Hey all,

I won an auction on ebay last week for a Lapierre Froggy (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190873904546?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649). The seller first said they wouldn’t ship until the cash had left their paypal and gone into their bank account. Annoying but tolerable. They then said (on Saturday) that it was sent on Friday, and would arrive on Monday. It’s not arrived as of today. I emailed them several times asking for courier and tracking info, and they said it was some courier that advertises on “an auction site”, but didn’t give any more details. They’re only responding to every third message I send them asking for an update, and are now saying they can’t contact the courier…

I was suspicious enough, but they then had no fewer than 6 high-end bike auctions ending this morning (http://www.ebay.co.uk/csc/kellie9981/m.html?LH_Complete=1&_ipg=25&_since=15&_sop=13&_rdc=1), and another 2 this afternoon.

The pictures all seem to be taken in different places/gardens.

Am I being paranoid, or does this look shifty? Anything I can do? I have a case open with ebay for my transaction, but doubt ebay would do anything about my suspicions without conrete evidence would they?

K

you have to ask?

one of the pics is a bike on a trade booth ffs

Think yourself lucky that you paid through PayPal and eBay as you will have no trouble getting your money back.

^ +1

Sorry to say but looks dodgier than a dodgy thing on dodge day!!

Good luck hope you didn’t PayPal gift 😛

Looks dodgy as. Here is the X flow image:

http://www.mbike.tv/newsmbiketv-detalle/415/NOVEDADES-LAPIERRE-X-FLOW-FULL-CARBON-Y-X-FLOW-LADY

Report the seller to eBay, ASAP.

I think it’s fair to say that you’ve been had

That’s a tough one. Nothing in the original listing that really raises alarm bells other than the low final price. The seller has a few sales feed backs, all good. The phrase taken in part exchange seems odd.

I hope Paypal and ebay get you sorted ASAP

So are we looking at a stolen account or a planned con.

Set up an account, buy and sell some stuff to build up feedback. Then dump loads of high ticket items fast so that you take as much money as possible before the feed back kicks in?

thanks for confirming I’m not just paranoid.

Ampthill – it looks like his/her feedback goes over several years, so doubt they would be planning something so far in advance.

My money is on either a) about to lose the roof over their head or b) hacked account

Have you got the seller’s address/phone number? Which you should have if you’ve paid by PayPal.

What’s the seller’s eBay user ID?

Lots of photos nicked from other auctions.
Your won bike does not physically exist. I’d have stepped well away from that one.
Paypal case time!

BigYinn, there was nothing really to set off alarm bells at the time. Seller had 100+ feedbacks of 100%, item description matched the pictures.

Ebay case already open, got to wait until Aug 8th before I can escalate (unless anyone can tell me otherwise).

John – I tried looking for their address yesterday, but couldn’t see it (oh, actually, don’t think I tried logging in to paypal to see if it’s in there. Sellers user ID is kellie9981

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=266087

I tried looking for their address yesterday, but couldn’t see it (oh, actually, don’t think I tried logging in to paypal to see if it’s in there. Sellers user ID is kellie9981

Send a contact request if you can’t find it – eBay will provide the info for you.

looks like a planned con to me as said ..

paypal agro but should be sorted ?

lets hope the paypal payment is kosher too??? or you be proper ******

The photo and wording seem to be copied from here (march 2013):
http://www.pinkbike.com/u/jasonf14/

Not sure if auction related to that seller.

Yeah, I’m not daft enough to paypal gift for stuff on ebay 🙂 All proper paypal payment, so fingers crossed it will get sorted

Good find couldawouldashoulda! That’s it, absolutely confirmed then! Bombers at the ready, I’m going in!

Why haven’t you opened a Paypal dispute already?

Did the seller ask you to send the money to a different account?

Why would you wait until the money had cleared and into their account. DO YOU REALISE THAT sounds bloody fishy.

£695! I would have collected in person for that price. To good to believe.

£695! I would have collected in person for that price. To good to believe.

You might want to pop in your time machine and warn the OP, Captain Hindsight.

…also, kill Hitler.

TBH I would never buy a bike off eBay unless I could either a) go and see it first and/or b) pay cash-on-collection.

I’m always amazed that people are prepared to part with so much money without seeing the goods first, or at least making sure that the seller is genuine before the trade goes through.

Get reporting his other auctions ASAP. Sayign that if you are the ‘lucky winner’ you wont know anything unless ebay actually contacted you.

BigYinn, there was nothing really to set off alarm bells at the time. Seller had 100+ feedbacks of 100%, item description matched the pictures.

but only 7 feedback as a seller and these are for selling video games and jewelry. Enough alarm bells for me!

You should be covered but I think there is enough warning signs there that you really should have walked away much earlier.

looks like some poor soul has had their ebay account hacked to me, good luck with getting your money back.

just totted that lot up £7k worth of bikes sold this morning 😯

Reported the other auctions a few minutes ago. Looks like there’s 6 other punters who have fell for it this morning though

I’ve opened an eBay case – which seems to tie in with Paypal resolution centre as Paypal already know about it.

Right I am going to wade in here coz it boils my piss, who in their right mind would sell an expensive bike on ebay in a one day auction, anyone bidding on such a thing clearly hasn’t done enough checks or communicated with the seller to satisfy themselves that the bike has not been nicked or is dodgy in any other way. Sorry but is people like the OP who are fueling bike theft & fraud. Hope this episode teaches you to take more care in the future!!

this ^^^

Research and common sense is the key.

I agree to some extent. One day auctions always make me suspicious.

As long as the OP paid Paypal he should be fine. I had a similar experience last year with an iphone. Seller had 4 go though in an hour on the back of good feedback.
I contacted the other winners and got them to file a case as well immediately. This meant I got paid back quicker as it was obviously a scam.
All the best

Item location: birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom

I hadn’t noticed the one day listing. Makes sense for a phone not bike

I only saw the listing on the last day – how can you tell how long it’s been listed for?

[edit – just worked it out – looking at the bid hostory]

WTF! I emailed the seller about an hour ago telling them (her!) that I was onto them, that I’d found the advert on pinkbike and that they’d obviously just copied the wording. Low and behold, they’ve just voluntarily refunded me….

What a decent con artist.

But really…WTF? Either they want to con people or not, not con them and refund them if they object to being conned. Or maybe they hope that people will just forget about the bike they’ve just bought….

Genuinely confused now!

Oh well – at least you got your money back. Let’s hope you’ve learned something today…

No need to be patronising! 😕

This happened before quite recently same sketch,looks like a hacked account as already said.I reported all the items-all bikes with copied pics from elsewhere.They must realise what suckers bike buyers are……

Still report him OP as he needs to be stopped and prosecuted hopefully. I think he has refunded you hoping you will just forget about him and let him carry on.

prob getting greedy & still hoping they can get away with the £7k from bikes sold this morning…

just goes to show how many people are willing to bid on dodgy stuff – unless they were spoof bidding to kill the auctions – but i sadly doubt it

Drag the bike pics from the Ebay auction to google images and watch in amazement as various Gumtree ads appear all using the same image.