Raymarine equipment Ebay fraud

Gludy

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Just a warning - someone on Ebay is advertising the RL70C in a productivity pack for real great prices ..... they ask you to pay using the Ebay authorised system that guarantees you get the goods and they get the money ... you even get a nice authorisation from Ebay .... but its a fraud.

I posted this just to warn anyone being tempted.
 

jimboaw

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NEVER buy from ANYBODY on Ebay without checking "feedback" over a year or so and also check to see if the vendor had a previous identity. Anything less than 99% positive with upwards of 100 satisfied customers should be treated with caution. Makes it harder for the the private seller (ie. you and me) using Ebay for what I think was it's original purpose. Having said that, I still manage to get great deals on stuff I want and would never even consider shopping elswhere! Spent appx $2000. in the past month and my saving was better than 50% of RRP. Hood 808 roller furling with 2 extra extrusions for $1450. RayMarine fluxgate $102. Raymarine 215 vhf. $200. I REST MY CASE. All items new.
 

BrendanS

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Any tips for a new ebay seller?, will they buy from a new seller without history. Do you put an item on with a reserve, or without reserve and take a gamble that it will sell for sensible price, and what do you ask for Paypal payment or cleared cheque (noticed you are US, I'll only post on ebay.co.uk and ship uk) Item, marine, probably worth £400 new, and it's a prize win, unused and boxed
 

jimboaw

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Depends what it is. If it's somthing that is just taking up space in a locker , get shot of it. It's always hard to take a loss on things you may have bought in error but the longer you delay correcting the error the more you're going to lose. Clean House. No reserve auctions tend to be a little heartstopping ' cos the 'stealers" are out there looking for bargains to re-sell.Register, list and good luck.
 

BrendanS

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Forward looking sonar. Not something I want to give away, or is even taking up space. I'd rather keep it than sell for a song. Like I said, won it as a prize - from here, but don't want to sell it cheap. So can easily not sell at all if it won't make a good price. Put a reserve on it rather than possibly sell cheap?
 

jimboaw

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Don't cut your nose off to spite your face. Ok, you won something you have no desire to own so what's it worth? By all means place a reserve on it. Would suggest appx.50% MSRP. Costs slightly more to list with a reserve but still cheap. Hang on to it because it aint taking up space and before you can blink it will be obsolete and worthless
 

bedouin

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In many cases items on ebay seem to go for well above market rate - so you stand a good chance of getting a very good price. However some items just don't attract sellers so either a lowest starting bid or a reserve is a good idea.

I think I would recommend using a minimum bid rather than a reserve. One of the problems with ebay is that if you are the only buyer for an item with a reserve there is no way you can put in a successful bid!

NB this advice from the perspective of a buyer - I've never sold via ebay
 

Steve Clayton

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[ QUOTE ]
One of the problems with ebay is that if you are the only buyer for an item with a reserve there is no way you can put in a successful bid!

[/ QUOTE ]

In which case once the auction has ended it is perfectly acceptable for the seller to accept the bid/price made by the sole bidder.

Another option is for the seller to relist at a lower reserve or no reserve at all
 

Steve Clayton

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[ QUOTE ]
they ask you to pay using the Ebay authorised system that guarantees you get the goods and they get the money ... you even get a nice authorisation from Ebay .... but its a fraud.

[/ QUOTE ]

Paypal operate a buyer protection service up to £500. If you are really suspicious of a seller and you really want what they are selling then you can use the ESCROW service for higher priced goods. No goods delivered and you get your money back and you can then report the "blagger" and get them suspended as a seller. If case proved against them then they get banned
 

pvb

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New seller tips...

I've been using eBay (buying and selling) for about 18 months. Here are a few thoughts for new sellers.

Always research what sort of prices similar items are achieving (do an advanced search and check the "Completed items" box). Read the descriptions people have used, sometimes they highlight features/concerns which you wouldn't have considered. Note the category headings that people have listed in, then use the main one for your listing. I've never found it worth listing in a second category.

Take at least one photo, and spend a bit of time making it look as good as you can. Don't just snap something lying on a table, use a coloured background (I use an old roller blind). If your item is still with its original box, show the box, and show all the bits which go with it.

For the auction title, try to include as many keywords as possible so that people searching are likely to see your listing. Don't use all capitals for the title - it doesn't look good.

Write a friendly-sounding description, and include a reason for selling. If the item has any faults, say so. Don't just copy and paste the full spec from the maker's website, people don't read it (but by all means include a link to the maker's website). Don't list lots of rules about not accepting bids from people with no feedback. As a new seller, consider offering personal collection from your home - it helps to demonstrate that you're genuine, although you're unlikely to be asked for it as very few people can be bothered to travel to collect something.

Choose a starting price carefully. Don't use a reserve - it's absolutely meaningless to anyone who wants to bid, and will just put people off. Remember that, if your item looks like it isn't going to sell for what you consider to be a sensible price, you can cancel the auction (see eBay Help, A-Z index, on "Ending your listing early"). Don't worry about the "Buy it now" option - it's only available to sellers with certain feedback levels and it disappears as soon as anyone puts a bid in anyway.

Unusual items sometimes benefit from a longer auction period. And if you choose a 10-day auction, start it on a Thursday evening so that it includes 2 weekends (which is when a lot of people look at eBay). Time the listing so that it finishes at a sensible time (eg 9.00pm) because many keen eBayers only bid in the last minute or two.

Use a gallery picture, it's well worth 15p! Use a designer theme, it's only 7p and it will make your listing look much more professional. Investigate the choice of themes available, and try to choose one which complements the background colour of your photograph. Try out different layouts (I think having the photo on the left or right of the text makes the listing work best).

Offer as many payment methods as you can (but make sure you let cheques clear before parting with goods).

Offer fast delivery - buyers want the stuff in their hands ASAP, and seem to be prepared to pay higher shipping charges! I use Royal Mail Next Day Special Delivery for higher-priced items, and it's quite cost-effective. State that you'll only ship to mainland UK - overseas shipping can be difficult and costly. (Also, in the Buyer Requirements section you can block bidders who are registered in other countries).

Then monitor the listing, in case potential bidders post questions. Answer these promptly and helpfully. When the item sells, use email to keep in touch with the buyer - thank them for payment, tell them when you're going to despatch, tell them when you have despatched.

Hope this helps.
 

jfm

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I think you're right paul. Someone has been advertising "value packs" of Raymarine gear for a while but seems to be a fraudster. Was exposed on a thread here a month or so ago when he gave KevB his UK address and it turned out to be an office I know well and he definitely doesn't live there. Ebay pulled his auction but he just seems to reregister over and over again. Claims to be UK but the ad looks american

However, many of the cheap Raymarine items are definitely genuine
 

aitchw

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Re: New seller tips...

You won't go far wrong if you follow pvb's advice. Excellent. I have been buying and selling on eBay for several years now, both personally and as a business and the horror stories you hear are the exception not the rule.

Be courteous, friendly and careful, keep in touch with your customers and you shouldn't have too many problems.
 

Steve Clayton

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Re: New seller tips...

[ QUOTE ]
- thank them for payment, tell them when you're going to despatch, tell them when you have despatched.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent advice:

finish with.... and ask them to confirm receipt, and then complete feedback.

My e-bay handle (and it's true!!) the_dayskipper
 

BlueChip

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[ QUOTE ]
Just a warning - someone on Ebay is advertising the RL70C in a productivity pack for real great prices ..... they ask you to pay using the Ebay authorised system that guarantees you get the goods and they get the money ... you even get a nice authorisation from Ebay .... but its a fraud.

I posted this just to warn anyone being tempted.

[/ QUOTE ]

Would be more helpful if you posted the item number so we can all see who the seller is
 

BlueSkyNick

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There doesn't seem to be any there right now, Blue Chip.

Part of the problem is that the same or similar kit keeps reappearing but it is a different sellers name each time.

I have bid once, and exchanged e-mails on another, but e-bay always seem to pull the auction before it completes. The seller has got wise to this and sets up the auction for only 3 days, sometimes.

Its all a bit vague, hence it is important to follow the advice given above.
 

aitchw

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I have just done quick (not exhaustive) search on both UK and US eBay and found nothing that matches the description.

It really would be helpful if posts like this could be a bit more specific (item number, seller ID etc) because all it does otherwise is raise doubts for potential buyers and hinders honest sellers, some of whom may well be forumites.

It sounds to me as if it is a 'heard from a friend of a friend but don't know for sure' bit of gossip.

If I'm wrong, my apologies
 

pvb

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But there are some genuine Raymarine offers...

You're right, lots of recent Raymarine offers on eBay have been apparent scams - especially new kit like C120 displays. The old advice applies; if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

But there are some genuine Raymarine offers on eBay. An E80 display and an E120 display were recently sold by an occasional eBay seller who is actually a reputable marine electronics retailer in Gosport. Interestingly, the prices were very close to retail - the E80 went for £1550 plus shipping, only about £100 less than advertised retail offers.
 
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