Anyone that’s spent any time reading the eBay boards knows about how Nigerian Scammers try and pull the old “Cashiers Check Overpayment Scam” on sellers. It’s nothing new for eBay Motors.
eBay Seller MollysMine Board Post About Scam Buyers And eBay's Lack Of Help!
The way this gig on eBay works is. Low volume sellers get 6 FREE Listings in a calendar year. If you get a bid, or a bid over your reserve price, eBay charges a $125 “successful transaction fee”. The same thing applies if you list the family sedan with the fixed price Buy Now format. If someone clicks that BIN Button the eBay till rings up another $ale and charges the seller a $125 fee.
After you have listed 6 Vehicles in a calendar year, the 7th vehicle listing steps you up to the big time eBay Motors HIGH VOLUME Seller Club! Woo Hoo.. Welcome to the eBay Motors ~ High Rollers Club 
From here on you will pay a Flat $50 FEE per Listing, with NO Successful Listing Fee.
NOTE: eBay’s FVF on eBay Motors Vehicles is called a Transaction Service Fee (TSF) Something to do with skating the Motor Vehicle Dealer Licensing Laws.
I recently blogged about these eBay Deadbeat Buyers and changes to the eBay Motors FEE Schedule. The verbiage was added that reads like eBay would not be giving FVF-TSF Refunds if a seller didn’t complete the transaction with the buyer.
eBay Motors Vehicle Sellers Update - List Up To 6 Cars For FREE!
The below eBay Motors Discussion Forum comment from one eBay Cheerleader, possibly an eBay Sock Puppet seems to affirm that no refund policy.. “They are not going to reimburse on that basis. It was a successul listing as it was sold, it just was not paid for in a legal or legitimate way. Ebay has no control over that , only you do.”
eBay Motors Discussion Board Community Support Member Salez4u
That has got to be the Dumbest Statement anyone could make! Oh Yea Baby.. eBay considers the vehicle sold. It’s not eBay’s Fault you didn’t accept the Scamming Buyers Counterfeit Cashiers Check for Payment!
eBay Motors Cheerleader And Suspeced Sock Puppet Fruitacres. Comparing eBay Motors to Hemmings!
Another idiotic post. eBay Motors is a BARGAIN compared to Hemmings.. Yea Sure Fruit Cake! At least Hemming’s Motor News is a serious selling venue for classic car enthusiasts. I bet Hemmings management would have a big old LOL on your comment!
Meanwhile eBay Motors – Just like the rest of eBay continues to sink lower into the abyss. Another seller just got eBay Motors rammed up their rear end. And got ridiculed by the regulars hanging out on the forums.
eBay Bid History On Item Number 270844470677 2004 Pontiac Vibe
I see this scammer is a newly registered eBay member and already suspended (naru). I have suspected for many years that eBay was using Bid Bots to further their bottom line.
It wouldn’t take much to write a program that would register new members with user details plucked from an online white page type of database. Then set em loose bidding and buying on the site. After the required number of unpaid item strikes were filed that bot would become NARU just like the little fella above. But that’s just my two cents worth about the possibility of it actually being done.
What a deal.. Get a scamming buyer on your car.. eBay keeps the fees.. And get Ridiculed on eBay’s Motors discussion board by the regulars, and possibly eBay sock puppets and Astroturfers masquerading as regular members. These two sure seem to fit the profile above, and appear to be one person, despite the sentencing styles. Fruitacres and Salez4u.
The bottom line is.. eBay makes money from fraud. eBay could put bidder / buyer regulations in place to validate the member is who they say they are. Sellers could also be validated to prevent or at least slow down scam listings. But just like this article clearly shows, eBay is making money from these deadbeat fraudulent bidders.
With eBay profiting from fraud, what incentive is there for them to prevent it?
Oh well.. Next time try www.autotrader.com or www.cars.com. And depending on your location, defined by zip code, cars.com is offering a single free listing with no FVF or strings attached!
eBay Motors Listing Number 270844470677 2004 Pontiac Vibe. Buyer Tried To Scam Seller!
We (Hemmings) mostly feel sorry for people who lose money, or even just time. Needless to say, we’re not big eBay fans.
David, Thanks for your comment.
It’s a crying shame what eBay Motors has become in recent years.
But for a company to allow it’s members to ridicule a scammed seller on it’s own discussion forums, speaks negatively very well for the company itself as a whole.
And using company Shills, Astroturfers, and Sock Puppets to seed and carry on conversations on company message boards and forums is probably not a good idea either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rO8KkBAFSk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Di4kTUPQo
Oh well.. Such is life on eBay these days.
As long as eBay continues to disrupt their own once very successful business model and chase Amazon’s tail, there is no telling what they will do next.
It’s only a matter of time before the whole organization implodes upon itself.