Jeffries Scam Warning

[SteveS]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-Vintage-W-Jeffries-English-Concertina-with-Original-Leather-Case-c-1920s-/181066179705?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Keyboard_RL&hash=item2a2862a479

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-C-Jeffries-anglo-concertina-/181066179852?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Keyboard_RL&hash=item2a2862a50c

Edited January 20, 2013 by SteveS

[RP3]

As fast as we alert eBay and our fellow squeezers, the crooks do it again:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-C-Jeffries-anglo-concertina-/281054226437?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4170232805

 

Same instrument, etc. the shocking thing is that these cretins have managed to steal so many legitimate eBay IDs!

 

Ross Schlabach

[chris]

that's why I wouldn't buy from ebay

chris

[RP3]

Just looked this morning and our scammer has stolen and is misusing another eBay identity to hawk these same two Jeffries concertinas: not once but twice each! The scammer is anything but subtle. With this deluge of fake listings, anybody with half a brain should be able to spot that these are bogus listings. I, for one, hold eBay partially responsible since their policies have made it nearly impossible to alert bidders to these scams and eBay acts very slowly if at all to these listings.

 

Ross Schlabach

[Pistachio Dreamer]

At least in this case the scams are so obvious. I would not say this is necessarlily an indictment on ebay, just a caveat emptor and a warning to be vigilant which goes in any case when you are thinking of spending your heard-earned cash. Though you would think with 28 thousand employers they would be able to police it better! Remember, if it is too good to be true it probably isn't!

[RP3]

Test

 

Test

 

[cjmiller]

I would not say this is necessarlily an indictment on ebay . . . . Though you would think with 28 thousand employers they would be able to police it better!

 

No, in my opinion it's very much ebay's fault. There's no excuse for this.

 

I frequently get calls from Chase Bank when I make charges on my credit card that don't fit their computer models. I downloaded some music for my college age son, and somewhere the computer spit out that (99 cent) transaction as something suspicious for a 50+ year old to be buying, and I got a text message from them within minutes. If I purchase things at Best Buy, I guarantee you that I have a message to call Chase waiting by the time I get home. They frequently make me answer challenge questions when I log on, and if they spot me using a different computer that also raises an alarm. Ebay does none of these things. I haven't been required to change my password since the day I joined.

 

I have 700 transactions on ebay--by this time they should have a pretty good idea about what I buy and sell. If I were to suddenly list 1000's of dollars of auctions in a category I've never shown an interest in before (which seems to be the pattern here) their computer should raise a warning. That's a program even a college kid could write.

 

These scam auctions all have text about "buy it now" and "don't contact me through ebay" and a simple text search program should instantly flag things like that. Even if you don't catch it the first time, these auctions have been repeated over and over and over with exactly the same text and photos--they can't flag that in the computer?

 

Ebay doesn't seem to care enough to take basic security seriously, and there's no excuse for it.

[apprenticeOF]

I have to agree that Ebay should have better security to prevent bogus listings, but it is up to the bidders and listers to be diligent.

 

Anywhere that money gets involved, you will have some bad apples. At least these listings are clearly fake as I would never even bid on something that required payment outside of paypal unless it was a personal pick up and pay at that time. All the online advertising services attract scammers, not just Ebay, so it does require care.

[SteveS]

I sometimes wonder what the success rate is. Does scamming pay? Crime usually does it seems - just look how many criminals get book and/or film deals after being in prison.

[Ann-p]

We didn't get the Crabb taken down, even though it is owned by a c.net member.

Ebay do act quickly with this Jefferies style scam, the listings are rarely there for longer than a few hours, in fact one has just gone and I only looked at it 10 mins ago. (and reported it )

 

Edit: appears to be an error on my searching! Both Jeffries still there, but a large astronomical telescope taken down as I was looking at it, with 4 bids. A total of 139 scam items were listed under a few of the shop's auction items!

Edited January 22, 2013 by Ann-p

[malcolmbebb]

He's back - or still there- but I can't see how to report the listing???

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-Vintage-W-Jeffries-English-Concertina-with-Original-Leather-Case-c-1920s-/170984792989?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Keyboard_RL&hash=item27cf7ce39d

 

 

PS Found it. And reported.

Edited February 3, 2013 by malcolmbebb

[Ann-p]

Gone again, but see new post!

[Pistachio Dreamer]

Was back up again for about 4 hours. I spotted it just now, reported it, and did some refreshes and it was delisted within the minute of my reporting. Good this seems to be working but would be better if ebay learnt not to rely on us. I do check concertina newly listed items like a nervous twitch, but that may not always be the case, and a few hours might be enough to hook someone in.

[David Levine]

What about this one?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-C-Jeffries-anglo-concertina-/200890575489?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec602ea81

 

Getting hard to keep up with them. I havent' told eBay. Have to go to town. Perhaps somebody would do it?

[Pistachio Dreamer]

That's it reported. Looks like they're hitting the states now.

[Ann-p]

Back on, and off, yesterday in Leicester and today in Arizona. What can one do??????????

[Dirge]

Back on, and off, yesterday in Leicester and today in Arizona. What can one do??????????

 

How about not worry too much? Someone who falls for one of these deserves what they get; you really would have to be half baked. Ebay don't really care; it may bring a little reduction in their already poor public image but they have a monopoly so they don't worry too much about that anyway (or so it seems to me). Hence the dozy responses.

 

On the other hand, anyone trying to complain to Ebay about being ripped off trying to buy from one of these people will get told pretty smartly that as they were trading outside the rules of the site it's nothing to do with Ebay. So they are not concerned about losing money on these; the only thing that might motivate them to take a serious view.

 

I'd just leave them all to it and ignore it. I don't think you do any real good reporting them, even; all you do is help Ebay smarten up their image. And, in the unlikely event of success, I bet the poor sod sitting in some third world country banging out these invitations to be defrauded by the thousand needs the money more than the would-be purchaser anyway. (I have no intention of giving him anything though)

 

Find a fraudster who appears to be working IN the system and I'd be worried too. Ebay would take that one seriously though, and we'll never hear about it until one of us gets bitten.

 

Mind you i grant you there's not much happening otherwise on Cnet at the moment.

[Robin Harrison]

I sort of agree with you Dirge.................I have bought lots of times from ebay, and if it's a high dollar value item ie concertina, I get a phone number and usually call the seller.It's always worked for me.......makes the story add up.

However, I do feel sorry for the person who recently seemed to buy my double-reeded Crabb English. It appeared to go to completion.

I think C.net is such a useful resource for many things, not least of which is this issue.

So the question is, are there many concertina players and buyers out there who don't know we exist ?

You'd think when spending this much money on a concertina, sight unseen etc, you'd go to the obvious place to do some straightforward due-diligence and this to me is the useful service of reporting scams.

Best

 

Robin