To think this at the very least morally wrong if not legally?

[BadabingBadaboom]

Long story short there was a discussion between myself and another Mum at the park recently. She was basically asking about a few of us getting together for dinner (she's not a friend really but we share friends). I mentioned money was a bit tight until payday.

She then told me that when money's a bit tight she sells fictitious items on eBay on a one day sale but with an extended delivery date. Once it's sold she used the funds and then a week or two (payday basically) she refunds the money.

She's basically using it as an interest free payday loan at someone else's expense. I may have pretty much said that and she wasn't particularly happy that I thought this to be entirely immoral at then least.

AIBU to have been parading my judgy pants that day?

I'm shocked that she is so brazen as to tell you about this. Has she no shame! Outrageous behaviour!

eBay won't do anything - unless they go round to her house to find she has stuff listed she doesn't own - and that ain't going to happen.

I don't agree with what she is doing, but shouting police and fraud is massively OTT surely.

My neighbour is a scammer and brazen too.
She buys something from say Lidl ( branded goods) finds it somewhere else at the higher price and purchases that too. Then she takes both items back to the dearer store, for a refund or credit note.
Does this on a regular basis. Never heard of it before.
She spends hours looking at price comparison sites and trawling round "bargain" shops.
She reckons " everyone" does it.

It seems like a grey area of no harm, no foul. Buyer isn't out of money and neither is she. But it is dishonest.

She must be making legit sales on ebay or not doing this as often as she implied, because her account would be suspended if every single purchase was refunded.

She buys something from say Lidl ( branded goods) finds it somewhere else at the higher price and purchases that too. Then she takes both items back to the dearer store, for a refund or credit note.

I'm actually shocked she gets away with this. Most store require a receipt, or they have your card on file so they can check your previous purchases.

I'm shocked, obviously she has one valid receipt but must have packaging or whatever to " prove" she has purchased the other item. I think she returns items separately and gets a credit note or whatever for the non receipt item.
She get's away with murder, I'm amazed she hasn't been found out yet.
Her latest scam appears to be ironing boards as she seems to be loading them in her car most days with week.

That's disgusting. I am not well off and I use eBay to get things slightly cheaper than on the high street/second hand. If someone did that to me and left me out of pocket until they got round to refunding me, it could mean my DC is going without something he really needs and that I can't afford to just buy elsewhere (shoes or clothes that fit for example) while she fannies around with my money. What an absolute c**t.

It's fraud by false representation and satisfies the full definition of the offence. The definition does not require the "gain" to be permanent and covers temporary loss or gain

A person is in breach of this section if he -
(a) dishonestly makes a false representation, and
(b) intends, by making the representation -
(i) to make a gain for himself or another, or
(ii) to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss

As an investigator I would consider this to be multiple offences of fraud

although thinking about it the avoidance of overdraft fees could be a permanent gain.

To those who think it's OK, what about when she doesn't have the money to refund the buyers ? Dishonestly is a slippery slope

There are so many low level scammers on ebay I don’t know why many people bother to use it anymore. Buyers aswell as sellers.

Interesting thread - I once bought something on ebay and was told by the seller that it would be 2 weeks for delivery. Then ultimately she refunded me and sent me an email saying to please leave her positive feedback! I refused and said that it would be dishonest to leave positive feedback and she said that I had no reason not to because she hadn't done anything wrong!!! I said that taking money from someone for something she didn't have was dishonest and very wrong! It never occurred to me that this might be the motivation for it. I feel enlightened!!!!

Definitely harmful.

Lots of purchases are time-sensitive - that course book mentioned above, clothes for a particular occasion, birthday presents.

Plus the risk of not repaying, as PP said.

Oh yeah, and now you know she's a liar who'll mess you around for her own gain while acting like she's done you a favour.

That's nasty, plus if you completely forget and your children go on holiday and your brain stops working don't send something people raise a dispute and they take the finds back out of your paypal account.

If she doesn't have the money to refund a buyer will open a case, eBay will refund her then her Paypal account will be in the red - and they will pursue her for the debt. And they don't use friendly debt collectors apparently.

I'm surprised PayPal haven't clocked this. She has 100% refund rate?? She must be paying the eBay listing and sale fees though.

thats very erm creative

What I find strange is that she is simultaneously devious enough to do it and dumb enough to brag about it

I do know from other conversations that she uses eBay properly also. We all spoke about eBay vs gumtree for the larger items a few months ago so I'm guessing for every 3 or 4 legit sales a month maybe more maybe less there is one of these scam adverts.

It's because of people like her that honest sellers are getting slaughtered by all of Ebay's new rules to stop scamming sellers. So because of the selfish, entitled minority, the hard working, just trying to make ends meet, sellers are being harshly punished.

And we have to cope with all the scamming buyers who claim items have not arrived when the bloody well have At least Royal Mail and Action Fraud are doing something about the fraudster buyers

It is part of the user agreement that you send items with online proof of delivery - relying on the honesty of buyers who can easily claim not received is never recommended is it.

God I've sent quite a few inexpensive items without proof and thankfully never had a problem but I don't think I'll be doing that again.

That reminds me she also said something about over estimating the postage price to bump up her take away money by anything up the £5

Made me so mad.fucking scammer. Iv been scammed and had to fight to get my money back. Also had my account reported just for doing so.
It's completely dishonest and immoral and i really hope she gets caught out.

That's awful!

I can't believe she talking about it like its normal!

It's definitely fraud.

She is an idiot to be bleating about it, that's for sure.

Noone ever got convicted of, say, benefit fraud by keeping their mouth shut.

I hope she gets her comeuppance!

Wow - I think this happened to me on Amazon Third Party. They had my money for several months in total.