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?

Apparently my distaste has been made known to the other women. One who happens to be a good friend popped round last night and thankfully agrees with me. According to her there are three women who do this in the group that we see. I'm pretty shocked at who it is thats partaking in this scam to be honest. I feel like I don't want to be around the women. It sits that badly with me what they are doing.

Yes, that's illegal.

Also, this is a lesson in understanding the need to scrupulously understand feedback, understand what ratings really mean, and be really circumspect in our purchases. Long delivery - ask why. Look at the history of the seller. Does the proposed transaction make sense? Someone with 98% positive feedback for a very large number of transactions is actually pretty crap - 2% of a huge amount = a very large number of screw-ups or dissatisfaction. Conversely, 1 minor issue among only ten or eleven otherwise great transactions may not necessarily represent a serious problem for a personal seller, and yet on the face of it that would be a terrible percentage. EBay can be incredibly useful. Just be careful - always.

If buyers left feedback such as "Item not received but seller refunded quickly" it would highlight these scammers.

As a seller I add a comment to feedback I have left of "Sorry your item never arrived. Refund given" as it highlights to other sellers that this buyer might be a lying, thieving scumbag scammer

Con artist

It's a stupid pointless con, effected by a lazy small minded person with no foresight, if she has the money to repay? the buyer in a couple of weeks why can't she just wait a couple of weeks to buy the thing.
Not exactly a master criminal is she?

So she sells stuff then says sorry ive decided not to sell and refunds money? Surely ebay must catch on if its a pattern, its wrong surely its fraud or something

?Her financial incompetence and inability to keep her gob shut are almost as bad as her dishonesty.
The woman sounds like a complete liability. ?

no - she pretends to dispatch it, and when days later it doesn't arrive she refunds the buyer.

Oh right still very wrong scamming people

Afaik fraud is gaining money by deception, but she doesn't actually gain anything, I don't understand why anyone would bother to do it, unless she gets some sort of buzz out of tricking people? ?

it is just a cheap way of borrowing money - is hardly ethical though, and surely much more hassle than it is worth.

I don't know how she can be bothered honestly.

I don't understand why anyone would bother to do it,

Cheaper than a payday loan?

Her latest scam appears to be ironing boards as she seems to be loading them in her car most days with week.

That seems a hell of a lot of effort to go to for a few quid. Something big like ironing boards will be noticed too I would think.

I don't get how that works, surely she only has the receipt for one item so why will the store refund her for two?

Never understood payday loans, if you'll have the money to repay in a week why not just wait a week til you have the money, surely people who use them are just deficient in the ability to defer gratification? ?

I think a lot of folk with payday loans are caught in a never ending cycle of debt - and they need to borrow to eat or pay rent. Some folk really are that skint halfway through the month. I don't think that is the case here though.

Payday loan to buy new TV = obviously bad idea.

Payday loan to eat, avoid electricity disconnection, travel to work after car blew up = expensive but rational decision.

Well said Pausing - Payday loans make sense if there is no food in the cupboard because of an unexpected bill and payday is in two days time.
As a way of financing a trip to the pub or to buy something unnecessary, not a good idea.

The comparison with payday loans is ridiculous. Payday lenders are in the business making loans. The buyers who are being duped aren't. What she is doing is fraudulent.

Suzanne - about 6 years ago I got into a very vicious cycle with payday loans. The first loan was for the minimum (at that time £100) so that I could eat and top up my electricity and gas meters. I had been ill and off work for two weeks the month previous and didn't get paid as I was at the time on a zero month contract. Off that months wages I had to cover the £100 plus £30 or whatever the interest was. I was still trying to cover the council tax which I was struggling to pay other bills that were due because of my time off. It took me 6 months and a second job to break the cycle. Wasn't a case of instant gratification it was a case of living.

Suzanne - about 6 years ago I got into a very vicious cycle with payday loans. The first loan was for the minimum (at that time £100) so that I could eat and top up my electricity and gas meters. I had been ill and off work for two weeks the month previous and didn't get paid as I was at the time on a zero month contract. Off that months wages I had to cover the £100 plus £30 or whatever the interest was. I was still trying to cover the council tax which I was struggling to pay other bills that were due because of my time off. It took me 6 months and a second job to break the cycle. Wasn't a case of instant gratification it was a case of living.

Zero hour contact even

Argh contract!

That's terrible, what if someone spent their last £20 on their child's birthday present only for it not to turn up and to not get the money back until this cheeky mare's payday.

Exactly. And the example earlier in the thread about a necessary textbook for a course.

Horrible :(