So in preparation for my move to NE, I have been searching all avenues for a possible job. One avenue I've been pursuing is creating some income from eBay. I have already started a little bit towards that end by purchasing some merchandise from a liquidator (need to get it listed still!) Another avenue that I was interested in was found in an ad in the local area's Craigslist.
A man claimed to be a crew leader for a moving company and that he was looking for someone with a 100% feedback rating of at least 29 or more to work with him. He would provide photos of items that people left behind and descriptions. You would then post them on your eBay account, pay the eBay and PayPal fees, take an 11% cut, and send the remainder to him.
In the ad he mentions that he nets 10k a month selling stuff on Amazon, and the reason he's looking for someone is that the woman he'd worked with previously got a new job and didn't have time.
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This interested me at first. I had NE look it over to see if he thought it was legit, and he thought maybe it was. So, I sent the guy an email today. I told him I was interested, and I told him my ebay username so he could verify that I fit his qualifications. But then I told him that I needed him to give me some information as well, so that I could feel comfortable dealing with him and putting my ebay account at risk. I asked him for his Amazon username/company name, the name of his moving company, and the ebay username of the woman he'd previously worked with.
I really didn't think I was asking for too much. He sure did! He basically responded with a reprimand telling me that he has dozens of people lined up willing to make the sacrifices for the income. And that he couldn't believe I'd ask these kinds of questions of a potential employer.
I responded and told him that maybe I hadn't phrased my questions in the best way, but that trust is an earned commodity. And that I don't care to risk my ebay rep carelessly.
Anyway, we went back and forth a couple times. He kept going back to all the people who had no choice but to trust him and who were willing to make the sacrifices necessary.
I told him good luck with that.
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The more I thought about the whole thing, especially considering how defensive he got and how un forthcoming - I figured out what probably his game is.
He gets the person to list the item using their account. The item sells, the fees are charged to that persons account, the person takes their 11% cut, and sends the remainder off to the guy. Only there never was really any item. So the buyer files a complaint that they never received their item, and the person who listed the item is now responsible for refunding the purchase price. Out of their own pocket - because of course at this point MovingTruck guy is long gone.
I think I dodged a bullet here by asking questions. It would be nice to find a situation like this that was for real though.
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Almost forgot! I was wondering if anyone has heard of the Klondike:Gold Rush mini-series running on Discovery channel. I saw it advertised on Swagbucks a couple days ago, and found a similar program on Hulu (free) but was wondering if anyone knows where I could see these episodes? (legally of course!)
Craigslist Shenanigans
February 16th, 2014 at 03:22 am
February 16th, 2014 at 03:28 am 1392521288
February 16th, 2014 at 03:33 am 1392521595
Thanks!
February 16th, 2014 at 03:51 am 1392522671
February 16th, 2014 at 04:22 am 1392524577
February 16th, 2014 at 05:04 am 1392527052
Scfr - He said he didn't want to bother with getting an ebay account himself and building up enough feedback.
February 16th, 2014 at 12:57 pm 1392555425
February 16th, 2014 at 03:24 pm 1392564298
February 16th, 2014 at 05:38 pm 1392572328
It could also be a variation of the money mule scam - externally it looks like a genuine exchange of money in a transaction but how do you know the items even exist? The point could be just to get money channelled through someone who is otherwise uninvolved, through their e-bay linked account.
www.banksafeonline.org.uk/common-scams/money-mules/money-mules-explained
February 16th, 2014 at 06:48 pm 1392576506
blue - That actually was another scenario I'd pictured
Scfr - me too!
February 16th, 2014 at 09:00 pm 1392584422
Glad you didn't!
We watched Klondike on TV.. it was pretty good (could've been better, slow spots, loose ends..). The locations were breathtaking and Richard Madden is nice to look at. Don't know where you could see the episodes though, sorry.
February 17th, 2014 at 02:27 am 1392604077
February 17th, 2014 at 03:39 am 1392608389
Joan - Yep, very weird. I think I made the guy ticked off at me because I wasn't being intimidated. I'm honestly surprised he wrote me back more than twice.