Beware another new dodgey member

[04Stefan07]

I received a message from a member called "Maxfazer" from London saying they are interested in buying one of the items I am selling. They included their contact email address and use very bad English.

Wanted to put a warning to anyone out there if they receive anything from this member. IGNORE and REPORT them.

I have reported them.

[Kunama]

Likewise Stefan, "Max" wants to sell me a Hyperion 31mm ....... I should give him my card details and PIN just to make the purchase easier ............

[Stardrifter_WA]

Easy way to find out if they are a "scammer" is to tell them that all your transactions go through Paypal, then ask them for their Paypal account.

I had a incident recently where I wanted to buy a high priced I wanted from overseas, so I asked for their Paypal account, but they advised that they did not have a Paypal account. So I advised them to sign up for an account, so that we can conclude the deal. Never heard from them again.

In my view, any private seller that doesn't use Paypal, I consider to be a high risk, and therefore I look elsewhere. Nearly all the transaction I had done on IIS, for example, have been done through Paypal, and the two transactions where that didn't occur, they were well know members.

For those that are unaware; Paypal is the safest method for two reasons, first they verify a user is legitimate and secondly, they guarantee that, so there is little chance you can lose. And the other point I guess is that the transfer of funds is done immediately, so really there is little risk indeed. Just have to be smart to minimise the risks of being caught out.

Cheers Pete

[PeterHA]

Hi,
I have also got a message, he wants to sell me a EP, stay away!

[Kunama]

I no longer use Paypal since I sold an item and even though I had proof that the item was delivered by Australia Post, paypal took the money out of my account when the buyer claimed not to have received it. I forwarded Australia Post delivery information to Paypal, it did not change anything.
So the guy got the item and then got my money as well.
Never again!

[Larryp]

Paypal may be reasonably secure, Peter, but I resent their excessive charges to the seller, and the seller does not get their money straight away-when you withdraw it to your bank, it takes about 3 days-just so they can use my money on the short-term money market. They really double-dip!

[Stardrifter_WA]

Really? I am sorry to hear that.

I haven't had that problem, but thanks for the warning. I guess these things can happen, and they may depend on the particular circumstances, at the time. I have never had any issues. I have heard others that have experienced that have had no problems, apart from the time it took to sort it out.

However, I do deploy additional protections anyway. What can I say, maybe I am paranoid? Actually, when it comes to finances and security, I certainly am paranoid! :D But, the proof of that is, I have never been caught out..........yet. :)

But, in any transaction, there are always risks.

[Kunama]

Probably the safest way is registered post with proof of identity and signature on delivery ....... but you can still get caught out .... even insurance does not help as Aust Post will not pay out if they have proof of delivery, so no Paypal 4 me.

These days I only buy secondhand after checking prior transactions/posts on forums or new from reputable businesses like OPT, A.E.C., MAS, etc.

(I hope BHPhotovideo turns out well as I have just ordered the Pentax XF8.5 & 12 eps.)

[iceman]

That person is a spammer, already banned.

[Shark Bait]

I must be a bit of a dinosaur as I have never used paypal and am not familiar with how the system works. If possible, I prefer to pay direct into a bank account when the transaction can't be dealt with face to face.

[BlackWidow]

That is really bad Matt. I have been trading online for 14 years and is my main form of income. Pay Pal will always act in Favor of the buyer. However in Australia you only need to be able to prove the item has been sent, not delivered.

However in the USA you need to prove delivery. I had this problem where I sold to a USA buyer and they claimed they never got it. Pay Pal did the same to me and refunded the buyer. I then phoned them and went into fight mode. I quoted and E-mailed them the E-bay seller protection rules and the E- mailed them a formal letter of complaint.

I then got my money back as they were acting outside the Australian consumers laws for a transaction that took place in Australia buy an International buyer. It really pays to fight them as they are happy to use your money to support their propaganda that they provide purchase security with your goods and your money. They provide nothing really.

Interesting thing was is that I got my money back, but so did the buyer.

The say the provide insurance to the buyer, but that fact is assurance using the sellers risk. Pay Pal is still overall pretty good for money transfer and safer than some other options. If your Pay Pal is connected with a credit card you still always have a chargeback option up to 6 months. This can be applied to both the buyer and Pay Pal also providing the sale breaches some criteria..

Sorry for any errors in the post. iPhones are not the best for posting from LOL


Mardy

[gbeal]

I too have been scammed, paid using PayPal, only to find that the scammer had my money, and I didn't and wasn't going to receive my scope.
Easy I thought, I'm covered. Nope, PayPal wouldnt have a bar of it, possibly as getting the money back from the scammer was more difficult than turning my request down.
I used a Visa card to pay the PayPal transaction, and 5 minutes with my card company and the transaction was reversed. OK, more than 5 minutes, but the card company saved my bacon. To the tune of 900 Euros!!!
Don't get sucked into thinking PayPal is always working for you, they work for themselves, I am sure.
Gary

[seeker372011]

Have you seen how Paypal stack the exchange rate? Even as a buyer sometimes a bank transfer can save heaps, though one has a few nervous moments till the stuff actually arrives....

[Stardrifter_WA]

Never had a problem dealing with B&H Photography on-line, although their in-store service sucks. :sadeyes: I guess they just get sick of tourists who most likely don't buy anything. I wanted to buy a Canon 24-70mm L lens, but left instead. I went back again on the day I was leaving NY to get the lens, only I forgot it was Saturday, they don't open on the Sabbath. So I made do with the lens I had and I will get the lens locally next year.

It is an awesome store though with an overhead conveyor system, which I have never seen before. They simply have everything :eyepop:

Cheers Pete

[Astroman]

I just got an email from a maxfazer...

[Stardrifter_WA]

You make a good point Mardy.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows their legal rights under Australia law, nor do most people read the small print. I am sure they make it small print deliberately, in the hope you don't actually read it. :lol:

It all comes down to "Caveat Emptor", after all. You simply have to take steps to ensure the seller is genuine, if at all possible. If it isn't possible, then I don't take the risk, if it involves a large sum.

The only problem I have ever had, was in the early days of my on-line buying, and that was with Amazon. They claimed they sent the item, but I never go it, they then sent it again, still didn't get it, so they sent a third. Nope didn't get it. They then refunded me, no question. They actually offered me a refund in the first instance, but I wanted the item, as I simply couldn't get it elsewhere. But, I couldn't accept that three packages, from the same seller, could go missing, so I contacted the actual seller of the item, only to find that it was never sent in the first place, as they were out of stock. It was on back order. Complex systems don't always work.

And, I will add that I have bought many hundreds of items in from overseas, so I have been exceptionally lucky. it seems? Well, so far anyway, as I still have shipments coming in, hopefully in time for Christmas. Actually got a surprise today, as a major order was delivered by Australia post today, SUNDAY. Apparently they are delivering everyday until Christmas. Awesome! And, it was the one I was really sweating on too.

[04Stefan07]

The exchange rate on PayPal is shocking!

[rally]

PayPal may be safer than going it alone - but its NOT safe !

I delivered two items by express courier - parts numbers as ordered by the buyer - and the buyer claimed they didnt fit !
This was by the way total BS

With no attempt to contact the seller, no attempt to return the goods, and no explanation or proof that the two items didn't fit he got a full refund by PayPal
PayPal chose to completely ignore our complaint despite tons of transactions.

In this case the fit was a 3 hour exercise that was allegedly done within minutes of the time/date stamp of courier receipt (FedEx) !!

So PayPal refunded the seller, there was no requirement for the seller to return the goods or make any effort at all and this was under extreme protest by us to PayPal that it couldnt have been possible or that in any case there was an onus for them to attempt to return the goods for exchange or refund

So - Please dont think that PayPal is safe.
They will in almost (but not every case) side with the buyer and against the seller.
So it maybe safer for the buyer but certainly not for the seller when dealing with an unscrupulous buyer.

[leon]

PayPal, never again, we have had more dodgy transactions and money lose than i wish to remember.

It is not as secure as we are led to believe.

Leon

[Kunama]

In the last 2 years (since getting dragged back into this hobby/obsession) I have bought many many many thousands of $$$$ worth of gear from fellow IIS members, with the exception of 1 transaction, I have been incredibly impressed by the honesty and also the generosity of members here.

I tips me lid to you fellow members .............

Now if we had "Ice in Space Dollars" we could cut out all these paypals etc as most the equipment once bought new and enters the IIS group, tends to just circulate among members .... (Mike is already thinking :question: IISPal :question: )

[bobson]

Matt,



I suggest "IISMate"

cheers

[MattT]

I'm in the 'forget Paypal' camp.
Never had a problem with DD banking but Paypal….enough to tear my hair out.
The dodgeys are pretty easy to spot, though I did have to hang back for the IIS member who told me to post an item before the DD had cleared….all good, but had to be sure.
B+H Photo holds the record for me with delivery…4 days from the US. Had to wait longer for bits from Australia. :screwy:
Matt

[Garbz]

My bank refuses to DD with paypal saying I must use a credit card instead. When some of the banks themselves refuse to deal with them it's a sign. Consumers are not offered any protection from paypal, both buyers and sellers. When we had a transaction go dodgy as a buyer one day paypal refunded us the money... and then proceeded to freeze our account for about 60 days. They claimed it was to "ensure the money clears" whatever that garbage means.

Hey as a matter of interest, with Paypal you have the full contact details of the buyer, if they do a dodgy chargeback is there any legal recourse if they live in Australia? I wonder if the receiver of a dodgy chargeback would still be all non-responsive when the cops knock on the door.

[Manav]

I've sold a few of my items on IIS and have never had any issues. I usually check post count and previous posts to make sure they are active. If in doubt I can always ask for contact details and I always provide mine in case they have questions.

I think simple checks and communication goes a long way :)

[brian nordstrom]

:shrug: Makes 2 of us , 99,99% of IIS'rs are sweet , and the Mods are on to it like a rash because members like Stefan bring this up , again and again ,,, :thumbsup: thanks to the Moderators here we have a fairly sweet time of it , poor old CN's and AM get spammed 100's of times a day ,,, bull turd :mad2: and lots of hard work for their Mod's .
Brian.

[RB]

Thanks Brian.

[04Stefan07]

Cheers mate :D.