Just a quick note to share my "believed to be" scam experience.
I am currently in the States, and bidded for a camera for $X. But the winning bid was $150 more, which was about the right price.
A short while after the bid ended, I was contacted by the seller about the 2nd chance bids (that means his winning bidder put his aeroplane).
But he wanted to do the deal through "ebay square trade", and I was supposed to send the money through this 3rd party agency through Western Union.
When I search the net for the company Square Trade, I found that it is indeed a recommend arbitration party by ebay.
The PROBLEM is... when I click through the email sent to me by the seller, it led me to this webpage: http://www.square-trade-ltd.info/index-1.htm
When I click it through ebay, it led me to this page:
http://www.squaretrade.com/cnt/jsp/index.jsp
Seems the same? I think it's not. I tried to locate the address... it seems correct too.
then when I check the official website (through ebay), it said:
"Beware of potential fake "spoof" emails that pretend to be an authentic email from SquareTrade or other trusted companies.
DO NOT SEND MONEY TO WESTERN UNION / MONEYGRAM / WIRE TRANSFER !!!"
http://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pop/popup_fraudAlert.html
So... beware... I am not 100% sure that the seller is a fraudster, but I will not trade outside the ebay homepage. (i cant be sure until they take my $$$).
Hope it helps.
I am currently in the States, and bidded for a camera for $X. But the winning bid was $150 more, which was about the right price.
A short while after the bid ended, I was contacted by the seller about the 2nd chance bids (that means his winning bidder put his aeroplane).
But he wanted to do the deal through "ebay square trade", and I was supposed to send the money through this 3rd party agency through Western Union.
When I search the net for the company Square Trade, I found that it is indeed a recommend arbitration party by ebay.
The PROBLEM is... when I click through the email sent to me by the seller, it led me to this webpage: http://www.square-trade-ltd.info/index-1.htm
When I click it through ebay, it led me to this page:
http://www.squaretrade.com/cnt/jsp/index.jsp
Seems the same? I think it's not. I tried to locate the address... it seems correct too.
then when I check the official website (through ebay), it said:
"Beware of potential fake "spoof" emails that pretend to be an authentic email from SquareTrade or other trusted companies.
DO NOT SEND MONEY TO WESTERN UNION / MONEYGRAM / WIRE TRANSFER !!!"
http://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pop/popup_fraudAlert.html
So... beware... I am not 100% sure that the seller is a fraudster, but I will not trade outside the ebay homepage. (i cant be sure until they take my $$$).
Hope it helps.