Ebay and other online Scammers

Before I got back into 1/6, I picked up a few of the third party Masterpiece Transformers. Sites like TFW5000 have an entire sub-forum just to warn people who were the good sellers and who to stay away from. Fortunately you guys seem to get refunds, and not cheap beads or other trinkets as your order.

One of the theories that floated around is that Chinese sellers would create a successful, reputable EBay store. Another person /group would buy out that seller's store handle.  The new owner would then use the store's reputation to run scams and crash the store site into oblivion, because they want to fleece customers, not maintain them.

I'm disappointed with Commitmentteam, they've used to be very reliable, now it's hit or miss on whether or not you get the item you bought. I have noticed they have far fewer items and list only one or two in stock instead of their previous 3-5.

I only bought from XX02 once, never again. Got the item, but only after four months of BS where they dragged their butts on actually sending it. Lesson learned.

csyeung wrote:I just got hit with the "gift" today. I ordered a headsculpt and the seller sent some type of camo hat instead. I currently opened up a wrong item case. I'll update when it gets solved, but the emails don't make sense. Keep saying they will give me another gift and send package later, then another that says there is a delay. I'm just going to try and get a refund.

Edit: seller refunded

So a little more to this transaction which was all messed up to begin with. Head eventually came, so seller wasn't trying to scam, but definitely trying to be sneaky in terms of skirting the preorder rules. I ended up sending some money (mutually agreed upon). I probably could have just kept it, but that didn't feel morally right. However between the refund and the arrival of the second package, I had ordered the head from a different store (I asked them beforehand if they were ready to ship and it shipped immediately). So looks like I'll probably have 2 of these sculpts. Twins maybe? I think everything would have been fine if I cancelled and reordered at a later date. I guess that's on me, but the seller should have communicated to me that it was not ready yet and he was planning to send something else for the tracking. If he said that I def would have cancelled and saved us both a headache.

Oh as to what Nekk-ra is saying, something like that happened in 2018 with me. I bought an item off a seller (transaction was fine, got item in timely manner), then I went back to order some other stuff, his items started having deep discounts. I was given a fake tracking. By the time i filed a complaint, there were so many negatives I was instantly refunded. I have a feeling that money probably came from ebay as the shop was quickly suspended shortly after and no longer there.

I'm pretty sure xx02 and commitmentteam are the same seller??

Be warned , I just noticed , a lot of Chinese sellers are stating this or similar under shipping ;

This item has an extended handling time and a delivery estimate greater than 46 business days.
Please allow additional time if international delivery is subject to customs processing.

For me it`s made the mine field bigger . I got a message today from a seller , saying the head sculpt I purchased was the last one they had and was damaged ? How do you damage a head sculpt exactly ? More frustrating is the listing is still on , and claims more than 10 available ? He has good feedback too ....at least at the moment .

It really is time eBay put halt to all this B.S , it`s taking a lot of the fun out of it .

Alright guys, seems its my turn treading the minefield that is ebay. right now i'm looking for a 1/6 scale hot toys terminator head, realistically a knock off at that. strange thing though is even the recasts seem to stem from one and the same person, posting multiple sales under different names, using the same picture over and over again. varying prices too.
the sellers location being based in china doesnt make it more trustworthy either.

but thats not all, grinding my teeth i even looked for a whole figure and oddly enough found a lose one for 270€.
not bad considering buying parts would add up roughly to the same amount. this time someone uses the same picture in 3 different accounts. again different prices each.

whats ultimately killing my motivation is the fact that the whole item pool seems to consist of similar cases....

havent made up my mind about giving a 40€ head a try just for the spite of it.

Tjolnir wrote:Alright guys, seems its my turn treading the minefield that is ebay. right now i'm looking for a 1/6 scale hot toys terminator head, realistically a knock off at that. strange thing though is even the recasts seem to stem from one and the same person, posting multiple sales under different names, using the same picture over and over again. varying prices too.
the sellers location being based in china doesnt make it more trustworthy either.

but thats not all, grinding my teeth i even looked for a whole figure and oddly enough found a lose one for 270€.
not bad considering buying parts would add up roughly to the same amount. this time someone uses the same picture in 3 different accounts. again different prices each.

whats ultimately killing my motivation is the fact that the whole item pool seems to consist of similar cases....

havent made up my mind about giving a 40€ head a try just for the spite of it.

I have one. Give me a day or two to find it, I’ll take a pic, and if it’s up to your standards, you can have it. Don’t go thru eBay if you don’t have to — those f@#$ers don’t care people are getting scammed by China.

That would be awesome. Not to sound ungrateful or picky but the sculpt i was looking for was the tech noir one, but at this point i'll be happy with any option. Thanks in advance and no rush, i'm not in a hurry finishing this figure.
Kind regards

Conclusion with Iwstore2013 (lwstore2013?)
Ages ago I pre-ordered that Career Killer Kiyoha head with purple eye shadow.
The listing still doesn't say anything about it being a pre-order.
A few days ago I once again contacted them to ask about the status. Again they told me, very friendly, that they had still not received it from the manufacturer. They asked if I wanted something else instead.

So I choose two unpainted heads they have in their store and they are sending me those now. Not ideal, but I was tempted by those heads anyway so I'm happy.

Last time I cancelled another pre-order with them (again not marked as such) they cancelled the transaction after I agreed, but claiming I had asked for the cancellation. I was worried that this would affect my rating or something, so I called Ebay, and they told me all was good, because the seller had added a note that it was not my fault (or similar).

Iwstore2013 certainly still don't appear to be scammers to me, despite the lacking information about pre-order items. I'll be ordering with them again.

Unfortunately, so much stuff is behind at factories thanks to COVID and repeated shutdowns. Some of this, I’m guessing, and not justifying, is probably really out of their control. Them getting frustrated, along with buyers getting frustrated, is probably driving everyone to be a little cranky, dismissive, and just plain rude. And not just in the “toy” world. I’m willing to cut some of these guys some slack (to a points, but I’ve given up on doing any sort of POing thru eBay (unless it’s the Giantoy or OSK stories), otherwise — Just NO. The sending of random crap instead of the actual item — now THAT is a scam. Someone over at the Freaks did an extensive and exhausting tracking and screen-shot captures to keep an eye on when same items switched tracking numbers. Took photos of the package and new tracking number, opened the package thru photos, and received some random piece of crap. Filed a dispute, got told nothing could be done , until he sent all the images and explained in detail what the seller did, and how the tracking changed; only then did he get a refund. Pain in the ass, and honestly, it’s that kind of stuff which has made me pretty much avoid Asia sellers entirely (outside of Kit and GT) on eBay. My recommendation is for everyone to do the same. Once these scammers realize they aren’t getting the business they used to, they’ll (hopefully) stop.

I tend to agree with Mark, even if I hadn't witnessed the same detailed account. And also, that while there are scammers out there, we are also experiencing the effect of certain different (not to say shabby) business practices, like not indicating actual availability of items (in stock, preorder, or sold out).

As we're concluding, it seems that the pandemic (and its economic after-effects) are largely to blame for even once-trustworthy sellers resorting to underhand practices. There have always been crooks and scammers on Ebay, but now they seem to be in the majority and sadly it doesn't look like there's any turning back.

skywalkersaga wrote:I'm pretty sure xx02 and commitmentteam are the same seller??

They definitely do seem to be 'associated' somehow (along with 5thlj), but what I have noticed is that their pricing structures are sometimes slightly different, with xx02 generally being the most expensive. xx02 are also the least communicative of the three. And while I never actually had a problem getting what I ordered from them, xx02 are also very mean with their feedback, to the point where I ended up not leaving them any because they never bothered to reciprocate when I did.

Anyway, I'm currently managing not to let temptation get the better of me and I'm avoiding buying from Chinese Ebay sellers altogether, and I'm much happier and more chilled-out for it.

From He Who Shall Not Be Named:

"I purchased a boxed figure on eBay and paid for it on 12/30/2021. It was shipped out supposedly on 12/31 by USPS Priority Mail. A tracking number was provided. It was a bogus number. I messaged the seller. Received a proper tracking number this time with a questionable explanation. Item should have arrived on 1/3/2022 and at the latest 1/7/2022. I waited. 1/3 passed. I waited. 1/7 passed. Messaged the seller. No reply. I called eBay and spoke with an agent. Agent verified I could open a claim. I requested a refund because my gut told me the seller is not being transparent even with a 100% feedback rating. Claim opened on 1/8. No response from the seller until today, 1/13. Seller never apologized and asked me for more time. The second tracking number is stuck with no status as of 1/3 per the USPS. I also ran the tracking number with my local USPS office. They told me it's not a USPS Priority Mail tracking number, but the cheapest slowest service (Parcel Post).

I replied calmly to the seller telling him I patiently waited and I want a refund and if & when the item arrives I will return it unopened provided he gives me a postage paid return label at his expense. No reply.

I called eBay and provided the update. The agent told me to call back tomorrow and they'll process a refund under the eBay money back guarantee and they also saw the message(s) on the claim.

PLAN B if no refund from eBay is to dispute it with my bank.

That's my story so far.

I too am not immune to eBay woes, but I guess my eBay woes are totally different than the woe is me I am victim mentality by some."

Stryker2011 wrote:From He Who Shall Not Be Named:

Is this from that one dude on OSW who takes it on himself to warn people not to 'cry' about getting scammed. At length. In the most high-handed language. Even though nobody asked.

He Who Shall Not Be Named wrote:I too am not immune to eBay woes, but I guess my eBay woes are totally different than the woe is me I am victim mentality by some

Faster Than Life wrote:

Stryker2011 wrote:From He Who Shall Not Be Named:

Is this from that one dude on OSW who takes it on himself to warn people not to 'cry' about getting scammed. At length. In the most high-handed language. Even though nobody asked.

Update to The Nameless One:

“I received a refund through eBay. Their reasoning is the seller didn’t provide a valid tracking number. The case/claim is closed.”

Faster Than Life: I’m going to say, Yes.

Sky: “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!”

Stryker2011 wrote:Faster Than Life: I’m going to say, Yes.

Sky:  “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!”

The diction's kinda a giveaway...!

Faster Than Life wrote:

Stryker2011 wrote:From He Who Shall Not Be Named:

Is this from that one dude on OSW who takes it on himself to warn people not to 'cry' about getting scammed. At length. In the most high-handed language. Even though nobody asked.

Who could you possibly mean???!!!!???

My latest O WOE IS ME EBAY INTERNET DRAMA (cut 'n' pasted from its parent thread as it's probably more relevant here)

I missed out on a sculpt I'd pre-ordered from GianToy due to the carrier losing the parcel (full refund from GT, no problem), the sculpt has quickly sold out at GT and become scarce however, and so I was forced (yes FORCED!   ) to trawl eb*y to try and get it. Purchased one, usual "Sorry friend it is lost/broken/out of stock" outcome, plus added "it is still pre-order" and "I will send a nice gift until it is in stock" hilarity. A bit of back-and-forth, after which he says he can get it by the end of February.

My response (and only because I really want the sculpt):

"OK, please DO NOT send a gift OR a promisary note, I only expect to receive the exact item I have purchased and nothing else. If you do send either a gift or a note, then I will be forced to end our transaction with an 'item not as described' claim to ebay.

As we have also established that this item is now actually already released and is no longer a pre-order, I agree to wait until you have this in stock or until March 1st 2022. I expect to hear from you again by March 1st to confirm shipping, and if you still don't have this item to ship after that date, I will then have to put in a claim with ebay for a refund.

It is sad that I am forced to place these conditions on our transaction, but over the last year I have been put into this same difficult and wearying position regarding stock availability/damage/delays with almost every single recent transaction of this type on ebay."

I don't care if he understands the gist of what I've written there or not, it's purely to cover myself with ebay if it comes to a claim or dispute. He could well decide to just refund me now without my consent anyway, but to be honest I'll be fine with that.

I also fully expect he'll probably try and stall again by that 'next month' point, but I'm done with the whole tiresome treadmill of trawling Ebay and Aliex for other sellers and then wading through their excuses afterward, so we'll see what happens here. I'm beyond expecting ebay to actually do anything to stop this behaviour by this point - the best it seems any of us buyers can do is try and cover ourselves as much as possible.

I'll reiterate - thanks to bitter experience, I only even considered buying from ebay this time because I was let down with my original purchase from a reputable seller.

Who knows, maybe my original order could show up by March 1st.

I think the conclusion here is that by this stage of 'the game' we should just naturally assume the worst, and that an 'Honest Ebay Sellers' thread would be both shorter and less complex than this one.

Just another "new normal" experience to report - ordered three simple 1/6 clothing pieces from an eBay seller who claimed to have multiple items in stock. Almost immediately received a "Sorry, Friend, item is broken" message offering a 4 month wait time or a refund.

A broken little piece of cloth?

I requested a refund. Have not yet received it.

What kind of scam is going on here? Are they harvesting credit card numbers? Is the game to pull in a bunch of money and hold it for a while to artificially inflate their cash on hand numbers? There's got to be a reason behind this becoming the New Normal for China-based eBay sellers.

And why isn't eBay doing something about this?

When the price is too good to pass up yet its coming from a China based eBay vender these days...

I've only ever actually gotten one of the things I've ordered from eBay, though I may just have bad luck. I actually prefer AliExpress, though the site's chaotic to navigate and the time the items spend in transit is obnoxious. eBay sellers seem way less motivated to actually fulfill orders than AliExpress sellers...regardless of what country they're from. I've had a few items being sold by Americans from their collection that I ended up having to get a refund on because they never bothered shipping the thing.

AliEx's 'order processing time' is just ridiculous, now. 24 days and up (although I'm not sure how much the Chinese holiday is affecting that right now) and then up to three months to ship to your door. To be fair though, those reputable sellers who do bother to ship do so well within those limits.

Sellers on both AliEx and Eb*y now also seem to be factoring the holidays into their excuses: 'item is broken, factory closed for Holiday until March' (the holiday actually ends on Feb 7).


It certainly seems to only be this hobby that's plagued with this kind of behaviour on the seller's part. I've never experienced this level of chicanery with any other type of product on Eb*y, even from Chinese sellers.

The only thing left to us now is to actively check availability with a seller first before buying, although of course if they're desperate enough for a sale, they'll just lie anyway.

It isn't just this hobby. A lot of manufacturers and power suppliers have been forced to shut down till after the Winter Olympics. Xi doesn't want smoggy skies when the foreign TV crews show up. The Olympics finishes on Feb 20 and it will take a couple of weeks for backorders to get caught up. That's why they are saying March.

shazzdan wrote:It isn't just this hobby. A lot of manufacturers and power suppliers have been forced to shut down till after the Winter Olympics. Xi doesn't want smoggy skies when the foreign TV crews show up. The Olympics finishes on Feb 20 and it will take a couple of weeks for backorders to get caught up. That's why they are saying March.

Ahhh, yes that makes sense. The Winter Olympics isn't on my personal radar so I forgot all about it.

Faster Than Life wrote:I've only ever actually gotten one of the things I've ordered from eBay, though I may just have bad luck. I actually prefer AliExpress

Interesting. I've had the opposite experience. In the last 2 years, I've placed 13 orders on AliEx and only ever received 3 of them.
Now Ebay is really getting bad. Sellers I've purchased from multiple times in the past are now sending me the "broken" email every time I buy anything.
It's honestly gotten so old that my resolution for 2022 is if I can't get it from Giantoy or Monkey Depot then I'm not going to bother trying to buy it at all.

eBay’s Money Back Guarantee said a buyer is entitled to a refund if the item does not arrive at the address provided by the buyer.  The buyer has recourse 30 calendar days after the estimated or actual delivery/collection date.  eBay did not enforce its own 30-day money back guarantee when the seller sc_store9999 knew how to play the game to circumvent the agreement to deliver the item to the buyer.  (I have all the eBay emails from the seller and many screen shots documenting the seller’s dishonesty.)  I did a quick research on the internet and found several victims like me who did not get what they paid for from sc_store9999.  These victims were listed on collectorfreaks.com, onesixthfigures.forumotion.com, facebook.com and reddit.com.  (I have their screen shots.)

On 5/27/2021, I ordered two items from an eBay seller named sc_store9999 under the same order number.  The item that I have never received was Mars divine 1/6 1948-1949 Crane Equipment Army Clothes Weapon Accessory for $112.99.  The estimated shipping date was 37 to 47 business days.  

On 7/22/2021, sc_store9999 emailed me and said a disgruntled employee probably sent me the wrong item.  sc_store9999 said “… so If what you received is not in kind, please contact me immediately and I will solve it for you immediately (including refund)”.  

On 8/11/2021, I still did not receive the item (Mars divine 1/6).  I asked sc_store9999 to send me the right item.  

On 8/12/2021, sc_store9999 said the product is still being produced and said they will ship to me around August.  

I waited for a month and I still did not receive the item (Mars divine 1/6).  I checked the tracking number posted on this item.  The tracking indicated that the package was returned to the seller or sc_store9999 on 7/7/2021.  

I filed a complaint with eBay and their email said my item is not covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee on 9/27/2021.  I called eBay and spoke to Gladys.  She said I only had 30 days to file the complaint with eBay from the date of purchase and that I had passed the period to take action.  She then said I should file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and walked me through the process.  She said when FTC will issue an email to me about eBay refund and eBay will give me the refund 5 days after the FTC email.  As it turned out, FTC never sent me email about refund.  I tried to call or text message eBay and their system blocked me from getting to a life person again.  

I filed an appeal with eBay a few times and they said I should contact the seller.  One reply said I should continue to communicate with the seller.  Another reply said they will evaluate the seller.  As of today, sc_store9999 is still selling.  

sc_store9999 filed a counter case with eBay.  On 10/13/2021, eBay emailed me and said they had closed my case.  

On 1/31/2022, an eBay representative told me that their protection policy “…cover you for 30 days from when you receive the item or its estimated delivery date so even if the estimated delivery date is far away, your coverage starts from that date.”  I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED MY ITEM AND THE PROTECTION ACCORDING TO THIS eBay POLICY SHOULD STILL BE VALID. But it is not in my case.

Following eBay’s instructions, I have been emailing sc_store9999 and each time the seller ignores my request for refund but promises that they will deliver the item.  Starting on 10/14/2021, sc_store9999 has been saying that they are going to send me the item.  The latest one is on 3/9/2022.  To this date, sc_store9999 still has not delivered my Mars divine 1/6 1948-1949 Crane Equipment Army Clothes Weapon Accessory which I paid $112.99.   In my case, eBay did not protect me.  I HAVE DECIDED TO ONLY ORDER ITEMS LESS THAN $20 FROM eBay.  I CAN NO LONGER TRUST eBay FOR ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL.

Oof, sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience. Did you pay via paypal? If so, try filing a claim with paypal to get your money back, paypal should be half a year. If you paid by credit card, you can also file with your credit card company as well.

since there was no evidence of delivered tracking, I don't see why ebay didn't refund you. As far as I know, yes, it should be 30 days after expected delivery date for ebay. Always file regardless if it hasn't arrived by expected delivery date and don't trust them when they say they are sending it on the way again. Tell them to refund you asap. If they want to send it to you again, tell them to refund first and you will buy again. Also if there is a long delay before it is shipped, it's better to get a refund as well. Often the items they have are preorders or they don't have in hand.

This seems to be typical now. Everyone seems to be in bed with China at this point.