You may very well be right. Even so, I'd rather pay extra and not have to worry. It's simply not worth the trouble or the stress .

Or they obliged so they could keep their scam going.....they know someone will always bite on their deals.

Scams are a very real threat, but you shouldn't become overly paranoid about it, a lot of sellers may fit certain criteria and it is up to the buyer to make an informed decision BEFORE committing to buy something. You are not a detective (no matter how much you may think so) and so the best thing to do is if something sounds fishy don't go for it, don't try to draw conclusions from things you don't fully understand. I have nothing against people being put off by suspicions, but it becomes an issue when you click on "commit to buy;" as you enter a legally binding contract with the seller and it is really unfair to then turn around and expect a refund. Do your homework beforehand! As a new seller (of things other than lego) I find this especially frustrating.

My experience (twice) is that scammers cancel an order and refund your money quickly. I watched both times and the scammers lasted another two to three weeks before their info became unavailable on ebay.

It appears that the illegal drop shippers have taken a toll on legitimate sellers as of late. Every set that is undervalued is questioned and the whole eBay process is being scrutinized. The main factor that helps me decide is the photo of the item. If the seller doesn't have a photo of the real set or will send you one, I will pass on the item. Unless the listing is an eBay TRU listing, generic photos are a major red flag IMO.

The main factor that helps me decide is the photo of the item. If the seller doesn

This site is cool.......its mainly used for people that do online dating so they dont end up getting catfished!!

This site is cool.......its mainly used for people that do online dating so they dont end up getting catfished!!

I'm either old or not up on current lingo. I had to look up catfished. Hilarious.

Scams are a very real threat, but you shouldn't become overly paranoid about it, a lot of sellers may fit certain criteria and it is up to the buyer to make an informed decision BEFORE committing to buy something. You are not a detective (no matter how much you may think so) and so the best thing to do is if something sounds fishy don't go for it, don't try to draw conclusions from things you don't fully understand.

I have nothing against people being put off by suspicions, but it becomes an issue when you click on "commit to buy;" as you enter a legally binding contract with the seller and it is really unfair to then turn around and expect a refund. Do your homework beforehand! As a new seller (of things other than lego) I find this especially frustrating.

As I mentioned in the original post, I didn't find out about the scam potential until after I already bought it. The issue being that, unless you are informed about the specifics of such a scam, there are no obvious warning signs. I did not suspect anything until I read about the scam. Also, when I asked for a refund, I told him that I understood if he did not oblige since I had already sent the money and committed to the transaction. I figured that if he sent the refund, that's great, but if not, I'd have to deal with the consequences of my purchase.

Yeah its from a documentary called catfish......it has been spun off into a 30 minute reality TV show on MTV................damn I wish MTV still played music videos *SIGH*

As I mentioned in the original post, I didn't find out about the scam potential until after I already bought it. The issue being that, unless you are informed about the specifics of such a scam, there are no obvious warning signs. I did not suspect anything until I read about the scam. Also, when I asked for a refund, I told him that I understood if he did not oblige since I had already sent the money and committed to the transaction. I figured that if he sent the refund, that's great, but if not, I'd have to deal with the consequences of my purchase.

I think if someone is willing to send you 2+ photos of the item you're buying + a paper and his name/nickname on the Ebay written over it then its ok... thats what I will do... simply posts pictures with a little paper on the corner writing my nickname on Ebay on it...

Yeah its from a documentary called catfish......it has been spun off into a 30 minute reality TV show on MTV................damn I wish MTV still played music videos *SIGH*

It's sad because I actually did see the movie. Didn't even know people were using it as a verb now. I didn't know about the MTV show either (I'm sure I'm not missing out on much there).

It's sad because I actually did see the movie. Didn't even know people were using it as a verb now. I didn't know about the MTV show either (I'm sure I'm not missing out on much there).

Catfish the movie is awesome. Catfish the show....is alright. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but I am entertained by it occasionally.

just give you guys a heads up about this seller. He has posted numerous sets. His location is Singapore It is Local pick up only All his feedback is from sellers with 1 or 2 ? Red flags? http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=sfhuang2007&ftab=AllFeedback

Lol, looks like he made like 10 different accounts and left feedback for himself as a seller. I think someone's going to get scammed on this one...

Thanks for the heads up!

Thanks for the heads up!

Why? Were you going to go to Singapore and pick up a set from this guy? Lol

Why? Were you going to go to Singapore and pick up a set from this guy? LolNo I'm just saying.

Why? Were you going to go to Singapore and pick up a set from this guy? LolNo I'm just saying.Da boy wants Brickpoints man! #mybro

HAHA... i mean sure why not probably find some other cheap knock offs.. i just found it really funny that it was local pick up :D

I cannot believe this :/ I wonder if the little kid just didn't read the auction correctly or the seller was a skeezer???

Well I don't think many people will be buying from that ebay store in future!

From the comments, he paid $240!!!