eBay Scandal Coming Soon

[darkacre]

What's worse than getting banned? Getting ripped off. Of real money.

I cannot disclose why or how, but it has come to my attention that there is an eBay buyer out there paying for some of the more expensive rare VMK items via an unconfirmed Paypal account, and doing 100% of the transaction via the Internet. And the codes they buy, and trades they arrange in the game, are going to someone with a different name than the name of the person who has the Paypal account.

If any DISers out there sell VMK cards (I can't really tell if selling the cards is against VMK values, because those just say you can't sell a character or account) on eBay, watch out for anyone who tries to buy your stuff in exchange for a Paypal payment with an unconfirmed shipping address. If you email the codes and the payment account turns out to be hacked, Paypal can debit the proceeds from your account, or (if you already spent the money) sue you to get the cash back, and all you can do about it is try to track down the scammer via electronic records. Paypal is clear about its policies. You sell to an unconfirmed Paypal account, you ship at your own risk.

Some ppl might think this is cool, since they don't agree with letting ppl sell VMK cards or virtual items on eBay, but nobody deserves to get ripped off, ever.

 

[Mnementh]

Wow... thanks for posting this. That's kind of scary. My paypal account isn't verified, but I'm going to make sure as soon as I get home to get my bank account number and verify my paypal account. I've never sold cards, but I've bought some a couple times and now I'm a little nervous about doing it anymore.

 

[GrinGrinnyGhosts]

Thx For the Tip bro!

 

[CapEldano2]

uh.. btw it's against VMK values to sell codes for money on eBay or anywhere else.. just thought you may want to know..

 

[mtlhddoc2]

uh.. btw it's against VMK values to sell codes for money on eBay or anywhere else.. just thought you may want to know..

Thats not the point - stealing is still stealing.

It is also against VMK values to trade quest items.

 

[ladyleopard1106]

As with any shopping experience, be it online or in a real brick-and-mortar store: caveat emptor!

You buy at your own risk!

 

[CapEldano2]

Thats not the point - stealing is still stealing.

It is also against VMK values to trade quest items.

how is it against VMK values to trade quest items? I see about a million trade rooms a day filled with that stuff

 

[mtlhddoc2]

how is it against VMK values to trade quest items? I see about a million trade rooms a day filled with that stuff

The back of the VMK cards say specifically "Virtual prizes not to be sold or transferred"

 

[CapEldano2]

The back of the VMK cards say specifically "Virtual prizes not to be sold or transferred"

No, that just means you can't go to WDW or DLR, stock up on thousands of cards and sell them for actual cash.. trading them is perfectly within VMK Values.. VMK just wants to make sure people aren't putting a dollar value on something that's free

 

[mtlhddoc2]

No, that just means you can't go to WDW or DLR, stock up on thousands of cards and sell them for actual cash.. trading them is perfectly within VMK Values.. VMK just wants to make sure people aren't putting a dollar value on something that's free

if that was the case then they would just say, "not to be sold" - but it also says "transferred" - and that word is actually changed, the first printing of the cards (and I have some) say "VMK items not to be sold or TRADED"

transfer: to convey or remove from one place, person, etc., to another (credit: dictionary.com)

 

[CapEldano2]

if that was the case then they would just say, "not to be sold" - but it also says "transferred" - and that word is actually changed, the first printing of the cards (and I have some) say "VMK items not to be sold or TRADED"

transfer: to convey or remove from one place, person, etc., to another (credit: dictionary.com)

well then it must just mean the card itself can't be traded, because if trading were against VMK values, there would be staff all over the trade rooms

 

[mtlhddoc2]

no offense... but I am SURE that is what they meant, however, that is not what they convey. Legally, that means you cannot ever trade any virtual prize ever, for any reason. You cannot give it to your brother or trade the code for another code. It actually says NOTHING about the card, but says "Virtual prizes" not "this card".

(and by legally, I do not mean that "breaking" this agreement is against the law, it is not, they can print that all over the card but then THEY break their own rule by transferring it to you, and once a transfer has occurred, it is considered tacit approval and is not bound by any civil code)

 

[cat_herder]

What's worse than getting banned? Getting ripped off. Of real money.

I cannot disclose why or how, but it has come to my attention that there is an eBay buyer out there paying for some of the more expensive rare VMK items via an unconfirmed Paypal account, and doing 100% of the transaction via the Internet. And the codes they buy, and trades they arrange in the game, are going to someone with a different name than the name of the person who has the Paypal account.

If any DISers out there sell VMK cards (I can't really tell if selling the cards is against VMK values, because those just say you can't sell a character or account) on eBay, watch out for anyone who tries to buy your stuff in exchange for a Paypal payment with an unconfirmed shipping address. If you email the codes and the payment account turns out to be hacked, Paypal can debit the proceeds from your account, or (if you already spent the money) sue you to get the cash back, and all you can do about it is try to track down the scammer via electronic records. Paypal is clear about its policies. You sell to an unconfirmed Paypal account, you ship at your own risk.

Some ppl might think this is cool, since they don't agree with letting ppl sell VMK cards or virtual items on eBay, but nobody deserves to get ripped off, ever.

You don't send the codes/items out until you check your bank account to be sure that paypal has completed the trasaction.

 

[darkacre]

how is it against VMK values to trade quest items? I see about a million trade rooms a day filled with that stuff

The VMK values say nothing about trading or selling quest items. The only restriction against conveying virtual stuff in the VMK values is this:

You may not "Give away, trade or sell your VMK Character"

As for the mention of cards saying you may not sell virtual items, it does not say that you cannot sell the cards or the information on the cards. Even if it did, with respect to some items (particularly, the six "card with purchase" items and the Stitch set), Disney probably could not impose those restrictions against anyone who bought anything, including magic tricks, photos, hats, shirts, candy, pins or weekend stays at DLR, without prior notice of the restriction against resale. If you entice someone to spend $1,000 on a hotel stay in exchange for, among other things, a card that people have seen selling for $300 on eBay, you can't collect that $1,000 sale and then impose a restriction against selling the card when the person arrives, having relied upon their belief that they will get these cards when they show up.

More importantly, however, Disney probably included that boilerplate language for the sole purpose of avoiding a frivolous class action lawsuit accusing them of running a lottery or game of chance with allegations that certain valuable prizes were being awarded. After all, if you don't permit selling virtual items, and say they "have no cash value," then those items have no value. And if you are giving away something of no value as a prize, then clearly you are not running a lottery. (Don't laugh at the suggestion of such a lawsuit. Someone sued Upper Deck baseball cards for running a lottery by including random insert cards in their packs)

My best guess is that VMK will ban you for letting someone else have your account, or for running one of those eBay ads that say "I'll create your own born in park VMK character" (what a ripoff anyway, they want you to pay their full price of admission!), but not for things like selling inferno on eBay or Craigslist or whereever. If anything, they support such interest, because they are clearly interested in keeping inferno (at least) rare.

If anyone can point to anything specific that bars people from trading, selling or giving away VMK cards, I'd love to read it. But it won't deter the seller I know, because he doesn't even play VMK. He just sells quest stuff to members of the Virtual Addict Kingdom and uses the money to pay part of his admission price to the park.

 

[cat_herder]

The back of the VMK cards say specifically "Virtual prizes not to be sold or transferred"

I think it means outside of VMK.

 

[mtlhddoc2]

Dianne, I think what he is talking about is reversals due to hacked paypal accounts

 

[darkacre]

You don't send the codes/items out until you check your bank account to be sure that paypal has completed the trasaction.

Yes, reversals due to hacked Paypal accounts are what I was talking about.

Checking to make sure that your account has the money is not enough. If the transfer comes from an "unconfirmed" buyer, and you send the codes or cards (or, of course, any non-VMK stuff) to the address on the paypal transaction report, if it turns out that the owner of the paypal account did not authorize the transaction, he or she is entitled to reverse the payment. That money is stolen goods, and the owner of the stolen money is entitled to get it back, even if the thief traded it to you for something of value, like, say, your green flips.

Paypal protects you from this IF the address is a confirmed address. Then if the deal goes south, it becomes paypal's problem. But they warn you right up front, you do not get paypal's seller protection if you ship to or del with an unconfirmed address, because it means that paypal has not confirmed that the account holder is legit.

This person who tried to scam a seller on eBay bought a bunch of other stuff from lots of VMKers. I hope those sales are not ticking timebombs!

 

[PirateDaisy]

Yes this is true and something I warned about a few months back. Since you are delivering a virtual item, you have absolulte no proof a delivery confirmation. How is ebay and paypal to know that the transaction even took place? We all know as sellers(I am not a vmk items seller, just ebay) that the buyer has the advantage.

Bottom line, these sellers took a huge risk selling a virtual item. Not only are they out of their precious "pixels", they are also out on listings fees, upgrade fees, final sale fees and paypal fees. They took the risk, now they have to deal with the consequences; though stealing is NEVER right.

To add: This not only includes hacked Paypal accounts, this includes in any PayPal account without a confirmed address. Though I feel it can even be done with a confirmed one.

 

[eseller]

Yes this is true and something I warned about a few months back. Since you are delivering a virtual item, you have absolulte no proof a delivery confirmation. How is ebay and paypal to know that the transaction even took place? We all know as sellers(I am not a vmk items seller, just ebay) that the buyer has the advantage.

Bottom line, these sellers took a huge risk selling a virtual item. Not only are they out of their precious "pixels", they are also out on listings fees, upgrade fees, final sale fees and paypal fees. They took the risk, now they have to deal with the consequences; though stealing is NEVER right.

To add: This not only includes hacked Paypal accounts, this includes in any PayPal account without a confirmed address. Though I feel it can even be done with a confirmed one.

I thought that I might address this one. there is plenty of proof. I have had a buyer attempt to reverse charges before, and lost. There is plenty of protection if you know what you are doing. Im not going to go into detail about it, but I have been doing this for a year now and have had only that one incident.

however, the issue described in the initial post has me slightly concerned since quite a few of my buyers are new ebayers. however, I rarely sell "high dollar" items.

 

[PirateDaisy]

I thought that I might address this one. there is plenty of proof. I have had a buyer attempt to reverse charges before, and lost. There is plenty of protection if you know what you are doing. Im not going to go into detail about it, but I have been doing this for a year now and have had only that one incident.

however, the issue described in the initial post has me slightly concerned since quite a few of my buyers are new ebayers. however, I rarely sell "high dollar" items.

You're right, I should have worded my post differently and not used "absolutely no proof". Though I still feel there is minimal evidence.

Obviously that scammer was inexperienced because there are ways of doing it. I also will not post them or share them out of respect for our sellers. Just a word of caution. I encourage you all to be very careful, maybe this will finally discourage people from selling.