Is this just plain weird or suspicious?

[becky24343]

Today a 0 feedback buyer with an ID that was something like pdkfzuc (that wasn't it but just gibberish) bought an item from my store. In the order info, his name is more gibberish, his street address is also and his city. Then it ends with Alberta Canada and a postal code.

I did a search for him and he bought 10 random items today, all from sellers whose eBay ID is "w.." something, like he had an alphabetical list of eBay sellers and today he was in the W's!! He bought a die-cast car from me, a poster, a radiator cap for a Renault, just stuff all over the place. Sellers in the US, Australia, UK, etc.

I don't consider it to be a real order, but what could it be? Some sort of scam attempt that I'm not up on? I reported it to Safe Harbor or Trust and Safety or whatever it's called, but I'm just a little creeped out!

Becky

[Stone]

Becky would you mind sharing his id so we can block him/her?

[Floridachickadee]

Sounds like a punk kid thinking he/she is funny.

[biggfredd]

As long as he pays cash, who cares? Just don't accept PayEnemy.

[pmc76]

I dunno...must be something in the water lately. I've had some weird happenings in the last week too. A zero feedbacker bid on FIVE of my auctions, looks like I'll be reporting as NPB tomorrow. Really ticks me off because I had some good viable bids from others and I'm 99.9% sure I won't do as well the second go-around.

I also had an auction for a vintage camera end tonite...got two questions from somebody in the past few days asking stuff that was clearly covered in the description. Really stupid questions but I did my best to answer them nicely. Then he asked how much to ship to China, even though the auction clearly states US bidders only. I politely informed him of that fact and that per USPS, cameras were a prohibited item in China and I could not accept his bid.

Sure as hell, he bids 6 seconds before the auction close. Luckily, he was outbid by $1, and the winning bidder has already paid via PP. And yes, I had international bidders blocked, but this person --who's supposedly in China--is listed as a US bidder with a PA zip code.

Is there a full moon or something? http://www.buildaforum.com/inkforums/img/smilies/mad.gif

[oldstufftwo]

who's supposedly in China--is listed as a US bidder with a PA zip code.


I have had several international buyers with US addresses. They are confirmed Paypal addresses also. Mostly from Japan or tawain.

[Floridachickadee]

I have had several international buyers with US addresses

Me too! In fact just recently there was one who's mailing address was right in my town, only a few miles from me and only a couple blocks from my hubby's work.
It was a VERY low priced item (just a small old toy of my dd's that she rarely touched) so I offered to bring it by when I took hubby lunch. I didn't hear back from them and wasn't about to do it without approval so went ahead and shipped it... then late in the night they emailed and said that they were in China and that it was just their shipping address... Apparantly this place gives that service of allowing their address to be used as a go between and then they forward it on...
Worked for me as it was confirmed and I was safe at that delivery point, and didn't have to deal with the customs forms etc.

[pmc76]

Ahhh..ok, that makes sense I guess. I didn't know if the guy was playing games with me or what--and then when he bid after I specifically told him I couldn't accept a bid from China due to their customs restrictions, I was ticked that his bid got through.

Oh well, he didn't win it anyway but at least I understand it now. It's not that I absolutely refuse an international bidder, but I would rather deal with them on a case by case basis--and since the item was prohibited there was no way I wanted to try shipping it.

I recently had someone from Canada ask if she could bid on something, I told her yes and gave her a shipping quote but told her my terms included no falsifying of customs forms. Never heard from her again.

[Floridachickadee]

my terms included no falsifying of customs forms

That happens quite often.

[becky24343]

Thanks for the input! It just seemed spooky last night--in the daylight, it does sound more like some kid being cute!! http://www.buildaforum.com/inkforums/img/smilies/tongue.gif

The buyer's ID is byfczjnhfu if you want to block him. I don't want to offend anyone, but I suspect the last 2 letters tell the story. Signed up back in June, but doesn't seem to have bought anything in the past 30 days till yesterday.

Becky

[becky24343]

I'm back with another question. I was looking at the list of "W" sellers that this person bought from. Several of the sellers have eBay ID's that are "www" something, like their web address. I thought that wasn't allowed? Or is it just new people who sign up that can't use a web address? These people all seem to have signed up back in 1999, so maybe they got grandfathered in or something?

My mind is too inquiring today! I've got to get off the computer and do some other stuff!! http://www.buildaforum.com/inkforums/img/smilies/wink.gif

Becky

[biggfredd]

Several of the sellers have eBay ID's that are "www" something, like their web address. I thought that wasn't allowed?
It's not allowed. Something like 20% of the top 100 have it. As usual, ebaY only enforces the rules to punish.

[pmc76]

That happens quite often.

So I've heard...probably from some of the older threads here.

The way I see it, if they're looking for a way to rip off customs, they probably wouldn't hesitate to rip me off too.

[dougw2007]

Hi becky, After reading this I feel much better. It is a good thing we have forums. I was worried sick all today because I thought that someone was attacking me! Well at least greatly concerned, as I tend to magnify things. The other day I had just what you describe, someone with zero feed back buys my product and I look at the shipping info and it is like a monkey with a key board. The only thing that was right was canada. The rest his name and everything was gibberish. Today ebay says he is no longer a registered user. Then last week I had someone ask a simple question and I answered it and he then proceeds to buy three of the exact same thing which with my product is ridiculous. Now he won't respond to anything. Is Id is or was audrey8706. It does make me feel better to know I am not being singled out because of something I did or didn't do. It must be random attacks. But as I sell more I get more and more zero feed back people who don't pay. I will also say that I get a lot of zero feedback people that do pay. Doug

[twisttolife]

The only thing that was right was canada. The rest his name and everything was gibberish. Today ebay says he is no longer a registered user.

I had the same thing happen with a buyer from China on a BIN. What is really weird is that Asia is blocked on both my IF and eBay preferences. There must be a new scam on the block.

The buyers that are international with a US address are using brokers to ship items to them. BUT..when that international pays you from home base, you still end up paying PAYPAL for the $ exchange and you can get negged if the broker doesn't get the item to them in one piece..not to mention a PP chargeback too. Most brokers are sending the items by boat so pack accordingly. You can block international payments in PP preferences and then the US broker pays the tab for the buyer which is safer, but not feasible if you sell internationally.

[dougw2007]

Oh, and another thing that was making me paranoid was today for the first time I got at least 20 emails all marked 'ebay member so and so, subject question about" at first I thought oh wow people are interested. It turns out every single one is some thing about buying stuff cheap in china to sell on ebay. It looks like each one is different and has different urls. but all have hotmail as the email address. Doug

[twisttolife]

Did you use your personal email to answer the bogus emails or did you respond thru eBay?

[queenrob]

but all have hotmail as the email address
I keep getting these too with hotmail. 19-20 a day for the past week..

[queenrob]

Did you use your personal email to answer the bogus emails or did you respond thru eBay
They aren't really coming through ebay.

[twisttolife]

They aren't really coming through ebay

Perhaps they either got your email address by your using your personal email to respond, or ya didn't click on the eBay email box to block your email address when responding.

[becky24343]

byfczjnhfu is not a registered user now.
The other day I had just what you describe, someone with zero feed back buys my product and I look at the shipping info and it is like a monkey with a key board. The only thing that was right was canada. The rest his name and everything was gibberish.
Doug, sounds like the same person/bunch. I think the moon's been full for a month--NPB's, dumb questions, offers to buy something if I'll ship it for less than the postage costs, etc.

Must be the heat!! http://www.buildaforum.com/inkforums/img/smilies/biglol.gif
Becky

[queenrob]

Perhaps they either got your email address by your using your personal email to respond
I always go through ebay to respond.
or ya didn't click on the eBay email box to block your email address when responding.
That could be it.

[sd3]

I had a very smart international buyer who said she would send me a check from the USA. When she was in the country she went to a bank and opened an account to make paying for things on ebay easier. I thought that was pretty brilliant. As for Ask Buyer questions asking really stupid details that are not necessary as they are in the description, first make sure the question is really in your message section on ebay and not just your email box. Then when you answer check the box to hide your email address because sometimes all they really want is to get your email address.

[weathervane]

I have had two of these today,
kvcmx248rl
sssxeqcalc
Looks like a Chinese scam, both email addresses are yahoo.cn
name and address of one of them gives it away

vcgcfgcfgrgg ytyryrt
hghghg
bvfhfggffhg
hfgghggh 78684
Austria

[pmc76]

So WTH is going on? Is ebay having a massive troll invasion???

[queenrob]

Well now I'm getting them in my other email account so I know it's not because I didn't block my email address when responding to a question. I had someone purchase an item last week with this Austria address too-of course they're no longer registered. Now today I sold an item and the address is
sdfsfds efdfsdf
sdgdsg
efesfsdfg
89557 fjfghgfhfg
Österreich
and they are no longer a registered user. What is going on here?? You know what really kills me-ebay makes you file for FVF instead of just giving them back to you automatically. This is so frustrating..

[pmc76]

If they're no longer a registered user, can't you file for and get your FVF back right away?

[queenrob]

If they're no longer a registered user, can't you file for and get your FVF back right away?
Yes but that's my point-how much money has ebay collected because sellers don't file to get their fees back? They should just give them to us without having to file. They have automation to do everything else, like tell us the bid has been cancelled, this shoud be automated also.

[Floridachickadee]

They have automation to do everything else, like tell us the bid has been cancelled, this shoud be automated also.

Then that would mean that they'd not be able to keep the fees from those sellers that don't bother to go through the trouble of filing!

They COULD do so if they wanted, after all they refund all your insertion fees etc. if they pull your listing for some type of violation... So seems like it's just simply lazy programmers not doing what they should.

They could even take a few steps to prevent accounts like this from being opened to begin with. I would think that there could be some type of checks and balances to ensure that a newly created account doesn't have a bunch of gibberish in all the fields. I mean if a person can look right at it and realize that it's gibberish then a system should be set up for it to catch it and not let it be set up like that at all to begin with.

Of course at least the way it is, the seller can see right away it's bogus and work at getting the item relisted instead of a seemingly good account and sitting and waiting out the 7 days...

Why these people have to be such donkies to begin with is beyond me.

[queenrob]

Then that would mean that they'd not be able to keep the fees from those sellers that don't bother to go through the trouble of filing!
Your right!!!
Why these people have to be such donkies to begin with is beyond me.
http://www.buildaforum.com/inkforums/img/smilies/lol.gif

[dennyxl]

If it is a scam, it's a simple way for them to get your name, city, state, zip and e-mail address. Winning bidders are automatically given all that in the standard "you've won" e-mail from eBay.

[becky24343]

If it is a scam, it's a simple way for them to get your name, city, state, zip and e-mail address.
That was my original thought when I started this thread which is why I thought it was creepy!

I had a second one last night; the guy was already NARU this morning when I found it. I've just spent about 15 minutes on this poop, filing for my FVF, relisting the item, etc.

And some dork in China now has my email address!!http://www.buildaforum.com/inkforums/img/smilies/mad.gif

Becky

[queenrob]

And some dork in China now has my email address
Yes and ebay will do everything they can to protect the buyer even if they are NARU..

[Floridachickadee]

Yes and ebay will do everything they can to protect the buyer even if they are NARU

Even though they weren't really a buyer!

[queenrob]

Even though they weren't really a buyer!
Xactly...