TubeNet

Respond ONLY to a 2nd chance offer that came directly off of the Ebay interface. DON'T even respond to a private email that offers a 2nd chance. PayPal won't be much help if you fall for a scam. You MIGHT get your money back but it will take a while.

goodgigs wrote:Has anybody here ever gotten an eBay official message for a second highest bid that was given a second chance because of a dead beat bidder?
I figure that if I use Paypal I'm somewhat protected right?
The massage came from a big time seller of instruments, so I crossing my fingers.
I’d love to own that giant Holton!

This is an extremely common scam, and it's very likely the message only appears to come from the "big time seller."

Safest bet - send a message to the seller (using the "Ask Seller a Question" link on the auction page, not a link in the message you received!) and ask directly. No confusion that way, and you will bring this to the attention of the seller who can report it easily.

I got my first tuba through an eBay second-chance offer, and my second through the seller contacting me directly (and unofficially) after the winner pooped out. Both turned out ok, but I have since turned down two other eBay 2d chances (for other stuff) that appeared a little iffy.

I bid on a really nice, like new, Miraphone 186 tuba last year, and went almost to $3800 at auction end, but thought I had lost to a higher bidder. Then, some days later, I got an email from someone who said he was the original seller and the deal had fallen through, and he was giving me a second chance to buy the horn direct from him. I checked back through eBay with the original seller and he said the higher deal had gone through as it had appeared. He told me the tuba was sold and shipped to the higher bidder, as it had appeared. My antennae went up in suspicion, and when I contacted eBay about it they warned me it was most likely a scam. And it was not from a known, reputable retailer like who we all might be familiar with. It was an oddball seller I couldn't find any eBay history on, who wanted a direct payment outside the Paypal system. I dropped it like a hot potato and he never contacted me again. But it does make me wonder how he was able to do that... That is scary!