Not sure if Tom will read this but will post anyway :-)
This information was posted on the Official Ebay members forum...which makes it all the more ridiculous that ebay are STILL allowing people to trade "5 Star Feedback" (go on, search ebay for that)
Anyway here it is.
Incidentally it is followed by advice on how to avoid these scams!.....seems pretty simple to me that Ebay should ban them.....Simples :-)
This information was posted on the Official Ebay members forum...which makes it all the more ridiculous that ebay are STILL allowing people to trade "5 Star Feedback" (go on, search ebay for that)
Anyway here it is.
Incidentally it is followed by advice on how to avoid these scams!.....seems pretty simple to me that Ebay should ban them.....Simples :-)
How Feedback Scammers are Cheating the Feedback System
The following are just some of the ways today’s scammers are circumventing the eBay feedback system:
Purchasing Positive Feedback:
There are several ways for scammers to purchase undeserved positive feedback on eBay.
The first is the simple yet blatantly direct purchase of positive feedback. This is when a seller posts an auction saying “I am selling positive feedback”, and the winning buyer gives the seller positive feedback in exchange for positive feedback of his or her own.
The second is a little less overt, but is still a direct purchase of positive feedback. This happens when the seller lists the words “Positive Feedback” or “Feedback Exchange” in his or her item title under the guise of being a real transaction, and not a feedback exchange.
Item titles may include things like “Free Stickers for Leaving POSITIVE FEEDBACK”, “new recipe gets POSITIVE FEEDBACK from all”, or “the most POSITIVE way to buy prewritten FEEDBACK”.
Essentially the title of the item has the words “positive feedback” in it (often highlighted or capitalized), in order to let other scammers know, free feedback is being given away at this auction. The buyer then simply buys the item, and both buyer and seller get undeserved positive feedback.
Item titles may include things like “Free Stickers for Leaving POSITIVE FEEDBACK”, “new recipe gets POSITIVE FEEDBACK from all”, or “the most POSITIVE way to buy prewritten FEEDBACK”.
Essentially the title of the item has the words “positive feedback” in it (often highlighted or capitalized), in order to let other scammers know, free feedback is being given away at this auction. The buyer then simply buys the item, and both buyer and seller get undeserved positive feedback.
The third way scammers purchase positive feedback is perhaps the most covert way of doing so. In recent months, eBay has started cracking down on feedback exchanges and free feedback auctions. It has always been against eBay policies to exchange feedback, but for one reason or another they actually decided to start enforcing it, thus forcing many scammers have had to find new ways to obtain their underserved feedback. Well the latest craze for obtaining undeserved feedback is the purchase of online recipes, e-books, wholesale lists, free information, and information booklets. Simply put, any item that can and does sell on eBay for under $1, is fair game for scammers looking to purchase positive feedback. Whether the auction is setup solely for feedback exchanging, or even if the auction is legitimate, it is easy for a thief to buy 10 recipes or e-books (gets a yellow feedback star) for under $1. That’s right, how beneficial is the feedback system when a yellow star costs you less than a dollar?
Feedback Fraud:
This is the simplest way for thieves to obtain positive feedback. Basically they set up multiple accounts on eBay, setup the sale of multiple items, purchase the “items” from themselves, and then leave themselves positive feedback. Some scammers will even setup 100+ accounts just to make themselves look like a trustworthy seller.
Feedback Theft:
As the name implies, feedback theft is when someone takes feedback that doesn’t belong to them. Put simply, it is when a scammer hi-jacks, or takes over control of another seller’s eBay account. The scammer then uses the stolen eBay seller’s good reputation to trick buyers into paying him or her money.
Hi-jacks commonly occur when sellers are tricked into entering their personal information (including passwords) into spoof/fake eBay or paypal sites.
Hi-jacks commonly occur when sellers are tricked into entering their personal information (including passwords) into spoof/fake eBay or paypal sites.
