# eBay buyer asking questions after he won the bid **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2020, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646 "2020-08-09T13:02:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/1 "2020-08-09T13:02:31Z")
I’m selling a used iPad on eBay. The listing included a full description, photos, etc. The auction lasted a week, and after it ended the winning bidder asked for more photos and the serial number. The feels scammy to me. From what I understand my best option is to disengage, tell the buyer I’m out of town and can’t provide the info until after payment is due, ask him to cancel. If he doesn’t cancel, file a claim for non-payment, and go to next highest bidder. Any advice? The bidder has a 100% rating, positive reviews from almost 25 accounts. I just don’t feel like getting into a conversation/attempted negotiation at this point. The iPad really is in near-perfect condition and is listed at a fair price (and had a Buy it Now option of $50 less than the winning bid). TIA! ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/2 "2020-08-09T15:33:56Z")
Apple is giving refunds due to a class action lawsuit it lost over it’s ‘battery gate’ iOS issue, you submit the SN to them. Perhaps he/she wanted to submit the rebate (with or without the product). IIRC it’s something like a $50-$75 rebate. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/3 "2020-08-09T17:25:38Z")
Just provide him with info. why not? What possible scam could there be? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/4 "2020-08-09T17:45:12Z")
Might not be a scam, might be one. Personally, I’d just encourage the buyer to pay, ship it to them and they can get all the info they need once it’s in their hands. If you need an excuse, the out-of-town one could work. I’d probably make something up like “Sorry, it’s already boxed up and ready to ship. My cousin has the box, he’s going to drop it off at the post office as soon as I have your payment and shipping address”. If there’s nothing more to this than them getting excited to get an iPad, they’ll pay you so you can ship it. If there’s something more nefarious going on, they’ll either continue to press you for the SN/pictures or back out of the sale. ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/5 "2020-08-09T18:07:32Z")
I can’t think of a scam (unless it’s what kanicbird said), but I’m often amazed at what bad actors can come up with. There’s no real risk involved with sending more photos (but not the S\N), it’s just annoying. The second-highest bidder would have paid already and I’d be off to the PO, but now I have to deal with this yahoo AFTER he won the auction. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/6 "2020-08-09T18:11:05Z")
Among the nonscammy things the buyer might be doing: registering the new device with their homeowner’s insurance; ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/7 "2020-08-09T19:18:28Z")
I suppose anything is possible, but adding something to your insurance policy before you’ve paid for it, let alone taken possession, seems like a stretch. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/8 "2020-08-09T19:22:58Z")
If it’s not a scam, it is the buyer getting cold feet and looking for a justification to cancel. I hadn’t heard of the scam @kanicbird describes, but if that is going on, that’s seems a pretty reasonable possibility. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/9 "2020-08-09T22:17:07Z")
Buyer may want to see if it’s stolen. > **[Is that used iPad stolen? Apple creates tool for would-be buyers to check](https://www.pcworld.com/article/435607/is-that-used-ipad-actually-stolen-apple-creates-tool-for-wouldbe-buyers-to-check.html)** > > The tool will help prospective buyers of used iPhones and iPads to determine if the devices were lost or stolen ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/10 "2020-08-09T23:26:35Z")
Hmm, now that’s valid. Well, for now I sent photos, well see where this goes. Thanks, all! ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/11 "2020-08-09T23:28:04Z")
BUT why not ask before the auction is over? What’s the point of getting all this way and then gumming up the works? Annoying. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/12 "2020-08-09T23:37:39Z")
Cold feet? Bidding before thinking everything through? ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/13 "2020-08-10T00:02:27Z")
Yeah, that’s the consensus on eBay chat rooms I’ve read. If he cancels, it looks bad on his account, but if I cancel, it looks bad on mine. So, if he doesn’t want to buy it, but doesn’t want to cancel, he may be trying to make me cancel instead. ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/14 "2020-08-10T01:10:58Z")
Update: the buyer just paid. An interesting conversation with you all nonetheless. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/15 "2020-08-10T03:18:26Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Among the nonscammy things the buyer might be doing: registering the new device with their homeowner’s insurance; I’d still call that a scam. I can’t think of any reason to falsely tell your insurance company you have something unless you plan to file a claim that it was stolen. You probably don’t want to be in possession of (and selling) an ipad that’s been reported stolen. Unless you mean registering it with their insurance but still intending to buy it. I > [@Nayna](#): > > If he cancels, it looks bad on his account, but if I cancel, it looks bad on mine. So, if he doesn’t want to buy it, but doesn’t want to cancel, he may be trying to make me cancel instead. All you’d have to do is wait however many days and you’d be able to report him for non-payment. I don’t know what ebay does in that case but ebay has a mechanism for dealing with auctions that aren’t paid for. ---
**Author:** ![Ziberian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/919ad9/32.png) [@Ziberian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ziberian)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/16 "2020-08-10T11:20:13Z")
There’s a reddit sub /r/flipping for people who sell on ebay where you can find lots of information about how this might be a scam. Scams for these products are many and varied. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/17 "2020-08-10T14:24:30Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Just provide him with info. why not? He agreed to purchase the item by being high bidder at the close of the auction. He can get the info he wants first hand once it arrives. ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/18 "2020-08-10T18:41:32Z")
The buyer added a note after he paid: “Clean it and package it well and include everything you said you’d include.” What a charmer. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/19 "2020-08-10T18:46:58Z")
Too bad that cleaning it now would alter its appearance from the photos in the ad. So sorry! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646/20 "2020-08-10T21:36:12Z")
I wasn’t suspicious before, but at this point, I’d take pictures of all this just to be safe. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ebay-buyer-asking-questions-after-he-won-the-bid/917646.md?page=2)