posted on February 20, 2002 12:43:01 PM
I've got an interesting scenario, would love some help....how about someone who starts selling for another person, i was selling for a guy in New York, Jewelry to be exact, he listed under my ebay id and i took care of emails, invoices, payments and sent his percentage through paypal, i sent the guy 6 payments on the 21st of December for merchandise that should of been shipped between the 13th and 21st of December, by January 4th i knew by the amount of complaints that this man sent NOTHING, i contacted paypal who had put a hold on the payments, until he hacked into my account on the 16th impersonated me and told paypal we had settled our differences, paypal sent back the money to him, so now i'm stuck paying back thousands of dollars in merchandise and this guy walks away with the dough, he has since popped up under three new sellers on ebay and one on yahoo. Anyone have an info on how i can go about fixing this problem?.
posted on February 20, 2002 12:47:48 PM
I would assume you have a contract or written agreement? If you dont have proof then you cant do a thing about it I wouldnt think. Next time make sure items are shipped before paying out.
MEOW
posted on February 20, 2002 12:48:45 PM
rule #1 when selling for someone else....you keep control of the merchandise.
never, ever let someone else use your id when you have no control over the items.
when I sell items for friends, I keep the merch at my house, I receive payment and do shipping. when the buyer is satisfied, I give friend their money.
posted on February 20, 2002 01:00:42 PM
"someone who starts selling for another person, i was selling for a guy in New York, Jewelry to be exact, he listed under my ebay id"
Why would you do this??
" until he hacked into my account on the 16th impersonated me and told paypal we had settled our differences, paypal sent back the money to him, so now i'm stuck paying back thousands of dollars in merchandise and this guy walks away with the dough,"
You share a ebay id and a paypal account and then wonder why you have a problem!
This is unreal. Does the term "common sense" mean anything?
Well, I do wish you luck, but I think that you are up the creek with no paddel or boat.
At this point all you can do is to go after your ex partner vie a legal route, but it is slim at best.
posted on February 20, 2002 01:16:17 PM
To answer a few questions folks, first off, i have alot of proof that we did business together and that he was the shipper, emails, phone calls and receipts for payments made by me.
Next, the reason why i didn't take control of the merchandise was because he had another seller on ebay who assured me this was a legit business and she was making incredible money, something that looks good when your a single mother raising two teenagers.
Lastly, we DID NOT share a paypal account, this man never had either my password when he hacked in, i may be stupid but not dumb. Commom Sense i used yes, when i had proof from another seller that all was well, unfortunately she turned out to be as big a criminal and i didn't even know it.
Whole point is, when i paid him for merchandise i paid through paypal, when it was apparant he wasn't shipping i made complaints, i even sent an email he sent me showing he had every intention of defrauding me yet paypal did nothing until the man hacked into my account, sent an email impersonating me and got his payments released, even after personally phoning paypal that day informing them the email wasn't from me they still released the money.
TO TRAI.
dealing with my mistake is what i'm doing, my biggest worry right now is as i said, he's popped up under numerous sellers and i worry about the buyers who will be defrauded, the girl before me sold tons of stuff took the money with him and ran, i don't want this happening to ANY OTHER BUYER who happens on his auctions.
posted on February 20, 2002 01:16:59 PM
To answer a few questions folks, first off, i have alot of proof that we did business together and that he was the shipper, emails, phone calls and receipts for payments made by me.
Next, the reason why i didn't take control of the merchandise was because he had another seller on ebay who assured me this was a legit business and she was making incredible money, something that looks good when your a single mother raising two teenagers.
Lastly, we DID NOT share a paypal account, this man never had either my password when he hacked in, i may be stupid but not dumb. Commom Sense i used yes, when i had proof from another seller that all was well, unfortunately she turned out to be as big a criminal and i didn't even know it.
Whole point is, when i paid him for merchandise i paid through paypal, when it was apparant he wasn't shipping i made complaints, i even sent an email he sent me showing he had every intention of defrauding me yet paypal did nothing until the man hacked into my account, sent an email impersonating me and got his payments released, even after personally phoning paypal that day informing them the email wasn't from me they still released the money.
TO TRAI.
dealing with my mistake is what i'm doing, my biggest worry right now is as i said, he's popped up under numerous sellers and i worry about the buyers who will be defrauded, the girl before me sold tons of stuff took the money with him and ran, i don't want this happening to ANY OTHER BUYER who happens on his auctions.
posted on February 20, 2002 02:08:07 PM
NEver sell for someone esle in less you have the items don't depend on someone some where else to do the shipping.
Never pay the person till all the items are shipped and there there buyer is happy and there is no charge backs or refunds it simple and there will never be a problem.. http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
Email [email protected]
posted on February 20, 2002 02:14:42 PM
well how can anyone hack into anyone else's account, whether you like it or not it's an everyday occurance, i've contacted paypal both through email and phone and let them know that the email sent out of my account was not buy me, lot of good it did.
as for never selling without having the merchandise, yeah my dumb self is now learning that the hard way, but what do you do when you bid on ebay and are expected to pay ahead of time, 95% of the sellers on ebay won't send merchandise unless it's paid for ahead of time, been like that for years, and if you refuse to pay before delivery that seller has the right to leave you negative feedback, just a thought on this subject.
posted on February 20, 2002 04:20:48 PM
So you are saying not only did he hack into your account, but he called paypal and told them to remove the hold on the transactions? I don't buy it. There is missing information here.
I don't think it matters how much business you did together, I think you are liable. You might want to gather up your stuff and try to sue him and collect that way, but you are on the hook with the ebay customers if this was done under your account.
Maybe you should look for a different line of business, this one doesn't seem to suit you well.
posted on February 20, 2002 04:28:30 PM
There seems to be lots of missing information here. How long had you been selling on ebay before you gave him access to your ID? How long did you know him?
He must have known enough info on you including the password to be able to "hack into" your Paypal account.
posted on February 20, 2002 04:54:59 PM
Okay, answer to questions, one i was on ebay for a year and a half before being contacted by this guy.
No i said he hacked into my account and impersonated me, I CALLED paypal to tell them i did not send that email. I never at one time ever sent this guy my password, this is what astounds me, he new only of my id because of the 117 payments i made to him, yes the ones before that were fine but until the 21st i hadn't had a problem like this, if i send paypal an email on the 4TH of January complaining along with an email to prove he was going to defraud me, he shouldn't of had time to hack into my account since paypal should of acted on that saw what was happening and sent the money back, yeah i'm on the hook for paying the customers back but what about the guy who does the shipping, what worries me as i've said is he pops up constantly on ebay under new sellers to defraud them again and again, HOW DO YOU STOP A THIEF?
posted on February 20, 2002 05:55:13 PM
why does he ask you to sell jewelr for him?it sounds like he is pretty savvy with paypal,ebay etc,so what is he doing while you sell for him??
you mentioned another seller,she sells for him too??
he must have a lot of jewelry to sell?is he a wholesaler ??
is this a drop shipment deal?you list,you invoice,you collect and he ships and then you pay him??
jewelry can be sticky,buyers will go around to their local jeweler and have it appraised,poked and scratched and tested for gold,silver ,diamond etc.and chargeback can come.
so now you said he is not shipping any,so he ran out of merchandise.
posted on February 20, 2002 06:20:58 PM
Are you saying you were just selling for yourself on ebay and a complete stranger contacted you and you gave him access to your ID? You didn't answer my question about whether you knew him previous to this.
posted on February 20, 2002 06:57:35 PM
he is listing jewelry under her id.
why does he need to use other people's id??
why cant he have his own ebay id to sell??
he is doing the listing anyway.
posted on February 20, 2002 08:31:19 PM
Well. Have we heard this story before? Someone has hacked into my paypal account. If that is the case then everyone on this board that knows email address of paypal users would be able to get into the accounts. Wrong! You need a password. Again, was he using your computer? Did you use his and enter your password into PayPal. There is something that we don't know.... Do you live near this person?
Go to the bottom of the message center into the auctionwatch part of this board. There is a PayPal message board and ask for Damon. He surfs these boards all the time. Talk with him or maybe email him at [email protected] and see what the problem is. Something doesn't sound right. I'll bet this person that you were selling for was baned at ebay because of something that happened. If you know he is selling under numerous other IDs you need to report that and right away.
posted on February 20, 2002 08:44:50 PM
I am confused by one thing. This one is hard to explain, so bare with me, it might take awhile. Since my email address is attached to my computer through my ISP how can someone send an email from me to someone else from a different computer and of course a different ISP. When I send an email my name is automatically attached to the from part of the email. Can it be changed? If I go to my daughters computer can I enter my name in the the from part of the address? I hope someone with a little knowledge can help me. Also I think you can have your email set up so you have to enter a password before sending an email, so did he have that? I thought my email address only belonged to me and that nobody could use it to send messages. Can anyone shed a light on this?
posted on February 20, 2002 08:56:16 PM
you said not only did he hack into your paypal account,he also impersonate you and convince paypal to lift the restriction on your account?
you said you are a mother of 2 teenage sons,how can he impersonate a woman??
if done honestly this could be a legitimate business on ebay,ask individual to sell for you,you provide the pictures of the merchandise and you do the actual shipping,each month seller and supplier settle the scores.
it is a good way to sell more if you are a direct importer/wholsaler and it is a good deal for the ebay seller,no money tied up in inventory,a win /win situation,if it is done right.
business is based on trust,but i am not sure it gives anyone the right to hack into other people 's paypal account.
posted on February 21, 2002 06:36:37 AM
wickedsorcey: I really feel for you, as will anyone else who has been victimized by fraud. Although your self-esteem has been battered, understand that you are a much finer person than the jerk who tricked you.
Here's what I suggest, based on personal experience:
1. Accept that you have been defrauded and that the money is lost. Unfortunate but true.
2. Contact law enforcement in the area where the criminal lives, and report the situation. Maybe they can stop the guy, maybe not.
3. Report him to ebay, and email the other sellers who are his present victims. It's a good way to get back at him a little.
4. Ignore the posters here who are second guessing you. Some of them may be victims of fraud someday, but until then they don't really have a clue about your situation.
posted on February 21, 2002 07:00:59 AM
libra63,
if it is a hardcopy of an email,i think you can white out the email addr and paste something different and make a copy of it.
but this is not the case here.
the only way i can think of is for someone who have multiple email addr on the same account with his ISP.say aol you can have 7.
lets say you have an email addr which is [email protected] and i created an email addr on my aol account calling it [email protected] and go around telling folks i have switched ISP,or this is my work email addr etc.
but i doubt you can fool payment services that way,may be friends and neighbors and ebay members.
posted on February 21, 2002 02:37:55 PM
to Stopwhining:
according to him he had three warehouses full of jewelry plus they made the stuff on premises, he needed multiple sellers to get his business booming, if he had accomplished that i'm sure he would of been making great money. The other girl is no longer selling for him, she got taken too, money was sent by customers she's sent it to him and nothing showed up. I've also since been in contact with yet ANOTHER seller he pulled this on.
To Kiara:
No i did not know him previous to this, but the fact i had a great reference for him from his sellers is what made me allow him to use the id, if he has more sellers who are doing the same i figured he was an honest legit business man.
To Libra63:
No he never used my computer, when i contacted paypal after the hacking i told them to check the IP, i never at anytime gave that man my password for paypal, i may be dumb but i'm not stupid, they should of been able to trace his isp number with no problem, they just weren't willing to bother, according to what i was told, sorry the investigation is closed.
I know he had several emails on aol, i questioned him once about that and he said he uses a different one for each seller, as for how does he impersonate a woman, it's not hard, he goes into the paypal account, punches in for the section to send email to which goes directly from the account to paypal, he simple wrote an email said we had settled our differences and that was all it took for paypal to release his funds, i called PAYPAL THAT DAY, told them to check the isp, told them I DID NOT sent that email, someone else did, who are you going to believe an email sent through paypal account or a voice on the phone, may i remind those who deal with paypal, when you make an inquiry into an account, he must provide details of addresses, you bank account info, he knew none of that (address for selling with him and paypal are totally different) i set that up so no one could make a phone call, same with my banking info, he did not know who i dealt with as all payments to him were with paypal from my account, nor did he know the bank number. If i can give that on the phone, why would paypal NOT believe me.
As for reporting him to ebay, anyone know how hard it is to prove someone is working for that particular person, our defense is solid when we do contact ebay (which i'm sorry i can't give that info out here incase he happens to read it), there is a certain way we've managed to connect him with others and each time have had him removed, but the problem is he keeps popping up with someone else, not everyone is willing to listen to you even when it's in their own best interest, i've emails to customers this guy has sent out and were sent to new sellers where he tells people i'm suffering from a medical condition, one he called me a lying thieving #*!@, i just received an email today from a customer where he stated "SHE STOLE YOUR MONEY, Sorry" send this stuff to a new seller and they think he's telling the truth and not you, believe me what i wouldn't give to be able to warn others so they don't get scammed by him.
I would like to thank those who have posted, alot of this stuff is being absorbed believe me it will never happen again, i've gone through upteen number of sites, filed with every online fraud organization i can and am learning to become just that much more wiser. I even have a news article being printed in my hometown tomorrow that hopefully will help someone else.
posted on February 21, 2002 03:59:34 PM
how much do you know about this person,is the name he gave you the real name,do you have his addr and other personal data??
what is the name of his business?where are the warehouses and where is the workshop?
most jewlery these days are made overseas-silver.marcasite from indonesia and thailand,semi precious stones from india and hong kong,jade from china.
are you sure he owns a business or is he an employee stealing from his employer,he gets caught so he cant deliver more?
where does an owner of a business of 3 warehouses and workshop find time to list item on ebay ??
paypal can trace the movement of funds from paypal account to paypal accounts and to banks,and ebay may have some information on his past activities.
keep working with your local newspaper,they may just be your best possible friend right now.
[ edited by stopwhining on Feb 21, 2002 04:02 PM ]
posted on February 21, 2002 04:55:25 PM
I'm sorry to hear that you got scammed. It is a hard lesson to learn that references aren't always what they seem to be and can easily be set up.
I have no idea how he could have gained access to your paypal account without your password.
I can only advise that you continue to pursue this every way you can and hopefully you will get some of your money back and he will be prosecuted. Good luck and keep us updated.
posted on February 21, 2002 04:59:56 PM
does anyone else know your paypal password?
you mentioned 2 teenage sons?do they know the password,could he have talked them into giving him the password?
sometimes a person can ask enough questions to piece together the password.
like mother maiden name,pet name,last 4 digits of your ss number,favorite food??
posted on February 22, 2002 08:28:42 AM
to stopwhining:
yes i have his real name, address, phone number, i also have his business name, address and phone number, i also have his alias names on top of that. I've got two phone bills filled with phone calls to those two numbers, is he scared no, because both numbers are still operating, only now he uses an answering machine so he doesn't have to deal with customer complaints.
As for giving my password for PAYPAL, NO ONE knew it, i wouldn't give my teenagers the password to an account with hundreds of dollars in it, and no i picked a VERY, VERY unusual password, not favorite food, maiden names, no ss numbers, i even changed the spelling on one of the words to give it a harder edge.
Today my article made it in the paper, unfortunately she didn't get a chance to put everything in the paper, i've spoken by email to Damon at Paypal but unfortunately after reading the other horror stories of folks on here i'm getting kinda turned off, there shouldn't be any problem with paypal being able to trace his records, for the simple fact they have 117 payments from me they should be able to find and trace the accounts and which bank it went to, now whether they are willing to do that is another story, so much for that "every users account insured up to 100,000 dollars huh?", what i don't understand is how can 2 people come to my paypal account and file complaints, paypal automatically restricts my account and won't open it until they are paid back, if i made six complaints and they restricted, now the money was there and it was frozen, how do i know this?, if the man went to all the trouble to hack into my account to have the restriction moved means he had to get the restriction off and get that money moved, so as for paypal telling me they couldn't recover it that's just a crock. Just more excuses from paypal.
I'm continuing to fight for myself, i've filed a complaint with the New York Police Department, whether it will do any good is beyond me, what bothers me is this.....
if you are hired by a man who owns a small mom and pop store, you're selling goods there as a cashier, your name is on a tag, you take the money, you make the deals, then somewhere along the lines, someone complains that something purchased from there was not as described, you contact your boss and he tells you he WILL NOT refund, so the guy who was the buyer takes it to court, BUT........it's not the clerk he's sueing, she just works there, why is this different on ebay than any other place of business in the world?, any thoughts folks?
