Page 18 of 19 FirstFirst ... 8910111213141516171819 LastLast
Results 256 to 270 of 278

Thread: Being Ripped Off

  1. #256

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    13 Ways on how to spot a Fraud / Fake / Fraudster / Scammer on eBay

    Thanks to original writer on ebay:

    This is how to spot a fraud / fake on eBay. I’m writing this because in the 6 years I have been on eBay, I myself have fallen victim to one of these scammers. This guide is written so that none of you make the mistakes that I and so many other have made in the past ...

    I was a young and naïve man when I was conned out of almost £1,000 worth of student-job hard earned cash. I bought a laptop through eBay to help me study at university. The guy had everything – a fake website, a fake e-shop and even lots of feedback … and I fell for it hook, line and sinker…

    Throughout the years, I have grown weary of scams and scammers. Needless to say that the 5 years since that day happened, there have been many attempts to get me again, but I have never been conned since. Also since that day, I became an eBay UK Power-Seller and am now operating on eBay as my actual business job.

    I don’t want you falling prey to these jackasses, so here’s how to spot a fraud:

    1) If they have NO feedback or they have just joined eBay. - This is a dead giveaway. If you don’t realise that the ‘guy who just joined eBay’ (who is trying to flog you a £2,000 laptop for £500) is a crook, then you’re a bigger idiot than Paris Hilton. There are some legitimate new member sellers out there … but are you willing to gamble your hard-earned money on them? I didn’t think so …

    2) Feedback CAN be fabricated. - Feedback can be bought and sold on eBay. Yes that’s right - you heard me. Even though eBay tries to stamp it out, it still goes on. All these frauds can build up their scores and then because you believe their feedback – you’re walking into their trap. Don’t just look at the score, LOOK AT THE FEEDBACKS and check whether or not they are selling legitimate goods, or whether they are buying their feedback scores.

    3) Check their selling history. - To do this, go to their feedback scores and spend a good 3-5 minutes checking out the things that they have typically sold. If they have never sold anything before and they start suddenly selling 10 LCD Monitors for £500, you have a right to be suspicious. Similarly, if they typically sell something like dolls, but then suddenly starts selling Ferrari Cars that too is obvious. It’s a hi-jacked account. Which brings me onto the next point:

    4) Good accounts can be hi-jacked by fraudsters. - It’s inevitable that these stupid phishing e-mails that everyone seems to get end up netting the occasional victim. When this happens, a good account can be used to con hundreds of people out of money. Now, figuring out how to spot a hi-jacked account can prove tricky, even for me. But keep reading and it will become simpler!

    5) Analyse the description carefully. - If the description looks as if it has just been ripped off another website; that is suspicious. If the description is badly written and spelt, that too is suspicious. If it looks like it has been cut-and-pasted from other descriptions; that is very suspicious. If the description tells you NOT to contact them via eBay’s messaging system but instead gives you a weird email address to contact: FIRE ALARMS SHOULD BE RINGING! This person is 100% fraudulent and I guarantee my life on it!

    6) Pictures DO lie - Take a look at the images. If they all consist of perfect images from the manufacturers website - be wary. If they are taken from someone else’s auction – that’s obvious! What most scammers will do is use home-produced images from honest eBay sellers and pass them off as their own. This creates the illusion that the item is actually in their possession when in fact they are trying to rape you financially. If you think you have seen these home-produced pictures before, you have! Don’t bid! (Note: It makes me laugh when scammers put the wrong pictures of a product they are trying to flog. How stupid!).

    7) Sellers that offer Bank Wire and Western Union, but don’t offer Paypal - Again, this is pretty obvious. If the seller wants you to wire money to an account in Indonesia or similar, you can bet your ass that the moment you do - they’ll run away with your money ... and there’s not much you can do about it. Paypal is your safest bet when buying from eBay (even though Paypal themselves are money grabbing sods … hey, at least I’m honest!).

    8) Brand New Products that have not been released for sale - If you think that getting the latest Nokia phone that has not been released is possible - then you’re deluded. Products cannot be sold on eBay until they have been officially released into the public domain. So you can quietly ignore the guy trying to sell you a Playstation 5 for ‘just’ £400.00 … (btw: Playstation 5 doesn’t exist!)

    9) Links to an external site - If you see links that offer to take you to a site outside of eBay that promises that you’ll get an Apple iPod for £5, immediately click off the page and never revisit it again. If you're stupid enough to fall for that one ... God help you!

    10) Location, Location, Location - Generally scammers will base themselves in large cities where the chance of being tracked is slim. Lookout for people who do not specifically state where they are based. i.e. instead of ‘Leyland, Lancashire’ you get ‘United Kingdom, United Kingdom’. Similarly, lookout for those people that state they are from one place but actually have an account somewhere else (i.e. they say they’re from London, but are in fact from Guadalajara).

    11) Pre-approval … my ass! - Some fraudsters will also ask you to be pre-approved for their auctions. This involves sending them your e-mail and other information about you so that they can either a) give you a too-good-to-be-true offer, or b) steal your identity and con someone else. If you see one of these auctions - run!

    12) The Price is Right? … NO! - Another technique that these scumbags try and reel you in is if they offer on a ‘Buy it Now’ a highly priced item (such as a laptop) for considerably less than the current market value for the item. They use the BIN, take your money and that’s the end of that.

    And finally, Rule 13: the Golden Rule of them all:

    13) When in doubt: DON’T BID! - It may seem crazy but if an offer is too good to be true: then it usually is. If you are in ANY doubt as to the authenticity or integrity of a product or salesperson – under no circumstances must you bid.

  2. #257

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    1.4 million dollars raid of stolen property same already done on ebay. Guys caught today after stealing from wharehouses. Will be interesting if they recover the stolen property and if paypal non protection will apply. Range of stuff from power equiment, chainsaws to video , dvr etc.

    Can't believe they let this stuff happen.

    Someone will find news article and post it - should be in tomorrows paper

  3. #258

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    Just use paypal due its not complex or worthy of a manifesto. Lol

  4. #259

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    He's back trading as

    'Discount Marine World'

    Watch out

  5. #260

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    Oh, well spotted. Thanks for the heads up.

    http://www.discountmarineworld.com.au/about_us.php

  6. #261

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    Thanks, will keep away from that one. My wife just bought a sounder on Ebay, we'll see if it turns up .

    All the best,
    Rob

  7. #262

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    Domain Name: discountmarineworld.com.auLast Modified: 19-Jun-2009 01:19:46 UTCRegistrar ID: Aust DomainsRegistrar Name: Aust DomainsStatus: okRegistrant: BEATTIE, GARRY JRegistrant ID: ABN 68151571634Eligibility Type: Sole TraderRegistrant Contact ID: R-000296434-SNRegistrant Contact Name: Garry BeattieRegistrant Contact Email: Visit whois.ausregistry.com.au for Web based WhoIsTech Contact ID: C-000798663-SNTech Contact Name: Garry BeattieTech Contact Email: Visit whois.ausregistry.com.au for Web based WhoIs

  8. #263

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    Quote Originally Posted by cormorant View Post
    A lot of the ebay traders use many small transactions to make their feedback look good. I had one who sold lots of golf tees and had a great rating. Every 6 months or so he would all with one closing day sell 50 golf glubs at $400 each. Then would delay as he had them ordered and posted from overseas. Most arrived eventually and about 50% got money refunded after he had had use of it for 6 weeks hmmmmm- better than a credit card. Got a few bad feedbacks then sold more golf tees and was at it again. Ebay don't give a toss.

    Ebay sellers think they are anomonyous- well they aren't unless they are very crafty.

    THE TRICK IS TO REQUEST SELLER DETAILS AS SOON AS AUCTION ENDS . ONCE A COMPLAINT IS MADE EBAY WON'T GIVE YOU THEIR DETAILS

  9. #264

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    That page of discount marine looks like it is lifted straight off ausfish sponsor fishon web site to me.

    Couple of additions to the precautions from me:

    If it is a store I have a look at the contact details and never deal with somebody who does not have them. If you look at beatties contact details you only get a web form- dead giveaway.

    If there is a phone number and you are wary for some reason, give it a call. The only time I got ripped off I was wary and the seller readily gave me his phone number and address to check out so I thought he must be legit and didn't bother.... "D'Oh!!!"
    Cheers

    Chris

    (AKA "Wolfy," raised by wolves in the Tasmanian highlands)

  10. #265

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    I cant believe after all this time this arsehole is still trading. It just goes to show crime does pay. I would invite this guy on a long fishing trip to the reef. Pete

  11. #266

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    any more? Has this guy been nailed?

  12. #267

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    Bump. Any recent updates?


  13. #268

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    Dont know if it has to do with this but they just jailed a young guy in ipswich for fraud using ebay, paypal and fake bank accounts. I know its not this bloke but still if they can jail this guy why cant they jail discountmarine guy??? here are a few actually -
    A 41-year-old man has been extradited to Canberra from Melbourne, accused of not delivering goods to buyers on eBay.
    ACT police allege Shane Johnston received significant sums of money for undelivered goods purchased by 10 buyers through the online auction house.
    The purchases were made between 2003 and 2006.
    Johnston appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court facing two theft related charges, with police expecting to lay a further 15 charges.
    He was not required to enter a plea.
    Magistrate John Burns granted the defendant bail, ordering him to put forward a surety of $4,000 and to report to a Melbourne police station daily.
    Johnston will appear again in court in three weeks.

    police sting has caught a man alleged to have been selling stolen car parts on Internet auction site eBay.
    Investigators say a 27-year-old has been charged over the theft of 40 new car wheels from across Sydney.
    They say the wheels were then offered for sale at discount prices on eBay.
    Detective Superintendent Ken McKay says police first noticed that the wheels were being sold by the same seller last year.
    "We've been monitoring the eBay system where police will allege that this person has been disposing of large amounts of this property," he said.
    "Through covert means, we've been dealing with this person and purchasing property from him."
    The man is expected to face court today.
    Police say they have been able to trace the owners of some of the stolen car parts and return them.

    A court has heard a man defrauded 28 people through a complex scheme on the trading website, eBay.
    Bobi Lucian Marinescu, 31, is facing 55 charges in Adelaide Magistrates Court.
    It is alleged he set up 21 false bank accounts as part of the scheme last year and was caught with four foreign travel documents which were not in his name.
    The prosecution said it had received a statement from only one victim at this stage.
    Marinescu is expected to plead in April.

    And finally the ipswich guy luckily the bank stuffed up and caught him out-
    A man who used the website eBay to dishonestly obtain nearly $40,000 has been sentenced to three years in jail by a Brisbane District Court Judge.
    Philip John Heggie, 19, today pleaded guilty to 20 charges, including fraud and computer hacking, and another 91 charges of breaching bail conditions.
    The court heard when he was in year 12, Heggie set up eBay and bank accounts in false names, then put electronic equipment up for sale on the website, but did not deliver the goods.
    Prosecutor Petrina Clohessy told the court the offences could have gone undetected if Heggie had not tried to withdraw money, after Suncorp bank mistakenly transferred $2 million into one of his accounts.
    Judge Kerry O'Brien sentenced Heggie to jail, to be released on parole next week, taking into account time already served.

  14. #269

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    I can't believe after scamming that many people that he still has all his fingers and both his legs still work after such a long time at it.. surely he has ripped off the "wrong" person at some point?

  15. #270

    Re: Being Ripped Off

    Wow, that was an interesting read to say the least. I've just come across this site and may be able to offer some more information/closure for Beattie's victims. But first, a backstory.

    Recently I was talking with some mates of mine and we got on the subject of one of our mates (Garry Beattie's son) and how when he's stirred up he goes hard on the defensive real quick. One remarked on how he hated people bringing up Gary's shoddy business practices which saw him go to prison for fraud. Now I've been friends with his son for years and years, I even stayed over his house a few times when we were younger so I've met Garry before. So I said "Hang on, what do you mean Garry went to jail??" My friend was surprised I didn't know and suggested I type his name into Google and see what comes up. Needless to say I was quite surprised 1) that someone could actually have the gall to do this repeatedly and 2) that I knew the bloke (sort of). So I said to my mate, I never knew Garry sold GPS', which he followed with "Yeah there's only one problem, they only come in one colour- invisible"

    So it seems Garry's actions finally caught up with him and he went to jail. How long for I'm not certain but I've heard he is out now. Just thought considering everything he put you through, some people would be interested to know. If anyone has further questions etc I could sure do my best to find out more. Although his son didn't like talking about it too much, funnily enough (even though he swore of his old man's innocence).

    About ten years ago I bought signed drumsticks off eBay for $40, only for the bloke to vanish. I was shattered. So I can't imagine how some of you felt being put through the ringer by this bloke. I pray you all got your goods/refund in the end, at least Garry got what was coming to him.

    I wondered if he went back to his old tricks, but surely he couldn't be that silly (although....)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Join us