using moneygram on ebay?
Hello,
I recently found a car I liked on craigslist, super cheap for what it’s really worth. But the seller wanted me to pay via ebay saying it’s more secure. I agreed, but after recieving the invoice supposedly from ebay, I did some research. The seller had posted the same car in multiple cities on craigslist which got flagged for removal. I asked her about it, and recieved a "switching the subject" response. The other fishy thing was that they wanted me to pay using moneygram on "ebay". I researched this as well, and ebay actually said that they don’t allow for that. They only do paypal or in person, and that it’s a big sign of a scam.
I have to admit, instead of just using ebay, the seller had it posted on craigslist. The price was just too good, which I had to talk myself out of. I wanted to warn anyone who might be going through the same thing that it’s probably a scam…
ebay said there are spoof emails that look so legit, so be careful everyone! There are even fake ebay sites!
Craigslist suggested to do local buyers anyway to avoid scams, and they were also against moneygram on their site.
below is what ebaymotors said to lead me to my conclusion of NOT getting the car: Note the section that states NO MONEYGRAM
http://pages.motors.ebay.com/buy/security/index.html
And I have to add, another yahoo ?/ anwer blog helped me decide too. The person recieved an email VERY similar to mine.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090803000054AAsdJ1O
Hope I can help!
4 Responses
xx_satanic_mecha
25 Apr 2010
N
25 Apr 2010
Any car anywhere that’s super cheap and not local= SCAM.
STEWIE
25 Apr 2010
Well thanks for educating us on using common sense.
Ulf Wolf
25 Apr 2010
Great post.
Perhaps I can just add to this that the best way to guard against being ripped off by online sales or auctions of any kind, Craigslist and eBay included—and whether seller or buyer—is to use a *bona fide* online escrow company. Especially for pricier items like antiques, jewelry and autos. Although it does add some cost, it takes the uncertainty out of the transaction, and that’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.
For my money, the best bona fide online escrow (and there seems to be ten fraudulent escrow sites for every bona fide one) is probably Escrow.com (http://escrow.com). In fact, it’s the only one that eBay recommends, and is the only online escrow company that is licensed to provide escrow services all across the United States.
Take care,
Ulf Wolf
aaaaaarrrrrrrgh
STOP
You are not buying a car. You are being scammed out of your money.
Go to Craigslist.
Go to the Automobile section
See the top of your screen? In huge blue font it very clearly says "OFFERS TO SHIP CARS ARE 100% FRAUDULENT!"
If you need more support, click that link. It will take you to copies of emails exactly like the ones you are receiving.
There are more red flags on this deal than in Tienamin Square.
Ask yourself these questions:
If this was MY car, and I were selling it, would i sell it for half its real value, for any reason?
If I did sell it for half its value, would I have local buyers jumping all over it?
WOuld I have to sell it some place thousands of miles from my home?
If I sold it for half price, and the buyer was across the country, would i ship it for free?
If I sold it for half price, then shipped it for free, would I allow an ‘inspection period’?
Or would I say ‘a deal is a deal’?
If I sold it for half price, paid for shipping, allowed an inspection, then the buyer refused, would I give a 100% refund? Or possibly keep a portion for my troubles?
If i sold it for half price, shipped it across country, allowed an inspection and gave a full refund, would I then pay for return shipping? Or would that be the buyer’s responsibility?
Come on. Use your head.