinced that she is a victim of identity theft. She was in the USA while the person we sent money to was in Italy on that day. Likewise the email I’d been sending to was subtly different from her email address. I don’t know where to go from here, I’ve tried contacting ebay via the forms on their site but they haven’t replied yet. Has this happened to other people? Where do you report the crime? Is there any chance of recovering money? I’d appreciate any help anyone can give – thanks
Response:
Basically, you are screwed but, at least call western union and report it. She had to use a drivers licence or offical kind of photo id they accept. She probaly used a fake or stolen id but at least western union will blackflag the name. Maybe helping out others about to get scammed.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A friend and I were just robbed of $3200 after we bid on a very attractive deal on ebay. This was our first time buying something and made some stupid mistakes. I sent an email to a seller via the question for seller ebay form asking to take part in her restricted auction (these were the instruction on the page when I went to bid). She replied very promptly and made us an offer for the item, after a days exchange by email we decided to go for it. We checked the users feedback carefully . The feedback was fanatisic going back 2 1/2 years from many users, most of them with large numbers of great feedback themselves (there was no way the feedback was false). Hence we felt secure and transfered payment, very stupidly by Western union. We’ve learnt our lesson and don’t need any more people to tell us "you should have …. first". This was our first bid on ebay. Straight after payment the person dissapeared. We went back to ebay to try and get the contact info. The user had that day (what irony) been suspended by ebay and the item no longer listed, so we couldn’t get contact info. However we did eventually get contact info by contacting people who had dealt with this user in the past. I phoned her and am convinced that she is a victim of identity theft. She was in the USA while the person we sent money to was in Italy on that day. Likewise the email I’d been sending to was subtly different from her email address. I don’t know where to go from here, I’ve tried contacting ebay via the forms on their site but they haven’t replied yet. Has this happened to other people? Where do you report the crime? Is there any chance of recovering money? I’d appreciate any help anyone can give – thanks
Response:
I don’t know where to go from here, I’ve tried contacting ebay via the forms on their site but they haven’t replied yet. Has this happened to other people? Where do you report the crime? Is there any chance of recovering money?
Yes, it happens all the time. Most expert eBayers would NEVER buy a $3200 item on eBay, just because scams and identity thefts are so common, and they tend to have that kind ok prices. You should at least call police, but chances of recovering money are quite low. AS
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