Beware of EBAY SCAM

robchittum · 9th March 2004

Hey folks,
I'm on a mission. There is a guy or more than one person that is listing all kinds of stuff on ebay that would appeal to us gear sluts. He is a fraud, and I know because I caught him in several lies today. He is currently using the username "montellamusic" and is listing a Sony DMX-R100 among other prized pro audio pieces. Here is a link to the stuff he's currently selling

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...sort=3&rows=50

Now, it gets more complicated. This guy offers I-escrow, but a close inspection of the escrow website that he insists on using is another scam that was set up by him. Also, he previously had an item posted under another users ID, which included all of her positive feedback. Had I not asked the seller a question through the "ask the seller a question button" I would have never known that he had stolen her ID. So, it seems that ebay is a dangerous place to look for audio bargains now days. My advice is to contact the seller to confirm that they have an item listed and to use a reputable (REAL) escrow service before purchasing anything big. Anybody with common sense should be able to see that this guy is a scam (only been listed as an ebay seller for 1 day, keeping the high bidder list private, no feedback, using only manufacturer pics and descriptions instead of photos of actual used items etc), however I think we would all like them to be real and get a great deal. Just thought I would share this with my friends here at Gearslutz. Best wishes.

Rob dfegad Ebay Thieves

lefthando · 9th March 2004

Thanks for heads up!

Phosphene · 9th March 2004

I would never buy a Neumann from an ebayer with 0 feedback, or anything else for that matter. Well, then again i did buy some fancy chopsticks and some of Elvis' hair from a 0 feedbacker.

Yea, that person looks shady as hell. I hope all those people on there don't get ripped off. Thanks for the post! Real pictures of the items you are bidding on is always a little comforting.

Dr Hapsburg

strauss · 9th March 2004

He seems to be offering payment through paypal. Don't they have some sort of 'protection policy'?

Fletcher · 9th March 2004

No. PayPal® is worse than the credit card companies when it comes to that kind of shite... they won't do fuk all when it comes to protection from fraud.

FWIW... we run an "escrow" service around M-A for our clients... it costs $50 + a 3% processing fee if they use a credit card [the $50 covers our internal paperwork, the 3% is what the credit card companies charge us]... it's not something we make a big deal out of... but it's a service we've been offering for a while now and with all this eBay fraud shit kinda getting out of control, well I thought I oughtta mention it.

Brad Blackwood · 9th March 2004

FWIW, no one has a chance to win that auction - I bid $10k.

Muwahahahahaha...

matucha · 9th March 2004

nice mooooove

TheTruffleKing · 10th March 2004

I've been emailing warnings to stupid bidders when I come across obvious fraud auctions like this one. This crook has gotten smart though and now uses the option to keep the bidders names hidden so they can't be contacted. I will add that whenever I notify eBay of my suspicions they usually reply that someone has already brought it to their attention and they are investigating. Good to know some folks are on top of things.

groove guru · 10th March 2004

Quote:

No. PayPal® is worse than the credit card companies when it comes to that kind of shite... they won't do fuk all when it comes to protection from fraud.

Can you still do a credit card charge back when you make a PayPal credit card payment?

strauss · 10th March 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by Fletcher
No. PayPal® is worse than the credit card companies when it comes to that kind of shite... they won't do fuk all when it comes to protection from fraud.

Now you mentioned it, I just came across this article

Chris Parsons · 10th March 2004

Quote:

Can you still do a credit card charge back when you make a PayPal credit card payment?

YES! That's how I got screwed out of my Korg Triton LE! The guy did "buy it now" and paid with a credit card via. paypal. I shipped the item and then was told by paypal that the person reversed the charge. So now I have no triton, and no payment

Paypal isn't doing shoe about it!

bgavin · 16th March 2004

PayPal works for me, just fine.

This Asshole is a burn artist who takes your money and fails to deliver the goods.

I dedicate a permanent page to these cockroaches when I have an eBay issue.

This clod accepted my PayPal, refused to send the goods and refused to acknowledge my many emails. The web page above is interesting reading and holds the details.

In the end, PP went back into his account and rescued my funds. All this fool had to do was provide PP with a tracking number, and he could have kept the money. He failed to do this, so PP confiscated the funds and I got a refund.

bloodsweatfire · 17th March 2004

For what it's worth most people are honest and EBAY has provided all of us with a service that is remarkable. My market for used gear now spans the whole USA. I always sell my gear.
Bgavin, sorry to hear about your plight that really is terrible. I must admit though you did buy from a user with 1 feedback rating where he was the BUYER and 0 EBAY history as a seller. Personally that tells me that it would be risky to begin with. Yes, the dude is a bonehead but part of shopping on EBAY is using common sense.
I too have always had great success with PP.

Good luck, I hope you accomplish what you need.

9th March 2004	#1
robchittum Gear interested Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: North East Tennessee Posts: 16 Thread Starter	Beware of EBAY SCAM Hey folks, I'm on a mission. There is a guy or more than one person that is listing all kinds of stuff on ebay that would appeal to us gear sluts. He is a fraud, and I know because I caught him in several lies today. He is currently using the username "montellamusic" and is listing a Sony DMX-R100 among other prized pro audio pieces. Here is a link to the stuff he's currently selling http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...sort=3&rows=50 Now, it gets more complicated. This guy offers I-escrow, but a close inspection of the escrow website that he insists on using is another scam that was set up by him. Also, he previously had an item posted under another users ID, which included all of her positive feedback. Had I not asked the seller a question through the "ask the seller a question button" I would have never known that he had stolen her ID. So, it seems that ebay is a dangerous place to look for audio bargains now days. My advice is to contact the seller to confirm that they have an item listed and to use a reputable (REAL) escrow service before purchasing anything big. Anybody with common sense should be able to see that this guy is a scam (only been listed as an ebay seller for 1 day, keeping the high bidder list private, no feedback, using only manufacturer pics and descriptions instead of photos of actual used items etc), however I think we would all like them to be real and get a great deal. Just thought I would share this with my friends here at Gearslutz. Best wishes. Rob dfegad Ebay Thieves __________________ "You may not always get what you want, but you always get what's coming"

9th March 2004	#3
Phosphene Gear Head Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Nashvague-us Posts: 41	I would never buy a Neumann from an ebayer with 0 feedback, or anything else for that matter. Well, then again i did buy some fancy chopsticks and some of Elvis' hair from a 0 feedbacker. Yea, that person looks shady as hell. I hope all those people on there don't get ripped off. Thanks for the post! Real pictures of the items you are bidding on is always a little comforting. Dr Hapsburg __________________ Strange noises, Bag not filling as often, Damaged Cord, Indicator lights acting up... http://www.myspace.com/phosphenemusic.com

9th March 2004	#5
Fletcher member no 666 Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 9,465	No. PayPal® is worse than the credit card companies when it comes to that kind of shite... they won't do fuk all when it comes to protection from fraud. FWIW... we run an "escrow" service around M-A for our clients... it costs $50 + a 3% processing fee if they use a credit card [the $50 covers our internal paperwork, the 3% is what the credit card companies charge us]... it's not something we make a big deal out of... but it's a service we've been offering for a while now and with all this eBay fraud shit kinda getting out of control, well I thought I oughtta mention it. __________________ CN Fletcher Professional Affiliations: R/E/P Professional Recording Engineer and Producer forums - serious hobbyists welcome TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik SoundPure.com mwagener wrote on Sat, 11 September 2004 14:33 We are selling emotions, there are no emotions in a grid Roscoe Ambel once said: Pro-Tools is to audio what fluorescent is to light

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9th March 2004	#2
lefthando Gear addict Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kits Beach Posts: 377	Thanks for heads up!

9th March 2004	#4
strauss Lives for gear Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lowlands Posts: 695	He seems to be offering payment through paypal. Don't they have some sort of 'protection policy'?

9th March 2004	#6
Brad Blackwood Craneslut Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The home of Rock-n-Roll, Memphis, TN Posts: 1,896	FWIW, no one has a chance to win that auction - I bid $10k. Muwahahahahaha...

9th March 2004	#7
matucha Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Prague, Czech Republic Posts: 2,900	nice mooooove

10th March 2004	#8
TheTruffleKing Gear maniac Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Outer New York Posts: 205	I've been emailing warnings to stupid bidders when I come across obvious fraud auctions like this one. This crook has gotten smart though and now uses the option to keep the bidders names hidden so they can't be contacted. I will add that whenever I notify eBay of my suspicions they usually reply that someone has already brought it to their attention and they are investigating. Good to know some folks are on top of things.

16th March 2004	#12
bgavin Gear Head Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Orangevale, CA Posts: 35	PayPal works for me, just fine. This Asshole is a burn artist who takes your money and fails to deliver the goods. I dedicate a permanent page to these cockroaches when I have an eBay issue. This clod accepted my PayPal, refused to send the goods and refused to acknowledge my many emails. The web page above is interesting reading and holds the details. In the end, PP went back into his account and rescued my funds. All this fool had to do was provide PP with a tracking number, and he could have kept the money. He failed to do this, so PP confiscated the funds and I got a refund.

17th March 2004	#13
bloodsweatfire Gear Head Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Rancho Californio' Posts: 71	For what it's worth most people are honest and EBAY has provided all of us with a service that is remarkable. My market for used gear now spans the whole USA. I always sell my gear. Bgavin, sorry to hear about your plight that really is terrible. I must admit though you did buy from a user with 1 feedback rating where he was the BUYER and 0 EBAY history as a seller. Personally that tells me that it would be risky to begin with. Yes, the dude is a bonehead but part of shopping on EBAY is using common sense. I too have always had great success with PP. Good luck, I hope you accomplish what you need.