The compliment came up when we were talking about our business and some of the things we’ve sold recently. I realized that since we opened in 2005, we’ve learned quite a lot about stuff you’d never think about until you need it.

Until starting this business, I would have never been able to:

• Spot a fake Coach purse
• Disassemble a WII Japanese sword to find out if it’s signed by it’s maker and then reassemble it perfectly
• Understand the date codes on a Coleman lantern
• Know what makes one beer sign valuable and another junk
• Know how to safely prep and ship something by freight carrier
• Find the model number, date, and city and state of manufacture for a vintage Singer sewing machine
• Identify the bolt pattern, offset, and backspace for a car rim

Even more valuable, that experience has taught us to understand the most important things buyers are looking for in a listing to get them interested in a listing. That experience is what makes the difference and helps us realize top dollar for you in this marketplace.

Got something to sell and want to make sure it’s sold the right way? Bring it in and we’ll make it happen for you.

I have no hard evidence that would track the bids that came in as a result of those videos, but we have received many comments from bidders saying that the reason they bid on our item was because we took the time to show them not only how it worked, but more importantly that it actually did work. As an eBay seller, we’re dealing with many items, often used products, and when we can show you live evidence that the item does what it’s supposed to do, people have more confidence and place more bids. I know the videos make a difference and the comments we’ve received have proven it.

When you’re selling something through us, our goal is to do everything possible to help your product get the greatest exposure. We’re glad that we have this tool available to help us make that difference for you! (By the way, in the five minutes that I’ve been writing this post we’ve received two more views!)

Here’s an example of a video that received nearly two hundred views during the auction and ended up exceeding the market average. Thanks again for letting us help you!

Man, I just went thru this ordeal. I thought the offer to buy a good car with low mileages was too good to be true. Then I got the emails from “ebay”, I thought it was all ligit. But then I decieded to check Kelly Blue Book for normal average prices on the type of vehicle I was trying to buy, and red flags went up immidiately. Why would someone desperately wanna sell me a vehicle for so low, and loose thousands of dollars…thanks to this blog, I appreciate everyone’s comments and insights, and on the author or creater of this page!!

Unfortunatley, some are like this one:

This actually happened to me, so as a reault I lost $3000.00 outta the deal. I live with my cousin and her husband, and we were looking for a used car for me. A friend of her told us he saw a 2004 Dodge Neon on craigslist that was selling for $2800.00. Well, we looked into it, but apparently not good enough. He had pics of it up and everything. Seemed to be legit. I guess we shouldn’t have been so eager to jump on a deal.

Someone came into our store this week upset, thinking we were eBay, and asking why we hadn’t sent them their car. I asked her about the transaction. She pulled out her MoneyGram receipt and fake eBay e-mail and I asked her to have a seat. I had to tell her that she’d lost $2500 and would never see it our the car again.

Many of the comments are placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the scammer. Don’t get me wrong, this is a nasty thing that these scam artists are doing. There’s nothing excusable about it and it needs to stop. I feel bad for the people who are drawn in to the trap.

On the other hand, some of the blame for the loss lies with the victim. There’s greed on both sides here. The scammer is preying on an easy victim. The victim, not yet realizing that they’re a victim, thinks they’re preying on someone selling a car well below market value.

If you receive an offer for anything and it’s too good to be true, do your research. It doesn’t matter how many times you say it, if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t. The majority of the comments we’ve received have been from people who are doing their research, finding our site or another site warning them of the scam, and realizing the scam before it’s too late.

Every one of these fake offers from the scammer is set up the same way. The price is always way too good to be true. The seller’s story is always the same. When they send the fake eBay e-mail, they are almost always littered with spelling errors. All of them come from an e-mail address that is NOT eBay.com, but usually some variation.

Please, please, please. To those who have taken responsibility and done their research, thank you! To everyone, pay it forward by sending someone you know to our our blog post, The Craigslist/eBay Car Scam. Help stop this scam and the victims from losing thousands of dollars.

One last comment…just think about this. Imagine if the scammers put all that creative energy into doing something productive to make the world a better place.

The answer to the question is a definite YES. If you need proof check out eBay’s interactive Black Friday map. It’s very cool and shows you what happened across the US on Black Friday.

Buyers are buying and they’re paying good prices for quality items. This holds true not only for the necessities, but for “hobby” or luxury items as well. If you’ve been thinking about selling something but were sitting on the sidelines because you were worried if the buyers were there, don’t wait. Here are a few examples of the things we’re selling right now.

Bring it in. We’ll look forward to seeing you soon!

First, a “spoof”, or “phishing” e-mail is an e-mail that appears to come from a reputable source but is really coming from a scam artist. They usually look pretty realistic, but there’s always a few sloppy things that tip you off to the fake.

We received this one this week and I’ve outlined the tip-offs in red (click the image to enlarge it). First, eBay NEVER uses a hyphen. It’s always a lowercase ‘e’ and upercase ‘B’. They’ve trademarked the style and anything that looks different is a fake. This message also states at the top that your user name is included to prove that it is coming from eBay. However, as you can see there is no username included. Thanks for the clue, scammer!

Scrolling to the bottom, there are a few more things to point out (click the image to enlarge it). The scammer conveniently gives you a link which is supposed to take you to this item that they’re asking you about. Of course, if you hover your cursor over this link and look at the bar at the bottom of your brower, you’ll see a completely different link with a domain most likely housed in an Eastern Eurpoean country. When you go to that fake link, it will present you with a eBay look-a-like screen that asks you to sign in to your account to see this item. Here’s another tip, you don’t have to sign in to your eBay account to view an eBay listing).

Below that you’ll see that this fake buyer has a 100100% positive feedback score. Not bad, I wish mine was that high. Last, notice that every other date on this message is formatted in the started US format of MM/DD/YYYY. However, this person has been a member since 26-May-2006. Completely different formatting.

Often the text of these e-mails will try to scare you by yelling at you because they haven’t received their item and they will report to you and have your account closed. This one was nicer, trying to kill us with kindness instead od scaring us. Look for the warning signs before jumping into action to save your account status. If you receive a suspicious e-mail, forward it to eBay at spoof@ebay.com so their Trust & Safety department can go after the scammer.

Have you received a scam that has other tip-offs? If so, leave a comment about it below so you can help others steer clear of the scammers.

The Tri-County Business Referral Group is sponsoring a free seminar titled “Healthy Body, Full Pockets” where you’ll learn tips that you can put into action right away to improve your success. The seminar is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, at 7PM at the Bolingbrook Recreation and Aquatic Center (200 S. Lindsey Lane).

It’s free, it’s sure to be entertaining, and you’re sure to learn a few great ideas.

I hope to see you there!

Through our association with the Romeoville Area Chamber of Commerce, my family spent this past Sunday at Toyota Park in Bridgeview as a guest of the Chicago Red Stars. They’re a new women’s professional soccer team right here in Chicago. What a great game, a fantastic atmosphere, and all-around fun time. I can’t say enough about the hospitality we experienced at Toyota Park. The excitement from the 5000+ fans was electric. The athletes were impressive and played with skill and heart.

Even if you’re not a soccer player, and our kids aren’t, you’ll get into the game. Unlike some other pro sports that get all the press, and all the money, soccer is fast. The action never stops and the clock is always running. Rather than watching a player beat the daylights out of the Gatorade machine, you’ll see athletes competing hard and playing a game they love. You’ll see athletes competing truly for the love of the game and to better themselves, rather than for the almighty dollar. No prima donnas. No training camp holdouts. Just athletes and true dedicated fans.

Best of all, the kids see the possibilities before them. In this case, especially girls. Let’s face it, there aren’t that many women’s pro opportunities around. We’re fortunate in Chicago to have the Red Stars soccer, Bandits softball, and Chicago Sky. Womens pro teams give girls more opportunities to see positive role models, just like themselves, excelling in the sports they love. What’s better than seeing the excitement in your children’s eyes? Nothing.

Get out there and support the Chicago Red Stars and other women’s pro sports! Your daughters could be there someday too, but these teams need your help to make it happen!

We received a call the other day from someone who was almost a victim of the scam. The reason he called us was because the scammer’s e-mail asking him to send $2900 through MoneyGram listed the scammer’s “name” and OUR ADDRESS!

He called and asked for the name the scammer provided. After letting him know there was nobody at our store by that name, we talked and I learned that he was trying to verify the legitimacy of the e-mail and Googled our address. Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to make a phone call before sending the cash. (By the way, he said he also saw our post on Google!)

Using our address!?! That’s too personal for me. Here are a few things I did and you should do too if you’re solicited for this type of scam.

First, I forwarded the e-mail to eBay’s Trust and Safety department at spoof@ebay.com. This group follows up on these problems and works to shut them down.

I then called the FTC at (877) 382-4357. They opened a case as well. You can also reach the FTC on the web.

Incidentally, I also called MoneyGram to let them know that someone was using our address and a fake name to receive payment. MoneyGram couldn’t have cared less. I guess that’s what you get from a facilitator of the problem.

It’s too bad that the scammers have to put all that creative energy to something so destructive to our society. Just imagine what they could do if they put all that brain power to work on something productive.

Come out and meet over 40 local businesses and community groups and learn what each has to offer. In addiiton to the booths, there’s entertainment for the whole family, sponsored by Party Hoppers, the Romeoville Police, Fire Department, and more. You’ll also find demos from several youth and adult dance and performance groups throughout the afteroon. WJOL AM 1340 radio will also be doing a live broadcast.

Come out and join the fun!

We’ve had several people come to our store or call us lately asking about a car they’re buying online. They’ve found the car on the popular classifieds website, Craigslist. The ad usually offers a very good deal on a car and looks very legitimate. The seller appears to be looking out for your best interest, because they tell you that they would like to insure the transaction through eBay, for both your protection and theirs.

You then receive an e-mail which appears to be coming from eBay’s Transaction Services division (which doesn’t exist), and it even has a Transaction Service ID number for you to reference. The e-mail tells how you will be protected and provides payment instructions using Western Union, or some similar money transfer service. You send the money and waits for the next instruction regarding delivery of their car. That’s where the happy story ends.

Your money is gone. You’ll never see the car. You’ll never be able to reach the “seller” again.

Here are the keys to this transaction:

* eBay and Craigslist are competitors. In fact, they’re suing eachother right now. eBay does not assist with any transactions that are not being peformed on eBay, and especially not with a competitor. GM doesn’t warranty Toyota cars. eBay doesn’t guarantee Craigslist transactions either.

* Any time someone wants you to pay through Western Union or some other money transfer service, that’s a huge red flag. Those services are the next best thing to sending cash through the mail. They’re great if you are sending money to someone you already know and trust, a family member for example. However, they’re immediate and non-cancellable. Once you’ve sent the money, you can’t get it back and the thief knows that too. The thief is using a fake name too, so when they pick up their money (and it is theirs now), it’s gone forever. Do not pay using a money transfer service!

Thankfully, these potential victims have come to us first and asked about this transaction. We’ve been able to stop them before they made the mistake and helped them report these fraudsters. One potential vicitm was very adamant, claiming that this couldn’t be a fake because the person was so nice and polite. We finally convinced her not to send her hard-earned $3000.

If you’ve been approached by someone online and this scenario sounds familiar, run far and run fast from this deal!

Photo credit: Marco Adams