Paypal gift scam?

OK I’m a seasoned eBay seller and know most of the tricks. I have a situation where I can’t see what the angle is, if indeed there is one.

I have several camera lenses listed for sale on eBay. One bidder has agreed to pay me a high price for it now to end early. I’ve said that I want the money as a paypal gift, which I pressumed was 100% safe – no recourse no scams possible.

When the offer looks to good to be true chances are it is, so what am I missing?

Hacked account..

Am I missing something? You’ve agreed a price to end the auction and you’ve asked the buyer to pay via PayPal gift……and you think there may be a scam?

Where’s the scam?

Some quick research and the above suggestion would suggest that it would be a hacked Paypal account.

The price is 70% of what you can buy it for new and the offer was far too quick to trust for me to feel something isn’t amiss.

To be honest, I never use BIN but I always get asked for what my BIN is so I now state on the listing that there is no BIN but if you want to pay me an unreasonable amount to end early then that amount is £xxx. The aim is to put people off. It doesn’t seem to work.

OK. Good luck with the paranoia treatment. You want to put people off buying your items for more than you would pay for them if you were in the market for 2nd hand stuff? Good luck with the business acumen as well.

Monksie it’s nothing to do with paranoia – if they sent me the money I’m safe as paypal gift cannot be reversed. But if someone’s account has been compromised then they end up in a world of pain and I don’t want to facilitate that.

So, thanks, but the snide remark about paranoia is misplaced.

Mate. You’ve advertised something for sale. Somebody has offered you an amount which appears to be a good price for you but still a 3rd less than the new price. You’ve agreed the offer if payment is made by PayPal gift……and you’re stressing about it being a scam! You’re more than a little prior with the scam suspicion, aren’t you? Why would you think that somebody’s account has been hacked? Because they want the item enough to pay more than you would?
Be careful opening that box of Cornflakes…..there might be Frosties in there!

If the paypal gift transaction was funded by a credit card then the buyer could initiate a chargeback via the creditcard company not paypal. in that situation paypal would reverse the transactions and refund the credit card – losing you the money.

this is quite useful

Why would you think that somebody’s account has been hacked? Because they want the item enough to pay more than you would?

No it’s not this at all – the lens will sell for £600 or very close to it.

It’s because they agreed far too quickly (they originally offered me £500), and were prepared to pay under what would otherwise be unreasonable terms.

f the paypal gift transaction was funded by a credit card then the buyer could initiate a chargeback via the creditcard company not paypal. in that situation paypal would reverse the transactions and refund the credit card – losing you the money.

Thanks for this – very useful contribution.

If you think it might be a scam it probably is.

So you’re asking am I being scammed while trying to scam the eBay fee and asking for PG thus leaving the buyer unprotected?

Are you happy with the offer (including fees)? If you are why don’t you just put a BIN up, let the buyer know and make life easy all round? Oh … I forgot this is STW 🙄

If I was a buyer and someone asked me to pay by Paypal gift I’d be wary. Paypal gift offers the buyer little protection if the seller sends a duff item, as there is little protection.
Its the buyers choice, but if it was me as the buyer I’d be a little wary.

Remeber the guidance on here about buying from the classifieds is not to use paypal gift.

If you think it might be a scam it probably is.

This

So you’re asking am I being scammed while trying to scam the eBay fee

And this 🙂 If it does go tits up neither eBay nor PayPal are going to be interested in helping you!

I would never pay for anything through paypal gift. If someone demands it i’d go elsewhere i’m afraid

I would never pay for anything through paypal gift. If someone demands it i’d go elsewhere i’m afraid

That’s why I ask for it when people ask me what he BIN is. My point is, there is no BIN but since that never stops anyone from asking, I put what I think is as high a price as it would ever sell for. The problem is people are still bloody asking which is why I said ‘sure, pay me via Paypal Gift please’, thinking that no one would be stupid enough to do so.

What is BIN?

(got it now) 😀

trickydisco – Member

What is BIN?

(got it now)
Nope, its Buy It Now. 😉

That’s why I ask for it when people ask me what he BIN is. My point is, there is no BIN but since that never stops anyone from asking,

So just ignore them. If theres not BIN then theres no BIN – say so in the auction and ignore anyone who subsequently asks (because someone always does) for a BIN as they’re probably arseholes. Don’t get into a conversation with them if you didn’t want to have a BIN in the first place.

You’re right of course and this will sound like a big bag of OCD from OCD plc but it’s the fact that I get the red ‘unanswered question’ marker on my listings that doesn’t go away until you reply to the question!

It bothers me!