Some advice on scams with
Ebay
and PayPal...
Check the seller's feedback. If the seller has a history of negative feedbacks, think twice before placing a bid. Use extra caution if the seller is new, with few feedbacks.
Make certain the seller is a "Verified" member of PayPal and has been a PayPal member for at least several months. To check a seller's status, go to the "Send Money" tab and start a payment to the seller. On the "Check the details of your payment" page, before the payment is sent, click on the seller's reputation link, for instance, "Verified Premier Member." Click on the link to find more information on the seller's current membership status.
Do not send PayPal payment to any seller who claims to be "having problems." Avoid anyone who claims their PayPal account is not working and wants you to send payment through "a friend's" PayPal account or via an alternate form of payment, such as Western Union
or electronic funds transfer through a bank. Do not complete the transaction, instead, report the seller to
Ebay
as a 'Non-Selling Seller.'
Do not pay sellers with greatly delayed shipment dates. PayPal rules prohibit sellers from shipping 20 or more days after receiving payment. In fact, if a shipment is to be delayed more than a week after payment is received, the seller should have a very good reason to be suspicious.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is Be wary of sellers who offer far below market prices on hard-to-find items, or who seem to have many of the same scarce items.
Use extra caution on high-ticket, popular items. These are the favorites of scammers.
When in doubt, send an e-mail. In any dubious situation, it is wise to e-mail questions to a seller before placing a bid, particularly regarding payment and shipment terms. If a seller is offering multiples of popular or difficult-to-find items, ask for and check the legitimacy of, his supplier. If the seller says, 'No way, scram,' do just that.
More here...
_http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/news/article.php/3498156