A new eBay scam?

[lkingston]

I just had a new experience. I saw a good deal on a brand new Shure SM7B microphone. I already have one and love it for home recordings. It picks up the vocal beautifully but ignores the room. It also minimizes the amount of guitar I get in the vocal channel when I track vocals and guitar at the same time.

Anyway, the listing said brand new for $339 which is about $60 under what they normally cost.

I got the mic a couple of days later, new in the box from Sweetwater.

Where it gets weird is that I also got a call from Sweetwater. Someone had ordered the mic from regular price under a credit card in my name, but with an email and home address that aren’t me, then had them ship it to me directly. This charge was for the regular price of $399.

I talked to Sweetwater about this, I talked to my bank, and I reported it to eBay’s fraud department. My bank told me that if someone took out a credit card in my name it would take between 45 to 60 days before it started showing up on a credit report. Sweetwater didn’t have a record of the issuing bank name, so I can’t call their bank. I have no access to the AOL email address they used. I don’t recognize the physical address they used.

Has anyone run into this? Does anyone have suggestions as to what I might do?

[Edgar Poe]

I'm a bit confused. Both mics were for $399.00 ?
Someone ordered the same mic under a different name with a credit card in your name, and ordered it delivered to your address ?
Was one mic cheaper or both $399.00 ?

One of two things Either Sweetwater is mistaken, or the credit card company screwed up.

Ed

[hubcapsc]

Did you pay through paypal, or give your cc# to the seller? I don't
love paypal, but I have felt more or less safe buying ebay stuff
with my credit card through paypal...

-Mike "hope it works out OK..."

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by Edgar Poe

I'm a bit confused. Both mics were for $399.00 ?

Someone ordered the same mic under a different name with a credit card in your name, and ordered it delivered to your address ?

Was one mic cheaper or both $399.00 ?



One of two things Either Sweetwater is mistaken, or the credit card company screwed up.



Ed

I paid $339. The seller then ordered it for full price ($399) from Sweetwater, but with a brand new credit card taken out by them but with my name. The order was then shipped to my address. The email for the order was my name@AOL (I have no such email address), and the billing address was an address that isn't me.

[srick]

Not sure how this will turn out for you, but this is a perfect time to put a freeze on access to your credit information. This prevents anyone from.taking out a credit card, loan, or checking your credit score without your password and express permission. This is now free. Check out the three major credit houses: Experian, Transunion and Equifax. Instructions should be on each site.

It’s possible that this seller will attempt to use this new card and address to apply for more cards (although your prompt actions will probably prevent that).

Several years ago, I was a victim of identity theft and freezing my credit prevented at least six credit cards from being taken out in my name. The credit freeze is proactive as opposed to services like Lifelock, which informs you after the breach.

A freeze is slightly annoying if your are applying for a loan or a new credit card, but it is easy to allow access to other parties when necessary. IMO,the reason you don’t hear more about credit freezes is that the credit agencies have a vested interest in being able to sell your information. The freeze prevents this.

[karlbifs]

Originally Posted by lkingston

The order was then shipped to my address.

So you have both mics then?

[slide496]

If I read correctly, either someone got hold of enough of your personal info to open a credit card somehow. I'd probably consult with lifelock or a place like that might recognize what's happening.

Or it's also possible they just have the same name, opened a card legitimately and Sweetwater shipped to you by some kind of computer or shipping room error that used your address.

It doesn't make sense that the mic would be shipped to you. I have had that happen where I received a small package from China with someone else's name and my address.

[joe white]

Maybe the seller had a gift card to Sweetwater for $400 or more and wanted cash so the seller listed the mic (that he didn't even have in his posession) at $60 off and ordered it with the gift card once you purchased from his listing and simply had the mic shipped directly to you. Sometimes, folks just need money more than a new toy from Sweetwater and are willing to give up a few bucks (20 to 25% in this case with sellers fees and paypal)

[spock]

Had a similar thing happen to me a while back. Item was listed on EBAY for about 20% less than regular going rate - or just close enough to not raise a lot of suspicion - and I bought it. Turns out the seller had used fake credit card info (not mine thankfully) to buy the item from Bass Pro Shop, then turned around and sold it on EBAY to me and pocketed the money while never actually paying Bass Pro Shop for it. It eventually came back to me in a letter from Bass Pro Shop wanting full price for the item or its return, which I did, in addition to providing the pertinent EBAY seller information who was long gone by then.