75mm Summilux for $1,000?

[foto_fool]

Another hijacked eBay account: "I will close this auction early for $1,000! Contact me at..."

Too bad there is so little that can be done to stop these crooks.

- John

 

[awilder]

John, for those of us who haven't been burned by hijacked accounts, can you explain how to spot them? Is it only the $1000 price mentioned that tips you off? Feedback is good (too good @ 100%?) and there are some bids already. If he said $1500 for early closing would the same red flags go up? Thanks.

 

[gertf]

Any 'early closing' makes me suspicious. Why would you close it early, doesn't make any sense to me..

 

[Kim Coxon]

Look at the feedback. This guys sells toy soldiers and other small value items. Sudenly an expensive lens totally out of character. Also any eBay listing which gives direct email info is against eBay policy and therefore suspicious. 😉

Kim

John, for those of us who haven't been burned by hijacked accounts, can you explain how to spot them? Is it only the $1000 price mentioned that tips you off? Feedback is good (too good @ 100%?) and there are some bids already. If he said $1500 for early closing would the same red flags go up? Thanks.

 

[foto_fool]

Only accounts with good feedback get hijacked.

The major tip-off is the request to contact the seller outside the eBay system. I seriously doubt that the email address listed puts you in touch with the seller. If you send an email to the address listed, the scammer will ask for you to send an international money order (possibly not even to an address in Canada, where the seller is ostensibly located) or to otherwise pay outside the eBay/PayPal system.

Also, look at the other items in the seller's transaction history. This guy sells toy soldiers and saxophone parts - not another photo-related transaction in there.

Finally, there is a legitimate way to "end the auction early" - with a Buy-It-Now option. The average recent price for the 75mm Summilux on eBay is $2,300, so you aren't likely to see a BIN price of $1,000 or even $1,500.

But then hey, maybe the seller is just uninformed, Or maybe the lens belongs to someone with whom he/she is ending a relationship. You know - like the apocryphal divorce Porsche for $1. Riiiiight...

- John

Edit: composing the above while Kim was posting - wise advice there, Kim.

 

[awilder]

Everything mentioned makes sense but now the bidding is up to $2125 and climbing with 14 hours left after 10 bids. How does a hijack work? Is it a legitimate ad that was copied and the crook stuck their email address on to get unsuspecting buyers willing to go outside ebay? Where did they get the pictures of the lens and paperwork?

 

[Keith]

I feel so sorry for the poor individuals who get taken by these scams, but ... if you're going to buy any big dollar item from eBay you really need to know the pitfalls and how to spot these sort of shi*heads!

 

[Anupam]

Why would anyone in their right senses bid this up to over $2000. Even if they fell for the scam - it says BIN $1000 right there. It's like people want to give a scammer more money than he's asking for.

-A

 

[Anupam]

Ah, I missed the Darwin angle 😀. That sorts it out, then.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Just for the heck of it, I placed a bid on a fraudulent M7 some time ago... Just hours later, eBay closed the auction and sent me a note with information about the sting.

Now, I felt safe... but still went ahead and changed my password. Just in case. And I have changed it a couple of times, because I felt like it.

So, I wouldn't touch this one, As it was said above, it reeks of fraud. But do tell us if the seller replies! 🙂

 

[Philippe D.]

Just for the heck of it, I placed a bid on a fraudulent M7 some time ago... Just hours later, eBay closed the auction and sent me a note with information about the sting.

Now, I felt safe...

Don't. eBay is not safe.
In the case of your M7, the seller got your email adress, it's useless to change you eBay password. Just never answer to links in eBay email alike !
If eB closed the auction, it's only because somebody had reported this suspect case.
They don't do it on their own.

For this Lux, it is too late to report i guess, eB reaction is too slow.
(edit: obviously, somebody have reported previously, this add is gone 🙂 )

 

[MikeL]

Congrats Fred (aka Slupry) on the Summilux win! Are you going to go for a brand new M8 for $1500 next?
"The seller has over $10,000 in ebay managed purchase protection account"....good stuff.