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Let's get proactive about LEGO scams on eBay.


StarPod

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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lego-Winter-Village-Cottage-set-10229-/200945782330?pt=Building_Toys_US&hash=item2ec94d4e3a

Everything about this listing tells me it's a dropscam. 0 feedback seller. Current, exclusive set with BIN below retail. Stock photo. Free expedited shipping. No item description.
Normally I would just post it here, we'd all have a laugh, and we'd forget it. This time I'd like to report it. Unfortunately, ebay's reasons to give for reporting an item don't include "suspicious." So I thought I'd ask you guys how you might report it.

This thread might not go anywhere, but I hope it does, for several reasons. First and foremost, we know the market. Our experience gives us an edge in sniffing out this bullsh*t, probably making us more qualified than ebay. I think it might be our responsibility to point these out.

Why should we bother? Sure, it sucks for the scammed buyer, but why would we inform him with knowledge only experience has taught us? Well, scams are bad for business. Everyone'e business. Scams result in decreased market values, artificial supply expectations, and pissed off customers.

It's time to nip this in the bud before it gunks up the whole market. So. What do we do?

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Report Category:  Listing practices.

 

Reason for Report:  Fraudulent listing activities.

 

Detailed Reason:  You suspect that the listing is fraudulent.

 

At the very least, that would get it to the proper department for review you'd think.

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I would imagine as well if multiple people are reporting an item as oppossed to just one Ebay is going to take the report more seriously. Brickpicker could become somewhat of a "neighborhood watch" that stops this kind of thing dead in its tracks. That is if enough people care to join in...

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I would imagine as well if multiple people are reporting an item as oppossed to just one Ebay is going to take the report more seriously. Brickpicker could become somewhat of a "neighborhood watch" that stops this kind of thing dead in its tracks. That is if enough people care to join in...

Yes, this exactly. My idea was to use this thread as a catch-all for suspect listings, instead of having a new one every two days for each item. We team up to cash in on bargains, we should team up to lay the smack down on thiefs, too.

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I have been stewing over this subject for the past several months.  I see obvious scams every day, but do not know how to make eBay see them.  I agree that several reports might draw their interest more than just little 'ol me.  I am up for posting suspicions here, coming to a quick consensus about the validity of the listing and then hitting eBay with multiple messages about the listing.

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MANY SCAM SELLERS HAVE A RATING OF "10"... WHICH IS THE MINIMUM AMOUT OF TRANSACTION FEEDBACK A USER NEEDS FOR HIM/HER TO GET A FEEDBACK PERCENTAGE RATING (which will be 100% of all feedback is positive). This is what the seller who scammed me had!

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For the less obvious sellers, ones with higher feedback than you would expect to be scamming, I do the following:

 

Search for the same userID as eBay's on sites like freelancer.com.  If it exists, see if they have responded to and are actively working any "I NEED YOU TO SELL MY LEGIT ITEMS ON EBAY!" ads.  That is where the true criminal finds people to hide behind and use their stolen credit cards for safe profiting.

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MANY SCAM SELLERS HAVE A RATING OF "10"... WHICH IS THE MINIMUM AMOUT OF TRANSACTION FEEDBACK A USER NEEDS FOR HIM/HER TO GET A FEEDBACK PERCENTAGE RATING (which will be 100% of all feedback is positive). This is what the seller who scammed me had!

In those cases, check the item for each seller feedback entry. Odd things like 10 $1 sales, and now he's selling a $200 item, or if all the sales were 8 months ago, or all in the last week. I look for a good spread of time and value among a seller's sold listings. But yeah, a successful scammer will know all of this, too, and use it in order to look legit.

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Here is the problem, when someone post a listing like this saying "this is a scam", someone here scoops it up! Its too easy to just claim ingonrance if someone calls you up to investigate. I have seen with my own eyes numerous times members buy from known dropscammers. They don't care how it was purchased, they got a hell of a deal on a lego set. I'm seriously gonna start calling people out on this. There is no way a member here can can buy from a scammer like this and say "they didn't know".

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Here is the problem, when someone post a listing like this saying "this is a scam", someone here scoops it up! Its too easy to just claim ingonrance if someone calls you up to investigate. I have seen with my own eyes numerous times members buy from known dropscammers. They don't care how it was purchased, they got a hell of a deal on a lego set. I'm seriously gonna start calling people out on this. There is no way a member here can can buy from a scammer like this and say "they didn't know".

 

Well there are a lot of people who don't know either. I don't understand how anyone ever gets the set, sees the bill and thinks - oh yeah this makes sense.

 

I report everyone I see. It brings down Ebay prices for MISB sets too which is irritating.

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The 5 day handling time is to allow him to find one still at a walmart and steal it. 7965 is probably THE most undersold set on the market right now. Every week they sell at prices well below retail, check the sold listings for yourself. Either Lego did a giveaway that we all missed, or they're stolen.

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I would imagine as well if multiple people are reporting an item as oppossed to just one Ebay is going to take the report more seriously. Brickpicker could become somewhat of a "neighborhood watch" that stops this kind of thing dead in its tracks. That is if enough people care to join in...

I'm willing to report suspected scammers. I've reported the ones posted on here so far and I will continue to do so. These scams need to end.

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This one is definitely a scam. Look at the seller's feedback. 10 feedbacks as buyer. All in one day. All 99 cent purchases.

Funny story...pretty sure person who scammed me was this user's family member...has the same last name (Ramos) and lives in NJ only a short drive away from this seller's location in Bayonne...had a feedback of 10 too...all with...99 cent buys. >:O

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