[R-390] Bad Overseas EBay Experience

John Lawson jpl15 at panix.com
Sat Mar 25 14:26:11 EST 2006


  Reading your narrative, and looking at the Feedback histories involved - 
I'm wondering if you haven't been "spoofed" by someone who might be 
intercepting, or impersonating, selet4446...?

   Why on earth would anyone from eBay ask you to send a PayPal to someone 
who does not have an account, as serlet4446 apparently does not...  this 
makes 0 sense.  All the 'facts' here just don't add up. Serlet seems to be 
a person I'd be glad to do business with...  as you say, he's got great 
feedback over more than a thousand transactions!  Did you try to submit 
the letter you got to one of the on-line translation servies to see what 
he's saying to you? Know anyone who reads Italian, maybe?

   [And as for the rest of your "points" - "Only do business with 
English-speaking sellers..?"  Look, I know that you've had a genuinely bad 
experience - but what's wrong with you learning Italian?  Why does the 
bulk of humanity have to conform to your middle-class USA value system?]


   I've made dozens of international transactions via eBay - some for 
substantial amounts. Along the way, I've had several 'scams' attempted - 
none were successful because I just used a bit of common sense and 'swap 
meet logic'.  In fact, I just had a listing for an electronic trinket that 
was bid on for $1, then the buyer simply disappeared - a 0-feedback, 'new' 
buyer - probably someone messing around - anyway, I've forwarded the 
dispute, the buyer is no longer registered on eBay, and I'll get my 
listing fee back. No harm, no foul.


   It's not that one is 'safe' from getting screwed on eBay - especially on 
international transactions where 'real' money is involved - but it works 
both ways.  I just sold several rare tubes to a guy in Hong Kong - never 
done any business with me before - he sent me the full amount via PayPal 
and I sent him his tubes - there's no "escrow" for this - he trusted me to 
hold up my end. And I did. Had I not, I imagine the only real recourse to 
him would have been to have me thrown off eBay/PayPal - but I still would 
have had his money and his tubes....

   I'm truly sorry you have a bad experience right out of the gate - but 
something's fishy about the whole thing - perhaps you and serlet have both 
been scammed....  but I don't think eBay itself holds the blame for this 
one.

  Just my 200 millidollar.....


   Cheers

John  KB6SCO



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