This just proves Ebay is being taken over by criminals

[Zeus]

First my fiancee buys a DVD that turns out to be a pirated copy, then this.

 

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/...Story/National/

 

This just proves to me that ebay has become a fraud magnet.

[Brad2600]

Long live Bidiots!

 

Ebay has pretty much gone down the shitter for quite a while.

[MacGurl]

We had people buying computers on stolen credit cards at work, mostly laptops and then turning around and selling them on eBay for 100% profit. This was a major problem about a year ago. Unfortunately for the buyers of the auctions, we eventually figured everything out and contacted them-they either had to pay us for the computer or send it back to us, otherwise they were in posession of stolen property.

[Inky]

We had people buying computers on stolen credit cards at work, mostly laptops and then turning around and selling them on eBay for 100% profit.  This was a major problem about a year ago.  Unfortunately for the buyers of the auctions, we eventually figured everything out and contacted them-they either had to pay us for the computer or send it back to us, otherwise they were in posession of stolen property.

 

Heh.. There was a story on local Chicago radio the other day where a person recieved a call from their credit card company, wondering about a car that was purchased in El Paso texas earlier in the day. They, of course, didn't buy any car, so they called the dealership where the car was purchased, and got the information of the person who bought the car. They called him and asked "Do you like your new car?"

 

15 minutes later, the guy brought the car back..

 

[MegaManFan]

We had people buying computers on stolen credit cards at work, mostly laptops and then turning around and selling them on eBay for 100% profit.  This was a major problem about a year ago.  Unfortunately for the buyers of the auctions, we eventually figured everything out and contacted them-they either had to pay us for the computer or send it back to us, otherwise they were in posession of stolen property.

 

So they ended up paying for the computer +twice+? I sympathize with your workplace, but it hardly seems fair to punish the unsuspecting buyer for the criminal acts of the eBay seller. Why not recoup the costs of the computers from him/her? Put a lien on his/her earnings until each and every computer bought to resell with a stolen card is paid off.

[MacGurl]

I completely agree with you, the buyers had no idea they were buying stolen merchandise. If I recall correctly, the sellers would only accept a wire transfer and the money was being transferred to Nigeria, except the sellers themselves believed they were hired to be the go-between for a company overseas and had no idea the merchandise was stolen either. It was a sticky situation. However, contacting the buyers we were able to get the account #'s and such as to where the money was sent and luckily it doesn't seem to be as big of a problem anymore.

[Artlover]

While I also agree that it may not seem fair to punish the buyers too, thats the way it works.

 

Law enforcement is the same. If you are in poession of stolen property, regardles if you knew it was stolen or not, it is taken and either held for evidence, returned to the proper owner, or sold at auction if unable to return.

 

It works along the same lines of "ignorance of the law is no excuse". Same thing here, not knowing something was stolen doesn't change the fact that the buyer doesn't have the right to that stolen merchandice. It is someone else's property. The buyers can file suit against the criminal seller for theft just like everyone else involved.

[deathtrappomegranate]

In fact, in some European countries, if you buy stolen property in good faith, you are the legitimate owner. I know people who have suffered as a result of this. And some who have gained...

[MegaManFan]

This provokes the obvious question then - when you buy used classic games at a pawn shop or game store, how do you KNOW for a fact that they aren't stolen? I know at least some places require an ID when you sell something to them (it's happened to me in the past) but even ID's can be faked, as Laura Bush well knows. As a game collector, can any of us be 100% certain nothing we bought wasn't sold under false pretenses, whether or eBay or in person?