Avoiding a scam

[westhill_watches]

A couple of months ago I brought a camera on eBay, but I ignored the golden rule: 'If it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is'. In my defends this was a relatively old camera (released in 2019) and I assumed that it was being sold off ahead of a new model. The camera was being offered for £260.00 but was available from other eBay sellers for an average price around £800.00, this should have been enough to stop me! The other red flags were the camera was  being sold by a Chinese seller (not necessarily a problem as I have brought a number of items from China and have been very happy) with zero feedback and they were only offering 4 identical cameras and no other items. The reason I went ahead with the purchase was down to eBay's buyer protection. I've been buying and selling on eBay for over 20 years and have only had half a dozen times when I have needed the buyer protection guarantee and so far I have always received a full refund when things have gone wrong.  I therefore went ahead and paid for the camera via eBay (very important, never use 'off site' methods like direct bank transfer etc.), for a couple of days I heard nothing from the seller, then I received the following message via eBay:

Hello, I have added the tracking information for your product. The reason the system shows "delivered" is that the product needs to be first shipped from China to Hong Kong, and then forwarded from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom . The correct tracking number for the shipment from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom is: JCEYK************, which I have also updated in your order. You will receive the product in approximately 20 working days. Please wait patiently. Wish you a pleasant life!

At first I was reassured by this message, however a few days later I noticed that the seller was no longer a registered eBay user and at this point I began to thing I might have become a victim of a scam and so I opened a case with eBay as I was becoming less confident that I would receive the camera I had purchased. Within a few hours of opening the case eBay had given me a full refund and closed the case, so all ended well for me.

After further investigations I found that if I entered the tracking number, given in the seller's email, on the China Post web site, I could 'track' the parcel (see below). From receiving the tracking information to the so called 'Delivered' status took 45 days (nothing was every delivered to my house). I assume that the scammer has found away to trick the tracking system so it looks like the parcel is on its way. The other trick they use is the so-called internal transfer from China to Hong Kong which generates a valid 'item delivered' on eBay and triggers the return window which for me was set to 2nd December, long before the parcel was due to arrive and thereby preventing me from raising a 'not delivered' case with eBay.

Like all scams, this one relies on the customer hoping to get a bargain, I was lucky that I spotted the seller was no longer registered on eBay, which made me contact eBay and receive a full refund, if I hadn't seen this, I suspect I would not have done anything until it was too late! So learn from my mistake and don't fall for this scam.  

• 
  Delivered Leicester,,LE3 6GB

 JCEX

• 29 Dec 202514:34

The courier has received this parcel for delivery and will set a delivery time shortly Leicester,

 JCEX

• 26 Dec 202521:46

Arriving at the destination city,about to distribute to the post office Leicester,

 JCEX

• 23 Dec 202518:10

Leave the transit hub,transport to the destination cityUnited Kingdom

 JCEX

• 21 Dec 202512:10

Arriving at the transit hub,waiting for distributionUnited Kingdom

 JCEX

• 18 Dec 202519:22

Leaving transportation partner department,sent to the transit hubUnited Kingdom

 JCEX

• 15 Dec 202504:58

Arrival at transportation partner department,waiting for processingUnited Kingdom

 JCEX

• 12 Dec 202522:58

Relased from export customsUnited Kingdom

 JCEX

• 10 Dec 202506:10

Arrived at destination portArrived at destination portUnited Kingdom

 JCEX

• 06 Dec 202515:46

Arrived at destination portUnited Kingdom

 JCEX

• 03 Dec 202522:58

Departed from origin portDeparted from origin portHong Kong

 JCEX

• 01 Dec 202516:58

Departed from origin portHong Kong

 JCEX

• 29 Nov 202500:10

Hand over to airlineHand over to airlineHong Kong

 JCEX

• 26 Nov 202518:10

Hand over to airlineHong Kong

 JCEX

• 24 Nov 202501:22

Departed from sorting centerDeparted from sorting centerChina

 JCEX

• 21 Nov 202519:22

Departed from sorting centerChina

 JCEX

• 20 Nov 202500:10

Shipment inbound in sorting centerShipment inbound in sorting centerChina

 JCEX

• 17 Nov 202518:10

Shipment inbound in sorting centerChina

 JCEX