Another ebay scam - 1961 f5 gibson

**f5loar** · Jun-12-2008, 5:06pm

Well another one shows up today with less than 20 hours to go on it. I hope to save someone some misery here in hopes if you bid you will back out of it before it's too late. Several things make this a scam: Short one day auction using the highlight feature. Seller only has one item to sell and it is located in London, UK. Will ship anywhere in world for $50(yeah right). And demands you contact him through direct email not using the ebay system. Probably stolen ID. But the real reason it's a scam is I'm sitting here picking on that mandolin. It's not in London it's in North Carolina. I've had it over 6 months yet seller was able to lift photo I bought it from that long ago. I think I got it off Craigslist.
Crafty and very shifty. Buyer beware and hopefully you learned something today about ebay scams.

**Weagle** · Jun-12-2008, 6:14pm

That is amazing!!!! Did you advise eBay?

It never ceases to amaze me what folks will try to get away with. I need to hurry up and get up to Bean Blossom and escape this madness for awhile.

Weagle

**f5loar** · Jun-12-2008, 8:28pm

I did about 4 hours ago and it's still up. I forgot the item number:
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/1961-Gibson-F5-Mandolin-with-Gibson-Case_W0QQitemZ180252564077QQihZ008QQcategoryZ10179 QQss
PageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/1961-Gi....iewItem</a>
I asked the seller for the serial number and he sent me the serial number and sure enough it's my serial number.
He kept that information back to make it look like he has it.

**jaco** · Jun-12-2008, 8:49pm

Guys and gals, stay the hell away from ebay. This is the same guy preying on mandolin players. Ebay needs to get their security sh.. together.

**David Houchens** · Jun-12-2008, 9:23pm

You think they were twins?

David

**cooper4205** · Jun-12-2008, 9:41pm

f5loar-

wasn't it originally on craigslist somewhere in Florida? I seem to remember that it was a pretty good deal and seeing what looks like those exact same pictures.

**f5loar** · Jun-12-2008, 9:53pm

that's the one and as I recall it did not have photos on the Craiglist. The seller sent me photos and I got it.
So that means this scammer did the same thing and then waited to post it on ebay as a scam. This is getting smarter than just listing an ebay mandolin that sold a few weeks before using same description. I've now asked the seller if he would ship it COD. That gets them everytime.
Kind of hard to ship something you don't have COD. With COD you can open the box before payment.

**Ken Waltham** · Jun-13-2008, 6:53am

I knew immediately when I looked at the pics, that wasn't no English house in the background...
Ken

**TomTyrrell** · Jun-13-2008, 7:01am

Originally Posted by (jaco @ June 12 2008, 21:49)

Guys and gals, stay the hell away from ebay. This is the same guy preying on mandolin players. Ebay needs to get their security sh.. together.

It isn't eBay's fault. Criminals are criminals.

All of these scams are contrary to the rules of eBay. When you get an ID you agree to the terms and conditions and one of those T&C items is "no transactions outside of eBay".

If you choose to pursue a transaction outside of eBay you shouldn't expect any protection from them.

There are new security procedures going into place but someone will find a way around them if buyers let them do it.

**f5loar** · Jun-13-2008, 9:24am

7 hours to go and still getting bids.

**BlueMountain** · Jun-13-2008, 9:32am

Even if the auction reaches its end, eBay will almost certainly cancel it. I've found them very good about this. But they also cancel auctions if they think the winning bidder was a fake, and they delete the auction, so you can't offer it to the next highest bidder. I assume this is because they figure the next highest bidder wouldn't have had to bid so high were it not for the fake. But it gets expensive for sellers having to relist.

**jaco** · Jun-13-2008, 11:26am

Tom, I would amend my statement about e-bay to say stay away from any add that states "e-mail me directly". That seems to be the universal red flag on this guy's scams.

**Phil Goodson** · Jun-13-2008, 5:04pm

Seems to have sold at $2,025.00

How does the scammer get the 100% good feedback? Sells himself stuff and posts positive feedback to himself under a different name?

**Jim Broyles** · Jun-13-2008, 5:09pm

Naw, it's a hijacked account. That user id is not the seller.

**f5loar** · Jun-13-2008, 8:01pm

I was really surprised to see ebay did not shut this one down especially after I reported it twice by their report fraud system and one phone call to them directly. I have all faith ebay well knew this one was a scam. However the high bidder is a zero feedbacker and has a little lock beside his feedback. Not sure what that means but this could be ebay was the high bidder in hopes of dealing direct with the scammer vs. just pulling it and seeing him come back again under another stolen ID. Makes sense for ebay to go undercover as a legit buyer to nab these scammers. One thing is for sure whomever the winner was they will not be getting that mandolin in that photo with that serial number. It's long found a permanent home. One of the best of the early 60's I've ever had.