EBAY

[Nascarcamping]

Hey everyone, just to let you know there is an excellent guide from new member " BIGOLEPIG" or Mellissa for those that know her :D

Check out the website, we also put it under our " news" column, many thanks Mellissa 8)

[bigolepig]

Was going to mention regarding the eBay stuff...if anyone needs assistance listing items I am always available to help with that. :wink:

[bigolepig]

WANT IT NOW is a place to put requests up for items you want or can not find a current listing for. It is not intended to put you in direct contact with other eBayers to do a deal outside of eBay. I can NOT stress to anyone the dangers of dealing with people outside of eBay...I just baited in a scammer to share with you the dialogue of what they do to try to lure people out of their money for tickets. I will be MORE than happy to take a look at ANY kind of offer you get outside of eBay and give you my opinion on it…

Just wanted to share with everyone a "situation" that arose...

Chris "NASCARCAMPING" posted a listing on the "WANT IT NOW" section on eBay for Pocono tickets...and received the following message back through eBay:

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/Scam1.jpg


Chris contacted me about it since something didn't feel right about this...so this is where I took over...

THIS IS THE ACTUAL EMAIL CONVERSATION:

Scammer: scott_mcgee21@yahoo.com
I see you are interested in Fence Line for Pocono Race Tickets, I want to tell you that i have 8 tickets for sale,i will wait your mail if you are intersted in making a cheap deal.If you respond do not reply to this message.You can reach me of yahoo messenger(my id scott_mcgee21) or you can contact me directly in the same mail. (Notice how he didn’t put his full email address on it…that is because the eBay filtering system would not have let this message go through if he would have attached @yahoo.com to his message he sent through their system)
Thank you and have a nice day

ME
I would like more information on the race tickets you have for Pocono. Thanks.

Scammer:
Tell me please for which date are you interesed.Thank you (Wait didn't he already tell me what date? hmmmmmmmm something is fishy already)

ME
The June 10th race.

Scammer:
I have 8 tickets together in section TERR VISTA SA,row SS.The price is 150$ each. Let me know please haw many do you need.
Pocono 500
Sun, Jun 10 TBD
Pocono Raceway - Long Pond, PA

Thank you

ME
I would need six for sure. Perhaps all eight. Will you post these as a buy it now or how can I pay for them???

Scammer:
Ok.We will make this deal through ebay (square trade ) it's safe for both and it's very fast end easy.All i need is your full name and address and your user id from ebay to proceed .
I will forward your info to ebay and they will contact you with the instructions .Thank you (Square Trade is NOT a method of dealing outside of eBay…it is a mediator program so that IF your transaction through eBay has a problem, they will mediate and help with resolution…they are in no way shape or form a place to initiate a transaction. Clever too how he wants my full name and address…perhaps so he can make the bogus email he is going to send look “official”.)
ME
Oh so this will be a private auction of sorts, as I really don't want to let these seats get away! My eBay id is Phil_McCrackenPA ...when will these ship and how much is the shipping...if I want more tickets will they be available??

Scammer:
Please let me know if you want to buy them and reply me with your info for i can start the shipping.ebay Square Trade is a new service used by ebay for offer protection to the customers and for theyr money . Customers pay for theyr goods and they keep the payments untill they will receive the tickets and after they have received the tickets Square Trade provide the payment informations to the sellers. I will wait your mail soon if you are agree to proceed . Thanks (Is it me, or am I picking up on some broken English??)

ME
Yes, I definitely want the six tickets...if I take all eight will you offer a break on the price. You want 150 per ticket...I would be willing to offer 1000.00 for all eight tickets that would include shipping.

(I figure I might as well haggle for imaginary seats...WHAT is it going to hurt??)

Scammer:
Ok.The price for all 8 tickets is 1000$ with shipping taxes included.

(Wooohoooo a scammer you can deal with...REFRESHING!!)

ME
WOW...what a great deal...I am so happy to get these tickets at such a great price. Thank you so much for working with me on this. Please initiate the process to complete this transaction.

Scammer:
All i need for i can start the shipping is your full name and address and your user id from ebay to proceed .I will forward your info to ebay and they will contact you with the instructions .Thank you

ME
Oh sorry I missed that on your previous email..

eBay user Id phil_mccrackenpa

Phil McCracken (Fill My Crack in...sometimes I kill myself)
18 Fender
Washington, PA 15301

(Figure he is using an alias...I might as well too....I apologize profusely IF there is a person at this address by this name...)

Scammer:
Ok.You will receive the an invoice from eBay Square Trade regarding our deal,you will know all details to complete this transaction .Let me know when you receive the invoice and also when you will be able to complete the deal.Thank you

Not too long after this I received a "very official" looking email from "Square Trade".

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/Scam2.jpg


I apologize for it being unclear...but notice the Square trade logo AND the tell tale sign it is a classic scam...WESTERN UNION!!! He EVEN has the audacity to put a bogus eBay item number on the notification. (eBay item numbers do not have any letters in them…all numbers) If ANYONE every wants you to pay through Western Union…RUN…Western Union is the ultimate “catch me if you can” payment method. Once you pay through Western Union, you give a name the payment is to go to, and they give you a confirmation number. You then give that information back to the scammer as your proof of payment…and he can show up at ANY location in the world, or even two blocks away from you and get his money. That is what makes it so difficult to catch these kind of people. With the combination of eBay and Paypal the transaction is insured, and secure.
So that is when I decided to let him in on MY little scam....

ME
Scott, Albert...whatever your name is this week...YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION to me!!!! YOU are the reason why I work extra hard to alert people about scams such as yours. Thank you so much for all of your time, and enlightening me to how your little twisted scam works.

When you meet your maker I hope you can look him in the eye...you know it is never too late to get right with yourself.


M.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/pig3.gif

Needless to say, I have not heard back from him on this transaction and probably won’t. As you can see...he is VERY polite, and attempts to assure me by offering buyer/seller protection. He even gave me a break on the price. It ALMOST makes you want to believe this guy and thinks he has good intentions. Do not fall for it...if it does not go through eBay...you will not be going through the gates at the event. What is funny as a "test" I decided to post TWO want it now listings under my name today, one for Indy 500 tickets and Talladega tickets..and guess what...He wrote to me, identical message stating he has eight tickets, but guess what, in one day his yahoo id had changed to walker_davison46. I apparently didn't repsond in enough time for this screen name, as I have not heard back from him.

Find a reputable seller who has a listing posted...
Don’t let a seller find YOU!!


With the “want it now” option…the ONLY thing you should get as a response is a notification through your eBay message system that has a link to an auction that is already posted…NEVER a chance for someone to make a deal for you outside of eBay. If you will notice on that first notification it DID come from eBay, but it did state is was being sent anoymously and there is a BIG warning from eBay on the side advising people not to participate in this type of transaction.

Chris is planning on getting a page up on the website about this scam, and hopefully we can get the word out to keep this from happening to other people!

Again, I am always willing to take a look at any auction, or offer you receive. I can smell a rat a mile away... :twisted:

[Nascarcamping]

Thanks mellisa, hopefully we can make this big enough so that others can learn from it as well.

It was only 1 year ago almost to the date I think that I made my 1st purchase on ebay, tickets for Allison Motorhome Avenue at talladega.

But, I can tell you I might have fallen victim to someone like this guy, if i did not learn along the way.

remember that girl who got burned for 9K during the last superbowl?

and that is only the people willing to come forward.....

Mellisa knows her stuff, we are very fortunate to have her on board.

Now I know also who Fill My Crack In is. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[jennyt43fan]

Melissa - thanks for the info and WOW :shock: I guess they make enough money scamming to make it worth their while to take all that time and effort :x

[Shirley]

Melissa, I got some the other day from this person and I got this today.

SP NOTICE: eBay Ask Seller a Question or Contact eBay Member Alert




Dear grannywright1999:

Our records indicate that you received an email from xiyugutuo through our Contact eBay Member or Ask Seller a Question feature. Please be aware that the email might contain a fraudulent offer to purchase or sell an item outside of eBay. We recommend not responding to the sender because the email might be an attempt to obtain your email address.

If you have already completed a transaction with a person who has asked that you take the transaction outside of eBay or if you are a seller who has already shipped an item to the buyer and the transaction was completed outside of eBay, we suggest you take the following steps:

1. Contact the payment service that you used to make the purchase. If you paid by credit card, most card issuers provide consumer protection in online fraud cases.

2. Please complete the Item Bought Outside of eBay form or the Item Sold Outside of eBay form. To access these forms, go to:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/isgw-fraud-non-ebay.html

Click the "Item Bought Outside of eBay form" or the "Item Sold Outside of eBay form" link. Enter your information in the following page and then click the "Submit" button. The information you provide will allow us to work more effectively with law enforcement in case an investigation occurs.

3. If you were the seller and shipped the item to a fraudulent buyer, contact the shipping carrier that you used because the company may be able to assist you further. If you sent the item through the U.S. Postal Service, file a mail fraud claim. To do so, please visit:

http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/

4. Contact the local law enforcement where you sent your payment or where you sent the item. The authorities where the seller or the buyer lives might be able to provide additional assistance. To find local law enforcement, visit:

http://www.usacops.com/

To protect your email and your eBay account, we recommend that you follow these safety tips:

- Do *not* respond to the sender either through the eBay system or your email account. An offer to buy or sell an item outside of eBay is against our policies, might be fraudulent, and will not be covered by eBay protection programs.

- If you received what appears to be a Second Chance Offer for an item that you recently bid on, check My Messages to confirm whether the offer is legitimate. Valid Second Chance Offers appear in My Messages with a blue background and a subject stating, "eBay Second Chance Offer for Item...." If you receive a Second Chance Offer directly in your personal email and it is not in My Messages, that means it is not a legitimate offer. If a Second Chance Offer appears in My Messages with a subject line of "Message from eBay Member," it is not a legitimate Second Chance Offer. Before responding to a Second Chance Offer, make sure it contains both the blue background in My Messages and the subject line of "eBay Second Chance Offer for Item.."

- Never pay for an eBay item using instant cash, wire transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. It's against the eBay Accepted Payments policy for a seller to request payment using these methods. They are unsafe, especially if you're paying someone whom you don't know.

Regards,

eBay Trust & Safety

[bigolepig]

I have received those kind of messages also...they occasionally will "audit" the eBay my message system and send out those messages. I have actually had those messages sent out about ME! When I see an auction that looks fishy, I write to the people who are bidding to warn them, or advise the seller there is an error in there listing etc...and I will get cut off from that messaging system temporarily as they see too much activity and think I am trying to do outside of eBay offers. Here I am just trying to do the "right thing"...

The most important thing in those messages from eBay is to check to see if your NAME and eBAY ID is in the first sentance of the message...if it is not...it is bogus and just delete it. When in doubt if you get a message that appears from eBay... go to www.ebay.com and login in there...NEVER FOLLOW A LINK FROM THOSE EMAILS AND LOG IN...then go to the MY MESSAGES link and see if the same message appears there, they send one to your email and put it in that message center IF it is legit. If it is a bogus email, and you click on the link and attempt to log in there, you could be logging into somebodys scam and giving your eBay ID and password for them to do mischief with... :twisted:

I sat and was pondering that guy I busted...and wondered why he would put so much time into that stuff...then it hit me...IF he had ONE person bite on that a day, considering he was trying to get me for 1000.00 bucks that is a SERIOUS daily wage for doing nothing more than being a scum ball...

I got him "on the line" again today...was using another name...same scheme...was comical though...my WANT IT NOW listing was for INDY 500 tickets...and he writes me that he has 8 INDY 500 tickets. I wrote back that I was interested in the INDY 500 tickets and he wrote back to me. Please let me know which date you are interested in...DOOFUS!! I asked too many questions and he does not like to answer them, would hate to look like a crook I guess...

Will bait the line again and see what I come up with again...my new hobby I guess....
:P

[Nascarcamping]

Every time I am buying a ticket or selling, sure enough someone will send me an e-mail saying " did you sell your ticket?"

Or " are you still looking to buy?"

Or " I saw something like this in another auction"

comments like these, sounding weird and suspicious enough trying to get you to buy or sell, or to get your e-mail address ( melissa maybe you can pipe in here as to why the e-mail address is important :?: )

I guess the bottom line also is to never ever buy outside ebay and never ever use western union, etc...

We should maybe start up a ebay buyers guide for all our members to see 8)

Here is what my bottom line is on buying and selling.

1. Paypal only

2. Ebay buy and sell only.

[bigolepig]

Yes...until you develop a relationship with someone on eBay I would NEVER dream of doing an outside deal. I have people who I have bought and sold from over the last many years, and now we will contact each other about tickets...THAT is fine...but an unsolicited person wanting to buy/sell I would approach with caution, if not run like silly.

ONE big thing I do on my auctions for tickets...I ALWAYS make it a private listing. As these same scammers will look at the bidders list and contact people and state they have additional tickets, and attempt to lure people into the same type of trap. When it is a private listing it will not list the bidders names, just the amounts. I always explain WHY my listing is a private auction and if they are contacted after the auction ends or any time during the auction it is NOT from me and to steer clear of it! I had an instance where a person who bid on one of my auctions but lost fell victim to one of those type of scams and wrote to me to tell me what happened. I felt SICK for this guy and did one of my eBay warning listings, that most of you have seen me do. Kind of what made me get on my Girl Scout uniform and decide someone has to stick up for the race fans. :)

ABSOLUTELY...PAYPAL ONLY!! You have buyer protection when you use it and even if the deal goes south...you have recourse to get most of your money back.

[Nascarcamping]

I see that ebay now does not list who the bidders are any more, maybe this is a way to beat the scammers.

The private listing is new to me, I will look at that next time if I can

[Shirley]

Melissa, What can a person do If they believe that the seller is betting on there on items?

[bigolepig]

You can report it as "Shill bidding" through eBay...send me the sellers name I will take a look at it for you :wink:

Here is the link for that type of infraction and how to report it...

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/seller-shill-bidding.html

[bigolepig]

OH get this...the "scammer" sent me a LATE notice on my unpaid auction!!

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/Scam3.jpg

I responded to him "remind me WHAT this is for"...I can't hardly wait to see HOW they dance around THIS question...if they do at all.

I did more research on the Square Trade program through eBay...no way shape or form a place to initiate a transaction. They do offer extended warranties on purchases, and are a mediator on eBay transactions...

[Beerlifter]

The ebay scammers must be on a roll....I recieved this today. Found it quite interesting since I DON"T have a debit card!!!!!

Dear Value Member,

We are writing to alert you that your balance is not paid, because your
debit card issuer declined eBay's attempt to charge your card with your
monthly invoice amount.

To speed up this process, you are required to verify your personal information.

O n l i n e C u s t o m e r S e r v i c e

As a courtesy, eBay will automatically make a second attempt to charge
your card. This attempt will take place in about 2 to 5 days.

Best wishes,
Jarrod Vogel
eBay Inc - Security.

[bigolepig]

LOL...Isn't Jarrod Vogel the Subway dude??

http://www.newyouexpo.com/2005seminars/jared.1.jpg

Oh just googled him...JARED FOGLE...my bad....at least it rhymes!!

Thanks for the info on that eBay scam Steve!! :wink:

[DaleJr]

hey bigolepig- Just a cool tip for you from a computer guy.... When you are taking screen shots, instead of using ctl + printscn, try using alt + printscrn. The difference is that alt takes only a shot of what window you are looking at and ctrl takes a picture of your whole screen. So now people can't see what time it is when you took the picture, that you are using vista, and what programs you have installed :D

[bigolepig]

Thanks! I fumbled around trying to figure out a way to get that to work...and I didn't like the whole "picture" on there...Learned something new today!!
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/tyjr.jpg

THANKS AGAIN!! :wink:

[DaleJr]

No problem!

[bigolepig]

Just thought I would share something with all of you. I got a VERY interesting "eBay message" last night. This appeared to be in regards to one of the auctions I currently have up. But it was an attempt for me to reciprocate a positive vote for this persons eBay guide. (I am in the top 100 of all of eBay)...This is the message I got...

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/Scammer2.jpg

Yes...it seems harmless....but being the non-trusting soul I am...I decided further investigation was necessary...I checked his guides...nothing I had an opinion on....but THEN I checked his feedback...What I saw DISTURBED ME!! This person has a multitude of .01 buy it now auctions up for solar eclipse "desktop" wallpaper...no biggie right? WRONG!!! Well first off...it cost more than that to post a listing on eBay. So THAT made me skeptical. Then I checked the feedback a little deeper. This is a scam to illegally inflate a persons eBay feedback.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/Scammer8.jpg


Then I checked a few of the people who have "bought" from this person...same thing...bogus or useless items bought and sold...all or most with 100% feedback...


http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/Scammer9.jpg

See how the item descriptions or items sold or bought are listed for .01?? That is a way for them to build their feedback rating to gain bidder confidence. I can GUARANTEE this person will have some HIGH dollar item posted in weeks to come, and there will be a SAD outcome to the auction...I dug a little deeper and some of the people who are "buyers/sellers" who do NOT have 100% feedback, have VERY negative auctions on high dollar listings that the buy paid for but never received...

Feedback is a VITAL part to my decision to purchase from a seller. Now with idiots like this manipulating the system, it makes it imperative to go back and review that persons previous transactions to make sure you are dealing with someone who is completely legit...WHAT will they think of next....So with that said...KNOW YOUR SELLER! Do this kind of research BEFORE you committ to buying!!

[Nascarcamping]

You have uncovered what I have been thinking all along.

I got my coveted " star" after selling/buying 10 items, but to be fair, the amount of money I spent/sold would probably amount to an incredibly higher amount of total sales than most peoples " tiny" or " useless" items.

For example, it did seem unfair and now you have qualified my feelings exactly, especially when I would sell a $ 3,000.00 ticket to Daytona, but still not be " certified" with the star rating and along comes this kind of scammer guy.

Ebay should maybe also list a total dollar amount sold?

I know as a fact that people have bought from me after seeing this website, it gave them a more comfortable feeling.

Due diligence is huge I agree, but then again people dont know unless they are either a victim or incredibly well informed.

Thanks Mellissa, once again you have been a great help, I know for sure that when I buy tickets from someone in the future that I will look for what you have posted.

Make sure you get this to Rose would you please?

This needs to be posted on our website also.

[bigolepig]

No problem on sending this to Rose...I have this fool on my "favorites" list and will watch to see what he comes up with next to sell.

It chaps my ham hocks when I see someone do this kind of thing. I have worked to keep my rating up, and there are fools like this padding their feedback. WHAT I found REALLY interesting about the whole thing is that they are almost all from overseas (your favorite and mine...that xenophobia again) so you know it has to be a deviation off the other scam these fools do. And like you said...you may have a low feedback rating, but that does not translate to WHAT you have sold with positive results. I too have sold season tickets to Bristol, Motorcycles, and other high dollar items...I have noticed eBay is combating this with the new feedback system they have where the item description and price is on there, but it does not list the overall sales a person has done in the last month, six months etc...they give a person a "power seller" symbol IF they have a 1000.00 in sales each month for three months...BUT they can scam this too...all it cost is the eBay fees...nobody really has to exchange any cash...

All I can say is "the pig" is on it...and I will continue to monitor this...

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/pig3.gif

[Nascarcamping]

Not exchanging cash :evil:

never thought of that either :?

I guess they dont have to pay by paypal, so they could pay by cheque?

Then nothing changes hands?

[bigolepig]

I doubt it...I bet it is a "you rub my back, I'll rub yours scheme..." as when I started digging I could find the scammers as a buyer on some of the other listings I checked out...if I put a pencil to it , I would be willing to bet NO money is exchanged at all...YOU KNOW WHAT....THIS is a job for Phil McCracken...I am going to "purchase" one of their listings JUST to see what it is all about...AND leave negative feedback...muhahahahah...

[Nascarcamping]

Good Hunting :twisted:

One mean Pig and a Bus with big chains, we will prevail :!:

[bigolepig]

Well before I comitt to such a large purchase :wink: I am going to ask some questions first...see what kind of answers I get...seeing how if you REALLY wanted these photos, you could right click and get the photos yourself...it either has to be what I previously mentioned, or there is a virus embedded in these files is the only other thing I can think of...ANYWAY upon further review of this guys stuff...check this out..I have NEVER seen this...BANK information so you can do a WIRE transfer for a .01 purchase?? Bizarre!!!

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/Scammer2-1.jpg

I will keep you posted...think I am on to something big...Chris get the chains!!!

[bigolepig]

Alright...I have HAD it with this scammer...I have received my FOURTH request from this guy to "inflate" his guide on eBay...SO that is where I am asking for the assitance of the NascarCamping Army...Please goto this link

http://search.reviews.ebay.com/members/e-belgie

And VOTE NO to his two guides he has posted...I have attempted to ask him questions about HIS auctions and does not respond...so if nothing else it will keep him from getting his guide (which you will see is a crock of bologna) highly rated, and then changing the content on it...

I want to add this is confidential, and this person in no way shape or form will know you have voted for or against these guides...


HELP ME FRIENDS!!!

[Shirley]

You got It. Done.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q9/Shirley_058/SmileyPad%201/galae.gif

[Nascarcamping]

done

[Beerlifter]

ditto

[jennyt43fan]

Yeah - you are onto something there Melissa - I picked someone off his feedback, clicked on them and looked at their feedback...hmmmm.....the same buyer/seller names coming up....and then click on one of them.....recognize any names :? ....and then click on one of them.... :twisted: :evil: It's all a bunch of crock - and unfortunately for those of you that use Ebay in the way it was intended, it's driven people like me out of using it. :evil:

[jennyt43fan]

Oh yeah... :oops: What am I missing - I can only find one guide? :roll:

[bigolepig]

He had three guides the other day when I checked it...when I threw up the red flag and summoned the army, he was down to one...I guarantee that guide he has now will be gone soon, since he is getting nothing but negative...that and the fact that I turned him into eBay for the repeated contacts...sighhhhhhh

[bigolepig]

Well I baited the line on the "want it now" option at eBay and found another type of scam...This person responded to my Want it now post for Daytona 500 tickets... (I want to apologize for the size of these photos, but I left them the larger size so you could read the web address information on the links and be able to compare the subtle changes)
This is the response I received...

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/scamebay.jpg

Okay...I was not born yesterday...the link alone tells me it is not a real ebay auction. I copied and pasted that link to see JUST where it would take me...It was a bogus sign in page to eBay.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/2scaam.jpg

This is a CLASSIC phishing scheme with a new twist...they contact you through the eBay messaging system, but want you to go to an outside link to see the item...then the next thing you see is the Ebay sign in page...so an unsuspecting person might think it is legit, but in all honesty they are trying to steal your log in information to eBay. PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE WEB ADDRESS IT TAKES YOU TO!!!

The REAL eBay log in screen will have THIS information on the address bar...

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/scamebay-2.jpg

Though the text and images are similar...the web address is a dead give away...AND as a twist they want your Ebay email address...THAT is not on a real log in screen. I have NEVER seen that on a eBay phishing attempt. So lets see what kind of response I get if I am stupid enough to play along...

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/scamebay-3.jpg

BIG SURPRISE!! I did not put my correct information in, and I would be willing to bet even IF I did put my correction information in I would have gotten the same response...This information (though it is wrong) is now in the hands of the scam-troll...http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/troll-1.gif

I strongly recommend, if you ever log onto eBay...you do not follow ANY link unless you have first started at the link www.ebay.com. There are small subtle changes...but if you are NOT familiar with the eBay system, and scams someone could fall to this very easily...

Again...just trying to keep a fellow race fan outta harms way!!http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/cha05.gif

[Nascarcamping]

Just to let people know that through Mellissa we have already received " thank you notes" from others whom have learned and actually one person said they almost got scammed by the same person mellissa exposed :shock:

This scammer tried to sell this person some bogus NFL tickets.

The latest guide that mellissa put up should be paid strict attention to.

Here are some pointers that Mellissa pointed for you to remember.

1. Remember at all times where you are. What this means is like she said to always take a look at the address bar and what website you are at.

2. Remember what is on the front page of the real ebay web site.

Many thanks mellissa, the pig is on patrol, who knows this could be the symbol ebay should establish as the " ultimate crimefighter." :shock:

[bigolepig]

OHHHHHHHHH lookie what the scammer responded to this time...

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/pigrace.jpg

I can't WAIT to see how much I can bait him in...BigOlePig500 what an idiot!! This is what the race is going to look like I am afraid...
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/pig-5.gif

[jennyt43fan]

OMG - that's TOO funny!!! Go Melissa..... GO!!! :lol:

[bigolepig]

Here is what became of MY phishing expedition for our resident troll...CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS!!!


Eileen Dover <big0lepig@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hey thanks for your eBay message about the tickets you have for the BigOlePig 500. I am really not choosey as to where the seats are, I will need a total of six. As you know the tickets to this event are practically impossible to find...please let me know what you want for these.

Walker Davison <walker_davison46@yahoo.com> wrote:
Tell me please for which date are you interesed.Thank you

Eileen Dover <big0lepig@yahoo.com> wrote:
The BigOlePig 500, December 20th, 2007 in Snoutpoint,SD.
I am wanting tickets in the Boar Section 401-420.

Walker Davison <walker_davison46@yahoo.com> wrote:

I have 8 tickets together in section 415,row 1.The price is 150$ each. Let me know please haw many do you need.
Thank you (WHAT...YOU HAVE TICKETS TO AN FICTIOUS RACE IN A FICTIOUS PLACE??)

Eileen Dover <big0lepig@yahoo.com> wrote: Wow, row one those aren't very good seats, the fuel burn off is almost intolerable that low. I was wanting something higher up, no lower than row 30 in that section. Thanks for your help though!

Walker Davison <walker_davison46@yahoo.com> wrote:
I am sorry but i dont have row 30 .thanks


Eileen Dover <big0lepig@yahoo.com> wrote:
You don't have anything in a different section in a higher row?? Anything between 401-420, that is right out of turn 7 at that track, so the view is great, you just have to be up high enough to see over to pit road.

UH OH...I think I lost him...quick think of something Piggy!!

Eileen Dover <big0lepig@yahoo.com> wrote:
Actually I just phoned my friend up in SD...and that section is an offset section, it sits approximately 50 feet above the track...so the row one would be acceptable. Just think of the leg room!!

Walker Davison <walker_davison46@yahoo.com> wrote:I have 8 tickets together in section 415,row 1.The price is 150$ each. Let me know please haw many do you need.
Thank you (ANSWER MY QUESTIONS FOOL!!)


Eileen Dover <big0lepig@yahoo.com> wrote:
Okay, like I said those would be fine since those sit up high enough off the track. I have a few questions though. I only need 6 of the tickets. Are these the aluminum bench seating or the individual fold down seats?? Second...those seats are out of turn seven before the figure eight quad oval right? I just want to make sure of that before I actually committ to purchasing them. Because if THAT is the case 150.00 per seat is a steal for these seats.


Walker Davison <walker_davison46@yahoo.com> wrote:

Ok.
The seat is 11-16 together in section 415,row 1.We will make this deal through ebay (square trade ) it's safe for both and it's very fast end easy.All i need is your full name and address and your user id from ebay to proceed .I will forward your info to ebay and they will contact you with the instructions .Thank you

Eileen Dover <big0lepig@yahoo.com> wrote: Can you please answer the previous questions, before I committ to these...Are these the aluminum bench seating or the individual fold down seats?? Second...those seats are out of turn seven before the figure eight quad oval right? I just want to make sure of that before I actually committ to purchasing them. Because if THAT is the case 150.00 per seat is a steal for these seats.


Walker Davison <walker_davison46@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hello,
The places are individual seats, they aren`t aluminium bench . And yes the seats are out of turn seven . I understand your concern and there is no problem with that. If u are pleased and satisfied please send me your full name, full adress and your eBay user id so we can forward the negociations . Thank you !

Eileen Dover <big0lepig@yahoo.com> wrote:WOW...those are incredible seats...with those being the fold down seats and in turn seven, the face value of those has to be 280-300 easy per seat. One other question, do you have the tickets for the Saturday race?? It is the Souix-Oui 400 Busch Series race? I would need six tickets for that race as well. Do you have these tickets in hand, and how quickly would they ship? I want to give these to my grandchildren for their graduation present. (Graduation is May 23).


Walker Davison <walker_davison46@yahoo.com> wrote:
I'm sorry but y have only 8 tickets together in section 415,row 1.for BigOlePig500 December 20th, 2007 in Snoutpoint,SD.Please send me the user of ebay...can y start the transaction for this 6 tickets.

Eileen Dover <big0lepig@yahoo.com> wrote:
So you have these tickets IN hand and can ship upon receipt of payment??

Walker Davison <walker_davison46@yahoo.com> wrote:
Yes i have the tickets in my hand,you will get all the informations about the payment from eBay Square Trade.after you will give me your adress and eBay user they will contact you (YOU GOT IMAGINARY TICKETS IN YOUR HAND...YOU ARE A CHEAT AND DELUSIONAL!!!)

Eileen Dover <big0lepig@yahoo.com> wrote:
As much as I would love to continue this charade with you...I am going to choose to just let you know that YOU are probably the lowest form of life known. I can not fathom WHY you feel the need or the desire to cheat innocent people out of money. The event that I put a "want it now" post up for was totally fictious from the race to the name of town...I just wanted to see just HOW dishonest you really could be...and you exceed the standard for dishonesty. I just hope one day the tables are turned on you...people work hard for their money, and are generally trusting...YOU are the reason why people can not trust the average person.

I am sure you will not have the balls to respond to me or to even acknowledge this email. As I would really like to know what kind of person you really are. I am sure you can hold your head up high and are proud of yourself...


http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/bsflag.gif

[bigolepig]

I did my own "research" on how our pet troll can do this...and it is interesting actually. I determined he can contact a MAXIMUM of 25 people per day per screen name. I did this as an experiment, but I sent out "anti-walker_davison" warnings to people who have listings posted. It limited me to 25...I attempted to do this with my husbands screen name, however it would not let me contact someone through the messaging system with less than a 10 feedback score. So THAT explains the two accounts (that I have discovered so far)...I would just love to be able to figure out all of them and expose all of his accounts so people with that "uneasy" feeling in their gut and they decide to "google" it can find the blog and not fall victim to this TROLL!!

I am curious to see HOW many of these people will respond to me positively/negatively about my "warning" I sent them...I also gave them the website/fan forum info to refer to if they have any doubts...

UPDATE:

Part of the answers from Want It Now users I contacted last night with the warning about our buddy:

Thanks for the tip he did try to contact me. So sick of these
scamers.

Thanks! I'll be alert! Never used WIN before, but thought it might be worth a shot. Don't expect much to happen from the post...

I appreciate your warning- already received "fishy" e-mail from him- is there a way to do something- I wasn't planning on doing anything outside of e-bay anyway- but should be safe for all who want to use it- Thanks again

Thank you for the "heads up" warning! I appreciate it!

Thank You for the warning, he sent me an e-mail just before you did offering me 8 tickets.. thank you again! I've never purchased anything on here and my money is tight so i am very leary of that very thing..it would break my heart...Have a great day





A pigs work is never done...http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/nerd.gif

[Nascarcamping]

Eileen Dover

I leaned over

Doh :D

This time I got it :lol: :lol: :lol:

That is a priceless exchange, our own Nascar race the Big Ole Pig 500,

to bad he didn;t keep on going, and here they are coming out of turn 7...

Man this guy sure is something

Where are my chains...

[redfrog]

I have never used Ebay, but have been thinking about it. I'm am so glad to read this topic before doing anything. I need to tell all my freinds to check this out.
Thanks for all your research Melissa.

[bigolepig]

Thank YOU...I may not be able to stop these people...but the more we can educated the less of a chance they have to hurt anyone!![/b]

[momtomy3boys]

Melissa,

Keep up the good work. Scammers need to be exposed. E-bay is supposed to be an honest website and those types of people give it a bad name. I absolutely love e-bay and fortunately have had only 1 bad experience. YOU GO GIRL!! YOU ARE SO CLEVER :P I love the the Bigolepig 500. Too funny!!

Darlene

[bigolepig]

I just updated the troll conversation...I didn't think I would hear from him...but he thinks HE has ME on the line...hahaha...suuuuuuucker! As well as I posted a FEW of the responses I received from the people I sent out a warning to...all positive!!

[Nascarcamping]

This guy is priceless :x

[bigolepig]

I was thinking useless...ha! Actually he does have a use...get the chains my friend...

[Nascarcamping]

Through our blog we received a notice from someone whom indicated they almost got scammed by this same guy in fake disneyland tickets!

[bigolepig]

WOOOHOOO it's working!! I have been going through the "want it now" posts doing my own damage control, and have asked people IF they are contacted to post up on the blog...ESPECIALLY if he is using another name...and BAM he is!! I am hoping to recruite some new members to the site this way too...So his name is jonathan_paul18 this week...nice!!

[Nascarcamping]

Definetly the same guy, he speaks the same broken English, looks like all your hard work is paying off , ebay should be made aware of this.

How do you get ahold of their security department?

[bigolepig]

I have emailed them until I was blue in the face...so I am taking actions in my own hands...I get the standard "thank you for your report" b.s. and that they can not disclose any on going investigation due to privacy reasons...etc etc...

[bigolepig]

Just wanted to make you all aware of a scam that Shirley stumbled upon and shared with me to investigate.

There are people (I prefer to call them low life bottom dwellers) that have listings up for tractors, horse trailers and other major purchase items. If you check the listings they have some bids on them...when you contact the seller (courtesy of the embedded email link...NOT the eBay messaging system) they email you back to make you an UNBELIEVABLE deal.

This is a copy of the email that Shirley got after she contacted the "seller"...

Hello,

Thank you for your interest in my 2006 Kubota B7800 30HP Diesel 4WD Hydrostatic 50Hour,is in absolutely perfect condition,original paint,there are no cracks,the engine works in perfect

Conditions.The price including shipping and handling will be $2500 US,so you will receive it for free at your shipping address.
The unit is located in Export,PA at the shipping company DAS Express,prepared for shipping.The payment will be done trough eBay,they will work for us as third party because we are

100% protected.
If you are still interested,please come back and I'll response all the questions may you have and I'll give you all the details what you need.

Warm regards.



Robert Vesquez
International Motorcars of Pitsburg
EBay Motors Powerseller : imotors

What caught my eye was the fact that the listing was posted by a legit seller named beanieseveryday I checked this sellers feedback 100% glowing feedback...problem is they have NEVER sold anything...just have purchased items on eBay. That troubled me. I clicked on the "email me" link that was embedded on the auction itself...it was to an aol.com account. So I went with my gut on this one, and sent the following message to the "legit" seller through the eBay messaging system to see if my gut was on track.

[i]Just wanted to let you know that someone has hijacked your eBay account. They have posted a tractor under your name, and are doing a classic eBay scam...apparently your user ID was compromised at some point. IF it is not too late please contact eBay about this...I am hoping this message will make it to you, as they usually change the contact email information as well...please, please...contact eBay before your user ID is lost due to a scammer!! I am a top 100 guide writer and try to alert people to these kind of scams!!

I received the following response from the owner of the seller's account being exploited...

[i]THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE EMAIL!!. I CONTACTED EBAYABOUT THIS, I CHANGED MY PASSWORD AND TOLD EBAY THAT SOMEONE STOLE MY PASSWORD AND OPENED A SELLERS ACCOUNT, USING MY ID. I CONTACTED CUSTOMER HELP. DO U KNOW IF I NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. THIS NO GOOD SOB, I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN TOME. PLEASE LET ME KNOW THANKS

So my best guess is the "real" seller's account was compromised at some point, perhaps one of those lovely emails that make you THINK it is from eBay. You click on it to respond and think you are logging into the eBay system, but instead you are handing off your log in information to one of these scammers so they can post up a bogus auction, and insist that you contact them through direct contact (the email address that is posted within the listing) Some will go as far as to say NOT to contact them through eBay.

BOTTOM LINE HERE...

IF YOU GET A MESSAGE AND IT CLAIMS TO BE FROM EBAY

1) Do not click on any of the links on the original email.

2) Type in www.ebay.com into your internet browser...again, do NOT click on the "respond now" "log in" from the email you receive.

3) Check your MY MESSAGES center in eBay. IF it is a legit email, it will appear in THAT area. It is safe to respond through that method. If it is NOT in your message center...it is NOT legit...and you should delete it immediately...unless you want to forward it to me so I can wreak havoc on them...hehehe...

[Shirley]

My husband is pissed But, I Thank You.

Job Well Done.

[bigolepig]

I got another email from that lady...she said eBay has suspended her account.

Thanks again to Shirley for bringing this to my attention... :D

Here is a page from eBay of what you should do IF you think your account has been compromised...it has a live chat link at the bottom so you can start a direct chat with an eBay representative to start the process to restore your account.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/isgw-account-theft-reporting.html

Again, I can not stress it enough...I NEVER follow a link to get to eBay from an email, website, etc...I have it typed into my web browser and will only access it from there...there are some pretty convincing emails that come through, some of which I have almost fallen for myself...but then there is that skeptical pig screaming inside saying "DONT FALL FOR IT!" I had one today that I got, it was an email from someone stating they didnt like the "tone" of my email to them. I knew I had not sent anything to anyone, but my first urge was to hit the "respond now" button on the email I received and to give that SOB a piece of my mind. I guess the figure they will find the right button to push to get someone to respond...

Keep'em coming...I love that kind of stuff!!

[Nascarcamping]

Shall I get my chains ready :twisted:

Good work as always :D

[Shirley]

I hope that you have alot of Chains. I found 10 more this morning. What can we do to help clean up Ebay?

[Nascarcamping]

Keep exposing them, actually, I will talk to Rosie, this may also be a good thing for the media to follow :P

[MrBuddy]

WOW what a education I have never used EBay to buy or sell but if I ever plan to I'll come here first
Thanks everyone

[JimmieJohnson]

Ya I get nervous everytime I buy anything on ebay :x

It would make sense for ebay to protect its users more from scammers, so we all would use it more. I know they have the money to or could have some kind of purchased insurance

[Shirley]

I have learned a lot from Melissa about ebay. When my husband ask me about this GREAT Deal that he had found on ebay on a tractor the first thing that I saw was a PIG. It was like this PIG was telling me to RUN. So, I emailed Melissa as fast as I could and she emailed me back and said "RUN". My husband went to work today and is telling everyone that he has to ask his wife and a PIG if he can bet on any good deals on ebay. :lol: So, he started showing his boss at work these GREAT Deals. And his boss said "I will buy it" then my husband showed him the scam. He said that he will show this to everyone he knows and hopefully the word will get around. And we can all slow down this kind of business.

[Shirley]

Melissa, I sent a message to the Ask the seller a Question link that ebay had not the link the scam and I got the scammer. I asked him for more info on the bobcat and I got this email.

Hello,
I have received your email regarding my skid steer S300 Bobcat Skidsteer Loader W/ 8811 Backhoe.
First you have to know bidding is restricted since I am carefull with my auction,so none will press the button until I have the assurance that he will buy it.
The skid steer is in perfect condition,with no scartches on it,no damage.The price for the skid steer S300 Bobcat Skidsteer Loader W/ 8811 Backhoe with shipping included, is 6000 USD.
The skid steer had to be a present for my brother as he loves this very much ,but he did not enjoy it as he died in a car accident 2 month ago. It brings very bad memories for me ,so here is it,I want to get rid of it as my mother also can not stand looking at this skid steer .Here people wont pay this amount for a skid steer as they prefer to buy a car for this money,so here it is.
All the manuals and the original documents are in English.It is made for US market and has US specs on it .
The buyer will receive this along with all papers and recipts that he needs to register it in his name.
The skid steer is in Europe, United Kingdom and it will be shipped from here.
Shipping will be done via Samskip and it will take no more then 6 days.I have a friend at Samskip who will manage me a low price shipping and I assumed that it is from me to pay for shipping it.When I will shipping it,I will declare it as a gift so that you will pay no custom when you will receive it and for this it will be delivered directly to your address.
The most important thing in all my activity here is that I am affiliated at eBay Business Equipment Purchase Protection, I have a purchase protection account for 20.000$ and I assume you know what this means.
The financial part of this deal will be manage by them. They are accting like a third party in this deal. They will keep the payment details until you receive it and test it. Also,in case you do not like the skid steer S300 Bobcat Skidsteer Loader W/ 8811 Backhoe or you are not satisfy they will refound you 100%.
Anyway, I have to let you know that I want a fast deal so if you are realy interested in buying it, please reply with the following informations:
-Your full name;
-Your full shipping address;
-Your eBay user id.
I will look for your email,so that we can move forward with this deal!
Regards!

There is alot of NO, Noooo's in this one.

[bigolepig]

OH MY...What a crock of dootie!! I LOVED the part about his dead brother and it brings too many memories...what a riot. :lol: Makes you want to believe that they just want to get rid of it at any price, because it is too painful to even look at...

Like I have said in the past...I would not hesitate to purchase things on eBay, but I am very selective on WHO I buy from. I always check the feedback (look at what they have bought and sold in the past...that and I am just that nosey of a person). I ask a ton of questions, and I always go with my gut. I have NEVER been burned on eBay...but I am extremely skeptical and cautious. I would rather pay a verfied, reputable seller a few more dollars, than to get hosed by a crook to save a buck. Go with your gut...

[Nascarcamping]

My guess is NIGERIA :evil:

There was a good thing on TV last night Dateline maybe all about this kind of stuff.

Well done as always :D

[bigolepig]

I just HAD to share this eBay listing description with you...I am wondering if I am in the minority here...but I don't think this is a good selling point for this guys tickets...


These are my season tickets, and they are EXCELLENT SEATS! I have great footage of Tony Stewart climbing the flag stand right in front of us!!!!! Seriously, you cant buy better seats than these. They are right on the start finish line. What I like best is that they are on row 3, right on top of the action. I love to leave with track and tire rubber on my face. A jumbo tron is directly across from these seats as well for a view of the backstretch. In my opinion, if you want to sit high, you may as well watch it from your tv at home.

Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to go. I am producing a hunting/fishing show, and this race falls on opening weekend of deer season, so it conflicts with work.


However, I DO NOT want to give up my awesome season tickets, so I just sale the fall tickets. Let my loss be your gain! There are two sets of tickets next to each other for sale if you need more than 2.


With season tickets, you have the opportunity to buy pit passes thru the speedway. Buy these in advance, then check into getting pit passes to complete your experience.

With your purchase, you will get:

(2) Qualifiying Tickets for November 1
(2) Truck Tickets for November 2
(2) Busch Tickets for November 3
(2) Nextel Cup Tickets for November 4


All of these tickets (with the exception of Qualifying which is general admission for everyone) are on Section PL 109 ROW 3!!!!! Seats 15-16.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask

[JimmieJohnson]

Ya its great to watch a race with your eyes shut :roll:

FEEL the action :!:

[bigolepig]

Must be in it for the pace laps...as I you can't even tell who is going by from that low... :roll:

[Shirley]

This guy is full of it.

[Nascarcamping]

anybody just get a ebay scam mailed to them by email?

I did, it says click here but you will get taken to another scammer site, lets see where this goes.....

[Nascarcamping]

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I clicked on the link and Norton stopped from going to it :shock: 8)

I will try to post what Norton said, pretty cool though I have never seen the anti-phising feauture work before :twisted:

[JimmieJohnson]

Man as cool as the internet is, it can also be a very scary thing. :shock:

[bigolepig]

Yeah my virus/spyware scanner will not let my curiosity run free at times. I have had that happen to me when I decide to "investigate" some of the crap I get...that screen comes up with the spyware scanner and I feel almost violated...lol

[bigolepig]

Just thought of something I wanted to share with you all about eBay auctions.

NEVER bid on something that has an inflated shipping price. WHY...you ask?? Simple...

There are very dishonest eBay sellers who post big money items for a fraction of the cost, where they make up the differance is the shipping charges. Example: Lowlife seller has an IPOD listed for 9.99, but then charges 99.99 in shipping. No big deal you think, as a new IPOD runs around 150-400 depending on what you want...and this would be saving me x amount of dollars. So you bid on it...when the item arrives or if it arrives it will be drastically different from the description. You re-read the description it says they will offer a refund of the purchase price. OUCH!! That is the 9.99. You just bought the farm with the shipping and handling fees on that one. The seller is ONLY obligated to refund the PURCHASE price of the item in cases of dispute.

This is also a method that people who are trying to cheat the eBay system out of the fees that you have to pay for the listing. eBay charges a fee based on the "final auction value" of the item...

If someone is willing to attempt to cheat the system...chances are they are willing to cheat YOU. http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/thdroh.gif

[bigolepig]

Hey ya'll....
Found another message board yall might want to check out, or use as a source of information or for reporting scammers...If I didn't know it better, I would think I am related to some of these people....

www.thescambaiter.com

[jennyt43fan]

What a great website - hours and hours of amusement on there!!

[Buddlite]

Thanks for all this great info. melissa I might have to contact you about how to sell something on ebay down the road here. Have only bought never sold. I'll pm you when ready OK? Gail

[bigolepig]

Thanks for all this great info. melissa I might have to contact you about how to sell something on ebay down the road here. Have only bought never sold. I'll pm you when ready OK? Gail

No problem...I just sold all of NorthShore's parking passes for him...Just let me know!! :wink:

[bigolepig]

Mr. Nascar asked me a question today and we thought it would be of benefit to share this with the rest of the group.

His question was "when I sell something on ebay and people then pay me, I leave them feedback immediately, this is correct isnt it?"

Though there is no eBay rule about this...to me the appropriate way is to leave feedback for the buyer as soon as the payment is received. I always put in the terms section of my eBay auctions that I leave feedback upon receipt of payment. This is for two reasons, it is an acknowledgement of the payment and boosts buyer confidence in me. I feel that is the only way the system should work. After the buyer makes their payment, THEIR end of the transaction is completed.

Some sellers will hold feedback hostage until the buyer receives the item and posts feedback for them first. WHAT? Does that seem fair?? They want to know what you are going to say about them, their product and their service BEFORE they will post feedback for you?? That does not seem fair...Some sellers will argue, it is because people try to scam them, or post negative feedback without trying to resolve an issue if there is one. So, you can put your feedback rating in jeopardy by being honest with these type of sellers. Let's say...you pay immediately after a "BUY IT NOW" type auction. The seller takes a week or more to ship the item, and charges you for priority mail and ships parcel post. Two weeks later you receive the item...you opt to post "neutral feedback" about the transaction due to the slow shipping. The seller will post neutral or negative feedback for you. Does not seem fair, but in order to justify their poor service or product, this is their tactic. Or, you can do like me leave the standard "As Described" as positive feedback, as I do not want to risk loosing my 100% feedback with a seller who withholds feedback. That is what they refer to as a "Soft Positive".

eBay has recently changed their seller feedback system in May 2007. Instead of just the number next to a sellers name, they now have a five star rating system you can review. When a buyer posts feedback for the seller, in addition to the narrative portion of the feedback, there is four specific areas of the transaction you can rate. After 10 transactions this information is listed.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/ebay.jpg

This part of the feedback system is based on the sellers average rating from previous buyers. You can post positive feedback for the seller, but when you complete this portion, you could rate them lower on their shipping time.

Anyway...if you are thinking about buying...and unsure of the seller, ask them if they post feedback upon receipt of payment as a "tie breaker". An honest seller, will always post upon receipt of payment.

If you are selling, keep this in mind and use this as a tool to boost your sales. You will have return customers this way...and it is just "good business".

Until next time... http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/turningpig.gif

[Nascarcamping]

Mellissa, many thanks, once again I am learning, and you confirmed what I thought of this seller.

To withhold rating someone until they receive it and rate you is simply wrong.

You confirmed what I thought, many thanks:D

[StarrBright]

Mr. Nascar asked me a question today and we thought it would be of benefit to share this with the rest of the group.

His question was "when I sell something on ebay and people then pay me, I leave them feedback immediately, this is correct isnt it?"

Though there is no eBay rule about this...to me the appropriate way is to leave feedback for the buyer as soon as the payment is received. I always put in the terms section of my eBay auctions that I leave feedback upon receipt of payment. This is for two reasons, it is an acknowledgement of the payment and boosts buyer confidence in me. I feel that is the only way the system should work. After the buyer makes their payment, THEIR end of the transaction is completed.

Some sellers will hold feedback hostage until the buyer receives the item and posts feedback for them first. WHAT? Does that seem fair?? They want to know what you are going to say about them, their product and their service BEFORE they will post feedback for you?? That does not seem fair...Some sellers will argue, it is because people try to scam them, or post negative feedback without trying to resolve an issue if there is one. So, you can put your feedback rating in jeopardy by being honest with these type of sellers. Let's say...you pay immediately after a "BUY IT NOW" type auction. The seller takes a week or more to ship the item, and charges you for priority mail and ships parcel post. Two weeks later you receive the item...you opt to post "neutral feedback" about the transaction due to the slow shipping. The seller will post neutral or negative feedback for you. Does not seem fair, but in order to justify their poor service or product, this is their tactic. Or, you can do like me leave the standard "As Described" as positive feedback, as I do not want to risk loosing my 100% feedback with a seller who withholds feedback. That is what they refer to as a "Soft Positive".

eBay has recently changed their seller feedback system in May 2007. Instead of just the number next to a sellers name, they now have a five star rating system you can review. When a buyer posts feedback for the seller, in addition to the narrative portion of the feedback, there is four specific areas of the transaction you can rate. After 10 transactions this information is listed.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/ebay.jpg

This part of the feedback system is based on the sellers average rating from previous buyers. You can post positive feedback for the seller, but when you complete this portion, you could rate them lower on their shipping time.

Anyway...if you are thinking about buying...and unsure of the seller, ask them if they post feedback upon receipt of payment as a "tie breaker". An honest seller, will always post upon receipt of payment.

If you are selling, keep this in mind and use this as a tool to boost your sales. You will have return customers this way...and it is just "good business".

Until next time... http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/turningpig.gif

WOW! Great advice!!!~~ I have run into that alot..And it makes me Mad because I figure when they recieve MY ALWAYS FAST payment, then MY part is done...I should ASK them about their feedback policy first, and If it isnt the "right Way", shop elsewhere..I am a Charm-aholic...I have bought alot of charms, and ALOT of them DO that, they wait for ME to give feedback first, and that Just is not right if I keep MY end of the deal, and their's is poor service..BUT I dont want to scar MY perfect feedback either! because, unlike THOSE people--I HAVE EARNED my Feedback!! Oh, I see now,that I have ALOT to learn in Ebay..

[Nascarcamping]

EXACTLY:twisted:

[Shirley]

Starrbright, you can learn alot about ebay here. The Pig is a great teacher. We have learned alot. Just ask Steve. He didn't get his tractor because of Big. :-D ;) It was the deal of a life time.

It make me so mad when people wait until I post before they will make a comment. I refused to take back my negative feedback that I left for a seller because he posted a negative feedback only after I left one for him. Then it was only after I filed a dispute about him that he decide to talk to me. I won the dispute and got my money back.

[StarrBright]

It make me so mad when people wait until I post before they will make a comment. I refused to take back my negative feedback that I left for a seller because he posted a negative feedback only after I left one for him. Then it was only after I filed a dispute about him that he decide to talk to me. I won the dispute and got my money back.
And So did you get your negative feedback fixed also ???

[Shirley]

And So did you get your negative feedback fixed also ???

No, I made a note on the feedback that I won the dispute. Ebay, sent a letter saying that we could agree to a fix but I refused.

[bigolepig]

You know that is funny Shirley...The ONE time I got bad feedback it was from a seller who re-nigged on a deal. I put in a bid for some Texas Rangers Baseball tickets...I got an unbelievable deal on some lower level seats. I swooped in at the last minute, bid, and won. I paid immediately. I got four lower level seats for less than 25.00 with shipping. I got the confirmation that the payment had been received. Woooohoooo me and the kids are celebrating our good fortune. A few minutes later, I got ANOTHER email from Paypal...a REFUND?? What the??

So I contact the seller and ask "What is going on?" The seller claimed the tickets were "Accidently thrown out" (and they didn't bother to take the auction down?) So I researched their feedback and found they had used this excuse on several auctions...

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/ebay-1.jpg

So in my anger I posted negative feedback...only to have it posted back about me. I had to withdraw my feedback on her to restore MY feedback. Didn't seem fair...seeing how this person had a history of this. But, even if you "withdraw" the feedback what you write still stays on the feedback forum...the "negative mark" on the overall rating just gets taken away. So, I left my mark on hers...and if anyone goes digging they will see my comment along with everyone else that left negatives for her. Granted, if you go back through my feedback, you can see where her retaliatory feedback was left...however, it shows I have a 100% feedback rating. It was worth it to me to withdraw the feedback rating...just not the comments.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/ebay-2.jpg

As you can see by there feedback rating symbols the Red negative mark is not next to my comments but the comments do in deed stay for review by the world...Regardless my negative still holds it's weight among the other VERY unhappy customers. (One of which was told THEIR tickets were "accidently destroyed...) Seems familiar huh??


I will admit...At one time I did attempt to do some selling as a "Trade Assistant" on eBay. I started selling some stuff for a guy here locally...I should have went with my gut, but I like to believe that people are honest...Anyway. He had me sell an odd assortment of things...Clocks, Trombones, Banjos, Computer parts...Well the first few auctions went great...then the trouble started...I get an email from the buyer of the "rare Elvis album"...turns out it was not what he claimed it to be...Strike one...was able to satisfy the buyer and get it resolved dodging any negative marks. Second, complaint...claimed some rare tape of the Carter Family...man got it, played it advised it was a reel to reel recording of a 78 rpm record...WHAT...resovled that...refunded the man's money. Dodged that bullet. Then came the guy that I sold the fourth CPU fan to...I logged on to eBay...WHAT...Negative feedback??? I read it, and am horrified. The CPU fan was broken, and apparently used and burned out. The guy slammed me with negative feedback over a 3.00 auction (think it was 6.50 with shipping). I explained to him that I was selling through the "Trading assistant" program (which my auction clearly stated)...and that I would refund his money 100% plus shipping...and he would not have to even return the item. He agreed to mutally withdraw the feedback.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u138/bigolepig/idiot-2.gifNever sell for idiots again...Never Sell for idiots again...

Needless to say, I stopped selling for him THAT moment...and only sell for people I know (...Right Northshore?? ;)) and I only sell stuff that I have a working knowledge on or at least can do research on, so as to avoid this kind of situation again...

[Shirley]

At the time I didn't know that if we both agreed then the feedback would stay there just no negative sign by it. Now that I know more about ebay I would take it back. But, this guy was just a http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u170/tiltedkitty_2007/mobmain.jpg about the whole thing. I should check back and see if he is even on ebay now.

[bigolepig]

Check this out...

eBay Bans Sellers from Leaving Negative Feedback for Buyers
By Ina Steiner (ina@auctionbytes.com)
AuctionBytes.com (http://www.auctionbytes.com/)
January 29, 2008
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y08/m01/i29/images/ebay_dsr.jpg

eBay is making sweeping changes to its Feedback program, including prohibiting sellers from leaving negative or neutral feedback ratings for buyers. The changes come a year after eBay introduced controversial Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) in which buyers are able to leave anonymous ratings for sellers based on four criteria.
eBay will announce today that beginning in May, sellers will no longer be able to leave negative or neutral Feedback for buyers. eBay said the current system prevents buyers from leaving honest Feedback as they fear retaliation from the sellers if they leave a negative. "This makes it hard for buyers to distinguish between sellers while making bidding or buying decisions. In addition, when buyers receive negative Feedback, they reduce their activity in the marketplace, which in-turn harms all sellers."
While this will be highly controversial, sellers may be pleased at one part of the changes: eBay will remove Negative and Neutral Feedback left by members who are suspended or who fail to respond to the Unpaid Item Process (deadbeats). Negative or neutral Feedback left by currently suspended members will be removed in late May/June. eBay is also increasing the number of buyers a seller can block from 1000 to 5000.
In addition, buyers and sellers will be able to earn up to one Feedback rating per week from the same trading partner beginning in February in order to encourage repeat transactions and reward good service - another change sellers may welcome.
Positive Feedback percentage will be based on the past 12 months of Feedback, rather than lifetime. Buyers must wait three days before leaving negative or neutral Feedback, and instead of 90 days, members will be able to leave Feedback for 60 days.
eBay's rationale for the changes are:
One, Buyers will be more honest when they leave Feedback since they will not fear retaliatory negative Feedback.
Two, Buyers will bid more and higher since their trust in the Feedback system and the sellers will increase.
Three, Our best performing sellers will be able to differentiate themselves from all other sellers and increase the amount of business they receive as buyers gravitate towards them.
Four, Sellers will leave Feedback upon payment more often in order to increase their chance of receiving positive Feedback.

[JimmieJohnson]

Sounds good. :D

[Shirley]

:cool:

[bigolepig]

Here is a link of what I have already told ya'll...!!

http://scams.flipshark.com/safefeedback.html

Confirms my instincts were dead on!! I think this has alot to do with the changes that eBay is making in the feedback system and the rate hike...may keep alot of these idiots from posting the "buy feedback" type auctions if it is actually going to cost them money...

Now I need to conquer Craig's List...yeah right...has anyone ever looked at that place? Scares me!! Toooooooo raw and unregulated...prime time location for scammers to find new blood.

[Shirley]

Yeap, Steve and I was looking on Craiglslist to find a camper. We found alot there. You have to go and look just like you would on ebay.