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I need some advice, please...
 

I listed a few items on craigslist.org today and got an email from a buyer... My gut is telling me it's a spam... what do you think?

"Thanks for your quick respond i will like to buy this item for my Cousin located in abroad as a gift and i would have agreed to pay by Cash but i am currently out of State right now. I have been trying to buy this on ebay but its so very stressful buying on ebay.
I will offer you $400 for the item and $80 for shipping so as to close the auction as soon as possible.I will be paying through PAYPAL because i have a verified account with paypal.So kindly get back with your paypal email address so i can make payment into your paypal account.Get back to me if my approval is granted.I would like to see the pictures please."

Thank you as always, guys!

Please, anyone?
I have no clue what's going on... I got this...

"Are you sure is still in good working condition?I am buying this item
for my Fiancee i would have love to come over to your place and see it
myself but my job will not give me the chance to do that,i will love
to see pics,I will offer you $450 including shipping so get back to me
with your pay pal email address so that i can make the payment as soon
as possible to your pay pal account.I need you to get back to me as
soon as possible and i want the item to be shipped out today it is
very urgent.
Awaiting your quick response."

What can happen? He will pay me through PayPal, I'll ship the item and provide a tracking (although PP doesn't cover shipments abroad)...by the way, you can still do it if you ship via Express Mail... Then, if worst comes to worst, he will file a claim of a non-receipt/ not as described item and PP will refund him as they don't deal with overseas, right?...even if his PP account is verified...
Can anyone help please?

If you're posting this here then I think you already know the answer.

You won't be protected like this as compared to eBay. OVerseas shipping to an address NOT registered with paypal is a Big NO NO. He wants the item? Cash via WU, Moneygram or Bank transfer - certified check or money order works too. Don't play his games - let him play YOURS.

Oh and the worst is not just what you mentioned - he can do a chargeback and you are screwed...

All red flags. This is a scam. Never send as a gift overseas. If he was real he can do it himself.

This is likely a hijacked paypal account. Or they will try and spoof paypal to get your info... Your item would be on its way to him by the time all hell breaks lose and you are screwed.

SCAM!! Run far away as quick as possible...

Thank you, guys.
I emailed him and let him know that I accept only WU, Money gram or a certified check.
You are absolutely right... I can't think when I want to sell an item as soon as possible...

I hate scammers!
I could have sent him an empty box, then transferred money to my bank account from my stealth PP account and closed both of them immediately....That would have been a lesson for him but I am not one of them...The guy doesn't realize that for many scammers there are other scammers....

First two are fine. I wouldn't even take a check or money order to be honest. But as soon as you say western union, a scammer is done.

Yes, I am thinking about it too... certified checks and especially money orders are a big NO-NO...
"The spammer is done" :) LOL!

Ya, all these rats do all day long is reply to ads and try work out some scam. Always on easily sell-able high priced items. I cant run an ad for a blackberry without getting half a dozen emails from clowns looking to pull a fast one. I don't even reply.

Just a final note...

/quote I could have sent him an empty box, then transferred money to my bank account from my stealth PP account and closed both of them immediately....That would have been a lesson for him but I am not one of them...The guy doesn't realize that for many spammers there are other spammers....

Naw you wouldn't have been able to get the money - acting immediately and such, my feeling is you would get limited AND lose...=(

This is a classic Nigerian scam. Your gut was right. Always trust your gut. Rather lose a potential sale, than to lose a lot more. The greater percentage of the time, your gut will be right :)

There's a few things I've noticed about scammers on CL and other places. Any more, I can spot their BS from a mile away.

1) They often use gmail.

2) Their first email they send you is very often "How much do you want for this item" or "Is the item still available."

3) In their emails they rarely refer to the item by name. Rather than saying "I would like to buy your ipod" the email will say "I would like to buy your item" or something similar.

And of course there's the obvious ones, such as wanting you to ship overseas and offering to pay you more than you're asking, or tacking on a big shipping fee to lure you in.

Honestly, I have experience in shipping overseas out-side of eBay. A buyer messaged me on eBay, he only had 5 feedback, didn't mind sending me a $200 payment for a belt via Paypal only.
Then all I did was ship it to the address on file EXPRESS and store the tracking number in Paypal. Paypal doesn't cover out-side of eBay transactions and once you store the tracking number that's all they care about.

Jbuntz is a master when it comes to this. We deeply love out-side of eBay transactions for various reasons. :D

Hammcors, I saw you visiting the above banned user's profile. Please be careful of scams , specially on deals that's too good to be true offered by international ppl.

Good luck and welcome to the forums

for #16 thanks,i will be carefull

SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM......scam

yeah,the unite station president is a bigger scam man,right?we just follow
fugle.:lol:

Don't run away like many other members here do, let the scam pay for what they try to get for free, maybe less but at least let them pay something :-)

I used to request a overnight pre-paid shipping label from that guy and ship him a heavy brick or rock and let him eat the freight :-)

O man ,come on .i don't post any ad here, right?so come down and take it easy OK! and i am new member here don't kick me out.

I can't see why. They can pull a chargeback and all is lost anyway.