What's the scam? filter

October 19, 2016 8:43 AM

I usually pride myself on knowing what the scam is, but this one has me stumped. It's on eBay, from a buyer named "wealth-enhancement-resources." I tried searching all the scam warning pages, but all of them assume that you have a valuable item like a phone or computer that they don't want to pay for.

So, I'm trying to sell my complete set of 15 Muppet Show VHS tapes. anyone want it? :) And five times now, I've gotten an offer, slightly below the asking price, from a buyer named wealth-enhancement-resources. Instinctively, I declined the offer, even though I want to get rid of the darn things.

Just today, I got another offer from them, this time with a dollar amount slightly lower than the previous one, so obviously it's not just some financially-employed individual who likes the Muppets. Clicking on their username, they have a 99% approval rating and positive feedback like "ships promptly!" and such.

But I can't figure out what the scam is. If I accept the offer, what happens? Do they buy the tapes in hopes that I'll become their next customer, or something? What do they gain from that? Is there a virus hidden in there that will kill me? Once I accept the offer, aren't they obligated to buy my item? Should I report them simply for having an obnoxious username? Thanks for any light you can shed on this!!

posted by Melismata to Computers & Internet (14 answers total)

I'm not sure why you've decided this was a scam, instead of some dude who likes the Muppets and is trying to low-ball you. Accept the offer if it's an ok price, and if they pay you via the proper channels then like... cool? But I don't think you actually have evidence this is a scam yet.
posted by brainmouse at 8:47 AM on October 19, 2016 [9 favorites]

Potentially they are buying random stuff to get a good rating before launching some other scam, but they wouldn't be so keen to buy that specific auction if that was their plan.
If your auction is very valuable there's obviously the "pay, claim they received box of rocks, get refund but keep item" scam, but that's more an iPad/Macbook style scam, not a bunch of (presumably not very expensive) VHS tapes.
I can't really see the scam here, it's just a weird username.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:47 AM on October 19, 2016

What you describe is not a scam. It seems that this person wants to buy your VHS tapes for slightly below your asking price. Maybe they want to resell them, maybe they want them for themselves, maybe they want to burn them ritualistically while dancing naked around the pyre - that shouldn't matter to you.

If you want to sell for that price, why not accept the offer? The user has 10000+ positive feedback.
posted by ssg at 8:49 AM on October 19, 2016 [4 favorites]

A lot of people put in offers just below the asking price because it feels like they put one over on the seller. Lowering the initial offer is probably just because they've seen that no one has bought the item, and you might be more desperate to get rid of it.

Sell the tapes and then forget it ever happened.
posted by Etrigan at 8:49 AM on October 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I'm assuming it's a scam because on a daily basis, I get spam emails with subjects like "enhance your wealth!!"?
posted by Melismata at 8:50 AM on October 19, 2016

This user has been on eBay since 2000. Who knows why they chose that username 16 years ago? I wouldn't hold it against them now.
posted by ssg at 8:56 AM on October 19, 2016 [9 favorites]

Best answer: Looking at their shop, it looks like they resell DVDs and videos. So it makes perfect sense that they'd want your Muppet tapes to resell. Look, they even have three muppet show DVD sets for sale right now.

Their description says "Some of the best personal development seminars and learning programs available. If we don't have it in our store just send us an email. We may have it in our warehouse. We will do our best to find what you are looking for in our vast selection of best-selling seminar titles. Thanks for visiting us!!"

So I'm guessing they got their start selling semi-ripoff video seminars on how to get rich quick (hence why they chose that username), and then expanded to other types of videos.

I agree it's a scammy-sounding name, but everything seems pretty legit to me.
posted by mekily at 8:57 AM on October 19, 2016 [7 favorites]

Response by poster: Glad to know it's something simple and not a new way to rip people off. Thanks all.
posted by Melismata at 9:01 AM on October 19, 2016

I don't think it's a scam, I think it's the thing where people assume that a person selling an item of nominal value will eventually just want to get rid of the thing and give it to you for less. So... the Garage Sale Scam?
posted by Sara C. at 9:41 AM on October 19, 2016

Best answer: I've gotten scammed before by someone who said, "Now that we've negotiated a lower price, let's just do this transaction directly and not go through ebay. I don't want the hassle of writing a new listing." Then once they'd cheated me, ebay couldn't force them to make good on the deal.

Your case is different because you're the one who listed the item. Just don't sidestep Ebay...rewrite the listing and tell them to bid or "buy it now" in the normal way.
posted by wryly at 10:24 AM on October 19, 2016 [2 favorites]

This is not a scam. From what you posted:

- You listed an item for sale, and you turned on eBay's "best offer" feature
- A long-established eBay user has made you a "best offer" through eBay
- You declined the offer
- They offered again

Accept the offer, ship your tapes.
posted by reeddavid at 11:49 AM on October 19, 2016

I agree that it's probably not a scam, but I wouldn't deal with a buyer with a 99% positive feedback rating. That's a sign of somebody who routinely fucks up.
posted by Bruce H. at 6:44 PM on October 19, 2016

I agree that it's probably not a scam, but I wouldn't deal with a buyer with a 99% positive feedback rating. That's a sign of somebody who routinely fucks up.

Seems a bit harsh maybe... Over 16 years of selling, 10,000+ sales. 1 single solitary negative comment* (and 0 neutral) in the last 12 months. Not sure thats routinely. In fairness to the ebayer, it's 99.9%, which isn't stated. That 0.9% could be key ;)

As above, seems reasonable, not a scam. Good luck.

*Everybody wonders, I'm sure, sounds perfectly reasonable to me.
Feedback Comment:
most of DVDs were fine, one of latest sets very badly damaged and unwatchable
Reply by wealth-enhancement-resources (Mar-14-16 08:49):
Buyer never contacted us? Happy to provide a FREE replacement, but you must ask?
posted by thingonaspring at 1:45 AM on October 20, 2016

I agree that it's probably not a scam, but I wouldn't deal with a buyer with a 99% positive feedback rating. That's a sign of somebody who routinely fucks up.

This is not accurate at all. eBay does not allow sellers to leave negative feedback for buyers (since 2008), so if a buyer has negative feedback it's from their selling activities.

Also this is just an unnecessarily harsh judgement. Even huge well oiled operations like the Target eBay Store have a 99% seller rating.
posted by reeddavid at 1:36 PM on October 20, 2016