Ebay and strange listing

[New Dexter]

Now I know that ebay has produced some strange phenomena but could anyone make comment on the following please.

Someone has listed an engine and gearbox on ebay. I watched the item and then it disappeared and I suspected that someone had made a private deal with the seller as does happen. Then it re-appeared last week and I wrote to the chap and asked if it was the same item, which it was. Now I watched the second listing more closely as he had given me a buy it now price of £4800 which wasn't too bad but the bidding went beyond £5000 with at least a day to go and I could see it going higher. Out of my price range then.
Now it's back, again and for a third listing. Starting price of £500 and when I wrote to him a few minutes ago asking what was going on he replied that the bids had not been high enough so he had re-listed it, adding that if I wanted it then the cash price was £4000, rather less than last week.

Last week I had had a few messages between us via ebay and he had asked that I pay the money into his bank account as he was "having problems" with his paypal account. He has 100% feedback but mostly as a buyer and while I have sold on ebay and asked for BACS payment (and received them) the amounts have never been over £500, certainly not £4000. My sceptical instinct is beginning to kick in at this point. Why request a lower buy it now price than before especially when the bidding had gone to over £1000 more than what he wants now?

If I opt for his offer, while it is cheaper to have it collected by Shiply or Anyvan I think I would drive the 300 odd miles and collect it myself being secure in the knowledge that I would have seen the item before I paid for it.

[Phillmore]

Last week I had had a few messages between us via ebay and he had asked that I pay the money into his bank account as he was "having problems" with his paypal account. Why request a lower buy it now price than before especially when the bidding had gone to over £1000 more than what he wants now?

I would be very suspicious of that!

Could he be getting people to bid it up?

[New Dexter]

I am not sure what he is up to. One minute he will take £4800 and I went off to make enquiries about shipping, which he could arrange for £170. Then the bidding went over £5000 and I gave up, just keeping an eye on it. Then, despite the fact that it was doing quite nicely, he re-listed it, claiming that the bidding wasn't high enough but offered it to me for £800 less than he stated last week. I am becoming puzzled.
In addition, he has two other engine and gearbox combinations and strangely (or not) he has re-listed them too. Now I understand the need to make as much money as possible but I do wonder what he is up to. He does have a 100% feedback profile which is slightly re-assuring but......
If I do decide that his £4,000 offer is acceptable I would collect it myself. I would doubt the security of paying that much money into an account before it could be sent via a courier.

[NickDeAth]

I think you are right to be suspicious, I would be too. As you say, you don't know what he's up to but given all your information it doesn't seem quite kosher. Caveat emptor.

Nick

[New Dexter]

Well, he asked me for £4000 and I sent a mail asking if he would accept £4000 in cash, on collection. Now he has said the bidding is over that and he wants £4900 he wants the best price "It's logic really".
I am not sure from which galaxy this p**t hails but I sent a message telling him that I thought he was wasting my time and if he wanted the best price he should have listed it differently.

[Phillmore]

There probably isn't any engine and gearbox which is why cash on collection won't work for him. Only money in the bank will do.

I was interested in a car on ebay a couple of years ago but the seller insisted on me paying into his account. Every time I asked to view the car he told me it was in a secure container in Liverpool. He wouldn't deal by phone, only by email and had 100% rating. After a lot of research (googling his username and phone number etc) it became apparent that he'd hijacked an old username and item which had long since been sold. His scam was also known to the internet "fraud police". From memory he was Nigerian.

Will he let you view the item?

[New Dexter]

After my remark that he was wasting my time there was silence, no more emails. I didn't have a telephone number so couldn't call him. If this idiot had wanted a higher price all he had to do was list with his required price and wait and see what the reactions would be. Now the engine and gearbox are shown as "no longer for sale" so perhaps someone offered to pay his price but to ask £4000 on collection with money paid into his bank is highly suspicious and then to ask £4900 because it was "logic really" was really irritating.

I tried to report the item to Ebay but even when I put the item number in the box it kept telling me that there was an error and would I put the number in the box, which I had already. After several attempts I gave up.

The other two engines are still for sale. I didn't ask if I could view as it's a 600 mile round trip and I suspect it would have been a waste of time and fuel.

[New Dexter]

I don't imagine it will be much of a surprise to advise that the engine and gearbox have re-appeared! Current listing £4571.

[John Davis]

This will be a scam - list a desirable item, get a deposit to hold it, (or indeed all of the money) , keep stalling - the item does not exist.
Disregard the feedback - people can easily hijack a reputable name. There is someone who regularly does this in the Classic Cars section of Ebay , he often lists a red SP250 at 8200, and last week a red XK drophead worth at least 75000 for 20000!, and other ridiculous deals. The ads are always worded as if the seller is honest but a bit naive, hence the low price. Main thing to look out for is when they don't put a contact number in the ad, only an Email address,saying they will contact you. They will! I've given up reporting it to Ebay - they could spot it easily but don't seem to bother.

[Phillmore]

In my case he stupidly left the number of the original seller on the listing who confirmed that the vehicle had been sold by him some time ago. When I confronted the scammer his emails stopped. However thinking back it might have been on Carandclassic not ebay?