Scammed by eBay seller

[kelv76]

Hi all,

I’m reaching out here for help and advice regarding a serious issue I’ve encountered with a seller who I originally found on eBay.

What happened:

I came across a listing on eBay for a brand new, unopened ASUS GTX 1060 GPU, listed at £90.

When I attempted to purchase it via eBay, I was shown a message saying the item was unavailable in my area.

The seller then messaged me directly via eBay and encouraged me to buy the GPU off eBay via their private website, bypassing eBay's payment system entirely.

Unfortunately, I proceeded, believing the seller’s 100% positive feedback made them trustworthy. I paid £95.55 via PayPal.

The problem:

The package arrived — but the GPU was missing.

The box was the retail packaging for the graphics card, but it only contained the manual and driver CD, both of which showed clear signs of tampering (e.g., booklet bent, CD opened).

The GPU was advertised as brand new and sealed, which was obviously not the case.

I’ve taken detailed photos and video evidence of the contents and packaging upon opening.

Seller’s response:

The seller is now implying that I am scamming him, and has demanded I return the empty box at my own expense before he investigates.

He has also stated that he needs the box to verify the weight against what was recorded at the post office.

I’ve checked the Royal Mail tracking (number: 0217-9BB6-01E5-5F81) — it confirms delivery and shows a photo but doesn’t list the parcel’s weight.

I've asked the seller to provide the original shipping receipt showing the tracked weight, which could clearly support my claim — he has not yet done so.

Why I need help:

I know that buying off eBay voids buyer protection, but the seller clearly used eBay’s messaging system to direct me off-site, which I understand violates eBay's policy.

I’m now left £95 out of pocket, with an empty box and a seller unwilling to take accountability. I’ve since raised a dispute with PayPal, but I’d appreciate any advice from the community:

Is there any way to report this seller to eBay, even though the transaction was completed off-site?

Can anything be done about abuse of eBay messaging to lure buyers away?

Has anyone experienced something similar — and how was it resolved?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Kelvin

[tressygirl]

Buying off eBay does not Void buyer protection far from it,  it gives you full protection but you must open a case within 30 days if the item's last estimated date for delivery.

Be careful to open the right case here.

Proceed this way now:

You have received an item not as described,  go right of the item in your Purchase History and from More Actions select... Return this item selecting the reason Item Does Not Match Description or Photos.

The seller needs to accept this case within 3 days and refund,  if they want their item back first , they need to pay for that fully tracked return postage, then on receipt of their item they have 48 hours to refund you.  If they don't ,  need to escalate the case,  ask eBay to step in, and they'll force the refund.

Never listen to any excuse or promise from the seller to close the case early,  and do not forget to escalate.

@kelv76 

[jckl1957]

The buyer (OP) participated in an off-Ebay deal and did not buy through Ebay or pay through Ebay checkout so they have no protection from Ebay.

[tommystrezures]

OP you have a bit of a problem here. If you goto eBay they will say well you made the off site sale with the seller, which would actually lead you both in to trouble.

This is not an eBay problem per se. You could try your payment provider they may help.

[john1297576]

You have done the only thing possible, by opening a not as described case with paypal.

Do not know what paypal requirements are, but if required to return will beat your expense. 

Rather foolish to rely on ebay feedback, if seller will avoid ebay fees, then they are not to be trusted to honour a sale. You can’t even leave feedback.

[kelv76]

I can’t seem to locate my original, more detailed post on this matter, so I’ll summarise here and expand where necessary.

eBay played a significant role in how this situation unfolded. Prior to purchasing the item in question, I contacted eBay to raise concerns about being unable to complete the transaction via the eBay app. I had also posted about this issue here in the community, listing three separate items I was struggling to purchase through eBay’s platform.

It was suggested at the time that this could be a glitch, and upon further research, I discovered that other users had experienced similar issues. Whether this turns out to be a perfect storm or a loophole being exploited, the fact remains: eBay’s platform failed at a critical point, and that failure contributed directly to me being diverted off-site.

To be clear, I’m not absolving the scammer of blame — but neither can I ignore eBay’s failure to intervene or provide adequate support, especially considering the shocking phone call I had with customer service on the very day I purchased the GPU and additional components.

This is a case of fraud, plain and simple, and eBay needs to take it seriously. So far, all I’ve encountered is brickwalling — no meaningful assistance, no escalation of the issue, and no accountability. The seller is still active on the platform, free to continue scamming others, while I — the victim — am left feeling disillusioned and unsupported.

This experience has completely eroded my trust in eBay. At this point, I don’t see how I can confidently use the platform again.

[kelv76]

Subject: Ongoing Concerns About Seller Manipulation & eBay’s Lack of Action

 Dear eBay Support,

I am writing again to express my deep frustration and disappointment with how this issue has been handled. I have received no meaningful follow-up from your support team, and I feel completely stonewalled.

 This is not just a case of a problematic seller — this is about eBay's platform integrity and how it is being manipulated in ways that severely undermine buyer trust.

 I encountered a situation where a seller deliberately manipulated the "Buy It Now" and "Make Offer" functions to prevent the purchase from being completed through eBay. Despite the item appearing available and the seller being located within the same geographic region, I repeatedly received errors at checkout. I later discovered these functions were intentionally broken or limited — and unsurprisingly, I was conveniently contacted by the seller with an invitation to complete the sale off-site, citing “technical issues” with eBay.

 Let me be clear: I had every intention of purchasing via eBay, and I made that clear in advance. This workaround was not my idea — it was presented to me because of flaws or deliberate manipulations on your platform.

 What’s worse is that, even after reporting this and showing evidence of messages and intent, the seller remains active on eBay with a 100% feedback score, potentially continuing this exploitative practice. Meanwhile, I — the victim — am left without any real resolution or communication.

 This kind of seller behaviour is abhorrent and breaches both eBay’s spirit and policy. It is unacceptable that eBay is seemingly allowing this practice to continue while ignoring genuine concerns from long-standing, honest users.

 If eBay is truly committed to protecting buyers, enforcing trust, and upholding transparency, then this case should be taken seriously, reviewed thoroughly, and acted upon decisively. I request a full investigation into this seller's listing behaviour, message history, and the underlying issue with the Buy It Now/Offer functionality.

I also request that a human reviews this case — not just a template response — and communicates a clear explanation and action plan.

 I look forward to your response.

 Sincerely,

Kelvin