Ask HN: Getting Scammed eBay | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Getting Scammed eBay

1 pointevo_93 comments

Wondering what if anything I can do to get in contact with an actual person at Ebay?

The issue is I bought an expensive item (over $500) and the seller has closed his account after receiving my money.

When I try to resolve it through ebays normal mechanisms, I'm stopped right at the start because they first require you to contact the seller - but the seller doesn't exist anymore.

I know I'm Fd but how can this be legal on Ebay's part? Meaning, how can they allow a user to sell expensive equipment, and before even marking it 'shippped' close their account after collecting my cash?

I use PayPal so maybe there is some action I can take through them?

Update: Wondering if it's better to not use PayPal and just use a traditional CC card, then I wouldn't be getting blocked with this ebay screenshot BS, and can actually calla real person. Live and Learn I guess.

Thanks for any info/help.

You should contact PayPal immediately. Though I’m not sure the same applies for the US (assuming you’re there), in the UK you’re considered to have a contract for the goods with PayPal. I’d expect that they could put a hold on the payment to them, if the payment hasn’t yet been issued. Otherwise

Thanks, yeah that seems to be my only recourse (PayPal). Unfortunately, PayPal is asking me for a screenshot 'proof' that I've tried to contact Ebay about this; so far I haven't found a way to do that.

Quite a shitty system, you'd think getting help when being scammed would be easy but of course the opposite is the case. I should have just closed my Ebay account 8 months ago when they screwed me over on a lost FEDEX package. Once this is resolved, I'm closing my ebay account, what hot garbage.

Update 2: I actually figured out how to speak to Ebay directly; you have to open a chat and ask it to have a human call you. Someone did within 2 minutes, and after reviewing everythign, they agreed it was a scammer and are giving me a full refund. I'm shocked.

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