EBay user research? Zoom call / receive a $100 USD Visa gift card - scam?

[emnchris333]

Hi- I recently was asked via email from <research@ebay.com>

to attend an eBay zoom call for reserach and told I woiuld receive $100 visa voucher - has anyone else had this or is it a scam? thanks

[tressygirl]

Whenever I see a voucher for $ /£ ***  being offered,  it's usually the sign for a scam.

Not heard of this ' offer', but do not click on any links if present, in that message.

Contact eBay Customer Services ask if they have any knowledge of this, my guess would be,  it's a scam and so to send the message to spoof@ebay.com

This is the easiest and quicket way to contact eBay Customer Services, for a Call Back option.

 https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/eua?id=5275&mkevt=1&mkpid

Lines open between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays.

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

I recommend contacting CS very first thing in the morning, when the lines first open,  as there's more chance of Dublin answering.

@emnchris333 

[dave@ebay]

Hi @emnchris333 

We can sometime reach out to buyers and sellers for feedback like that but please forward the mail to me and I'll reach out to the team that run the program to confirm its from them. In the meantime its best not to click on any links in the mail just in case it's not a legitimate mail.

You can send it to contactcommunity@ebay.com and I'll come back to you as soon as I've heard back from the team.

Thanks,

Dave

[emnchris333]

Thanks Dave - I emailed this too - here'e the email I received:

Upcoming Research Session with eBay

<********@ebay.com>	21 November 2024 at 01:07
Hi Chris,   Thank you for your interest in the eBay research study. You've been scheduled as a stand-by participant for Thursday, November 21, 13:45 GMT. Your presence is vital to the study, and we want to emphasize how much we appreciate your commitment. Please note: If you arrive past the start window and do not stay for 15-minutes, you might not be compensated.  If you haven't done so, please ensure to complete our NDA and Consent  form prior to your session.  Here’s how it works:  Log into Zoom via your Computer/Laptop at your scheduled time. Please avoid using a tablet or iPad to join the session. Zoom link: https://ebay.zoom.us/j/8464718164?pwd=***************** Join the waiting room If the scheduled participant isn’t able to make it, you will be brought into the session to participate Please remain in the waiting room for 15 minutes If you have not been brought in to participate, you are free to leave. As a thank you for your time, you will receive a $100 USD Visa gift card. Regardless of whether you participate, you will receive an incentive payment as long as you sign in, are ready to go at your assigned time, and stay for the 15-minute window.  The rewards email will be sent within 2 - 3 business days after the session date. It will come from rewards@eth****, so please check your spam or junk folder if you do not see it in your inbox.    Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Kind Regards, Research Recruiter *********@ebay.com

[tressygirl]

Mmm, they addressed you by your real name!  Could be real then.  Or !  did they just pick that up from your username ID ?

However,  I would not click on that link until  dave@ebay  comes back to confirm if this is the real McCoy or not.

@emnchris333 

[emnchris333]

Hi Dave - I've not heard anything back re the email I sent through as you suggested - does it sometimes take a while to get a response? Thanks, Chris

[papso22]

Isn't it already too late.?  The event, if there was one, was on Thursday. 

[dave@ebay]

Hi All

Just confirming this was part of a legitimate outreach being run by some colleagues based in the US. 

As Tressygirl had advised the difference in currency is usually a good indicator of an issue but in this case, it was just because of the location of the team running the outreach. I'll pass this back to the team as feedback for future outreaches on this side of the pond. 

Thanks,

Dave