Curious purchase on eBay - a possible scam?

[SteveS]

I received notification from eBay a few days ago that I'd sold a concertina I'd advertised there.

The concertina is in Italy with me, and the buyer's shipping address is in UK.

The buyer has apparently paid in full but the funds are being held by eBay in what looks like an escrow function.

 

I wrote to the buyer pointing out that to receive the concertina in UK he will be liable to a considerable amount of VAT and import duties (thanks to Brexit).

IMO, although I priced the concertina fairly, the additional VAT and import duties will result in it costing more than it's worth.

I wrote to the buyer asking him how he wished to proceed, and offering him the option to cancel the purchase if he wished.

He didn't reply to that message.

A day later I sent him another similar message, to which he replied about 8 hours later.

 

And here is the curious part - he replied in Spanish.  Not being a Spanish speaker, I ran the message through Google translate, and the content of the message made no sense in the context of the messages I'd sent him about proceeding or cancelling the purchase.  I asked a Spanish speaker I know and they couldn't understand the message either.

 

This has me wondering:
- why pay in full for the concertina and not at least follow up on my messages with a relevant response?

- is this some variation on the empty box scam?

- is the eBay escrow function some kind of scam?

 

I've written to him again asking for clarification - in English or Spanish - and have so far not received a response.

 

Generally I'm feeling uneasy now about sending the concertina - I'll give him one more day then I'll cancel the order.

Edited February 14 by SteveS

[seanc]

I'd be very hesitant.

 

I have had far too many issues selling things on EBay to ever sell anything there again. 

 

In my experience, you really have to go with your gut feeling.

 

If somewhere in you, there is something saying that something is not right here. You are probably correct. You have probably bought and sold stuff in the past. You know how a buyer "should" act.  And if it is not heading that way.. I would cancel that transaction and relist it.

 

There are also those buyers. Where you know they are for real. But you know one way or another, they are going to bail. They get buyer's remorse even before it is in their hands. And you know they will use any excuse to get you to take it back, with a 100% refudn AND pay the shipping.