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Seller trying to scam me with PayPal 21 day flaw.
 

Hi guys I just purchased a phone on ebay and I am now 90% sure it's a scam.

The seller has a new account with 10 private feedback. He sold the phone with a 20 day dispatch time. Other sellers also with brand new accounts and 10 private feedback are selling the same item at the same very cheap price which is highly suspicious to me

I strongly suspect that the reason he has put a 20 day dispatch time on the item is so that he can wait for the paypal 21 day automatic hold to end so he can withdraw the money and disappear.

I assume I'm safe as I paid through PayPal on the ebay checkout so I assume I will be able to get a refund regardless of the seller disappearing with the money?

Re: Seller trying to scam me with PayPal 21 day flaw.
 

Was it an iPhone 11?

Re: Seller trying to scam me with PayPal 21 day flaw.
 

No it's a brand new Iphone XS Max 64gb. It is an Australia to UK import so it had a plausible reason to be cheaper than expected (UK prices are much higher than foreign prices)

But due to the suspicious circumstances of other sellers with almost carbon copy ebay accounts it's very likely to be a scam.

I paid with a credit card through paypal via ebay checkout so I should be covered just wanted to check that there isn't any buyer protection loopholes I should now about? I'm convinced he will withdraw after 21 days and leave PayPal to take the loss.

The seller was quick to send me a postage label and say it may be very delayed due to covid. Yeah mate I'm sure it will.

Should I wait for the estimated delivery timeframe to pass (this is about 1 month away) or should I simply open a paypal item not received claim in a few days?

Would be nice to stop him getting away with it by opening a PayPal claim so that his funds are frozen (if this is possible)

What do you think?

Seller trying to scam me with PayPal 21 day flaw.
 

Nothing but red flags just open a case ASAP and get your money back, I wouldn’t be surprised if the seller uses a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ tracking number when you do open one so just be wary of anything like that.

Re: Seller trying to scam me with PayPal 21 day flaw.
 

If I had all the information above beforehand, I would not be purchasing. Just needless hassle for you, your credit supplier and PayPal.

Hope you get your phone or money back.

Re: Seller trying to scam me with PayPal 21 day flaw.
 

Totally agree. I didn't see the clues until after purchasing. What gave it away was the other accounts of the same age same amount of feedback and all set to private and selling the same item.

Too much of a coincidence.

I can't open an ebay claim as I have to wait until after the estimated delivery period which is over a month away but I will look into simply opening a PayPal dispute for item not received. If the seller uses a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ tracking number and somehow wins the case without delivering anything I will open an item not received case and simply send some **** it a jiffy bag then use the tracking number to get a refund.

Re: Seller trying to scam me with PayPal 21 day flaw.
 

Update

He has provided a valid Australian tracking number however upon close inspection the status of the tracking number is pending no events which means:-

"When tracking my item, what does 'pending - no events yet' mean?

The tracking status 'pending – no events yet’ means that the item hasn’t been scanned yet.

This could be because it:
hasn’t been posted yet, OR
was posted in a street posting box, which means it will take a little longer before it’s first scanned, OR
was part of a bulk mailing where items have been posted over the counter in bulk but not scanned yet
Visit our tracking service to see what stages in the delivery journey are captured for different services.

Please try tracking your item again in 24-48 hours"

So basically it appears as though he has given proof that he posted it but in reality it isn't proof of anything other than a tracking number was generated / a postal service was purchased but not used.

I will give it a few days and then open a PayPal item not received case.

Re: Seller trying to scam me with PayPal 21 day flaw.
 

You are covered by the returns policy.. so if it comes down to that, just need a legitimate tracking number to ensure a refund

Re: Seller trying to scam me with PayPal 21 day flaw.
 

It's was one of those situations where the item was cheap but not so cheap as to warranty suspicion initially. A new sealed UK XS Max can be found for about £550 so it was only £150 cheaper which was about right for a foreign import