Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

My iPhone 4S's bid is $1025! Help!

A

AppleFan115

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 8, 2012
103
146
I just put my iPhone 4S, 16gb, factory unlocked, on sale this morning and it is currently at $1025! I only paid $690 for it including tax. The only method I am accepting is PayPal. I know something is fishy here, and I wanted your guys' insight. Should I just end this bid right now and award it to him, cancel the bid and start it over because its some kind of scam, etc. Since, I have PayPal, I don't have to worry about this right? What would you guys advise I do?
Here is the link for the item:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280932819672#ht_500wt_1378

Thank you.
 
AppleFan115 said:
I just put my iPhone 4S, 16gb, factory unlocked, on sale this morning and it is currently at $1025! I only paid $690 for it including tax. The only method I am accepting is PayPal. I know something is fishy here, and I wanted your guys' insight. Should I just end this bid right now and award it to him, cancel the bid and start it over because its some kind of scam, etc. Since, I have PayPal, I don't have to worry about this right? What would you guys advise I do?
Here is the link for the item:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280932819672#ht_500wt_1378

Thank you.
Click to expand...
If he pays with PayPal, cash the money out right away and unlink any accounts. Then ship the phone :p
 
Has the bidder contacted you saying that it's an error? Looking at the bidding history, it looks like they had their max bid set to $1000 (and then when that was passed they bid again) which definitely is not reasonable at all for this device. I'd say you're right to be wary of this. Personally, I probably wouldn't go through with the transaction. Although according to eBay policy the buyer is required to pay this amount because they agreed to it, eBay's resolution centre is heavily favoured toward the buyer.

dontwalkhand said:
If he pays with PayPal, cash the money out right away and unlink any accounts. Then ship the phone :p
Click to expand...

Unless you have an account in good standing for X amount of months with good transactions, Paypal holds the funds until the buyer leaves feedback.
 
I would be worried. Especially since majority of the bids are from a new user.

You're gonna end up starting a new listing.
 
I sent a message to the bidder. He also has a zero bid history. This is definitely fishy. I'll wait for some more suggestions. I'm thinking it's best to just re-list the iPhone. However, is there anyway to scam me via a PayPal transaction? I rarely use eBay, so I'm not aware of how this can be done.
 
AppleFan115 said:
I sent a message to the bidder. He also has a zero bid history. This is definitely fishy. I'll wait for some more suggestions. I'm thinking it's best to just re-list the iPhone. However, is there anyway to scam me via a PayPal transaction? I rarely use eBay, so I'm not aware of how this can be done.
Click to expand...

where's the bidder located?

and the person has 136 bids in the past week alone
 
Last edited:
This guy is located in the United States.
 

Attachments

  • eBay.jpg
    eBay.jpg
    205.1 KB · Views: 142
definitely fishy. Not really sure how he can scam you but it could be a joke. Or by some chance he's mistaken it for something else. Probably best to relist.
 
I'm also wondering if this is just some mad bidder from yesterday. I listed this yesterday and forgot to uncheck international shipping. Once you submit a listing you can't change things such as the shipping option. You can change the cost of the shipping, etc. I got two messages asking me why I am not shipping internationally. I do not want to deal with international shipping and relisted it this morning. I wonder if it could be one of those angry bidders. This person is a bidder since March 12th though and hasn't bet on anything.

Edit: Once I realized I couldn't change it to domestic only, I wrote down in bold letter "This items ships only in the US" Then I decided it was best to just re-list it.
 
Id end it early and re-list it in the near future with more rules (no bids less than 5 or 10 feedback - us only, etc).
 
If he doesn't pay you simply file a non-payment claim and you get all of your fees refunded from eBay.
If he does pay via eBay then eBay is going to hold his money (it will be in your PayPal account but will show as pending) until about a week after your shipping date.
If he pays you via PayPal but outside of eBay then you'll get the money instantly but you'd better make sure that you follow all of ebays seller protection rules or they could still try to back charge your account.
To protect yourself you must only ship to the confirmed PayPal address and you must use a trackable shipper. If you use USPS you must use signature confirmation. Delivery confirmation won't satisfy eBay.
You should probably spring for insurance just to protect yourself from him claiming loss or damage.
Follow all of these rules and I dont see how you can get screwed.
Worst case is that he claims that he's not satisfied and then he has to return it to you and you have to refund him.
Of course that could be the scam right there.
You ship a 4S and he claims fraud and returns you a 3G or a brick or something.
Maybe videotape yourself packing and sealing the box.
 
AppleFan115 said:
This guy is located in the United States.
Click to expand...

Virginia to be more precise. It's odd that they've bid so much but haven't won anything and have a seller leave any feedback.

Unless they are buying it and shipping it out of the country then there is no reason for it to be that high.
 
yea what you are seeing is price gouging. I had it happen to me a couple of times.

People use another account to boost up price sold, to make it look like average selling price of an item is higher. (They are not actually gonna pay)

I would contact the low bidders and see if they respond and are serious.
 
Been on eBay for 7years, Best tips I can give you:

1) Set Buyer Requirements because those with 0 feedback = always scammers

2) Cancel Bids via the Cancel Bid form http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?CancelBidShow

3) Continue to monitor who bids and cancel those that you feel fishy about. I havent sold anything in a while but If I'm correct you can cancel bids even up to the last minute...This is the route I take and it always ends with a sucessful bidding/sale.

Goodluck:)
 
Satnam1989 said:
Been on eBay for 7years, Best tips I can give you:

1) Set Buyer Requirements because those with 0 feedback = always scammers

2) Cancel Bids via the Cancel Bid form http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?CancelBidShow

3) Continue to monitor who bids and cancel those that you feel fishy about. I havent sold anything in a while but If I'm correct you can cancel bids even up to the last minute...This is the route I take and it always ends with a sucessful bidding/sale.

Goodluck:)
Click to expand...
If you are new to eBay you feedback will be zero, so your statement is totally wrong.
 
I will never sell a phone through ebay again. Two years ago, sold it, guy paid, and i mailed it. Few days later there was a reverse charge done, he got my phone and i had no sales. And paypal took back thier money.


Craigslist is way to go. might get less money but if meet in a safe place, like i now meet inside the ATT store in my city.. You dictate where and when to make sale, dont let them trick you into an unsecured area or mailing it.

Ebay is just to buyer friendly and sellers has really no rights anymore. But least have cash in hand and no way to rip you off.
 
Satnam1989 said:
Been on eBay for 7years, Best tips I can give you:

1) Set Buyer Requirements because those with 0 feedback = always scammers

2) Cancel Bids via the Cancel Bid form http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?CancelBidShow

3) Continue to monitor who bids and cancel those that you feel fishy about. I havent sold anything in a while but If I'm correct you can cancel bids even up to the last minute...This is the route I take and it always ends with a sucessful bidding/sale.

Goodluck:)
Click to expand...

617aircav said:
If you are new to eBay you feedback will be zero, so your statement is totally wrong.
Click to expand...

No...he's right. New bidders are usually those that have been forced to create new accounts due to problems with their first accounts. It's just smart to let other people deal with new accounts. why take the risk? There are plenty of bidders out there.

For the OP, I would cancel the auction. Just say you broke the phone. Nothing good will come from this auction.
 
willmtaylor said:
I think your reading comprehension is totally wrong; there was nothing incorrect about his statement.
Click to expand...

Elaborate please.

----------
Lamarak said:
I will never sell a phone through ebay again. Two years ago, sold it, guy paid, and i mailed it. Few days later there was a reverse charge done, he got my phone and i had no sales. And paypal took back thier money.


Craigslist is way to go. might get less money but if meet in a safe place, like i now meet inside the ATT store in my city.. You dictate where and when to make sale, dont let them trick you into an unsecured area or mailing it.

Ebay is just to buyer friendly and sellers has really no rights anymore. But least have cash in hand and no way to rip you off.
Click to expand...

I buy low off Craigslist and sell on eBay. Never had a charge back. Craigslist in my are is a buyers market, sellers always settle for less. An iPhone 4 16gb can be had for 150 and an iPhone 4s for 300. My iPad 3 cost me 350.
 
There is obviously something wrong with this individual's bid. I'm just asking for trouble by going through with this. I will just relist it. Thanks for all your help guys.
 
617aircav said:
Elaborate please.

----------



I buy low off Craigslist and sell on eBay. Never had a charge back. Craigslist in my are is a buyers market, sellers always settle for less. An iPhone 4 16gb can be had for 150 and an iPhone 4s for 300. My iPad 3 cost me 350.
Click to expand...

Good for you, so you havnt been ripped off yet, and I hope it never happens to you, It sucks, Craigslist was just another idea for the OP to consider.

And when come to stuff from Apple, after you consider ebay fees, paypal fees, shipping, insurance.. i get close to what i get from ebay without the headaches, But to each their own.
 
willmtaylor said:
I think your reading comprehension is totally wrong; there was nothing incorrect about his statement.
Click to expand...

What are you talking about? I've never bid on anything, I don't even have an account. If I saw something I would like to bid on, and I create an account, am I a scammer because I don't have any feedback? No, I don't have feedback because I just made the account.

I think YOUR reading comprehension is wrong.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back