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Paypal Is it secure in this scenario

  • 29-10-2011 09:03AM
    #1
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭


    Hi

    I have a query someone may have heard of the scam.

    I have a car on Ebay

    I have a few buyers that want to buy the car without seeing it at all with no haggling for price or wishing to see the car.

    They are offering to pay via Pay Pal. Now I smell a rat but a cant see the tail.

    Can the money be withdrawn or amount not honoured once it is transfered to me via Paypal?

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    brianwalshcork
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 611 ✭✭✭brianwalshcork


    Could simply be a hacked paypal account that they are using to pay you, you might end up out of pocket or you might not. Western union or a dodgy bank draft is usually the scammers preference.

    Either way, I'd tell them cash only .


  • #3
    professore
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,849 ✭✭✭professore


    PayPal do NO fraud checks so as a seller you are wide open. If it's a scam (e.g. hacked account, fake credit card) PayPal will freeze your account and seize any money in there. In your case if it's a lot of money they might go after you legally too.


  • #4
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    We are talking amounts of over 10,000 Euro here can a hacked PayPal account do that high a price?


  • #5
    Quazzie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 30,515 ✭✭✭✭Quazzie


    What they will do is send you the money and collect the car. Then when they have the car in their possession they will open a dispute with Paypal claiming they never received the car. Paypal will immediately freeze the transaction, and you can't touch the money. Paypal very rarely side with the seller so chances are that the buyer will have your car and his money back. There is a thread on it in the motors section here. Its a fairly common scam. When selling a car, Cash is definitely king.


  • #6
    Ste.phen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,808 ✭✭✭Ste.phen


    Zambia wrote: »
    We are talking amounts of over 10,000 Euro here can a hacked PayPal account do that high a price?

    This is probably the 'oh i accidentally sent you 15,000, please send me back the 5000 extra, but can you send it via western union instead because my daughter's hospital bill is due and i won't be able to get the money from paypal in time and she might die :(' scam, not the 'i got your car and the cheque bounced' scam


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  • #7
    dudara
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    Moved to Online Buying & Auctions

    dudara


  • #8
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    There's various ways to do this scam. Some as mentioned above, and some different. One of the simplest is to just send a fake email to the recipient, claiming to be from Paypal and showing you have received the money. Unless you actually log into Paypal to check the payment you wouldn't know you hadn't received it till too late.

    If the buyer sounds too good to be true, then they are.


  • #9
    Beano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭Beano


    Zambia wrote: »
    Hi

    ...

    They are offering to pay via Pay Pal. Now I smell a rat but a cant see the tail.

    ...

    Its a scam. Ignore them.


  • #10
    Atlantic Dawn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,596 ✭✭✭✭Atlantic Dawn
    GDY151


    Agree price and tell them cash on collection, if it's a scam they will decline.


  • #11
    Hal Emmerich
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,078 ✭✭✭Hal Emmerich


    just use donedeal


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  • #12
    Zambia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,333 ✭✭✭Zambia


    Thanks rest assured no cars are being sold in this manner. The point of the exercise is to see if we can see what they are doing without it costing me a car to do so.

    If this is a scam someone must have heard of someone it has happened to before.


  • #13
    stevendon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15 ✭stevendon


    Just ask yourself, if it was you, would you buy a second hand car sight unseen using PayPal?
    How would the car be delivered to the seller? Would they have it transported to their address?


  • #14
    MissFlitworth
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,057 ✭✭✭MissFlitworth


    This scam works the same as the more common Western Union one.
    • Hi, I'm interested in buying your car but I'll need it shipped to me here in [fake location] where I am working as a doctor/missionary/big time oil boss
    • I'll organise the shipping myself but would you mind if I sent you on the money to pay the shipper extra with the price for the car?
    • Ah, good man. Now, normally my shipper would take cash on delivery but as he doesn't know you would you send that money on to him by Western Union? There's an extra 2k in your paypal account for it
    • And send me on the payment id so I know he's been paid?
    • Grand so, now I'll just take out that money from here in Lagos and you'll never be able to retrieve it
    • And when Paypal find out that I actually have been using someone elses account fraudulently to transfer money they'll retrieve everything from your account that I originally lodged over
    • And you'll be in the red for the 'shipping' amount & whatever else I've tricked you into sending via Western union
    • Oh, and I never had any interest in physically acquiring your car, it's all about conning you into the shipping fee


  • #15
    biko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,060 ✭✭✭✭biko


    There's similar scam for rare birds and animals.
    It's to get the shipping fee from you.


  • #16
    GaryDyer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17 ✭GaryDyer


    Keep in mind PayPal do not offer buyer protection for Vehicles so buyer cannot claim they didn't receive the car or it wasn't as described, however what they can do (and I've seen this mentioned) is pay by PayPal, collect car and then initiate a fraud claim that they didn't authorise the payment. This can then reverse what payment was made.

    Echoing everyones advice and saying cash on collection all the way.


  • #17
    St_Crispin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 109 ✭✭St_Crispin


    Just to my two cents on this.

    PayPal do loads of fraud checks. As do eBay. However (and there is a however) it's probably just a scam. There is no buyer or seller protection on auto's at all. Something I've seen happen a lot of in the past is this. A buyer says he'll pay using paypal. they then send you an email that looks like it's from PayPal and says money has been transfered. You send/sell the item and by the time you actually check your paypal account, it's too late. And the thing is, at no point in this scenario is paypal actually involved. The buyer just used the name to make you feel safe.

    If you do use paypal, I'd recommend that you double check your account before you hand over the keys. And remember, since there's no payment protection, you might as well ask for a bank transfer. At least that way there's no fees.

    As much as I use paypal, I'd stop short of selling a car using it.


  • #18
    Tar.Aldarion
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,119 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    what kind of proof could you use that he was collecting it?

    take a picture of todays paper with him you and the car? :p


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