Google Email Address ? A Possible Scam ?

[Mickey Qualls]

Hi everyone,

I apologize in advance, this thread might belong in NPR. But I'm having trouble with a sale. And I'm starting the think it might be a scam of sorts.

I have a buyer for a cue on the 'bay. He offered me a price I couldn't pass on. Not absurd, but enough to consider ending the auction. But the problem is that his address is in Cancun.

I ask him to find out what shipping will be to Cancun, and he tells me that he has an address in Tampa.

He tells me to send an invoice, his email is (insert name here) at Google Server. I figured this to mean Google.com. So I sent an email to
_ _ _ _ _ _@ Google.com. And it went through. the 'Pal tells me my invoice has been sent.

I tell him I sent the invoice, and this was the response:

Haven't gotten it yet...
I'm sorry I wrote the email address like that, but ebay doesn't let me write my email address normally. Please check again. My email is XXXXXXX at the white envelope with red stripes server.

It's funny but I can't even write the name of it with hyphen, dots or comas.
So please let me know if you get it.

Or send me yours so that I can message you to start the transaction.

I haven't sent him my email address yet. And the cue price isn't really 'off the wall'. I mean, we're talking less that $100. But who knows, I could send the kid my email, next thing I know my bank account is bone dry (not that there's much in there now :embarrassed2.

Maybe I'm being overly cautious. If it was just one thing, I might not have given it a second thought. But everything together (the foreign address, the convenient Tampa address, not being able to type his email address)...

I don't know. Something just seems "off" to me.

It could be absolutely nothing. But enough to make me pause, and post about it here.

Thoughts, input, and advice are appreciated...

 

[Chopdoc]

Never do the deal "off Ebay".

If somebody makes an offer and you want to take it, then re-list it on Ebay for them as a Buy it Now.

Ebay is blocking email addresses in PMs mostly because of scams. Get it?

Best policy is not to end an auction anyway, let it run. I can't tell you how many times I have been pissed off by somebody ending an auction early because they got an offer and it was something I was going to bid on. Personally I feel it's a jackass maneuver. Why are people making offers on auctions? it's rude to be kind, and worse to accept it. You advertise a public auction, run a public auction.

If you are entertaining offers you can set the sale up to take offers, but if it's an auction then let it run as an auction.

For this particular circumstance I would offer to re-list it as a buy-it-now for the buyer. If he wants it he has to buy it through Ebay.

Just mt opinion...others will of course be different.

I have been made offers on auctions. I have always turned it down.


I have on occasion made an offer on an auction when there was a package involved and I felt that it could be broken up for a better auction and I am only interested in part of it anyway. Better for me and better for a seller. Not my intent to simply end an auction though, just restructure it in a better way for all.





.

 

[Pjaze]

Doesn't sound too dodgy.

Don't worry about giving out your email address, he can't get to your bank account just because he knows your address

The worst that can happen is that you start getting alot of junk mail. If you want to be really safe, just create a new temp email account.

Most importantly though - do not under any circumstances send the cue out until the money is in your bank account. There is a scam going around where they send you a pay pal reciept as proof - these are easy to fake. So make sure it is in your account before sending - Even if you have to call the bank and double check.

 

[victorl]

Too many red flags and like you said, the transaction is almost not worth it.
Most likely, it's either a scammer who's making up things to get a free cue or a kid who has no idea what he's doing.
Either way, I wouldn't want any part of it.

 

[TATE]

It's whatever he wrote @gmail.com - try it again.

It can't hurt you to give out your e-mail - thousands of spammers have mine, that's for sure.

 

[poolguy4u]

Hi everyone,

I apologize in advance, this thread might belong in NPR. But I'm having trouble with a sale. And I'm starting the think it might be a scam of sorts.

I have a buyer for a cue on the 'bay. He offered me a price I couldn't pass on. Not absurd, but enough to consider ending the auction. But the problem is that his address is in Cancun.

I ask him to find out what shipping will be to Cancun, and he tells me that he has an address in Tampa.

He tells me to send an invoice, his email is (insert name here) at Google Server. I figured this to mean Google.com. So I sent an email to
_ _ _ _ _ _@ Google.com. And it went through. the 'Pal tells me my invoice has been sent.

I tell him I sent the invoice, and this was the response:



I haven't sent him my email address yet. And the cue price isn't really 'off the wall'. I mean, we're talking less that $100. But who knows, I could send the kid my email, next thing I know my bank account is bone dry (not that there's much in there now :embarrassed2.

Maybe I'm being overly cautious. If it was just one thing, I might not have given it a second thought. But everything together (the foreign address, the convenient Tampa address, not being able to type his email address)...

I don't know. Something just seems "off" to me.

It could be absolutely nothing. But enough to make me pause, and post about it here.

Thoughts, input, and advice are appreciated...

Sounds like he is trying to tell you he has a hotmail address.

Is the guy's name Hugo? If it is I've dealt with him many times and he was fine.

 

[Mickey Qualls]

Thanks for the input, everyone...

Chopdoc,
I ended up doing the deal on the 'bay, making the cue a Buy-It-Now price. The seller paid last night. :thumbup:

Pjaze,
Yeah, I had that happen before. What a pain in the @$$ that was. :angry:

victorl,
I'm guessing the latter. Kid has a feedback of 43. May have been his first time making an offer.

Tate,
Ahh... G mail... That explains why he didn't get the email. :idea2:

Poolguy4u,
Nah, not Hugo. :sorry:

Thank you all again for the assistance. :grin-square:

 

[phade]

Agree

Doesn't sound too dodgy.

Don't worry about giving out your email address, he can't get to your bank account just because he knows your address

The worst that can happen is that you start getting alot of junk mail. If you want to be really safe, just create a new temp email account.

Most importantly though - do not under any circumstances send the cue out until the money is in your bank account. There is a scam going around where they send you a pay pal reciept as proof - these are easy to fake. So make sure it is in your account before sending - Even if you have to call the bank and double check.

You read my mind..... Dom

 

[Cracktherack]

Scams come from Cancun, Nigeria and Kenya. Look at what the man from Kenya has done to the Whitehouse. Crooks, scammers, liars and cheats, no exceptions.