Selling/auction bother

[Chris_Johnstone]

Anyone tried selling anything on our fave auction site?

I tried to sell my 350D + lens and camera bag over the last few days. It has been 'sold' twice to two people that turn out to be scammers, almost definitely from the same ring. They buy the item and then send dodgy emails telling me that the money is being held over my account until I send them the shipping details and then the funds will drop into my account. This however would never happen so I still have the camera and I have reported these 'users' to the proper authorities.

The problem is that if I relist my item, I will probably find myself in the same situation and this means spending money on listing. The buyer requirements that you can set may not cover me either.

Has this happened to any of you and also, can I complain to the auction site to get the money I spent on listing the item refunded?

Chris

[matt_xyz]

Presumably they want you to send the goods before you've received payment? Do these buyers have any feedback ratings?

I sold something recently without any problems, but these sort of things are a worry and can undermine the trust which is necessary for the whole system to work effectively. It's not clear what anyone can do to prevent this.

Matt

[Kerry]

It was interesting to hear of this problem. I am going to be buying a new lens and then selling one of the ones that I already have. Do most people try selling through auction sites and if not, what have they found to be the best approach? Are there any sites that will give you an idea of a reasonable price for second hand lenses?

[mh68]

Hi Kerry,
Ebay will give a good idea of the price secondhand lenses will fetch, but personally I`d try and sell the lens locally through one of the ad-mags.That way any deals can be made in person with no comeback.
Some other wildlife sites have for sale/swap forums which seem popular but it would probably be against forum rules to mention them by name.I`m surprised this site doesnt have one considering the number of photographers on here. Might be an idea for Stuart to look into?

Mark H

[beckiscott]

i use ebay loads for buying and selling bits & have never had any problems that weren't resolved quickly. Saying that i dont think i'd use it to sell (or buy) anything £100+.
Have you tried Flats to rent London, jobs in London, flatshare, free classified ads UK - ive used that in the past with more success as its local & easier to 'control'

[Chris_Johnstone]

The way these particular scammers work is that they tell you payment is pending on you giving them the shipping details so you have actually posted the item before you get any money in your account.

I usually trust sites like these and have been successful in buying and selling but there are fruadsters out there so be careful.

The members that tried get me have now been banned from trading.

Chris

[Kerry]

Originally Posted by mh68

Hi Kerry,
Ebay will give a good idea of the price secondhand lenses will fetch, but personally I`d try and sell the lens locally through one of the ad-mags.That way any deals can be made in person with no comeback.
Some other wildlife sites have for sale/swap forums which seem popular but it would probably be against forum rules to mention them by name.I`m surprised this site doesnt have one considering the number of photographers on here. Might be an idea for Stuart to look into?

Mark H

Thanks for that info Mark. I shall check out Ebay for a price.

Kerry

[Chris_Johnstone]

Ok so after setting up my buyer requirements I'm still getting people trying to scam me, it's crazy. About an hour into my auction some phony is trying to buy it. It's really frustrating.

Anyone looking for a well looked after 350D?

Chris

[mh68]

As I suggested to Kerry, may be worth trying to sell it in the local ad-mag Chris.Put it in for a sensible price and it should sell fairly quickly....unless you get any takers from here.

Mark H

[jennyb]

I'm a bit worried about this because I am just about to sell the exact same camera as you, Chris. I recently sold another camera and that went very smoothly. The only problem I had was people sending me emails trying to sell me stuff.

I have unearthed lots of old camera equipment too. I was going to try to sell everything to fund a new camera.

Surely, if you use Paypal you are covered for this kind of thing?

Your fraudsters may have been banned but they will probably just sign up again with another name.

Jenny