Ebay scam burns bride, dashing her dreams, eBay blames the victim

[regic]

eBay issued a statement yesterday saying they're tough on fraud.  I thought I'd counter that by feeding our RSS feeds some eBay fraud stories  :twistedevil:

Police there [Michigan] are investigating, and may catch the scammer or a confederate. But there are broader lessons in Smith's story for anyone new to eBay.

One is that eBay says it can only warn against scams, not prevent them. "Ultimately, this is between the buyer and seller. This is just a venue," spokesman Hani Durzy told me.

Don't expect much sympathy, either. Durzy even suggested that Smith "let her greed get the best of her" in falling for the scam. "What she did is the online equivalent of walking out of a store and buying something in a back alley," he says.

For that matter, eBay doesn't even count such "back alley" crimes as frauds when it boasts that only a small fraction of total listings - just one-hundredth of 1 percent - "lead to a confirmed case of fraud."

Sure, it's small fraction. But eBay reported 1.9 billion listings in 2005, so it translates into 190,000 confirmed frauds in one year...

Smith is understandably angered by the suggestion she fell victim to her own greed...

full article: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/inq...source=rss&channel=inquirer_business

[bargainbloodhound]

One is that eBay says it can only warn against scams, not prevent them. "Ultimately, this is between the buyer and seller. This is just a venue," spokesman Hani Durzy told me.

Don't expect much sympathy, either. Durzy even suggested that Smith "let her greed get the best of her" in falling for the scam. "What she did is the online equivalent of walking out of a store and buying something in a back alley," he says.

Hazy Dizzy is an mileyazwipe: and always has been...even when he was the spokesIT for ChipShot.  eBay might protect its ass from liability by blaming the victim, but its "blame the victim" statements are also a good way to drive away both current and prospective customers.

For that matter, eBay doesn't even count such "back alley" crimes as frauds when it boasts that only a small fraction of total listings - just one-hundredth of 1 percent - "lead to a confirmed case of fraud."

It also doesn't count the huge number of designer knockoffs and replicas as fraud, or auctions for "information" on where to buy a laptop, or auctions for pictures of XBoxes as fraud either.  :

190,000 confirmed frauds

Now add in the number of frauds like this one that were initiated through the eBay site, and the number of knockoffs listed at any given time...

I won't have much sympathy when eBay's "just a venue"  finally gets successfully tested

[sneakymagenta]

Hissy Dipsy is an  :asshat2:

[mandy]

A followup.  The victim wrote a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer criticizing eBay and Hani Durzy

I wanted to respond to remarks about me by eBay spokesman Hani Durzy in Jeff Gelles' Feb. 27 Consumer Watch column, in which Mr. Durzy suggested I was a greedy person because I allowed a criminal "to get the best of" me.

Mr. Durzy: you have essentially, insulted a majority of your 157.3 million customers who are also shopping in your own "back alley" looking for lower-cost alternatives. Meanwhile, eBay apparently doesn't think twice about turning its back, even thumbing its nose, when the site has been a welcome mat for greedy criminals who walk confidently into its customers' homes like a trustworthy friend, eBay logo in hand, to steal their hard-earned money.

full article: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/14241363.htm
photo of eBay spokesh.IT Hiney Dirty->