Suspicious auctions alert

[Jason DuMars]

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=yatesuk &include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=50

the seller is in Malaysia, but also the UK? Very, very suspicious. Does anyone recognize the photos?

[pknight]

Hello, Jason.

All I get from this link is an empty "Items for sale" page.

[Gandalfe]

Yeah, I think the seller pulled the ad.

[lawrence bland]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2560734910&category=10 184&rd=1
this is the third variation of this ad - beware [/url]

[paullanfermeijer]

Hi,

this is the same baritone which was posted as an alert here in another thread some days/weeks ago.
I recognize it by the pictures and by the fact that the guy is again referring to/ mentioning Glenn Wilson.
In that earlier auction the sax was located in Germany and I mailed the guy that I could pick up the sax in Germany (I live in the Netherlands) and would pay cash!
Never got an answer and the auction was not available anymore a few days later!

Now there's a bidder that cannot be warned!

paul

[stitch]

You'd have thought the difference in writing style between the description and the payment instructions would have been enough to make any potential bidder suspicious.


Now there's a bidder that cannot be warned!

paul

Does that mean you tried to warn him/her and were ignored?

[rlowenote]

I think a private auction means there is no way to contact or even see who a bidder is. Let me know if there is a way to determine the bidder's id before the auction ends.

After the auction ends, I think you might be able to match auction #'s by way of feedback listings, but it would seem to take a lot of time.

[stitch]

I think a private auction means there is no way to contact or even see who a bidder is.

You're right, of course; I didn't notice ID was private.

[goodsax]

Hiding bidders' IDs would be another alarm bell sounder for me, especially combined with the other clues.
8)

[john]

This one aroused my suspicions. I asked the seller for info and more pictures. Thoughts? It's a great deal if real.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2564097752&category=16 233


john

[saxmanglen]

Where is France, United States?

His last purchase on eBay were for tickets to a concert to be held in the Baltimore area. So where does this character live?

[pknight]

Also, there are no photos of the acutal instrument, just catalog pics with virtually no detail (although what difference does it make with catalog pics!).

[deblcooper]

Here's my email to him and his reply......unedited!
////
Hello,

How old is this bari? If you don't know the age, can you get the serial number off the back and send it to me?

Does it have any scratches or dents? Do you have any way to send me an original picture?
------------------------

Sir, i don`t have a original picture with the saxofon but is a bariton sax model lick in the auction,
This bariton is a gift from my frends and i don`t now to play to a sax , and that i sell it ,

it was use 1 mounth ...is in very god shape ..

Regards

[paullanfermeijer]

Same experience :this is the answer on my question if he had actual pictures of the bari:

From: strict busines <beatle@akkadian.com>
Subject: Re: Question for seller -- Item #2564097752
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 07:08:21 -0700 (PDT)
To: p.lanfermeyer@hccnet.nl
Reply to: beatle@akkadian.com

No i don`t have but is in very god condition , it was not user very long, i have
recive the baritone to my birthday party and now i want to sell it because i
don`t now to play on a saxofon , it was use 1 mounth ..


regards

--- p.lanfermeyer@hccnet.nl wrote:
Hi Rocky,

Do you have actual pictures of the baritone??

Greetings,
paul

NB: he used his own email-adress???

Paul

[deblcooper]

It may or may not be his email address.

I got caught in a scam last August. It turned out the eBay account had been hacked into. When I didn't receive the item after paying, I asked for the account info..... it was different then who I had been corresponding with!

If this guy won't take the initiative to pull the horn out of the box to give me a serial number..... :roll:

[Dave Dolson]

I have not re-visited the eBay page, but from memory, I recall it was a Yanagisawa or Yamaha low-A baritone with no mention of that fact in the auction's text. If that is accurate, did those companies even make a low-A bari? DAVE

[paullanfermeijer]

Dave,

It seems to me that he has "copied' a text from a folder: that kind of English isn't used by him in the emails!

I looked around at Ebay and found that his former Ebay-ID was...

User ID History for rocky.....raccoon
User ID History Effective Date End Date
*** @zoominternet.net Monday, Jan 10, 2000 Wednesday, Oct 08, 2003
rocky.....raccoon Wednesday, Oct 08, 2003 Present

My guess is that there is someone with a zoominternet.net account who cannot use his ID at Ebay anymore!! That's the person who bought the tickets in the last auction he did!

Paul

[morgan]

did you write to the old email address to say "are you the same as the person selling the bari sax"

?

Has anybody reported this to safeHarbor?

[morgan]

oh I see the old email address is blocked from our view

[paullanfermeijer]

Morgan,

Yes,that's a pitty.
I have no idea how I can get further with this!
Besides.....I must admit that I'm guessing: but I'm not 100% sure about this guy!
His "akkadian.com" email adress is a sort of free email-adress like Hotmail.
Don't know if the "facts" are enough to report it to Safeharbor (and I don't know what that is!)

Greetings from Holland,
paul

[larry]

Also not quite sure about the "Packed Weight" of 12.5 pounds. :?
Could make quite a difference in shipping costs from FRANCE, United States. :|

[morgan]

Safeharbor is eBay's in-house detective agency.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact/report_listing.html

[morgan]

... I'm guessing: but I'm not 100% sure about this guy!...

How many illiterate non-sax players get a professional bari sax for their birthday, and immediately dump it on eBay (after first changing their userID)?

[Billy The Fish]

It's been pulled. And with good justification. There was definitely enough evidence there to spot that as a scam with a stolen ebay account.

Billy The Fish

[deblcooper]

I just received another email from this guy.......

..........................
Hello sir, someone stil my ebay user and i e-mail the ebay service to
stop the auction for the clients security, if you want to do this deal
by e-mail contact me ,

regards

[Ytrac Productions]

Wow, this is the email I got when I ask about pics:

i don`t have sir , but the sax is brand new and it is come with all the accessories :
Flute Headjoints

Saxophone Necks
Bassoon Bocals
Maintenance Materials
Recorder Grease & Cream

it wash never user ,
regards

I guessed then this was a set up, so I decided to play along..I ask him if we could escrow the funds until the horn arrived. His response:

I accept the price but don`t user escrow

regards
--- Ytrac@aol.com wrote:
I can offer $1500 inc shipping. Can we use escrow?

Well, I ask about paypal, he responded:

We cand close this deal in this way , after you will give me your full name and address, i will go to ups and put the packege, after the ups send you the confirmation for reciving the packege and send it to you, you will go to Western union and put me the money.
The paymant must be done in the seim day with the confirmation for the package.

I do in this way because i need 1500 usd fast . and the western union is the fast way to sent me the money .

regards
--- Ytrac@aol.com wrote:
Do you accept paypal?

So I sent him my address, and he emailed me with this:

Hello sir, someone stil my ebay user and i e-mail the ebay service to
stop the auction for the clients security, if you want to do this deal
by e-mail contact me ,

regards

So I played along again..and this was the coup de grace:

ok sir in the morning i will go and deposit the package to ups , after you will recive the confirmation you must go and deposit the money to my name on western union . Here is my name and address :

Silvano Montela
Brooklyn, NY 11229 USA

Now all of a sudden he is in NYC, not in France.

Now, if he is in France, why does he have a name and address in NY? Answer? Because he is scamming. Well, lets see if he does send a package. NO money goes out. If he wastes money sending box of rocks, then we can finally say "the scammer got scammed".

Bottom line, if they cant produce a pic of the horn, and cannot tell you a seriel number, and the price is 1/2 of dealer cost new, its probably too good to be true.

[Ytrac Productions]

His latest one..which blows his cover completely..I ask why his address is in NY. His response

Subj: Re: Question for seller -- Item #2564097752
Date: 10/10/03 8:35:37 PM US Eastern Standard Time
From: beatle@akkadian.com
To: Ytrac@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)



it was a litle mastake :) forgive me , the product is in usa


--- Ytrac@aol.com wrote:
Full Name

Ytrac Productions
3941 Doral Circle
Doraville Ga 30360

Question, you are in France, according to the ad. But the Western Union Name
you gave me is New York, USA.

I need your full name and address to send the money to.

[Ytrac Productions]

Ask him to call me...here is the classic response...

Subj: Re: Question for seller -- Item #2564097752
Date: 10/10/03 8:06:05 PM US Eastern Standard Time
From: beatle@akkadian.com
To: Ytrac@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)



I will call you tomorow, now i have to go ok


--- Ytrac@aol.com wrote:
Silvano, are you in the US? Can you call me? 404-992-5780

Think I will ever hear from him again?

[paullanfermeijer]

Ytrac,

I hope he will not bother you with high bids for your auctions which he will not pay !
NB: I've got the same mail from him after closing his auction.

Greetings,
Paul

[deblcooper]

Here's something peculiar.... same photo? cropped in the first auction?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2564054984&category=16 203

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2563192422&category=16 203

[Ytrac Productions]

Deb, did you notice the almost identical descriptions as well?

[Ytrac Productions]

Paul, thanks for the warning. I have blocked him from bidding on my auctions.

[deblcooper]

Yes, I did!

I emailed Musicians Heaven and asked if he was aware of the other auction's photo.

I also emailed the other asking for a serial number.

Didn't L.A. Sax quit making 110s?

deb

[deblcooper]

Received the following reply....from Musicians Heaven...


Thanks for pointing this out.. They are using my picture and text.. Hope they have the horn..

[Stacey]

Wow, this is the email I got when I ask about pics:

i don`t have sir , but the sax is brand new and it is come with all the accessories :
Flute Headjoints
Saxophone Necks
Bassoon Bocals
Maintenance Materials
Recorder Grease & Cream

it wash never user ,
regards

Wow - Now I think I understand what's been missing from my sax playing for the last 25 years! I haven't been using any flute headjoints, bassoon bocals, or recorder grease and cream!!!

Now, I'm not a total fool. Obviously the recorder grease and cream must go one the neck cork on my sax. But what about the bocal and the headjoints? Do I just drop those down into the bell?

:wink: