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Ebay best offer for charity??? anyone else contacted by this buyer Possible SCAM

Started by Steve_Paulus,

35 posts in this topic

mangbus

mangbus

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the info/heads up.

 

I'll be browsing the recent sketch threads and best of threads so I can get the negative thoughts about 'someone using kids w/ cancer as a way to get deals' out of my head.

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Steve_Paulus

Steve_Paulus

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

I blocked ebay buyer dklkbk I would advise everyone to conduct business with him with extreme caution....

 

Ebay was less them helpful... (Surprise) they said there is little they can do because all the buyer was really doing was asking for a lower price on the book. Ebay said they have no real insight into the validity of his statements, but they feel I handled it appropriately. As far as they are concerned.... cased closed.. (All of this was after 40 minutes on hold :frustrated: )

 

 

Anyway. I wanted to thanks for those of you that gave such good advice, (Goldeneye, Seanfinch)

 

For those of you who missed Goldeneye's reply to this thread here it is::

 

"If it is legit ask him to email the acceptance letter for the charity auction explaining the event. The acceptance letter he is working for this organization. The organization's 501c3 number/letter stating the charity is a 501c3. He should be able to provide the org 501c3 letter and some form of acceptance letter with the org's logo either he is working with this org or for this event. If he can email those two forms then he is legit. I run charity auction's for Kids Need to Read and Phoenix Children's Hospital as long as I provide those items I am taken legitimately."

 

Thanks all...

 

 

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somewhereintexas

somewhereintexas

Posted
Posted

Not to be too dense, but what the heck is an "acceptance letter"?

 

On a related note, I have seen a few references to "501c3 letters" in this thread. Is that intended to mean a letter from the charity stating that it is a 501©(3) organization? When I saw these references, the first thing that came to mind is the determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service, but that doesn't seem right. While I've seen plenty of IRS determination letters in my practice, I can't remember ever receiving a copy of one in the context of making a charitable contribution.

 

Only reason I bring this up is that people reading this thread may take some of the statements out of context, and in the future start asking for something that they think is what had been suggested, but what they really should have been asking for was something else.

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seanfingh

seanfingh

Posted
Posted
Not to be too dense, but what the heck is an "acceptance letter"?

 

On a related note, I have seen a few references to "501c3 letters" in this thread. Is that intended to mean a letter from the charity stating that it is a 501©(3) organization? When I saw these references, the first thing that came to mind is the determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service, but that doesn't seem right. While I've seen plenty of IRS determination letters in my practice, I can't remember ever receiving a copy of one in the context of making a charitable contribution.

 

Only reason I bring this up is that people reading this thread may take some of the statements out of context, and in the future start asking for something that they think is what had been suggested, but what they really should have been asking for was something else.

 

I was referring to the determination letter from the Service. It has detailed information about the entity, and it states explicitly (in the case of a 501©(3) of course) that the entity is a public charity (not a private foundation) and it says that contributions are tax-deductible under §170.

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somewhereintexas

somewhereintexas

Posted
Posted
Not to be too dense, but what the heck is an "acceptance letter"?

 

On a related note, I have seen a few references to "501c3 letters" in this thread. Is that intended to mean a letter from the charity stating that it is a 501©(3) organization? When I saw these references, the first thing that came to mind is the determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service, but that doesn't seem right. While I've seen plenty of IRS determination letters in my practice, I can't remember ever receiving a copy of one in the context of making a charitable contribution.

 

Only reason I bring this up is that people reading this thread may take some of the statements out of context, and in the future start asking for something that they think is what had been suggested, but what they really should have been asking for was something else.

 

I was referring to the determination letter from the Service. It has detailed information about the entity, and it states explicitly (in the case of a 501©(3) of course) that the entity is a public charity (not a private foundation) and it says that contributions are tax-deductible under §170.

 

It's not always easy for an employee or a volunteer at a 501©(3) to dig up its determination letter, and in any event, there's no way to tell just by looking at the letter if it has been revoked. One way to determine whether an entity is legit is at the following link on the IRS website:

 

Link for Exempt Organizations

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Rich_Henn

Rich_Henn

Posted
Posted

He tried the exact same thing on me last year regarding my TMNT books for sale.

 

His real name is Doug---I actually found his contact info through an old correspondence last year. Avoid at all costs.

 

While we're talking about blocking---I couldn't find where this thread used to be---wasn't there one somewhere with a list of bidders to block?

 

Add this guy.

cmi1980

 

non-paying and only 5 feedback.

 

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Dark Prime 0

Dark Prime 0

Posted
Posted
Personally I would think it was a scam but that's simply because I have lost a lot if faith in the good of man. I guess if they are sincere. Ask for full name and contact information as well as the hospital and a contact at the pediatric ward there. It's a lot of leg work on his behalf and yours but only way to make sure.

 

Good luck

 

 

I was thinking the same thing... before I posted this I asked for the full name of the CGC Rep, as well as the name of the hospital and contact information at the cancer ward there?

 

great minds!

 

Here is Doug's response to my request for the Name of the CGC rep, Hospital name, and contact information at the children's cancer ward

 

"wow, i never been drilled so hard for wanting to buy something at a lower cost to try and raise money so we can donate it, i could see if i was asking for free but im not, so if this is your responce to making a better offer for a purchase

then im sorry for the bother, i dont see any need to give a lot of info for us wanting to buy something and then trying to auction off to raise money.

 

i will look onwards

 

god bless

 

 

 

- dklkbk"

 

 

 

I now believe that this guy is a scam artist!!!!

 

He is trying to get very low prices on CGC books by using Kids with Cancer as a hook to sucker kind hearted people. He is the worst kind of individual...

 

I intend to do the following!

 

1. Alert my fellow board members to this individual's actions / methods

2. I will contact Ebay in the morning about this and see if they will take any steps to sanction ebayer... but based on Ebay's attitude and position on protecting buyers and ting on sellers, I expect nothing from them

3. I will block him from all further transactions with me on Ebay.

4. Throw up.... this makes me sick! :sick:

if you wanted to follow this up could always write back that you wanted to make sure it wasn't a scam as there are people out there who use charity names and such so that rip other people off........you were only looking to cover your bases and not get taken advantage of

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Turtle

Turtle

Posted
Posted

Bringing this thread back from the dead because this guy is at it again. I got an offer of 10% of my asking price on an item earlier today that stated:

 

please dont be insulted but all we can afford, we collect rare things to auction off for local childrens cancer ward for treatments but all we can afford from own pocket, god bless

 

To be clear...I didn't say 10% off...he offered 10% of the asking price. I have items to donate if the guy wants to offer up a charity name or at least give me the date and location of the next auction. However, I think we've seen that this won't be the case.

 

Rather than ask a bunch of questions, I just put him on block. I recommend all of you do the same.

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Bchin22

Bchin22

Posted
Posted
Bringing this thread back from the dead because this guy is at it again. I got an offer of 10% of my asking price on an item earlier today that stated:

 

please dont be insulted but all we can afford, we collect rare things to auction off for local childrens cancer ward for treatments but all we can afford from own pocket, god bless

 

To be clear...I didn't say 10% off...he offered 10% of the asking price. I have items to donate if the guy wants to offer up a charity name or at least give me the date and location of the next auction. However, I think we've seen that this won't be the case.

 

Rather than ask a bunch of questions, I just put him on block. I recommend all of you do the same.

 

Good call. I think I'll add him to my block list just so I can save that one minute of my life and not have to read his message.

 

/thumbs up

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comicshark

comicshark

Posted
Posted

Some of these people leave their calling cards (dklkbk), if you google it. I think his real name is David and out of Boynton Beach Florida. He has an aol address using the same Ebay name and just add the aol address. I won't give his last name because it is there. It also has his business address. I have a hunch that this is the individual.

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