Does This Third Party Amazon Sale Sound Safe To You?

Shark Dentist

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*Let me just quickly start off by just saying I have absolutely no problem with this seller,infact they have been fantastic at responding to my every question,but because I'm extremely paranoid on the internet when spending large quantities of money,I just wanted to be absolutely positive*

So I was looking for a Canon EOS 70D on Amazon used for about $600 and found multiple for sale.. bu then I realised that they didn't ship here to Ireland. :( (I'm not ordering from the UK site because of the exchange rate).

So I contacted one of the sellers that were selling it and asked them if it they would ship to Ireland for me.. They quickly replied with

"Hello,
Thanks for your time to read,
I will try to explain in this email all terms and condition
The Canon EOS 70D Digital SLR Camera with 18-135mm STM Lens is BRAND NEW, never used, ( US model, not grey market or refurbished), but Amazon does not let us list it as new. The product is Sealed in its original box and comes with full Warranty, receipt, all manufacturer supplied accessories...
The total price is $600.00 ( because I have some Promotional Offer), including all shipping taxes if you are in US and for international shipping you have to pay extra 29,99 $ .
If you want to buy, send me your phone number, full name, shipping address and I will contact Amazon asap to process your order. Dispatch is by normal UPS Services, which takes 2-5 days depending on where in the US you are.
My return policy is full money back in 21 days.

For more information don't hesitate to contact me!

Many Thanks,
****************" (I blocked out name,sorry)


I then gave all my details and Amazon sent me an invoice asking me to pay for the item with all the shipping details filled out and everything.. lovely and hassle-free. :)

So sorry if this has been a complete waste of time but before I buy it I just want to be sure Amazon invoice emails from sellers is completely normal? I've never done it but..once again..just being sure :)

If Holiday Markett is reading this.. I'm looking forwared to doing business with you! :)
 
Solution
your best bet would be to contact amazon and see if the order has been placed. (you should have the order number on the shipping form.)
if it checks out pay by credit card as your card should cover any loss, damage or fraud and as above says amazon will also cover you.
So long as your purchasing from amazon, you'll be good. Amazon has an "A to Z Guarantee" which means they will refund you the amount you spent if there's anything wrong about the order. Just contact customer support.

It kinda sounds like a promotional piece but Amazon is one of the best places to buy used items online because of this policy.

EDIT **

Wasn't entirely clear. Amazon also backs 3rd party sellers so long as you are making the purchase through their website.
 
your best bet would be to contact amazon and see if the order has been placed. (you should have the order number on the shipping form.)
if it checks out pay by credit card as your card should cover any loss, damage or fraud and as above says amazon will also cover you.
 
Solution

Shark Dentist

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Jul 2, 2014
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Awesome,thnx! :) I feel a lot safer after reading this! :D
 

Shark Dentist

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Jul 2, 2014
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Great idea,thnx! :) Would PayPal be just as good or if not safer?
 
depends on the item (they have limits on what they will allow you to buy, such as no guns/air rifles and such) but yes most of the time paypal will also give you protection. as long as you dont use gift (costs less, but isnt covered for fraud/theft and damage)
 

Shark Dentist

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Jul 2, 2014
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And this just caught my eye
"Please note that your Order will not show in our system until you pay the total amount for this purchase.
When you buy from third-party sellers on Amazon.com, the condition of the item and its timely delivery are guaranteed under the A-to-z Guarantee." Is that normal for it not to appear in their system?


+ To pay I click on confirm payment and it opens up a new "compose email" to Amazon.. what do I do,just email them my bank details? or if it's through Paypal,what do I send them?
 

Shark Dentist

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Jul 2, 2014
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What does this mean? lol

"We regret to inform you that your purchase has not been completed...
We inform you that the Amazon seller account is temporarily not receiving payment from buyers gift card or PayPal for this order. To complete the payment with this Order Amazon Payments requires One-Time Payment to be completed trough Western Union® Money Transfer
Find locations in you area go to nearest location and fill out a simple Transfer Form with our agent details:"

I thought there would just be an easy "PAY HERE" button. lol
 
It sounds like a huge pain. I've never had to go through western union before to complete a payment. Must have something to do with the seller's restrictions.

It's up to you whether or not to continue. To me that's too much work for something that should be instant. Most people don't have a western union near them.
 

Shark Dentist

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Jul 2, 2014
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Apparently someone used a stolen Paypal account to buy something from him last time... If it's just a bit of hassle I don't mind going to the post office, but is this way of payment really safe? I asked him if it was still through Amazon and he said

"Yes, it's still through Amazon. You must go with cash to the nearest Western Union Office and make the payment to the Amazon agent. You will find his details in the invoice that you received. After you done just reply to the invoice from Amazon with the payment details and scanned receipt."

 

Shark Dentist

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Rang Amazon and they said it was completely fake and that they don't condone western Union transfers, + that his invoice wasn't legit. :p

"Thank you for taking time to contact Amazon.com. We hope you'll keep us in mind for your future purchases.

I can confirm that the email you receive was not send by amazon please ignore all emails you are unaware of.

I hope you have a wonderful day."
 
Good idea contacting amazon before doing something not normally a part of the buying process. If you would have sent the money through western union, there would have been no way of getting it back. It counts as a gift.

Always make sure amazon purchases go through amazon. This means services like paypal and western union don't cut it.

Glad you were able to catch that guy. Hopefully he gets charged with attempted fraud (if he hasn't scammed others already).
 

Shark Dentist

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Jul 2, 2014
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Thanks for the kind words,guys! :) Really glad I set up this thread now as it just shows that you really can never be too careful on the internet! but luckily there's guys like you who are always willing to help! :)

This probably won't help as I'm sure he'll change it..but his name was "Holiday Markett"
 


I don't think amazon takes issues like this lightly, as does any internet business. Hopefully amazon bans his credentials so that he cannot create another account unless he creates a fraudulent identity.