(no subject)
So the other day I was browsing through eBay listings, despite previously having vowed never to patronize them again, and I somewhat arbitrarily bid probably a bit more than I should have on all five seasons of Angel. Unfortunately, I ended up winning.
Now, the seller appears to be in Slovakia, although the item is allegedly in Malta. Despite this, the DVDs are claimed to be Region 1. Also, the seller accepts only money orders and cash, and the shipping fee is a flat $7 to anywhere in the world. I noted all this when I placed the bid, but the seller does have overall good feedback with only a couple of neutrals and one negative that all appear to have turned out okay in the end, so I went ahead and bid anyway. After the auction ended, I emailed the seller asking to make sure that he didn't accept anything like PayPal (which I've also previously vowed never to use again -- blah). I got this response:
Hello,
I'm sorry but paypal is not available right now.
We were recipient of fraudulent funds from one
crook who purchased some CDs from us and now our
account is under investigation. I'm not sure how
long will it take to have it again at our possesion...
I'm ready to send you purchase if you
confirm that you'll pay only shipping charges first via Money order
or cash to my USA partner and the rest of money after receiving
purchase (payment method will be paypal)
Do not send all summ please!!!
Shipping 2-4 weeks.
It should be made payable to ****** ******
Please send it to the following address:
****** ******
**** Shore Blvd. Apt ****
Brooklyn NY
11235
USA
Thanks
The whole "USA partner" bit and the fact that he's willing to ship it with only the shipping fee up front are pretty much screaming "advance fee fraud" at me, although the whole PayPal story actually sounds depressingly plausible. But on the other hand, it's just the shipping fee. Seven dollars. Barely even enough to cover the auction fees, and small enough that if I do get defrauded of it, it won't really even bother me. So I guess that I'll go ahead and send the $7 and see what happens.
And if by some chance I do end up with the goods, it wouldn't be the first time my worries about an eBay auction have proven to be incorrect. Then again, it wouldn't be my first time getting swindled, either.
Now, the seller appears to be in Slovakia, although the item is allegedly in Malta. Despite this, the DVDs are claimed to be Region 1. Also, the seller accepts only money orders and cash, and the shipping fee is a flat $7 to anywhere in the world. I noted all this when I placed the bid, but the seller does have overall good feedback with only a couple of neutrals and one negative that all appear to have turned out okay in the end, so I went ahead and bid anyway. After the auction ended, I emailed the seller asking to make sure that he didn't accept anything like PayPal (which I've also previously vowed never to use again -- blah). I got this response:
Hello,
I'm sorry but paypal is not available right now.
We were recipient of fraudulent funds from one
crook who purchased some CDs from us and now our
account is under investigation. I'm not sure how
long will it take to have it again at our possesion...
I'm ready to send you purchase if you
confirm that you'll pay only shipping charges first via Money order
or cash to my USA partner and the rest of money after receiving
purchase (payment method will be paypal)
Do not send all summ please!!!
Shipping 2-4 weeks.
It should be made payable to ****** ******
Please send it to the following address:
****** ******
**** Shore Blvd. Apt ****
Brooklyn NY
11235
USA
Thanks
The whole "USA partner" bit and the fact that he's willing to ship it with only the shipping fee up front are pretty much screaming "advance fee fraud" at me, although the whole PayPal story actually sounds depressingly plausible. But on the other hand, it's just the shipping fee. Seven dollars. Barely even enough to cover the auction fees, and small enough that if I do get defrauded of it, it won't really even bother me. So I guess that I'll go ahead and send the $7 and see what happens.
And if by some chance I do end up with the goods, it wouldn't be the first time my worries about an eBay auction have proven to be incorrect. Then again, it wouldn't be my first time getting swindled, either.