I think someone's trying to swindle me, opinions and ideas please!

[Pocketsocks]

Hello, I'll try to keep this short, but I'd welcome all thoughts on this.

Today I came home to find I'd won an item, the seller has 100% feedback, I wasn't expecting any problems. However I receieved a message from the seller about an hour after the auction ended

"Due to an ebay invoicing problem, i have had to send you a paypal invoice for the full amount including postage. Paypal invoice sent to email-. When payment is made your items will go out the same day-monday being the earliest now and your tracking number will be sent on day of posting. If you have any questions or queries then please feel free to contact me."

Now, an invoice is not entirely nessercery in my opinion. When you win an item, your ebay summery has a little pay it now button that you push and it takes you straight to paypal, right? So what does it matter if I have no official emailed invoice? (correct me if I'm wrong here)

But I dutifully pootle on over to my email where I have an email from "Sellers email address" Not an email from paypal, I open it up and I get a big red flag
"This message looks very suspicious to our SmartScreen filters, so we've blocked attachments, pictures, and links for your safety."

It looks like a paypal message from what is not blocked and the link if clicked wsould apprently take me to paypal, but I'm not buying it as legit with all those red flags, god knows what kind of scam it could be.

So my dilemma, is this a scam, does the seller really think I'm that stupid?
Or is it not a scam? 100% feedback and I'm the first scam victim?
I figure maybe I send a message to the seller saying why would I pay through an invoice when I can just click this button from within the safety of ebay? Do you think I'm completely stupid?
Do I then pay through ebay, safe in the knowledge that my bank details etc are all safe but run the risk that the item doesn't even exist
If it is a scam, I should report it, can I do that without proof?

Many, many options. I really want this item, its a gift for DP but I sense I'm not going to get my hands on it.
According to the "invoice" I have till the 10th to pay up
Any ideas, thoughts, advice and or kicks up the backside welcome.

just click on the ebay listing.

Is it for a large amount? Scammer tend to do a few small items first to build feedback and then scam on large items

My PayPal and eBay have been playing up recently too.

I often send invoices to people with messages, as a curtesey and as a kick up the bum for those who are quite slow. I've also had people buy things on ebay from me, not pay for a week and then when I enquire why not they have given me a hard time about not sending them an invoice so how could they know. However, when I send an invoice it is sent through ebay, i.e. I go onto the item listing page and then click a button which allows you to send payment details/invoice. So on the one hand the act of sending an invoice isn't a strange concept to me, however, the email does sound strange. So if you pay for the item and no item appears you've lost your money. Depending on how much you need the item and how costly it was I would consider either contacting ebay or the seller. Either way, just pay through official chanels in case the item doesn't show up.

Good luck!

You should only pay via the eBay listing to be protected properly and so the payment ties in and shows you have paid for the item

Only pay an invoice if it is the correct eBay invoice is my advice - a separate out of eBay invoice from Paypal is not correct, even if it is innocent and isn't scam.

I suppose I'll just have to take the risk, it's only £10 including p&p, so I had planned to probably go down that route. I just wanted to run it by someone who may know more about it than me, rather than risk offending the seller by completly disreagarding their wishes etc etc

As far as I know as long as I go though official channels, paypal will refund me if it's a no show right?

yes they will refund if it doesn't turn up

Wait I take it back, there's an invoice becaus the p&p is variable, listed only in the listing (courier) and doesn't show up in the offical ebay payment option, leaving no other way to pay the p&p other than by the full invoice.
Which there is no way I'm am doing.
Thanks for your help everyone.

Its not true to say you are only protected when you pay via the eBay listing, sometimes sellers have the incorrect email address on their listing, provided they send a PayPal invoice displaying the fact it is for goods and for an eBay item you are protected.

it is when you get a request for money and the payment is personal that you are not protected by PayPal. All monies paid by PayPal for goods even off of eBay affords you protection.