Odd Message from ebay buyer

[cvail8]

I got a strange message from a buyer in Singapore on my Delorean listing:

 

Hi There

I am interested in 50 or more sets of this items. What will be the best price that you can offer me with shipping?

I own a retail chain and an online store based in Singapore. I am also looking for other LEGO sets if we can work out a deal here. I can assure sure huge sales volume and prompt payment can be made via PayPal for the first order and subsequent orders via Bank Transfer.

I look forward to your reply and to working with you.

Regards
 

- jumostcards

 

 

 

 

Just wondering if he was mass sending this to every seller or if he's legit. Lots of feedback, but nothing since 2012. I don't know what his angle would be, but my spidey sense is tingling.

[Guest brickcrazyhouse]

even with us and euro price difference it has to be cheaper to find a source that isn't shipping over sea.  Risk it if you can afford to lose it, and not care.  But who here is willing to lose both money or bricks

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

I have gotten these before - I usually just ignore them. Do you have 50 Deloreans? lol.

[cvail8]

I have gotten these before - I usually just ignore them. Do you have 50 Deloreans? lol.

I wish. I have 5 though.

[justafrog]

You can explore it if you have the quantity of inventory he needs, but after the first transaction through eBay (ship insured, signature confirmation viewable online) I'd use the email address provided to you from PayPal to take all future transactions off-eBay.

 

Bank transfers are safe (he only gets the account information already available on all your checks, and can only use that to deposit into your account, not withdraw. In fact, it's safer for you than credit card OR PayPal payment as he can't do a "chargeback" out of your bank account).***

 

Do NOT try to arrange any off-eBay transactions through eBay messages, including requesting his email address, business website, etc. If the bots pick it up, you're in violation of taking a transaction off eBay and they'll slap your selling account with a violation at best and a suspension at worst.

 

However, once you have his eMail address through a legitimate PayPal transaction, you can contact him directly through that for all future transactions and correspondence.

[justafrog]

Just because you only have 5 doesn't mean he won't want to deal with you - he's looking for 50, but he's not going to find those from one seller, he's going to have to deal with multiple people.

[turbomattk]

A bank transfer?  Did he win the Nigerian lottery too?

[sadowsk1]

Ignoring it seems pretty easy unless you are interested in their proposal.

[Guest brickcrazyhouse]

if anyone has the 50 needed I bet it's emazers.  His level of buying/investing is mindblowing.

[justafrog]

A bank transfer?  Did he win the Nigerian lottery too?

 

Once again - wire transfers in banking are very, very normal, very safe, and very customary ways to do business.

 

Look at a check from your checking account. See the routing and account numbers? Everyone who ever gets a check from you has those numbers and can't do anything bad with them that your bank won't immediately catch or hold you harmless and replace the money from if someone steals them, makes and cashes new checks, etc.

 

That information is all that is provided for a buyer to transfer money TO your account directly (they cannot withdraw it from your account just with the numbers, there has to be specific permissions like you would grant for auto-pay, etc.)

 

BUT, for anyone worried, simply have a holding account for incoming funds, and then immediately transfer/remove them to another account when they come in.

 

Bank transfers = Good, safe, normal business. It's not like a Western Union money scam or a "I'll deposit 1 million when you send me $1,000" email scam. Talk to your bank about it if interested.

[redcell]

 I haven't gotten this message exactly, but I have done a lot of business with buyers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and other asian countries without any problems.

[cvail8]

I'm just wondering. Upon a couple more messages, he wants a lot of inventory, and it would be a relatively easy way to make a few easy bucks.

 

I was just curious if anyone else was getting the same message from the same guy. And the no feedback in a year thing still kinda weirds me out.

[Soadfan4ever]

I have someone from the Philipines that keeps messaging me wanting to buy all of my Hulk Minifigures.  I keep thinking it would be an quick way to make some money, but I am hesitant to risk that much.

[Jackson]

I got the same message, and I get this type of message every once in a while.  I've tried to work with this type of buyer before, but they usually want ridiculously low prices and large quantities, which I can't offer.

[@rtisan]

Wanting to make a quick buck the easy way is how you get in trouble here haha. Maybe it`s legit, but really, why would anyone risk their $ and their product hoping that it`ll pay off fast? 

[justafrog]

Wanting to make a quick buck the easy way is how you get in trouble here haha. Maybe it`s legit, but really, why would anyone risk their $ and their product hoping that it`ll pay off fast? 

 

Because if you follow eBay and PayPal's rules, there's no more risk to you as the seller than for any other transaction. And if you are really worried even after dotting all your i's and crossing your t's, there's third-party shipping insurance that is very good.

 

However, Jackson's experience is no doubt very typical - these buyers are looking for wholesale prices from resellers and casting a wide net to catch those desperate to liquidate for some reason.