eBay bidder sent "e-check" through Paypal instead of c/c: is this a scam?

D

DeanD

CAGiversary!
Wondering if anyone can offer any insight here. I have been an eBay user for years but this is the first time I am wondering if I am getting scammed. An item of mine closed a week ago, high bidder messages me through eBay that he would be getting paid this sat, so can he send paypal then. I said ok (even though I would prefer to get paypal through the bidders credit card within 48 hrs). Today he messages me that he is a disabled vet who is having to deal with unexpected funeral expenses and only gets disability on 1st of the month- he says he will send an "e-check" thru paypal and if it clears then ok, but if not then the next time he can send would be oct 1st, so could I hold it until then if needed?
So could this be a scam of some kind? I have never had any bidder take this long and never received an e- check thru paypal. I've never even heard of PayPal e-check. Once it has cleared does it just join my paypal balance like a regular credit card payment, or is it more complicated and needs to be handled differently? Maybe he is hoping that I send the item while waiting for it to clear but it never does? If the story is true then I have every sympathy for him but something about the tone of the messages seems off and I just don't want to get cheated in any way. And I can't wait until October.
Not sure what to do, would appreciate some advice from eBay or PayPal vets. Thanks
 
Echecks are inconvenient but not a scam. Just start the non paying bidder process if he hasn't paid after the 4 days or whatever. Explain to him that you understand his situation but you have to play by eBay and pay pals rules.
 
Thanks for the reply. I only have so long to file a non paying bidder motion so part of me wants to do that so that eBay doesn't charge me final closing fees, but part of me feels guilty because what if his story is true?
 
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[quote name="DeanD" post="12070676" timestamp="1410015993"]Thanks for the reply. I only have so long to file a non paying bidder motion so part of me wants to do that so that eBay doesn't charge me final closing fees, but part of me feels guilty because what if his story is true?[/quote]

I know what you mean, but this isn't personal, it's business.
 
Ok thanks. I will wait until this e-check clears then send item. If it doesn't clear I'll file non paying bidder so I can get closing fees credit, then relist. Hope it doesn't come to that cos I'll feel pretty shitty doing that but I won't really have a choice then.
 
DeanD said:
Ok thanks. I will wait until this e-check clears then send item. If it doesn't clear I'll file non paying bidder so I can get closing fees credit, then relist. Hope it doesn't come to that cos I'll feel pretty shitty doing that but I won't really have a choice then.
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That's fair. Holding it for him until OCt 1 is unreasonable. You can just both agree to cancel the transaction for no fees.
 
October 1st is a long way off yet, so I say end it already and just move on. If this guy is telling the truth, he should have had the money ready when he bid on it. I would never bid on an item and not have the required amount ready. Just doesn't make sense to me. 

 
If you want to know if he's scamming you, ask for info about the funeral.  Who died, how did they know that person, is there a newspaper obituary or online obituary/guestbook you can offer your condolences, etc.  If they get defensive/non-responsive, then they're scamming.  If they reply, then the odds increase it is legit.  You can still try to google it afterwards.  But, either way, waiting a month for payment just isn't reasonable.

 
DeanD said:
Wondering if anyone can offer any insight here. I have been an eBay user for years but this is the first time I am wondering if I am getting scammed. An item of mine closed a week ago, high bidder messages me through eBay that he would be getting paid this sat, so can he send paypal then. I said ok (even though I would prefer to get paypal through the bidders credit card within 48 hrs). Today he messages me that he is a disabled vet who is having to deal with unexpected funeral expenses and only gets disability on 1st of the month- he says he will send an "e-check" thru paypal and if it clears then ok, but if not then the next time he can send would be oct 1st, so could I hold it until then if needed?
So could this be a scam of some kind? I have never had any bidder take this long and never received an e- check thru paypal. I've never even heard of PayPal e-check. Once it has cleared does it just join my paypal balance like a regular credit card payment, or is it more complicated and needs to be handled differently? Maybe he is hoping that I send the item while waiting for it to clear but it never does? If the story is true then I have every sympathy for him but something about the tone of the messages seems off and I just don't want to get cheated in any way. And I can't wait until October.
Not sure what to do, would appreciate some advice from eBay or PayPal vets. Thanks
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simple if the check does not clear do not send the item cut off all email with them and just file for an non payment.

if someone sends me a check and it bounces why should you trust them again. Why is this person wriiting out checks that the know they dont have the money.

If there was a funeral and he dont have enough they should admit.

Hey buddy got a major problem here i now i won the item and i want to pay you and all but i had a funeral that i have to pay for, i dont think i will be able to pay you until the first of OCT is there any way you can hold that item for me. If not i understand and thank you for your time

Instead of writing out of a check and go ummmm if it bounces maybe i can pay you come oct pretty sure any check only has like 5 to 7 days to clear, if it dont the check is rejected by paypal

 
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Thanks for the input guys.

What a surprise, the e-check didn't clear and was cancelled. Also in the latest eBay messages from the bidder, the relative who the funeral costs were supposedly for has changed (first it was father, now it's grandfather). Can't believe I was so gullible to think the story might actually have been true.
What to do now though? I could try and cancel the ended auction through resolution center, but if the bidder doesn't agree to it then I won't get my final closing fee credited back. Should I file a non paying bidder action instead? In either case, pretty sure he could leave me a neg feedback if he wanted to.
What sucks is the bidder has 1000s of pos feedback, if he has tried this before there was no way for a previous seller to warn me about it before auction closed, and no way for me to let future sellers know either since sellers can't leave neg feedback. What a crock. I don't need this crap right now.
 
If the 4-5 days (or whatever Ebay's criteria is now) have passed and you don't have payment, file non-paying bidder. I've had people (dumb shit teenagers, most likely) try to be like "Hey, sorry...my friend gave me that game so I don't need your auction anymore." And I just tell them "Well, you won the auction and entered an agreement to buy the item. eBay charges me a fee to sell the item. So, in order to get my fee refunded, I have to submit a non-paying bidder claim. I'm sorry to do that, but you did win the auction."

I actually even had one douche respond after that and tell me "Yeah, but the fees are only like $0.50". Sorry you had to deal with this, but there are much worse asshats out there than this guy, haha. It doesn't even matter if the guy was lying or not. There are still procedures that have to be followed.

And asking about the funeral is really none of your business. That's horrible advice, and being unwilling to share the details of a family member's death with a stranger on the internet isn't a valid indication of anything. Regardless of the reason, the guy shouldn't expect you to wait until he can pay for the item. Just keep it professional. Give your condolences, but let him know you have to work within eBay's system.

 
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If the e-check didn't clear, his payment he sent for the agreement to buy your item didn't come through.  He's a non-paying bidder and you should hit him with a NPB action.

If he can't afford the item he agreed to buy, then he gets a NPB.  Pretty clear to me.

 
Marked it down as unpaid item, sent bidder note letting him know, added him to the blocked bidders list. Hoping I don't get a ding on my feedback for this. Apparently the bidder isn't supposed to be able to leave negs after you mark the item as unpaid, but I've read of instances where it happened despite that, so we will see. Otherwise I have flawless feedback.

Don't know why I thought this was such a complicated thing, thanks for making it simple for me CAGs.
 
I use to pay with echeck all the time no problems. It just means the buyer doesn't have a credit card on his account.
 
DeanD said:
Thanks for the input guys.

What a surprise, the e-check didn't clear and was cancelled. Also in the latest eBay messages from the bidder, the relative who the funeral costs were supposedly for has changed (first it was father, now it's grandfather). Can't believe I was so gullible to think the story might actually have been true.
What to do now though? I could try and cancel the ended auction through resolution center, but if the bidder doesn't agree to it then I won't get my final closing fee credited back. Should I file a non paying bidder action instead? In either case, pretty sure he could leave me a neg feedback if he wanted to.
What sucks is the bidder has 1000s of pos feedback, if he has tried this before there was no way for a previous seller to warn me about it before auction closed, and no way for me to let future sellers know either since sellers can't leave neg feedback. What a crock. I don't need this crap right now.
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and that is why ebay sucks

 
Some dude did a "I don't need it anymore" thing when ebay had a "Sell 4 items and get $50 ebay bucks credit" deal. It cost me 40 cents, but I made $25 on 4 games I got for free on CL AND $50 in ebay bucks, so I let it go. Otherwise, I would've gotten my 40 cents back cause fuck those NPB'ers! lolz

First and last time I'll ever sell anything on ebay.
 
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