posted on August 3, 2001 10:50:31 PM new
IT LOOKS LIKE eBay, eBay Sellers with Outrageous Inflated s&("H" Scams NOT Posted/Listed on Item Descriptions, Seller Non-Delivery of Paid-For Items, while eBay "Cries": "We ARE NOT AN AUCTION, the Seller IS!, "WE" are MERELY an "VENUE" that collects Listings Fees from our "Client" (Read: "Partner" Sellers!" "S&H" can be a 15%-43% Part of Total $'s DEMANDED by Sellers AFTER Auction End. A 5% Federal Retail Internet Sales Tax, with FEDERAL FTC, FCC, & USPS Mail Fraud Prosecution would only amount to $5 (5%) on a $100 eBay Auction item; NO BIGGIE Compared to the Rip-Off "S&H" Charges that are 2-3-4-5 Times the Actual Postage (+ Insurance) on a USPS shipped eBay Item Package. When we get any BULL from an eBay seller or eBay now, we "CC" our Local US Rep in DC; Paper-Trail, useful in DOJ & Congressional Investigations & Pending Federal Legislation. Beats CC'ing our Attorneys, or "House-Calls". Internet Criminal Felony Fraud IS NOT ABOVE PENALTY! Heavy Civil Lawsuit Penalties/Triple Damages, Attorneys Fees, Punitive Damages; Hey, It's Better than Annoying us to the Point at which we Take "Independent-Action", Frauds, Scammers, Crooks; make our "MyBeware" E-Mail Lists. Class-Action Civil Lawsuits against Frauds, IRS "Oversite"; used to bother us, we can't waste our Valuable Time on Frauds anymore. If the Feds don't take Action, WE WILL. Now we know what all that Mil. Intell. Stuff is worth in Civilian life! Don't "DINK" with us! We don't "PLAY" with Frauds & Crooks!
posted on August 3, 2001 11:08:01 PM new
What is my first thought, after some break down I get the point.
You must have some horrible bidders and sellers in your dealings. In 4+ years on Ebay as a buyer and seller The, couple bad bidders and sellers I encountered never justified such a reation. Maybe a negative feedback or a FVF filed, but nothing worth writing to my US Rep over. You state "When we get any BULL from an eBay seller or eBay now, we "CC" our Local US Rep in DC". What does this accomplish? Have you ever received a response that was actual help?
For future reference try a little spacing and puinctuation in your post. It's a hard read as is.
posted on August 4, 2001 12:46:30 AM new
YUP ! We do "Stack" our Sentences somewhat, Sorry, it's our Microsoft-WebTV-Plus-RCA limiting spacing between paragraphs. We have NEVER used Fraud/Non-Delivery in the Non-Internet Commerce World; that type of Activity in CT, NC, FL, or TX, amoung others will get an Instant Response from State Consumer Affairs and very likely a visit. In NC, whether it's $60 or $600, the Consumer can quickly have a Warrant executed upon Sworn Complaint; Suspected/Accused Retail Merchants or Service Companies are swiftly escorted by a Sheriff's Deputy to the Courthouse, then are scheduled for a Criminal Court Hearing before a Judge. Hiding behind Cyber-Space on the Internet or eBay is NOT going to fly anymore; we don't care if it's $10 or $100 or $1000; Fraud is FRAUD, it's a Criminal Felony, if eBay and the other Auction Houses do not Police it or Protect the Buyers, they are Committing Suicide, Media coverage and Federal Investigations are just the beginning. I'm sure you have heard on AW and elsewhere about the CA Attorney (CLUE!) and all his Shills that had up to or over 32 "Multiple-ID'S" on eBay; they gotNailed and Indicted on Interstate Felony Fraud. This involved "Art" Fakes on eBay. lots of Sellers and Buyers are so "Whipped" by eBay "Take-It-Slow" Bull, and "Fear of Negs" that they just "Write-Off" Frauds as "Cost-of-Doing-Biz" on eBay & other Auctions. We DO NOT Call or Write our Congressman, we simply comply with his requests for ALL current Info by CC'ing eBay, Sellers, Buyers, Ourselves in all E-Mails so they can Print and follow-up with "Real-World" actual Correspondence and Details, not just what some eBay Exec or CEO Spins them in front of a Congressional Committee. This results in "Hard-Copy" that often belies the PR shoveled out to prevent Oversight. Profits only, Wild-West Style Commerce may be Profitable and all, I agree; but it is Truly Ignorant to ASSUME that this could go on unchecked. Napster thought it could write it's own Rules! Hello! ebay thinks it can be a MONOPOLY determining that they "OWN" #1 - Colors? #1 - Text Style? #3 - Graphic Designs? I know "Yall" like eBay for the $'s you make on it, but Buyer Confidence can and will errode if the Consumer gets the Shaft. When you get any E-Mail from us, at the Bottom, you will find our "MyBeware" List of Shame. We have been receiving "Thanks-For-The-Warning" Replies from EVERY eBayer we now Contact. If any Auction House contacts us with their Wimpy Threats, we'll just Add their E-Mail Copy as an Attachment. TS. We had a Seller earlier this year that shafted us for a purty good Scammin'. Not smart, he was a Federal Licensed Dealer, we referred him to some Friends at BATF. Case closed. We were never reimbursed, but he is a Habitual Felon in the "Bricks-&-Mortar" World, States & Feds don't abide that Bull! Chain-Mail also does wonders, when Honest Sellers and Buyers get fed up with eBay or other Auctions "Red-Tape" and "Maybe We MIGHT CONSIDER a SUSPENSION"! That ain't gettin' it! While Wimps Wait, we ACT! We know MOST of you Sellers are Honest. If any of you are not, don't be DUMB enough to think you can get away with anything with us, or our others, who have Suddenly Developed Backbones! We gave eBayCS and Safe Harbor their shot. Until the Feds set up Oversight within the Internet Auction Houses, Fraud and Scams will persist and grow. Not with us. It's Over. There are many cute little ways to handle these Turkeys. If they ignore Ethics and Fair and Honest Business Practices, Hey, we'll Take 'em on! - PJ38 - (If you want to excuse or ignore them, remember, they destroy ALL Sellers Reputations!)
posted on August 4, 2001 01:12:59 AM new
That's GREAT "uaru"! We have 2 eBay Sellers on our "MyBeware" Alert-List that will List, but not Ship your "Rosetta Stone" after they Receive your Payment. (One has now decided not to List ANY Auctions on eBay in the last 30-Days+) 3000 Items Listed each Week does not Translate into Profits when Bidders won't Bid! - PJ38 - (It couldn't be the "Buyer-Warnings" could it?)
posted on August 4, 2001 04:44:44 AM new
IF eBay will not Police it's own Fee-Pay "VENUE" and their is no Legal Athority, or as "Internet-Inventor" Albet Gore, Jr., said: "There Is No Controlling Legal Authority!", then there is only a Lawless Anarchy Internet auction System. No U.S.A. Chartered Corporation is ABOVE THE LAW; no U.S.A. Citizen, Legal Resident, Foreign Visitor, or Illegal Alien is ABOVE THE LAW. If the Internet Auction Houses and/or the Federal and/or State Governments choose to ignore Criminal Felony Fraud, then here is, or will be, "No Controlling Legal Authority"; if that is so, Various Very Vigilant Victims may presume the Law does not apply to anyone. Do you want that? A 5% Federal Internet Retail Sales Tax beats Criminal Fraud (100% Tax) and/or Scam s&"H" Profit-Centers (13%-43%) Do you expect Honest Buyers to put up with this? Sooner or Later, someone will pick up a Phone, Take a Drive. If you want a Lawless Society, you will probably get it! The LAST PERSONS TO WISH FOR GOVT. OVERSIGHT, CONTROLS, LAWS, RULES, REGS., LAWSUITS, ETC. --- But, Hey, It's CHEAPER THAN 100% LOSSES DUE TO FRAUD & SCAMS! -- Internet "Auction?" "Venues?" "Con-Co's?" are NOT ABOVE THE LAW or BUSINESS ETHICS. "Stone-Walling", "Wishin' & Hoping" will not let you PLAY "NAPSTER"! If Internet Auctions want to make up their Own Silly Little Rules & Regs., EVERYONE WILL! - PJ38 -
posted on August 4, 2001 05:38:48 AM newno U.S.A. Citizen, Legal Resident, Foreign Visitor, or Illegal Alien is ABOVE THE LAW.
Of course not. If you get good evidence of fraud on someone, go after them. But don't let the government regulate us to death either. Fraud statutes are on the books already, use them.
But what good is all this going to do when dealing "world wide"? Look at all the sites eBay has all over the world. These issues can't be solved by the US alone, it's a world wide web.
posted on August 4, 2001 06:28:54 AM new
We Got an "Aussie" Seller (With a PA "Friend/Bank Account Agent" to finally Ship an eBay Item over 5 Weeks AFTER our Bank Check was Cleared. Most Sellers now just Ship to us the same or next Day after we SNIPE their Auction, we have a Good Rep. They KNOW we always Pay. We have a "Great-White-North" Seller that Got Paid. Confirmed it by E-Mail over 90 Days ago. NO eBay Auctions in the last 30 Days+! Was listing 3000 Items at a Time. eBay Sez: "No Fraud Protection after 90 Days!" (eBay Encourages "WAIT, DON'T NEG., CALL, E-MAIL, Be PATIENT" Now: "Too Bad!" "Here's Seller's Contact Info & Phone #!" (eBay Won't let us Post Negative Feedback on Seller, we've tried lotsa Times on the "Over 90 Days!" Site) eBay's E-Mails are in DC now. We are not worried about the UK, have Excellent eBay Tranactions there; 6-8 Day Turnaround from our Postmark here! We've heard BAD STUFF about Italy. Canada? 1 Month, Package Postmarked June 25th arrived yesterday??? UK 6-8 Days? Go Figure! Ontario: 1-3 Months, Buffalo, NY, ONE (1) DAY! (1st Class USPS) Priority Mail: No Faster; 2-3 Times more $'s! Upstate NY goes across Tappan Zee Bridge, Ground USPS Mail, Avoids the DUMB NY/NJ Bottleneck! (We do NOT need ANYTHING in 1-2-3-4-5 Days; just: 2 Weeks, 1 Month, 90 Days; Hey, Forget Canada!) If our Canadian "Non-Shipper" EVER Lists AGAIN on eBay (or anywhere!), there will by MUCHO BIDDERS, be assured! We have filed Federal "Mail-Fraud" charges in the US, passed it onto the Canadian Version of our IRS. Nothin' like a Surprise Tax Audit when you have US & Canadian Buyers that have "Print-Outs" of the Sellers "Me" Page, Braggin' about 3000 Items always listed on eBay! Some of the Buyers they Criminally Defrauded live in the Niagara/Buffalo Upstate NY State Area. Right accross the Bridge. Not Smart! (Some in the Newspaper Biz!) Talk about STUPID CROOKS! We are NOT worried about "International" Fraud - We have Unique and Persuasive Friendly Methods to "Contact" Paid Non-Shippers! We have only one (1) Pending now; over 90 Days, but not "$5" like one eBay Seller/AW Member who Sez she was "Shorted" on a Payment by a Buyer w/o a currently Working Computer. Computers are EVERYWHERE! Send a letter; Post a "NEG", BIG DEAL! eBay Sellers & Buyers are so "NEG-SHY", you'd think a few would Kill them! Properly Written & Posted, a DANDY "NEG" or "NEG-RESPONSE" will tell the Prospective Buyer or Seller to think TWICE before doing anything STUPID, UNETHICAL, or ILLEGAL! Gotta Go Gang! Drive Safely! - PJ38 -
posted on August 4, 2001 07:12:00 AM new
YO "capotasto"! Naw, we're Really Just chasin' one last Canadian Paid "Non-Shipper/Seller" who has Lotsa our $'s! We see the "Creative-Handling Charges" handled pretty simply and easily now; new eBay Members do not have quite our advantage. If Sellers think "Padded" Handling & Packing Material Charges are smart, they will learn otherwise quite soon. We are doing a little "Consulting" for some Buyers and Sellers now; some of this Pro-Bono Info is how to utilize Federal Mail Fraud Regulations. Some of these Postal Inspectors just love a good challenge. It's truly amazing how ignorant the average person is of the Laws, Regulations, and Penalties there are on the books already. No use spoiling a good Media item by going into that now; stay tuned. Some of the Pols in DC now with wild eyes before coming elections are sure not any Friends of ours, but it's time to spill a little something now to straighten out the Scammers. If anyone has been having any Problems as a result of TRW and others after getting burned by Paypal or eBay, thereare some HEFTY Class-Action Lawsuits coming down the Pike now. The Punitive Civil Damages will straighten out these Crooked Extortionists, once and for all! Check out "Tom", WABC 770-AM Radio, NYC 11AM EDT, M-F. He's Point-Man on this. Gotta Go! Heavy-Duty Snipes to hit for some Folks! It's something how good you can get with 4 Units Smoking at once, once you get the hang of it! Happy Week-End eBay Sellers! We are going to Raise some Final Bids rather quickly this week! (You can use the Honest Added Profits) - PJ38 - (eSnipe & Cricket Jr. are Amateurs!)
posted on August 4, 2001 07:19:08 AM new
Wow, I must be doing something right. I haven't been burned, cheated, or defrauded by any of the several bad-guys in the previous posts. Guess I'm just lucky.
posted on August 4, 2001 07:30:28 AM new
Actually, I think there just might be a very real factor at work here that accelerates the most serious frauds from both buyer and seller directions on the online auctions. Consider this: how long has it been now since all this online auction and Pay Pal- type payment stuff got really "big," part of our mosern culture, mentioned on Leno all the time, etc? Maybe two years?
I would suggest we are just now getting into the time frame to see more "participations" from very serious career con artists and frauds... we're into the stage where people who have actually been in the SLAMMER have had a chance to share tips with each other about how to take the rubes to the cleaners. Now more of them are getting OUT after getting their junior college degrees in net fraud, as it were. We're getting into the time frame where people who actually WILL use fake ID's and move from one city to the next every couple of months (like the gypsies who sell driveway and roof coatings and bags of shredded newspaper to senile widows) will really get active in this online arena.
What do inmates have to talk about, anyway? I'm afraid that in too many cases it'll be about how to scam, SERIOUSLY scam, "rubes" like most of us (including me) are perceived as being. How do you stop someone from moving into a motel for a month, opening a bank account on a fake ID, attaching it to Pay Pal, cutting and pasting some attractive bogus listings together for higher-ticket items, then literally skipping off to another city to operate the same scam via Hotmail, Pay Pal, and a new bank account after collecting say the first $5000 each time? The criminal underground already has easy access to phony ID's and stolen credit card numbers.
Of course, the buyer-side can work like that too if the auction winner picks easily pawnable items and is also ready to move on to another town with a new ID.
My worry is that we're just now beginning to see elements of the subculture that WILL move along from place to place and shift from ID to ID getting more involved with the net, just as it becomes SO simple to use computers, and net access SO universal, that various trailer-trash types who used to run scams like roof coatings, pass checks swiped from mailboxes, and do purse-snatchings, will shift their attention more and more to the online auctions.
Pass all the laws you want to now, there's not much recourse against people who really don't much mind getting arrested over and over as an occupational hazard and who are used to moving from state to state. I suggest we may only now be seeing the earliest involvements from this sort of petty career criminal and that it'll be an increasing problem now.
posted on August 4, 2001 07:39:50 AM new
We have "Disappeared" a few of these guys for some of our Friends on the Internet Auctions; if any of you has a "Category" that is getting Abused by Scammers that hurt Honest Sellers &/or Buyers, we'll Monitor AW's eBay & "Fraud" topics, unfortunately, "Nicknames" or ID's are "Taboo", but if we could direct them to a Handy, Memorable E-Mail Address, without upsetting everyone, things could be handled w/o all the "CS", Red Tape, Oversight, or DC Pols. We all have experienced a few ineffectual responses from "Venues". Yall might consider having Friends "Ask Scammer a Few Questions". 30-40 Bids showing in 50 Cent to $1 Increments will warn away Unsuspecting Bidders too. Hey! we Nailed that Bid! Less than 1 Sec!
posted on August 4, 2001 08:10:35 AM new
Yikes! I just returned from one of my jungle excursions into the uninhabited wild world and then I read this thread.
Listen carefully folks. DON'T MAKE ANY SUDDEN MOVES! Put the coffee mug down very slowly and back away from the key board. Now close your eyes and visualize a soft breeze blowing through some palm trees. Got it?...No? Then take a pill and chill. Life is just not that serious.
posted on August 4, 2001 08:29:48 AM new
Back away? No no. Here, fire up your PDF document reader download and visit Dr. Bronner's Castile Peppermint Soap Label site, read a few of those labels then come back and it'll all be clear.
posted on August 4, 2001 08:38:43 AM new
LIVE WITH IT, THE FEDS ARE GOING TO GET THEIR MITTS ONTO THE NET, FOR TAX $'s, FOR VOTES, FOR EGO, FOR POWER. It's a Bi-Partisan Thing. A Vacuum of Control; They will fill that up. The Internet is kinda Libertarian for all Users. The "Swimmer" and Kerry seem different in Personalties, but they are just Clones now. Let's face it, McCain and Waxman are control Freak Buddies now. The question is, where will this really lead? There are many things the Feds will NEVER be able to Monitor. But a new ENORMOUS Revenue (Power) Source for the States and the Feds is something they will NOT Pass Up. Mensans and/or Futurists not required to figure this one out. Your Problem: Survival. Have a Good Week-End. After all, there are folks out there with Tax Refunds, just for your Stuff! - PJ38 -
posted on August 4, 2001 12:37:34 PM new
Hi Tom, Hyde Park in New York or Vermont?
PJ38, If I could figure out what the hell you are tring to say it might be useful. But as it is, there appears to be a few dozen disjointed issues that you are trying to address.
posted on August 4, 2001 02:35:48 PM new
Go Check Out: AW: "Buyer Refuses eBay Auction Delivery", 'bout 190 Posts? by now, we don't have the Poor Seller's AW Nickname/ID. This is a more appropriate example of eBay's Useless Ineffectual Policies; also how local Courts, CofC's, BBB's are resorted to by an eBay Member/Buyer. I see the Feds all over this case. eBay Deserts Seller; accepts a "Fraud-Insurance" Application/Complaint by Buyer, who REFUSED Delivery 'cause CA Delivery service was "HISPANIC"! You know, we aren't Fans of "Le Rosa"(Name right?), the IRS, Rep. Sanchez, or the ACLU, but WOW! Sometimes you need to go to the Media's "Politically-Correct" Darlings! This poor eBay Seller needs the Names of some Local Area Hispanic Media Flacks! We have had Pizza delered in our City by Off-Duty, Armed Middle-Aged Police. They allow it here. Hey, don't some Hispanic Cops work a 2nd Job as, say Furniture Delivery/Movers? We are NOT against eBay Sellers. We are against the Internet Auctions being used by the type of person this poor woman Seller is being Blackmailed and Extorted by. Unbelievable! Her 2nd Highest Bidder has also backed off now! Go read this AW Thread. We see Multiple Posts of advice and sympathy; we also see the Buyer and his Wife have a Hobby they have pursued before on eBay. We do NOT have the Solution. We do know by now this Buyer would have left CA by now if they tried this on us. We have a GREAT Law Firm. I'd take their House in a Law Suit. By now they would have been Indicted for Criminal Activities. Pardon me, I need some Strong Coffee, which is now ready, and to go learn something on that Weird Thread. - PJ38 - (Where is "Zorro" in CA, when they Really need him?)
posted on August 4, 2001 03:47:10 PM new
I, for the life of me, cannot understand this thread, other than the jokes. Is it me?
About the only thing I got was from the first posting about excessive shipping charges. Which, if the sellers states the shipping charges clearly in the auction listing, and you agree to them when you bid, then that is NOT FRAUD.
Catching fraud on the internet is even MORE complicated than catching phone fraud, mail fraud, and face-to-face fraud. Law enforcement agencies have been battling fraud since time began. Scammers always come up with something new.
The only way Congress will do anything is if it gets them votes.
posted on August 4, 2001 03:51:11 PM new
OK.....I think if you take what they say, copy and paste into Adobe Acrobat, convert to a pdf file then to a chf file then back to pdf. Then read backwards....oh, who am I kidding, still won't make sense.
posted on August 4, 2001 04:19:21 PM new
One of my 2 "Non-Shipping" Paid Sellers just Replied to my Forward of this Topic. Item being Shipped Monday. 1 down, 1 to go. More Humor Please. How much would you Bid on a new Keyboard? I have 2 new spares. How much and what color? Does anyone doubt that Sen. John Kerry's Federal Internet Retail Sales Tax (5% + or -) will appear as Legislation, in some form? Come on, Liberals! "It's a Good Thing!" Europe has the "VAT"! Can't we learn from the Sophisticated EU? Someone has to pay for Health Care and Unemployment; are we that selfish that we do not want to give everyone an even Playing-Field? -PJ38-
Scams NOT Posted/Listed on Item Descriptions, Seller Non-Delivery of Paid-For Items, while eBay "Cries": "We ARE NOT AN AUCTION, the Seller IS!, "WE" are MERELY an "VENUE" that collects Listings Fees from our "Client" (Read: "Partner"
