» Conned

eBay + Banned WoW account = Profit
Anyone who's familiar with eBay even a little probably realises by now that despite all their big fancy security claims and safety nets, unless you're pulling off repeated, major cons then chances are they won't even bother to enact them.

Anyway more on that later - My World of Warcraft account was banned for what were some pretty lame reasons so I decided to at least get some compensation from the situation.

Blizzard has always frowned on WoW accounts being sold, but back in the day you could still list them on eBay provided in the small print you stated the auction was for the time spend playing the game and gaining items/levels, and not for the actual characters/items themselves, which always remain property of Blizzard Inc.

Basically, I listed the banned account on eBay half what it would otherwise fetch ($800) in the hope of some quick excited twat snapping it up without looking too hard at the fine print, which stated the usual but also specifically that the auction was for the time put into playing the account, and not it's items, level or account status
Lucky me, Mr. Twat did come along only a half hour after the auction was listed, not wanting to let such a bargain slip away.

A few hours after payment was made I had one VERY pissed off buyer in my hands... But since I was going on holidays it didn't bother me. I get back a week later to find over 40 emails ranging from polite begging to furious, poorly written legal threats.

The kicker was that my small print didn't even cover me from a legal standpoint technically, but since a) eBay doesn't care to get into disputes unless it's cut and dry, and b) I managed to convince him I'm legally in the right and he should take this as a life lesson, he never ended up pursuing it with either authority.

I was half considering selling the same account again, until eBay disabled all WoW listings recently.
(Mon 22nd Oct 2007, 1:52, More)

» Conned

A few more eBay tidbits...
Alright folks. I know you'll call me a cunt and all, but maybe this will help you avoid some scams in the future. After all, if I ripped any of you lovely people off I might just feel a little bad...

Paypal - It's fucking retarded. Deadset retarded. The system itself is infinitely useful but their 'security and investigations' are even more lax than eBay.
If there's a dispute, they'll do one of two things.
If the seller can provide proof of postage, they'll side with them. Doesn't matter what the nature of the dispute is, even if it's the item arrived broken or what not. If you can prove you sent it and just claim it was as described, you're in the clear. They leave item-description related disputes up to eBay.

Conversely if you CANNOT provide proof of postage, they side with the seller. No ifs, buts or maybes whatsoever.
More importantly, once they've chosen a side they'll either instruct eBay to remove any negative feedback the buyer has left, or Automatically reverse the transaction if siding with the buyer.

So, if you're a buyer and you've bought something quite nice and paid through paypal, SPECIFICALLY MAKE SURE you don't get registered/insured/tracked posted. Then a week or so after your good has arrived, send some nasty emails to the seller asking for a refund or proof of postage. When they refuse, chances are they don't have proof. File a dispute with Paypal, and when the seller can't prove they've sent anything voila money's back in your account.

Now, when you're a seller...
Send them an item. Not THE item. An item. Of approximate weight. Get the item registered, so you get a detailed reciept detailing weight, when it was sent, and when it arrived and was signed for.
Sure the buyer might file a dispute with paypal after you ignore their whinging emails, but when asked to provide proof you've got a very detailed reciept. Chump-buyer will claim you mailed them a brick or a dead rabbit or something sure, but Paypal does not want to know about it

Basically, if you're a buyer paying through paypal, demand registered post. It's a must or you're asking for trouble. Then, videotape yourself opening the parcel if it's something worth scamming someone for.

If you're a seller, just make registered postage a part of the deal. Even if you need to jack the price a little.
(Wed 24th Oct 2007, 14:29, More)

» Conned

More eBay fun
The beauty of eBay is that it gives you near-total anonymity, and the indicators of who you really are happen to be a great deal of effort to report and follow, which means even if you tell the Police, eBay or whoever chances are nobody's going to give enough of a shit to follow that thread through to an actual identity.

The key is not to make it easy for people. Make it as difficult and as complex as possible, put doubt in their mids if it's even worth following through. A simple 'sell a good and never send' it will get you banned and possibly prosecuted, but something like the following worked a treat -

Actual Story
Back when I was a lad of 17, I picked up a broken PS2 from a pawn shop for some pissant fee of $20 or so. I immediately went home and flogged it on eBay as an 'ex demo model' and fetched over 12x what I paid.
I found a buyer, and sent him the dodgy PS2. When he told me it refused to load discs, I claimed that it must've been damaged in transport and he should've gotten insurance (which he should have, ALWAYS GET IT or people like me will fuck you over without breaking a sweat). When he was unhappy with this answer, I explained that as I was a minor, under Australian law any contract I enter with an adult, THEY have to honour it whereas I do not.

Now at a cursory glance of the law this is true, you'd basically have to consult and pay a lawyer to get technical on why it's not the case, and that'd cost you.
I expect he thought this through and came to the same conclusion, he dropped it after a week and just took the loss.

Now see I was legally in the wrong, but it's about working the person on eBay. I created doubt as to who was in the right, and as to if it was worth pursuing.

I bought a second PS2 for my loungeroom with the money, off eBay ironically. It worked great.
(Mon 22nd Oct 2007, 14:12, More)