PayPal scam

KennyT
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Vista, CA US
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6/13/2016 5:32pm
I have listed numerous autos/bikes over the past couple of years and each ad will garner many scammers wanting to buy via PayPal. NEVER sell anything worth any significant amount of money and collect money via PayPal. They allow "chargebacks" and the crooks will get your money they paid you reversed back to them.

If you contact Paypal they would most definitely tell you that is a scam
6/13/2016 5:34pm
Jack_Wagon wrote:
How does it work? I'm trying to sell my KTM 250 on Craigslist. Someone not local contacted me wanting to buy it. He wants to pay...
How does it work? I'm trying to sell my KTM 250 on Craigslist. Someone not local contacted me wanting to buy it. He wants to pay with PayPal and then send "movers" later to pick it up. I asked him if his PayPal was verified, and I haven't heard back. I'm sure it's a scam. I'm just not seeing how.
Tell him to gift you the money.
500guy
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AZ US
6/13/2016 5:46pm
ask him to gift the money and wait 72 hrs for it to clear.

it's a scam, I guess I'm lucky because I've never had a charge back.

Not to mention had I built something and got scammed like the guy with the BMX parts, I would be knocking on their door and letting them know what was up.
resetjet
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Tampa, FL US
6/13/2016 6:35pm
The other common thing is overpayment. A deal for $5000 will yield a cashiers check for $6000 as the "secretary". Made a mistake. They will ask you to simply send them a check for $1000 and the driver will pickup the bike in two weeks. Problem is their check is fake and yours is real. Then they will print another 10 checks as if you wrote them and buy riding lawnmowers at hd. The driver of course never shows up to pick up bike.

The Shop

DanDunes818
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Portland, OR US
6/13/2016 8:20pm Edited Date/Time 6/13/2016 8:21pm
I just started selling some misc stuff on eBay.. The buyers for my two auctions have paid and I have shipped the items, but funds aren't...
I just started selling some misc stuff on eBay.. The buyers for my two auctions have paid and I have shipped the items, but funds aren't immediately accessible to me. One of them finally cleared; still waiting on the other one.

Not sure you really have anything to lose here - Just have to make sure you have access to the funds before you release the bike

I'm sure someone else will chime in if I'm missing anything here..
He has everything to lose. eBay and Craigslist are two totally different things. I sell tons of stuff on eBay using PayPal, but 99,999 out of 100,000 times someone asks you to accept PayPal on Craigslist it's a scam. On eBay you are 100% protected as a buyer and seller, on Craigslist you have zero protection---huge difference.

Also, you can have money in hand all you want, I believe a buyer has either 90 or 180 days to charge it back. All they have to say is somebody hacked their account and they never saw the dirt bike.
hvaughn88
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Conway, AR US
6/13/2016 8:24pm
I've only done cash only deals on the bikes I've sold, and always used a counterfeit detection pen on every bill right in front of the buyer. I'm sure they think I'm an asshole, but I don't really care.
DanDunes818
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Portland, OR US
6/13/2016 8:28pm
hvaughn88 wrote:
I've only done cash only deals on the bikes I've sold, and always used a counterfeit detection pen on every bill right in front of the...
I've only done cash only deals on the bikes I've sold, and always used a counterfeit detection pen on every bill right in front of the buyer. I'm sure they think I'm an asshole, but I don't really care.
I've never gone that far, but I do try not to take any chances on Craigslist.
nage0139
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MN US
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14th
6/13/2016 10:40pm
I don't like PayPal, but it's good if you know the background of your buyer. Anyone ever have issues with US Postal money orders? I have a guy wanting to buy something using one and I can't find any info on the guy.
DanDunes818
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Portland, OR US
6/13/2016 11:21pm Edited Date/Time 6/13/2016 11:22pm
nage0139 wrote:
I don't like PayPal, but it's good if you know the background of your buyer. Anyone ever have issues with US Postal money orders? I have...
I don't like PayPal, but it's good if you know the background of your buyer. Anyone ever have issues with US Postal money orders? I have a guy wanting to buy something using one and I can't find any info on the guy.
My motto is, if it seems fishy in any way shape or form, don't even bother. If he can get US Postal money orders and they're real, he can just as easily cash them and give you cash, no?
a22
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London GB
6/14/2016 6:55am
Thanks for this info and useful posts-
Despite being somewhat careful myself- I never knew it was so easy to get scammed like this, is this the scenario then :-

I am selling something- I sell it and get paid with Paypal then post to buyer or they collect it...THEN the buyer says they did not get it/ or it was damaged or something and they get full refund from PP and PP actually charge me for what I sold it for and I actually lose the item (or the buyer gets to keep it) !!?
That is quite disturbing, if it is so easy to do.
Is there is little/ nothing the seller can do about it?

Kind of concerned now about selling anything of much value and the thing is that famous auction site place, 'make' you offer Paypal as an option, think it is sort of compulsory?

Would bank transfer be a safer and better option (for the seller mainly) ? I got some parts I want to sell, some of them more expensive, a few hundred pounds and kind of abit confused how to go about it now, having read this thread. Maybe it is a good thing though, if it helps to NOT get scammed.
KennyT
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Vista, CA US
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6/14/2016 7:06am
nage0139 wrote:
I don't like PayPal, but it's good if you know the background of your buyer. Anyone ever have issues with US Postal money orders? I have...
I don't like PayPal, but it's good if you know the background of your buyer. Anyone ever have issues with US Postal money orders? I have a guy wanting to buy something using one and I can't find any info on the guy.
My motto is, if it seems fishy in any way shape or form, don't even bother. If he can get US Postal money orders and they're...
My motto is, if it seems fishy in any way shape or form, don't even bother. If he can get US Postal money orders and they're real, he can just as easily cash them and give you cash, no?
The problem with any form of paper is that it may be counterfeit. Some are so good the bank will not catch it until it tries to get it funded and then when it is detected you lose and the buyer is long gone. If someone insist on buying with any type of check tell them u will need to wait 30 days (or whatever your bank tells you is the proper time frame) and after it clears they can have your bike and title. Cash is best and make sure it's real
IWreckALot
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Fort Worth, TX US
6/14/2016 7:19am
Your best bet is to accept cash or check which is pretty inconvenient. Selling your items on a retailer like ebay, you can see buyers and sellers histories where you can at least weed out the buyers with a negative buying history. There’s really not a great online selling avenue.

Paypal does this because they’re catering to consumer sellers rather than businesses that sell products. A credit card processing company that caters to businesses has more resources allocated to fighting these kinds of chargebacks. They’ll work with you to help prove the buyer actually received the item your selling. They’ll review selling contracts, and certified delivery notices and present that to the card issuing bank for proof that the buyer received the item. But the downside to this is that you will inevitably have to pay more for what you’re selling because they charge monthly, and annual fees along with a lot of different per transaction fees. And there’s no guarantee they can win the chargeback regardless.

Probably the best thing you can do, is when you place your ad on craigslist, don’t ship any item without actually speaking with the buyer. Most of the scams won’t bother with calling on an item. They’re just looking for the low hanging fruit. Talking to the buyer isn’t bullet proof, but I bet it gets you past 90% of the scammers out there.

And just for future reference, most of the scammers will refer to what you’re selling as “the item” rather than “your dirt bike parts” especially after the first e-mail. I had an e-mail chain going with the same guy and every time I replied I changed the item I was selling, and they kept driving the paypal angle no matter how ridiculous my response was.

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