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Jare Hares & BearsHey fellow TTers -
I just had 2 eBay auctions end with Buy-It-Now. Which wouldn't have been bad expect that when I went to invoice the parties, they were no longer registered user. I contacted ebay and they refunded my listing fees. I have since re-listed the items, but going forward I am requiring immediate payment via PayPal. I feel bad that I have to do things that way but I need to protect myself and my collectors. One party contacted me with the following e-mail. Sounds fishy to me. Especially, the part about using Western Union. And cashing the check and then forwarding the payment the same day.
I forwarded the e-mail to ebay to make them arware of the e-mail.
Anyway be on the look out for this and pass it along to others that you know (non-TTers, Friends, & family).
Happy Holidays,
Jared
Below is the e-mail that I received.
'm ok with the price for the item. I'll be using this opportunity to let you understand that you'll be receiving the payment in mode of check from my client and the amount you'll be receiving will be more than the item fees. Like i told you i'm purchasing on behalf of my client and the excess payment is my own commission with the money i'll need to pay for our shipping company. So i want you to promise me that you are so honest to deduct just the amount for the item and send the excess money through westernunion as soon as you receive the payment from my client. The payment will be sent immediately you agree with me to deduct just the amount for the item and send the balance through any WESTERN UNION OFFICE well known to you and you'll be receiving it the next day.
There won't be any problem about the shippment. I'll be handling that with my DHL# so i want you to get back to me asap now with your full mailing information. Email me your full name, address and phone# now if you agree and assure me that you'll deduct just the amount for the item and send the balance through WESTERN UNION so that the payment can be sent immediately.
notice i want you to go and end the auction for me i would end it by my self but i dont know i to do it if u can do that for me i will adding $10 to your payment
Below are the questions i have for you.
1)is the item in good condition?
2)is any WESTER NUNION location where you can send the balance money arround you?
3)can you make sure you get the payment cashed at your bank the sameday you receive it?
4)can you allow me to send DHL for the pick up and complete the transaction the day you receive the
check?
If yes to all my questions, kindly email me back your full name, address and mobile# asap today
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsDefinately a scammer! 
Amelia had the same thing happen a few days ago...
Bears by JodiI am really starting to
E Bay !!!!!
PottersHouse BearsSpeaking from experience - this is definitely a scam. I went through the same thing a few weeks ago. I no longer do Buy It Now.
Posts: 1,277Yep, that one looks familiar. I'm sorry this happened to you, Jared.
Posts: 3,540Yep, definitely a scam For shame on these people! Especially just before Christmas
Thanks for the warning Jared :hug:
Wild Thyme OriginalsOh, I am so sorry to hear this Jared. how do these people SLEEP at night!? I know that lots of eBay sellers are now using the option to block zero feedabck buyers from bidding/buy it now for this very reason. How frustrating!
Kim Basta
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsJared that exact scam ended one of mine too. I do think the only way to prevent it is paypal only. Sorry it happened to you too.
Sorry to hear you've had so much hastle. Thanks for the warning
Dolls N DreamsSo sorry, I won't use buy it now either!
fribbles, ltd.Jared, was it allan/allen blessing? That person ended mine too a few days ago. eBay refunded everything.
My sympathies.
Amelia
Bears by JodiWho has time to set around and stop all of our sales? Just for the H_ _ _ of it !!! Shame on them . They are just wanting us to lose money . BAD ,Bad ,people !!!Makes you wonder................ :twisted:
Posts: 8,574There is still Bid 4 Bears
granted the fees are a lot lower and the prices we get are not as high, but whose fault is that? Ours!!!
We were starting to see good prices but there was the computer glitch....if we don't go back and support Bid 4 Bears it will never get going again....
But it needs all of us....not just sillydilly every other golly....but all of you guys too
I believe I have sold everything I ever had on B4B.....can't say that about e-bay....especially now, i'm not even getting lookers....sigh
at any rate the teddy collectors will go where er you guys go- so if you go to B4B they will too, and if we are consistant and stalwart they will continue to go there....
so NO Jody. you aren't stuck.....there are options
I think the others cqan speak to some other options too....I can't remember them
dilu
Back Road BearsNot that I sell on eBay much any more but when I do the ONLY form of payment I'll accept is PayPal. That's it. If a person has the knowledge to surf eBay, has a checking account (which they'd likely use if they didn't pay you on line) or has a credit card then there is no reason why they can't pay with PayPal. It's a piece of cake to use and makes the whole eBaying thing a bit safer.
Jare Hares & BearsUnderstand that it isn't eBay's fault. They can't control everyone and everything.
While, I think that these other auction sites (the teddy patch, bid 4 bears, bows end) deserve our support they don't have the draw that eBay does.
Yes, it is a ashame when things like this happen, but you just learn from it and go on.
This will not stop me from selling on eBay, but when I list bears/bunnies with But-It-Now, I will require immediate payment via PayPal. Which is sad because I do have eBay collectors out there that will use Buy-It-Now and send me a check right away. But I have to protect myself and my collectors.
More than anything I wanted you all to be aware of this and too not fall for it.
I don't know who allenblessing is.
'Bear' Bottoms OriginalsI know you've already heard this more than a few times, but yes it's definitely a scam. I have personally been 'almost scammed' with an email like this, myself. They send you the money order and ask for you to send the 'item' immediately, meanwhile, the MO doesn't clear and you're out your bear AND the money. Such jerks.
Sorry you had to deal with all of this; best of luck with your auctions!
Kimberly W.
Posts: 119I really don't get why people play these games. :redface:
they really are ruining it for everyone else. I haven't yet bought from e-bay but now if I do I will need to get a paypal thing... becuase people have made it difficult and we now need to be protected from ourselves.
I don't know how many e-mails I have got for some king in africa that wants to send me money or the latest some "personal" investment tip e-mail, or where to get the latest discount snake oil.... enough huh? Don't these people have better things to do with their time?
I guess if there is a buck to be made... dishonest or not people will flock to it.
its truely sad. I remember the begginings of the net where people shared info freely without a second thought. now the search engines are all messed up because people are trying to get more hits on their sites by putting in any keyterms they can think of.
-Articicle
Newcastle, OntarioI just got an email from a new ebayer from China. It's the third registration with almost identical letters. It was basically just someone trying to pitch his website with electronics (LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THINGS ELECTRONIC SHIPPED FROM CHINA LOL!) Since it wasn't asking for money or phishing for info, I'm not sure whether to report it or not. I've pasted a copy of the email below - should I report it? It's my very first email like this.
hugs,
Brenda
This message was sent while the listing was active.
xxswqq is a potential Buyer.
Dear friend:
I'm sorry to trouble you.I hope you don't mind.I am a wholesaler engage in the bussiness line of digital eletronic products.I can supply many kinds of digital products ,includes a large variety of brands ,such as sony,motorola,samsung, and nokia.you can see them through my website: www.vv-show.com .I'm sure you can find the ones you like.I can guarantee the quality of the products we sell are of first class,and the prices are also very competitve. then welcome to patronize my on-line store.we are always at your service.
the following is my contact information:
My MSN number :zhaoyi_321@hotmail.com
My Email account: zhangsongwu66@yahoo.com.cn
hope for your patronage.
Jare Hares & BearsYes I have gotten this one on my eBay messages....
I have gotten this one 3 times from 3 different users.
I let ebay know and they told me that it was an account take over.
Go figure.
Matilda Huggington-beareI use to be scared of selling on ebay at first. All the stories like this, I heard from you guys. But now that I am selling on Ebay I'm no longer worried about these 'egrets' on ebay.
I found that sticking to my guns and demanding payment my way has saved me several times from being conned.
For one: accepting western union is against ebay policy.
two: if you think something is suss, report it.
three: with paypal accounts, it has the facilities to accept all sorts of payments. They are a wonderful go between.
we should be educating the uneducated as far as PayPal is concerned.
Four: never!!! I repeat NEVER!!!! send a bear/critter with out full payment received and 'cleared '.
For those that havent as yet but would like to sell on ebay. Dont let the scams scare you. It is pretty easy to spot a con. If you come across a seller or buyer that makes you uncomfortable. Then go with your intuition and dont proceed with the sale.
I plan to put my new critters on BID4BEARS next year. I figure that the buyers will eventually follow. And then the sellers will follow the buyers. 
Thanks for the warning Jared 
Its this type of sharing that makes the internet safer us all!!
Posts: 1,836With what happen to me personally on eBay just a few weeks ago I'm a bit sour still, but I think that they do indeed have more control than they would like us to believe. In the end they're a business hoping to make a few dollars from the same persons scamming all of us. If that scam artist has the potential to become a future payday why should eBay then put preventative measures in place to truly stop those with criminal intent from doing what they do? I would guess that the largest technological powerhorse running eBay, Skype, Paypal and many other businesses could block out those persons creating havoc, cease their continuous fraudulent registrations, and cease them from harassing legitimate online business persons and consumers. But doing that may prevent dollars from being made; that scam artist will need a toaster at some point and in turn allow eBay to collect a $2.00 listing fee from the purchase of said toaster.
To stop the fraud would also cost eBay (their fees would most definitely inflate to cover the cost) but what's the real payback.... happy sellers/buyers? We'll sell and buy with or without the fraud, that's proven, so what's the incentive for eBay to stop it? -$0-
I'm not trying to sway anyone by talking out loud right now. I'm just not into big corporations taking advantage so I'm trying to figure out how to be happy with my teddy bears with or without eBay. It's not that I can't take the other guy making a mistake either, it's not that way at all. Simply put, the way I was treated was horrid. What was done to my auctions (present, past and pre scheduled) was just plain horrid .....initially and as they back tracked to "fix" it all. What a mess and headache. Palpitations doesn't begin to describe the feelings I had that night. I had no means to manage my wee little business venture.... zip, zero, none. I was in their eyes guilty until maybe thought to be innocent and even then they offered no solid reason for what happened to my account..from the lock out, to the auction cancellations, to them "restoring" my personal email properties to an account I stopped using over 6 months ago. No solid explanation. Speculations occurred and the reps and I made rational guesses, but there was no one reason they could or would offer.
That old saying it's not personal, it's business. Well, for me it's tough to say that when my business is such a personal thing. You have collectors you become personal with. You create individual, hour intensive pieces with personal influences and personal touches. Your template is personal, designed personally by you to personally reach your collector and extend your personal hello & welcome. It's my very personal art out there in the hands of a impersonal conglomerate/business partner that doesn't truly have my interests in plain view. So as an artist and business person I have to step back and look at my own personal big picture and I'm just not sure yet about how I feel about allowing myself to believe that I "need" them. I might be ok with using them, but I don't think I'm ok with needing them.
One foot down, two feet down...feet on floor and pushing soap box under desk 
:hug:
~Chrissi
Jared the same thing happen to me and I got the same email that you did. This buyer happen to be in the United Kingdom. Was yours?
Amelia. How did you get ebay to refund you money for relisting?
I had my bear in the Featured so I paid about $25 to list, then the buy it now stopped my auction. This person had 0 feedback and then also unregistered. I relisted my bear paid another $24.95 so It cost me about $50 in listing fees total.
the first time I listed it I had a bid and 6 watchers. My auction ends today so far I have no bids and only 4 watchers.
I'm so upset about all this. I'm not loving ebay right now. I would have been better off to give the Bear away as a Christmas Gift and Save my $50
Thanks for listening
Marilyn
Bears by JodiMarylin !!! Exactly !! PO PO on that person !!! OOPS sorry 
