Should I Avoid this suspicious ebay auction?

[Pixelpiper]

But PayPal is the only acceptable payment method for ebay.

It's the preferred, as eBay owns PayPal, but they allow competing services as well (there would be some antitrust questions if they didn't). Money orders and other forms such as checks have restricted categories, and this auction isn't in one of them - but that's up to eBay to take down the auction if someone complains. If the seller says he'll refuse PayPal, then expecting them to accept your payment is kind of naive.

 

[SAB]

Look at the feedback and look at the auction listing. It's clear what happened here. The seller is selling these two items for an estate, not for himself. The buyer paid by PayPal which the seller claimed they were not accepting (the seller should modify the auction format preferences). So the seller cancels the payment and re-lists the items. I'm not sure why anyone would expect a different result.

The seller responded to my inquiry within 5 minutes (just now) confirming what I had just posted above. Payment method was not accepted and was refunded. The seller also has 3 vehicles available.

I don't buy stuff on eBay with money orders, but it's unfair to say that this seller was trying to rip off the buyer. This was a case of the buyer not reading or ignoring the terms of the auction.

Well I agree with you in general but its definitely entirely the sellers fault for not listing their auction properly and setting their preferences properly.
If I clearly see up top front and center with a big Paypal logo that Paypal is accepted, then I don't go trawling through text to see if Paypal is in fact not accepted.

 

[Lejuan]

Look at the feedback and look at the auction listing. It's clear what happened here. The seller is selling these two items for an estate, not for himself. The buyer paid by PayPal which the seller claimed they were not accepting (the seller should modify the auction format preferences). So the seller cancels the payment and re-lists the items. I'm not sure why anyone would expect a different result.

The seller responded to my inquiry within 5 minutes (just now) confirming what I had just posted above. Payment method was not accepted and was refunded. The seller also has 3 vehicles available.

I don't buy stuff on eBay with money orders, but it's unfair to say that this seller was trying to rip off the buyer. This was a case of the buyer not reading or ignoring the terms of the auction.

The seller is excluding from the payment options the most reliable mode of payment with which a dispute can be lodged if the deal goes sour. Sure it's fair to say the seller is trying to rip off the buyer.

 

[Taibhse]

The Seller is selling the items for someone else.. and is only accepting money orders, not PayPal?

What could possibly go wrong.....

 

[Pixelpiper]

A lot can go wrong. But nothing did go wrong. The seller could have taken the funds for 3 sales and simply run. That he would go to the trouble of refunding the money kind of disproves to a large degree he's intending to rip anyone off. He may not be the sharpest seller on the block, but I'd hardly cal him a thief before he actually does any thieving. I'm sure someone will buy and receive the goods.

But don't get me wrong… I'm not defining the seller for putting up terms that violate eBay policies or that many people would be wary of, I'm just suggesting that it's early to label him a scammer when he's done the opposite of what a scammer would be expected to do. Maybe some of you guys are too young to remember trading, selling and buying on the net before PayPal became so prevalent. I did plenty of sales and purchases on eBay, and long before ebay, via money order.

 

[Taibhse]

A lot can go wrong. But nothing did go wrong. The seller could have taken the funds for 3 sales and simply run. That he would go to the trouble of refunding the money kind of disproves to a large degree he's intending to rip anyone off. He may not be the sharpest seller on the block, but I'd hardly cal him a thief before he actually does any thieving. I'm sure someone will buy and receive the goods.

You may be correct.. but of course if the Seller is intending to do a runner, then taking payment via PayPal would not be in his interests.. naturally he would refund the PayPal buyer, and then wait for money order buyers, no?

 

[Pixelpiper]

If the most he can get is $1500 (let's say 500 x 3 bat mobiles) then his best plan of attack would be 3 auctions closely timed, payment via PayPal and then just close up shop. Taking money orders means he still burns his eBay account. Neither is a smart move if he intends to continue to do business in the future via eBay. Besides, if that was his plan, there are a million things he could list besides a Hot Toys Batmobile that would be more discrete and make him lot more money.

As much as his eBay etiquette is crap, the whole scam-plan just doesn't add up. It's not logical. Which I suppose is out the window anyway if the guy is a total nutter.

 

[Taibhse]

If the most he can get is $1500 (let's say 500 x 3 bat mobiles) then his best plan of attack would be 3 auctions closely timed, payment via PayPal and then just close up shop. Taking money orders means he still burns his eBay account. Neither is a smart move if he intends to continue to do business in the future via eBay. Besides, if that was his plan, there are a million things he could list besides a Hot Toys Batmobile that would be more discrete and make him lot more money.

As much as his eBay etiquette is crap, the whole scam-plan just doesn't add up. It's not logical. Which I suppose is out the window anyway if the guy is a total nutter.

He may burn his eBay account using either method.. but a PayPal authorised bank account probably means he can be traced much more easily, legal action will be more effective and his Bank will almost certainly refund PayPal from his current account.

However you may be right, it might just be a case that the Seller doesn't want to pay Paypal fees (much lower than the eBay fees, which he apparently doesn't mind paying) and is helping sell high price, Hot Toy Batmobiles.. three of them.. identical models..for a 'friend'...

Personally I wouldn't touch those auctions with a bargepole.. the Seller has incurred negative feedback on both a Batmobile 89 and Batman DX by PayPal buyers.. he is only accepting money orders..nearly all his feedback is from Sellers.. and his only sales in the past, appear to be 0.99c items.. I admire your desire to see the best in people Pixel, but if this Seller was based in China with that kind of profile (and not Canada) would you still be so sure?

I was also under the impression that eBay had a rather poor reputation for rigorously preventing scammers opening new accounts.. just saying.