I hope you haven't had anything bad happen to you on eBay. I liked the site a lot until one day, when some weirdo tried to steal nearly GBP200 from me by selling me something that didn't exist. This article talks about what happened and what the police told me to do about it.
I had a lot of fun buying and selling on eBay for a few months without any problems, as I've already said. I was doing very well for myself by selling used cell phones on a regular basis. If I ever bought something that cost more than GBP100, I would offer to meet the seller somewhere, usually just off the motorway. I got what I thought were some good deals and got rid of some things I no longer wanted or needed.
Unfortunately, all good things have to end, and ebay was no exception.
One morning, I was looking for a used cell phone to buy and then sell. There was an ad for a buy it now phone with a low but not very low price.
If I had any questions, I could call the number on my cell phone. I decided to call the number. His name was Tony, and I asked him general questions. He sounded and seemed really nice, but he told me he couldn't meet me because he hadn't passed his test yet and couldn't drive. The alarm bells should have been going off already, but I was too stupid to notice.
I lived a long way away from his house, so I reluctantly agreed to pay him through a bank transfer. He told me that he would send the phone that same day through Royal Mail Special Delivery so that it would get there by 11 a.m. the next day. He seemed very honest, and they always do what you think.
Guess what came the next morning? Nothing, and the same thing happened the next day and the day after that.
I sent him an email, texted him, and called his cell phone, but he didn't answer.
I realised what a fool I had been, however decided to go to the police. They were very helpful, and half an hour later I had a crime number. However, I was warned that it was very unlikely I would ever see a phone or get my money back, which was GBP170. The police told me to be careful because they often hear from people who have been scammed on eBay. I wasn't the only one.
I sent Tony a text message with the police crime number while we were still outside the station. To my surprise, he called me right away and yelled at me. He finally agreed to give me my money back if I stopped the police from going after him.
I was very lucky. The police told me that many other people never get their money back.
