Another ebay scam?

I recently sold a finder here on rff
When I went to the post office the receipt showed 4 days for priority
Mail from ny to conn about double the normal delivery time
So it may show up yet
 
I'm with you on this Huss -- if the seller is unresponsive that would seem to me to be big red flag. If you paid ebay with a credit card I would also contact the credit card folks and protest the charge, so they hopefully put a hold on it.
Huss, I think I bought a Canon P from you a few years back -- still loving it!
 
Even in far-away Australia there is a big delay in deliveries. I ordered some film that was in stock in Perth, 400km away, on Monday 23rd March and it showed up today, 31st March. Normally that's an overnight delivery.
John Mc
 
Goody said:
I'm with you on this Huss -- if the seller is unresponsive that would seem to me to be big red flag. If you paid ebay with a credit card I would also contact the credit card folks and protest the charge, so they hopefully put a hold on it.
Huss, I think I bought a Canon P from you a few years back -- still loving it!
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Glad you like that P! It took me a long while to find that one w/o wrinkled shutter curtains!
 
I'm in the midst of one as well. eBay ad showed shipment by USPS, and I was given a tracking number but it is not a number that any carrier I can find recognizes. "Seller" replied to my initial request for info but simply said it has shipped "don't worry!" and despite a guaranteed delivery by 3/26 nothing, and radio silence from further requests for information.
I have a $5 voucher for the late delivery from eBay, and have started a complaint. Still waiting for the seller to respond.
 
I'm not worried about losing money as I used PayPal, I opened a case with the Post Office to see if they can find the package. Of course the seller should be doing this but he has disappeared..
Tomorrow ebay steps in.

FYI I just received a package of film from Blue Moon photo in Oregon via USPS that took 3 days to show up. So that shipment had no issues! FYI it is the new ortho Plus film from Ilford. I just love how ortho film looks!
 
I filed a case with the post office, after still no response from the seller, and got this in reply:

"Our USPS records indicate the package has been delayed in transit as of 3/19/20. The probable cause for the delay is some sort of label/damage issue, that has prevented the delivery. The package will be returned to the sender, if possible. The package was insured with USPS by the sender. Please feel free to contact me if you need further assistance."

I let ebay know and asked for a refund, I had paid with PayPal.

So with that message, and the fact that the sender did not respond to any of my messages, suggests that it could have been a scam. Send out a package that was damaged/looked like someone had stolen what was inside it, claim on insurance and/or try to keep the money from the sale.
Of course, it could have been completely innocent and the package was sent properly with the damage happening in transit. But the fact that the seller ignored all attempts at contact seems off.
 
A seller avoiding contact always gets my hackles up. I've only ever been scammed once on Ebay (and got my money back from Ebay) when someone selling an Alpina steering wheel in Germany told me he'd developed terminal cancer and was going into a hospice, so no more contact. 6 Years later and he's still on there!
 
Result - ebay refunded the $$ today.

It was a scam, the seller put in what ebay called an invalid shipping #, which is why USPS classified it as a label issue. Confirmed by his lack of contact.
So even though it was in the system, it did not actually exist.

FYI this was for a Zeiss Ikon ZM.

Anyway, I used PayPal for buyer protection and this is a heads up that just because a shipping label seemed to have been created and was entered, does not mean it actually is legit. The clue is when it stalls in the tracking system.
 
Huss said:
Result - ebay refunded the $$ today.

It was a scam, the seller put in what ebay called an invalid shipping #, which is why USPS classified it as a label issue. Confirmed by his lack of contact.
So even though it was in the system, it did not actually exist.

FYI this was for a Zeiss Ikon ZM.

Anyway, I used PayPal for buyer protection and this is a heads up that just because a shipping label seemed to have been created and was entered, does not mean it actually is legit. The clue is when it stalls in the tracking system.
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Sorry to hear about that. Glad you got your $ back, but a shame not getting the camera. The worst trend that's developed in recent years is getting a "It's shipped" message (done by most big internet retailers) when in fact someone has just printed a postage label.
 
This won't help the OP but preach sista, preach! I've bought some great stuff on this forum that I still have and enjoy. Yeah Helen, that V3 is awesome :)

helenhill said:
I stopped buying from EBay
My first choice is here in our classifieds
then reputable dealers after I look at Their website , I do via phone , No Tax if not in same state (unlike Ebay now that always charges tax)

But I get it if you need an unusual item, or just plain hard to find... than there’s ebay

Yes I am an oddity.., I don’t do Prime, why make Bezos any richer, can wait for my toys normal Shipping time... Left Facebook 8 years ago, enough of Zuckerberg & his ways
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Guy Pinhas said:
This won't help the OP but preach sista, preach! I've bought some great stuff on this forum that I still have and enjoy. Yeah Helen, that V3 is awesome :)
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Actually I have bought some fantastic stuff on ebay, and the few times that things have gone wrong I have always got my money back with no issues.

On the other hand, I have been shafted three times buying in the RFF classifieds from sellers who were active members. So I prefer to buy from a place where I have solid buyer protection.

I still buy from RFF, but only from someone that I know I can trust.
 
Huss said:
Actually I have bought some fantastic stuff on ebay, and the few times that things have gone wrong I have always got my money back with no issues.

On the other hand, I have been shafted three times buying in the RFF classifieds from sellers that were active members. So I prefer to buy from a place where I have solid buyer protection.

I still buy from RFF, but only from someone that I know I can trust.
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Whoa! This is good to know.

I have had good luck purchasing on eBay and Etsy. Never had an issue.

Glad things worked out for you.
 
Huss said:
I still buy from RFF, but only from someone that I know I can trust.
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That's my policy. Not that I personally know them (except for one or two). I have no problem buying from a member whom I or others have interacted with on the forum, over time. Would it be useful to make a list, or a sticky, of members we have confidence in?
 
Rob-F said:
...I have no problem buying from a member whom I or others have interacted with on the forum, over time. Would it be useful to make a list, or a sticky, of members we have confidence in?
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Well, RFF does have a feedback forum for Classified sales, here:

Rangefinderforum.com > Cameras / Gear / Photography > Rangefinder Forum > Help / Feedback forum > User Feedback
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23762
 
Sadly, in these free-for-all, everything-for-little-or-nothing times, Ebay scams are ten a penny. The worst I've had to deal with involved a Melbourne seller last year who bought a Contax G1 from me, then had buyer's remorse and got Paypal to refund his money (which was taken from my bank account) before he returned the camera, which he arrived two weeks later, badly packed and grimy with fingerprints.

A major complaint to Ebay including a threat (which I fully intended to act on) to take the case to an appropriate Australian government consumer agency, eventually saw all my fees and one postage cost, refunded to me.

This same seller also scammed two friends who had listed photo gear. In each case, he bought an item but then decided to return it. Their cameras came back without any batteries, lens covers or hoods and in one case, a brand name UV filter. I escaped all that, having sold only the G1 without any additional bits. Lucky me.

We all complained to Ebay and Paypal. Without success. Ebay did bother to respond (after two weeks) but Paypal ignored us. It's 'customer service', yeh.

To add insult to injury, a few months later the same buyer emailed me (via Ebay) to ask if I wanted to sell another of my G1s (I have four and I had told him this in an email before he bought) and bypassing Ebay/Paypal entirely. My reply (also via Ebay email) must have set his home computer on fire...

After that mess I vowed to never, ever sell anything again on Ebay even if it meant I would starve. Since then (almost one year ago) I've bought two small items from Ebay at good prices, but I will never list an item as a seller with them again.

Paypal is also a big pain in the pooter, and I'm now trying to work out a way to bypass or avoid them altogether, hyenas that they are.

Selling my (quality) photo gear on this web site is surely the best way, but I shudder at the thought of flogging off my as-new 1960 Leitz Focomat 1c enlarger with an Ilford Multigrade head and many Leitz accessories to an overseas buyer and then having to package it for shipping.
 
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