PayPal Scam (WARNING)

[Humsafer]

As a regular seller of Mobility Scooters on Ebay, Facebook, Preloved and Gumtree etc. I am aware of this scam, but as I am now being hit on a weekly basis, thought I should warn members as I know a lot of you use selling sites as well as this one.
Put something up for sale and you get someone offering to purchase, however they will have to send a courier as they are on an oil rig, in a wheelchair, confined to bed etc, etc. They offer to pay via paypal before collection. Should you accept, they pay you and the money goes into your account , then the courier collects. Two weeks later paypal tells you the customer hasn't received the item and as you cant prove it was sent to the listed paypal address. The money is taken back out of your account, case closed.
Another tell tale is that they ask you to contact the buyer on another email address. I get tried on this scam at least once a week. The way to deal with it is to tell them you only sell cash on collection and don't take paypal under any circumstances. So far know one has ever come back to me.

 

[jezport]

Bare in mind Items bought on Paypal only have buyer and seller protection up to £500

Also, any purchases on Paypal can be refunded for up to 180 days !!!!!!

 

[robert groves]

Been happening for years...Even when sent to a Postal address,buyer complains that item received is not what they paid for ...I sent an expensive camera lens, 2 months later the money was withdrawn from my account by PrayPal, and there is NOTHING I can do about it !...Now I am down a very expensive Leica Lens!...When I advertise stuff,..I always state in the Ad 'NO PayPal' !....'Either Cleared Cheque cash or Bank Transfer' !

 

[Richard n Ann]

Been happening for years...Even when sent to a Postal address,buyer complains that item received is not what they paid for ...I sent an expensive camera lens, 2 months later the money was withdrawn from my account by PrayPal, and there is NOTHING I can do about it !...Now I am down a very expensive Leica Lens!...When I advertise stuff,..I always state in the Ad 'NO PayPal' !....'Either Cleared Cheque cash or Bank Transfer' !

I don't sell on ebay any more because of such paypal horror stories, also everybody wants it for nothing, and think they're doing you a favour.

 

[Humsafer]

You are so right. I do use paypal a lot but only to PURCHASE items, and when I have had a problem they have been very helpful.
My standard statement on ebay is. " If you wish to secure the item press buy it now, but then click the cash on collection box. You can then get my address and view before parting with any Money"

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[robert groves]

Forgot to say in my Last Post...Thanks for the Warning...even if it stops just one person being scammed, it is worthwhile giving the warning

 

[robert groves]

You are so right. I do use paypal a lot but only to PURCHASE items, and when I have had a problem they have been very helpful.
My standard statement on ebay is. " If you wish to secure the item press buy it now, but then click the cash on collection box. You can then get my address and view before parting with any Money"

Yes...I ONLY Buy with PrayPal !

 

[AndrewL]

We sold an item on eBay, heard nothing from the buyer so assumed all was OK. Nearly a month later they raised a query with eBay saying they had not received the item - we still had proof of postage, so pointed this out immediately and assumed all would be well.

EBay "found for the buyer" and removed a full refund from my PayPal account. I hit the roof, and bombarded them with complaint after complaint, threatening legal action. Eventually eBay refunded my money "as a gesture of goodwill".

Soon after, they changed their Terms and insisted items had to be sent with tracking - yet when you sell an item, the recommended postage defaults to UNTRACKED!

 

[Humsafer]

There is an old saying "Buyer Beware" perhaps we should change it to "Seller Beware" I hope someone puts this advice onto Facebook where it could reach a wider audience.

 

[skylinersi]

i got scammed a few yrs back selling a carbon fibre dive cylinder, buyer said he never received, paypal refunded him......

and once or twice they have helped me out with buyers,

ultimately when selling, cash on collection if you can........

nowadays i usually just buy with paypal.

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[Richard n Ann]

Don't know how these thieves live with themselves. Obviously not skint if got a diving interest. Shameful. Hopefully the chickens are watching.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

I had an Aircraft engine on Ebay the I was going to buy from Douglas, He tried very hard to get me to pay for it and he would send it by a carrier.. I was worried about the address as I know where it was roughly, and he avoided telling me where exactly it was. So I lied a bit and said My Brother was a policeman there and he was going to pick it up for me. All of a sudden the item was withdrawn from sale and the buyer disappeared. Saved me quite a few thousands there. I will only pay cash for items now if I can PICK UP myself. Like a motorhome/car/bike I would go and see it and not play Ebays scams. Too many tealeaves out there for me.

 

[cornish boy]

Why not have a bank account set up solely for Paypal transactions and then remove any sale funds straight away, leaving it empty?

Paypal can't claw back what isnt there!

 

[Reallyretired]

Why not have a bank account set up solely for Paypal transactions and then remove any sale funds straight away, leaving it empty?

Paypal can't claw back what isnt there!

Probably just have to pay an unauthorised overdraft fee as well.

 

[Shrimp]

Why not have a bank account set up solely for Paypal transactions and then remove any sale funds straight away, leaving it empty?

Paypal can't claw back what isnt there!

You have to have a bank account registered with PP don’t you, so they can just go to your account & take the money, can’t they?

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[cornish boy]

Probably just have to pay an unauthorised overdraft fee as well.

Basic accounts can be restricted to the best of my knowledge, or at least I have one with no temporary/unauthorised overdraft facility.

You have to have a bank account registered with PP don’t you, so they can just go to your account & take the money, can’t they?

Yep, but if you have an account set up solely for PP and then remove the funds from anything you have sold (and been paid for) straight away, then the account remains empty.

 

[Shrimp]

Basic accounts can be restricted to the best of my knowledge, or at least I have one with no temporary/unauthorised overdraft facility.



Yep, but if you have an account set up solely for PP and then remove the funds from anything you have sold (and been paid for) straight away, then the account remains empty.

So PP can’t just take the money back out of your bank account?

 

[vin0114]

Sold many expensive and cheaper items but always tracked and signed for when postage possible - else cash on collection only.

 

[cornish boy]

So PP can’t just take the money back out of your bank account?

Not if the account is empty, there is no money to take.