[BubbaWPB]

Ok, am I the only one that's paranoid about buying someone's used junk - sight unseen - on e-bay? ...especially for the reef tank? And if it's new, why can't you buy it that cheap elsewhere? Or am I just a paranoid sorta dude?

OK, I can see buying 50 year old candy wrappers for you collection on e-bay, but stuff for a reef tank? <imagining all used pieces being contaminated with ebola and copper, and leaking water all over my floor>

[Ninong]

I am very reluctant to buy anything on eBay. I did buy a new hand-held TDS meter once a couple of years ago without any problems but I just have an aversion to eBay.

I purchased a couple of pairs of binoculars for my two godsons on Meade's factory outlet store, which is set up on eBay, but that's not the same as buying from an individual on eBay.

I almost purchased an expensive telescope on eBay a few months back and boy am I glad I didn't win that auction. The seller had posted several pictures of a practically brand new Meade 10" LX200GPS scope with all the trimmings and several extra eyepieces. This rig would sell for about $3900 brand new and he claimed to be selling his because he didn't have time to actually use it. He said he purchased it six months earlier and then decided that he just wasn't interested anymore.

I made three different bids on it when the price was in the $2000 range and then I stopped bidding once it got above $2500. About three days later I received an email from eBay warning me that it was a scam and advising me not to do business with this person off-site (or on-site for that matter). They said he had been banned.

Here is the scary email I received from eBay:

Dear Ninong,

The following is a notice from eBay Trust & Safety regarding:

Item Number - 7550786474
Item Title - Meade 10" LX 200 GPS with (UHTC)

Our records show that you were a bidder or buyer of one or more of this seller's items. We recently removed all of this seller's listings and have suspended the seller's trading privileges. Due to privacy concerns we will not be able to share further details related to this seller.

If someone claiming to be the seller asks you to complete a transaction outside of eBay, we strongly recommend that you ignore the request. Transactions for items listed on eBay that are completed outside of the eBay marketplace are not covered by the Buyer Protection services offered by eBay and can be highly indicative of fraud.

If you have not sent payment to the seller, we urge you to not proceed with the transaction.

If you have already paid, you may wish to pursue options to recoup your funds. Some steps you might take include:

1. Ask the seller for a refund
2. If you paid by check, ask your bank to stop payment
3. If you paid by credit card, contact your credit card company's security department
4. If you have made a payment by money order or wire transfer, you may contact that company for further information at 1-800-325-6000 (Western Union), or at 1-800-926-9400 (Money Gram)
5. If you paid with PayPal, review the Buyer Complaint Process at:

/csg/p?http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...-buyer-outside

6. Review eligibility requirements for eBay's standard purchase protection program at:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/isgw-fraud-claim-requirements.html

There are many tips on how to protect yourself with any Internet transaction in the eBay Security & Resolution Center located at:

http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter

Our goal is to ensure that your eBay experience is safe so that you can buy confidently. It is rare that something goes wrong with a transaction on eBay, but we're here to help you protect yourself in the event it does. If you have additional questions, please send us an email using the "Contact Us" link found on eBay Help pages. Do not respond to this email, as your reply will not be received.

Regards,
Customer Support (Trust and Safety Department)
eBay Inc


P.S. -- Most of us probably remember that couple from Las Vegas who scammed dozens of Reef Central members a few years back. There are two or three very long threads over there about that little fiasco. They were supposedly selling new metal halide ballasts and other assorted reef equipment items at prices too good to be true. I was immediately suspicious when I noticed that their other auctions were for homemade porno movies! Anyway, some 20 or 30 guys on Reef Central lost several hundred bucks each on that little scam. Nothing was ever shipped!

[Ninong]

Here is that thread on Reef Central that I was talking about: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...s&pagenumber=1

That happened almost four years ago. It's a long thread, but it's very educational. The sellers went under the name of Alley Way Aquatics for their reef equipment and Alley Vids for their "fun" stuff (porno movies). That just sounded like an unusual combination to me. The only homemade sex movies most nerdy reef guys make are of their reef tanks! I wonder if Paris Hilton has a reef tank! Nah, probably not!

[CSeaSee]

I was able to get a new CPR BakPak w/ all the extras on eBay for a pretty good price. It was a factory second, so it had a couple of blemishes (big deal). I'm paranoid about buying used submersible stuff (copper...) but this dealer sold a lot of factory second CPR stuff... probably has an inside connection. But, I agree there can be some shady deals, too!