Someone wants to buy a board from me - sight unseen as they are a marine engineer at sea?

they will pay via paypal then get the goods pickeup. But they are being shipped to an Aunt .. not the buyer

I googled this and apparently Paypal will refund the money to the buyer, but you may never get your goods back

Neil

ummm dude..... dont use paypal for private transactions or at all if you can avoid it.

basicly buyer sends you money via paypal you send item buyer then takes money back (they have 7 days? to do so) they get item and money.

if he cant do a bank transfer then hes got huge issues

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Neil001 said..
Someone wants to buy a board from me - sight unseen as they are a marine engineer at sea?

they will pay via paypal then get the goods pickeup. But they are being shipped to an Aunt .. not the buyer

I googled this and apparently Paypal will refund the money to the buyer, but you may never get your goods back

Neil

I think you have the scam a bit wrong, or maybe there are a few options. It was a good idea to google it though.

Normally they say they are going to pay via paypal, and then add freight, and then accidentally pay you too much.

They then ask you to send them the difference back to them via western union. Which is where the pay off is for them, without needing to do anything.

Whether they pick up the item or not I don't know, but the "Payment" via paypal is just an email where it looks like it has come from paypal but it is just from the scammers.

I've been using PayPal, to get paid and to buy, for 6 years or more and have never had an issue with any fraud.
I never send anything out until the funds are confirmed as received in " My PayPal".
I have, over the years, received numerous scam emails pretending to be from PayPal but often they look as though they've been written by someone who struggled to make it into high school let alone graduate.
The "marine engineer", however, is a well known scammer.......often trying to buy cars. I'd give him a very wide berth.
Sink on sight!

Variations of this have been around for a while, you can have some fun with them by asking a string of questions that are ridiculous.

Not exacly scam, but real chance. I did paid for trailer boat trough PayPal and during next few days saler refuse to give me his address unless I send more money for trailer registration in my name. Id refused and requested PayPal to refund my money, and recived it. Next day PayPal froze my account on "anty money loundering" laws. I had to, once more prove to PayPal who Im: copy of licence and detals of linked to PayPal my bank acc.
If I was a scamer, I would have both. Maby?.

I now know that this another way to scam ... tho never would have believed that you could get done using paypal.

I guess the message is - beware as a private seller using paypal, as you can get taken, as it takes 7 days from transaction to get the money, during which time buyer can recall it.

Like others I have used paypal many times, here and on ebay with no problems, and am very trusting. But something in their communications triggered my concerns

Actually its a she ... been on seabreeze for a long time --- at least all of November!! And is a committed kitesurfer ... apparently?? , so obviously knows a lot about buying SUPS, especially as a present for her dear Auntie.

So don't sell to a Gina who is at sea!!

sight unseen as they are a marine engineer at sea?

There is your answer right there.

I had someone try the same thing with my kite for sale -- was buying it for their daughter, was happy paying whatever I asked and wanted their own courier to pick it up. I dont get how the scam works, but I think it was an attempt to hack my account as they wanted my PP address, full name and home address and cell number...

Googled their email address and found them in the "scammers" thread at PayPal forums.

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sotired said..

Neil001 said..
Someone wants to buy a board from me - sight unseen as they are a marine engineer at sea?

they will pay via paypal then get the goods pickeup. But they are being shipped to an Aunt .. not the buyer

I googled this and apparently Paypal will refund the money to the buyer, but you may never get your goods back

Neil

I think you have the scam a bit wrong, or maybe there are a few options. It was a good idea to google it though.

Normally they say they are going to pay via paypal, and then add freight, and then accidentally pay you too much.

They then ask you to send them the difference back to them via western union. Which is where the pay off is for them, without needing to do anything.

Whether they pick up the item or not I don't know, but the "Payment" via paypal is just an email where it looks like it has come from paypal but it is just from the scammers.

Yep, this is one of the ways the scam runs. Western Union is loved by scammers...

You can get scammed via PayPal very bad.
Happened to me.

As it was explained before, PayPal protects buyers and not sellers. The only time seller is protected is if you post and item and have full tracking number shipment evidence and possibly insurance etc... But even in that case I think you have to prove to PayPal that you were scammed. They will by default automatically protect/refund buyers.

Here is how one such scam works (happened to me exactly like this):
- Buyer buys an item by paying you a deposit or a full amount via PayPal.
- Buyer picks up the item in person, and pays you remainder if applicable
- They then lodge claim with PayPal that they never got the goods
- PayPal then withdraws the amount in question from your linked bank account without warning, and refunds the buyer.

In my case i did have some phone SMS conversation evidence which indicated the buyer had the goods. However after going through a very painful complaint process with PayPal, they denied my plea ignoring all my evidence, and keeping to ask for "tracking number" even though it was a pick up. Eventually i went through the ombudsman, and finally PayPal agreed to "make and exception" and refunded me the money. (It was fair amount as well).

Learnings: Only accept paypal payment if you post an item and have proof of postage/tracking.
Never accept PayPal if they want to pick up an item.

P.S. I now have just a single separate bank account linked to paypal, which has no money in it. I only put money there when i need to use paypal. It's bad idea giving these online companies access to your every-day accounts and credit cards.

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Neil001 said..
Someone wants to buy a board from me - sight unseen as they are a marine engineer at sea?

they will pay via paypal then get the goods pickeup. But they are being shipped to an Aunt .. not the buyer

I googled this and apparently Paypal will refund the money to the buyer, but you may never get your goods back

Neil

And the buyer will have paid using a dodgy/stolen credit card.....this is an all too common scam be it for cars, furniture, dive gear etc.

Avoid at all costs.

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superlizard said..
You can get scammed via PayPal very bad.
Happened to me.

As it was explained before, PayPal protects buyers and not sellers. The only time seller is protected is if you post and item and have full tracking number shipment evidence and possibly insurance etc... But even in that case I think you have to prove to PayPal that you were scammed. They will by default automatically protect/refund buyers.

Here is how one such scam works (happened to me exactly like this):
- Buyer buys an item by paying you a deposit or a full amount via PayPal.
- Buyer picks up the item in person, and pays you remainder if applicable
- They then lodge claim with PayPal that they never got the goods
- PayPal then withdraws the amount in question from your linked bank account without warning, and refunds the buyer.

In my case i did have some phone SMS conversation evidence which indicated the buyer had the goods. However after going through a very painful complaint process with PayPal, they denied my plea ignoring all my evidence, and keeping to ask for "tracking number" even though it was a pick up. Eventually i went through the ombudsman, and finally PayPal agreed to "make and exception" and refunded me the money. (It was fair amount as well).

Learnings: Only accept paypal payment if you post an item and have proof of postage/tracking.
Never accept PayPal if they want to pick up an item.

P.S. I now have just a single separate bank account linked to paypal, which has no money in it. I only put money there when i need to use paypal. It's bad idea giving these online companies access to your every-day accounts and credit cards.

Thanks for the heads up on this one... :-)

^^^

Buyer can complain to ebay / paypal that product was damaged, or not as described in add, and request a refund... if seller dissagree's to refund, the buyer will open a dispute claim. Ebay / paypal will refund monies to buyer even if there is no money in account. This will overdraw sellers account. they will hold onto this untill both parties have settled on a solution to resolve dispute. then money will be released accordingly.

IMHO any board sale should be pick up / COD only. other wise its just to much hassle.

Bottom line is if it is all to hard or sounds dodgy FORGET IT AND WALK!!!

That particular scammer tried his luck with me about a couple of years ago on board advertised for sale on Seabreeze. Told him to go f***k himself and he got blocked by Seabreeze when I flagged him.

Just had an issue with a purchase I made through PayPal where, in the very fine print, there was a clause that they'd automatically renew in 6 months time by deducting again from my PayPal account. My stupidity!
When I saw the charge through PayPal I queried with PayPal informing them that I not authorised future transactions and showed them the documentation of the transaction. They immediately refunded the transaction in full.
Moral: Keep your paperwork.....that's what worked for me!

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WazzaYotty said..

Just had an issue with a purchase I made through PayPal where, in the very fine print, there was a clause that they'd automatically renew in 6 months time by deducting again from my PayPal account. My stupidity!
When I saw the charge through PayPal I queried with PayPal informing them that I not authorised future transactions and showed them the documentation of the transaction. They immediately refunded the transaction in full.
Moral: Keep your paperwork.....that's what worked for me!

****ing Audible.com did that to me: "sign up for your free audio book! we just need your credit card... and we'll automatically create a subscription for you without actually telling you except in that document you click ok to and never read."

Just sharing this. ...www.accc.gov.au/publications/the-little-black-book-of-scams

Wife shops online using paypal
Feels like she's scamming me

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cauncy said..
Wife shops online using paypal
Feels like she's scamming me

Well, at least you don't get dragged around the shops for hours on end....

Mate stay well away from these clowns.
similar thing while selling my boat.

they try the western union b/s thing then want you to pay the "courier" its a scam.

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Skid said...

cauncy said..
Wife shops online using paypal
Feels like she's scamming me

Well, at least you don't get dragged around the shops for hours on end....

That's getting shafted

if they can pay by paypal then they can do a bank transfer.

As a buyer from ebay, paypal is excellent as you have buyer protection. I use it often for overseas purchases and is very very good. but locally I would request a direct debit only.

Also with Paypal, wait until funds are cleared before sending.

Other alternative is post COD, so if no payment they cant pick up the goods from the post office. This is good when someone pays for the goods and then they pay postage costs at there end , rather than trying to get a quote.

Wife just had a friend tell her that she sold a caravan to someone several hundreds of kms away and just had to send the bank details. Wife explained that as the sale was through FB and the buyer already knew her full name, birthday, mobile number and address - if she gave them her bank details she could have her identity stolen.

Friend heeded the advice and asked the buyer for C.O.D instead, so the buyer is now bringing the cash with them so all good...a bit of a warning for those in similar situations.

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Sailhack said..
Wife just had a friend tell her that she sold a caravan to someone several hundreds of kms away and just had to send the bank details. Wife explained that as the sale was through FB and the buyer already knew her full name, birthday, mobile number and address - if she gave them her bank details she could have her identity stolen.

Friend heeded the advice and asked the buyer for C.O.D instead, so the buyer is now bringing the cash with them so all good...a bit of a warning for those in similar situations.

I don't really know if this is the case. It might be, but I hope actually assuming someone's identity might require a bit more than that, possibly presenting a few bills and a license or passport as well.

Can you get a credit card without photo ID? Can you get a bank loan without photo ID? I hope not. Maybe you can though?

Learning people's details is not that hard. After all, how hard is it for me to call 'you' and say "hi, I am from bank XYZ and before we discuss the matter I need to confirm your identity". Other than paranoid people like me, most people would probably supply their complete name and DoB, and probably their address too.

Giving the banking details is not going to make anything less secure. I am sure if I turned up at my bank and didn't provide photo ID or their credit card in my name, they wouldn't let me withdraw money.

Anyone know any different? I am curious as to whether you could really impersonate anyone enough to get something of value.

www.mcafee.com/en-us/index.html The crime is brazen and the criminals seem to be getting smarter !