I've never thought about that. I've sold all of my phones through eBay in the past with no problems at all. Now after reading this, I feel a bit weary selling my 5S on eBay now.
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Fraud
- Thread starter HunnieBunnie
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I've never thought about that. I've sold all of my phones through eBay in the past with no problems at all. Now after reading this, I feel a bit weary selling my 5S on eBay now.
Never heard of that, either. Not even sure what a PS3 is. What happened in those cases?
Honestly, I think people believe that eBay is always a deal, regardless of the price.
Or, this is a joke. I see no other reason why somebody would pay more for something used on eBay, than brand new direct from Apple for less.
I've never thought about that. I've sold all of my phones through eBay in the past with no problems at all. Now after reading this, I feel a bit weary selling my 5S on eBay now.
I can vouch for this, as the exact scenario happened to me six years ago when I sold an unlocked iPhone and lost 300+ to this scam. Always take video of the packaging of the box and have the FedEx employee on video state the contents of the box.
And still more than buying direct from Apple. Also, it would have come with a warranty and it wouldn't have been a bar of soap.
I have read many threads on this exact thing happening and have had two people I know have this happen. There is no way to protect against this.
ebay is not the problem here. Buying outside of the ebay system is the problem.
The problem is they didn't use eBay, but tried to circumvent eBay by buying directly from the buyer.
HunnieBunnie, I'm assuming you did not pay him via PayPal "gift" but rather the "goods and services" option?
That's the only reason I can imagine he mailed you anything at all. Because he needs the tracking number and delivery confirmation to prove to PayPal that he shipped your item. Unless PayPal has done a complete 180 on their policies, the fact that he can prove he mailed you something of the correct approximate weight, you are almost assuredly SOL unless your actual credit card company will do something.
If you paid him via "gift" he wouldn't have had to do anything at all other than just gladly accept your money.
That's the only reason I can imagine he mailed you anything at all. Because he needs the tracking number and delivery confirmation to prove to PayPal that he shipped your item. Unless PayPal has done a complete 180 on their policies, the fact that he can prove he mailed you something of the correct approximate weight, you are almost assuredly SOL unless your actual credit card company will do something.
If you paid him via "gift" he wouldn't have had to do anything at all other than just gladly accept your money.
That can still be scammed.
The video does not prove what was actually shipped.
How does the FEDEX person know what is in the box, unless you actually package it in front of them?
And, if the other end scammed... how do you get your money back? That person is still a scammer and will ignore anything you send them.
Good point(s)
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You have yet to tell us why you made the purchase outside of Ebay
What is the point of that scam? As the seller, I would call up my cellular provider right away with the IMIE and have them add it to the blacklist as stolen.
The scamming buyer would have a phone that can't be activated on any network.
Best thing any member can do on this site is to take a man who clearly got duped and kick him while he is down. That is indeed the true spirit of MacRumors!
OP: you bought what you wanted and paid what you wanted. It is sad to see your money was taken and goods weren't delivered. I hope you do get your money back in both cases. Going forward, I would look to Apple for your next phone.
OP: you bought what you wanted and paid what you wanted. It is sad to see your money was taken and goods weren't delivered. I hope you do get your money back in both cases. Going forward, I would look to Apple for your next phone.
None of that matters...
Paypal will protect you though. If a buyer is unhappy for whatever reason Paypal always takes the buyers side. I've been on the unfortunate end selling stuff and have had buyers file a claim. If you sell on eBay and do not offer returns, you are mistaken, the buyer can return any item for any reason and eBay/Paypal will take the money out of your account and give it to the buyer. And then you eat the shipping costs and possibly the transaction fee.
I know I'm beating a dead horse here, and I do feel your pain, but why would you go ahead with this? What were you trying to avoid by not going through ebay? Do you know you would have paid the same amount (or less) if you would have just gone through Apple? If you went to an Apple store, you wouldn't even have to wait for shipping. You even mentioned that you've attempted to buy a 5S online four previous times before this fraud occurred. Why were you so persistent on getting this phone via the internet? You weren't getting a deal at all, and you clearly didn't mind paying full price for the phone. So like I said, why not just go through Apple where you would have virtually zero risk AND you'd get a guaranteed limited warranty, free fast shipping...
Alright, that's all I'll say. I'm sorry that you were a victim of fraud and I truly hope you get your money back. However, that was an incredibly stupid decision on your part. I wish the best for you, good luck.
Alright, that's all I'll say. I'm sorry that you were a victim of fraud and I truly hope you get your money back. However, that was an incredibly stupid decision on your part. I wish the best for you, good luck.