eBay: Second Chance Offer -Legitimate or Scam?

[Souljer]

Hi,

I'm new here but a long time photographer and forums member. I'm hoping to get some feedback and guidance from those more experienced at eBay and buying or selling camera equipment on eBay.

I am recently getting back into photography and bid on a lens I've always wanted: 50mm Summilux ASPH

Anyway, I bid and was outbid. No problem, whenever I lose an auction I figure they just saved me the money.
However a few days later I get a Second Chance Offer email. It looks official with eBay stationary and pix and working links to the page.

However:
• There is no message for this offer in my eBay Messages or Bids/ Offers. Reading about Second Chance Offers on eBay's website states that if it's not there it's fake.
• I was the third, not second highest bidder. Is this common or unusual? In his reply he told me about the highest bidder but did not mention the second highest bidder's story.
• After I responded to the email, I get a response that he's on holiday and will be back next week, so it will be registered with eBay then (but then how did he send the official looking email?).
• In correspondence he does not give his name or phone (claimed no signal where he's at).
• I presume the lens was less than normal price because it is used and has some damage. He did not respond at all to my question as to how that damage occurred.

What I've done so far:
Besides exchanging one email where I got the story for the first high bidder and he did say he wants to go through eBay Buyer Protection Plan, I sent a message directly to the original seller asking if this is real and contacted eBay to see if the Second Chance Offer email is real.

Any insight, ideas or amusing anecdotes appreciated.
Thanks all for reading.

 

[xia_ke]

Having gone through this myself recently, eBay customer service told me if it is legit, it will always show up in your messages on "My Ebay." No message = scam

 

[frank-grumman]

I'd say that narrative details a SCAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!! Proceed at your own peril. 😀

 

[Souljer]

Hi,

I'm afraid you all are right.
Obviously I'm not crazy about what I've been seeing which is why I am investigating and asking questions.

I got a robo-response from eBay saying the same thing, if it's not in your Messages it's fake.

Too bad though. It would have been nice to get that lens.
Oh well, I guess the one that will be mine is still out there.

I appreciate the comments and welcome more.

 

[Souljer]

Hi,

Okay I got a response from my message to the original seller.

He said that the high bidder did not buy the lens and he was trying to offer it to me as a Second Chance Offer. He could not through eBay due to a 4 day window to do so, which has expired. He and his wife are out of town on a holiday so computers and phones are difficult.

The offer is not in my Bids/ Offers but this last message in response to mine is in my Messages.

He said he wants to contact me later to make arrangements if I still want the lens.

So I guess I've learned that it is the original seller.
Maybe not a scam - ?

What do you think?

 

[Beemermark]

Hi,

Okay I got a response from my message to the original seller.

He said that the high bidder did not buy the lens and he was trying to offer it to me as a Second Chance Offer. He could not through eBay due to a 4 day window to do so, which has expired. He and his wife are out of town on a holiday so computers and phones are difficult.

The offer is not in my Bids/ Offers but this last message in response to mine is in my Messages.

He said he wants to contact me later to make arrangements if I still want the lens.

So I guess I've learned that it is the original seller.
Maybe not a scam - ?

What do you think?

Tell him to relist it on eBay with a buy it now price and notify you when he does. Then buy it.

 

[David Hughes]

I'll second that and ask him to state a time when he'll put it on, or else someone else will get it: think how many read RFF...

Regards, David