Deal alert! uni-t UT210E US $17.27 on ebay!

[Jay_Diddy_B]

Hi,

This is almost certainly a scam.

Here are the red flags:

1) Frequent ID changes:



Sellers are normally interested in build a good reputation through the feedback system. Why would you change your ID frequently?

2) Private Feedback



Why is necessary to keep the feedback private? Since the buyer's identity is hidden anyway.

3) 99 cent pokemon



I think most of the good feedback comes from the 99 cent Pokémon. Apparently Pokémon buyers don't need privacy.

If you click on the number sold, you can see the rate at which the items are selling. For the UT210E you will see this:





There were 100 units sold in the last 9-10 days.

The feedback profile looks like this:






There is a lot of feedback missing. Only a 145 feedbacks in the last month, but the seller is selling 100+ items per day.

The feedback is better than it should be, because if you get a full refund, you can't leave feedback. It is like the transaction never happened.

You have to leave negative feedback and then request the refund from eBay.

I have no idea, WTF, the seller has 'top rated feedback'


If you bought this meter, I suggest you leave negative feedback and then request a refund.


Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B

[bitseeker]

Wow, those are a lot of name changes and almost monthly.

[ChrisLX200]

"You have to leave negative feedback and then request the refund from eBay."

An important point that - and I've been frustrated twice by it in the last month and unable to give negative feedback for sellers who were basically scammers. It's a policy that Ebay needs to address iwth some urgency.

[Specmaster]

Now that all the id changes etc have come to light, I would agree that it has all the hallmarks of being a scam and where are Ebay in all this, they should be developing a way of spotting this kind of activity and removing their accounts. 

[_Wim_]

Just received the same message after asking "whats up":

Hello dear friend
I'm really sorry,
Received your mail after I first time contact the warehouse office to ask the situation,
It has now acknowledged acknowledged,
Our careless staff sent the wrong item and address,
This is unforgivable,
Employee errors, causing many items to be sent to the wrong address,
I am now trying to communicate with the buyer to solve these problems,
Most average has accepted and forgiven us
I apologize to you,
I will send you the project again for you,
Is this okay?
We are committed to give you full service,
I hope you can forgive us, I will ship you again,
Of course you can also choose a refund,
I still hope you give me a chance to correct,
You really are a kind and Upright buyer,
Can meet you and become friends with you,
I am really honored,
Looking forward to your visit again,
Bless you and your family happy every day!
From Chinese friends,
Sincere blessing

2017-10-07

gaobing2199

Hmmmm, I do not think anyone will receive a meter any more. I started the complaint process (after I gave negative feedback), lets see how good Ebay/paypall protection is...

[mauroh]

My package left Shanghai on September 19 and it is in transit...

I think is time to move on and order the real one as soon as I'll have the rights to claim a refund.

I think I'll go with this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNI-T-UT210E-Digital-Clamp-Meter-Multimeter-Handheld-RMS-AC-DC-Mini-Resistanc-/252445358891?epid=0&hash=item3ac6ea7b2b:g:Q00AAOSwoydWj2id

Do you have a better source?

Mauro

[mtdoc]

They’re getting more brazen. Yesterday I saw a listing for one at $8.99 from a New Zealand seller with a feedback of only 1 and numerous sales of this item in just a couple if days. That listing is now gone but there’s this one now for $9.53 from a Cinese seller with zero feedback.

[Jay_Diddy_B]

Hi,
There seems to be a new kind of scam invading eBay. Here are some screen shots showing a similar UT210E scam.

The product is listed for about half the normal price:



The seller has changed ID, this time once:




They have a smaller number of feedbacks compared to the number of items that they are selling:



The negative feedback that is posted shows a pattern of bogus tracking numbers and shipping to the wrong address:



Look for these red flags.

Snip ...

I think I'll go with this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNI-T-UT210E-Digital-Clamp-Meter-Multimeter-Handheld-RMS-AC-DC-Mini-Resistanc-/252445358891?epid=0&hash=item3ac6ea7b2b:g:Q00AAOSwoydWj2id

Do you have a better source?

Mauro

I don't see any problems with this seller, should go smoothly.

Jay_Diddy_B

[_Wim_]

This is the reply I got from Ebay (I clearly stated in my complaint this was a scam and pointed to this thread)

Dear Wim,

Thank you for contacting eBay regarding item “UNI-T UT210E Digital Clamp Meter Multimeter Handheld RMS AC/DC Mini Resistanc” (182755239224 ) that you have purchased. I’m sorry to hear you have not yet received the item. I'm happy to explain what to do next.

If you paid for the item but haven't received it yet, there are a few things we suggest to ensure that everything is correct on your end:
1.Check to make sure your shipping address is correct. You can do this at the following address:
http://my.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MyeBay&&CurrentPage=MyeBayAddresses&guest=1 
2.If you're buying from an international seller, remember that shipping may take longer.
3.If you have tracking information, you can check the status of the package under Purchase history.

Here is how to request an update from your seller:
1.Check the status of your order by viewing the item in question under your Purchase history.
2.Select the item you have not received.
3.Under More actions to the right of that item, select I didn't receive my item.
4.On the next page, select I want a refund or I want the item. If you wish, you can also include a message to your seller.
5.Click Send request.

Remember that timing is important. You can open a request 24 hours after the estimated delivery date has passed, or 7 days after you paid for the item (if no estimated delivery date was provided). Please note that you must open a request no later than 30 days after the estimated delivery date.

Once you open a request the seller may respond with:
•tracking information for the item
•a message
•a refund
•a replacement

If after 3 business days you and the seller haven’t reached an agreement, or if the seller has not responded, you can ask eBay to step in and help.

I trust that the steps I've provided will help resolve your concern. I wish you all the best on eBay in the future.

Sincerely,

 

Carlo G.

eBay Customer Support


As the delivery date is stated on 28 november, this means I have to wait quite a bit for the next steps...

[PlainName]

As the delivery date is stated on 28 november, this means I have to wait quite a bit for the next steps

That's normal. I once won some expensive kit (we're talking about 1kukp) and just after paying I realised it was a scam - the photos were nicked from other auctions, amongst other pointers. I contacted Ebay and showed them the evidence, but still had to wait for the delivery failure before it progressed.

I think if you look at it dispassionately that's probably fair. Yes, the scammer stands a chance of winning if you forget, and Ebay stand a chance of not paying out if the scammer turns out not to be. But you'll get the money back if you follow the process, and stiffing a deal before anyone has actually done anything wrong can lead to lots of problems.

[_Wim_]

Yeach, I can understand in most cases. But it you look on the amount of evidance available here, and how his negative feedback is now growing rapidly, I think at least the seller should be blocked for a certain period untill things are sure.

It not so much I have to wait, want I find frustrating, is that the seller can continue his practice for a couple of months additionally at least...

[PlainName]

I think they do sometimes turf scammers off and refund there and then. I've had a couple of wins like that, where out of the blue Ebay have refunded me and the vendor is no longer on there. Once, that happened and the item still turned up 

[Jay_Diddy_B]

This is the reply I got from Ebay (I clearly stated in my complaint this was a scam and pointed to this thread)

Dear Wim,

Thank you for contacting eBay regarding item “UNI-T UT210E Digital Clamp Meter Multimeter Handheld RMS AC/DC Mini Resistanc” (182755239224 ) that you have purchased. I’m sorry to hear you have not yet received the item. I'm happy to explain what to do next.

Snip ....

Remember that timing is important. You can open a request 24 hours after the estimated delivery date has passed, or 7 days after you paid for the item (if no estimated delivery date was provided). Please note that you must open a request no later than 30 days after the estimated delivery date.

Once you open a request the seller may respond with:
•tracking information for the item
•a message
•a refund
•a replacement

If after 3 business days you and the seller haven’t reached an agreement, or if the seller has not responded, you can ask eBay to step in and help.

Snip ...

eBay Customer Support


As the delivery date is stated on 28 november, this means I have to wait quite a bit for the next steps...

I think that the excessively long delivery date and bogus Tracking number is a key part of this scam.

IF I bought the UT210E today the listing shows:



I would have to wait a full two months before I can raise a complaint with eBay. And if I did the scammer seller would respond with the bogus tracking number.
Once I request a refund, I cannot leave feedback to warn others. In the meantime the scammer  seller is scamming others.

Other sellers do not have the excessively long delivery time, another red flag.

Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B

[edavid]

I think that the excessively long delivery date and bogus Tracking number is a key part of this scam.
 ...
I would have to wait a full two months before I can raise a complaint with eBay. And if I did the scammer seller would respond with the bogus tracking number.

Good theory, but that's not what's happening in this case.  The seller is immediately marking the item as shipped, with a valid EMS tracking number.  That makes it easy for the buyer to see that the item was not shipped to them.

[edavid]

As the delivery date is stated on 28 november, this means I have to wait quite a bit for the next steps...

What kind of tracking number did they send you?  If it shows as delivered before November, you won't have to wait.

[_Wim_]

As the delivery date is stated on 28 november, this means I have to wait quite a bit for the next steps...

What kind of tracking number did they send you?  If it shows as delivered before November, you won't have to wait.

It is "unfortunately" still on its way to me, but the seller already confirmed they made a "mistake" in the warehouse while he just could have said it is on its way! It think he was to lazy to check, and just sended his "standard reply" that the warehouse made a mistake   



Current tracking history:


SHHPUDONG

Sep-24-17, 20:16 PM

SHHPUDONG

Sep-24-17, 06:43 AM

SHHPUDONG

Sep-23-17, 21:14 PM

JIANGSU

Sep-23-17, 15:44 PM

SHHPUDONG

Sep-19-17, 07:21 AM

SHHPUDONG

Sep-19-17, 06:25 AM

SUZHOU

Sep-18-17, 10:33 AM

SUZHOU

Sep-18-17, 09:00 AM

JIANGSU

Sep-18-17, 08:52 AM

JIANGSU

Sep-18-17, 08:48 AM

JIANGSU

Sep-17-17, 18:39 PM

JIANGSU

Sep-17-17, 18:14 PM

JIANGSU

Sep-17-17, 07:36 AM

JIANGSU

Sep-16-17, 20:22 PM

JIANGSU

Sep-16-17, 16:31 PM

null

Sep-12-17, 09:23 AM

[hugo]

 I've got the same message from the seller scammer:

Hello dear friend
I'm really sorry,
Received your mail after I first time contact the warehouse office to ask the situation,
It has now acknowledged acknowledged,
Our careless staff sent the wrong item and address,
This is unforgivable,
Employee errors, causing many items to be sent to the wrong address,
I am now trying to communicate with the buyer to solve these problems,
Most average has accepted and forgiven us
I apologize to you,
I will send you the project again for you,
Is this okay?
We are committed to give you full service,
I hope you can forgive us, I will ship you again,
Of course you can also choose a refund,
I still hope you give me a chance to correct,
You really are a kind and Upright buyer,
Can meet you and become friends with you,
I am really honored,
Looking forward to your visit again,
Bless you and your family happy every day!
From Chinese friends,
Sincere blessing

2017-10-08

gaobing2199

[_Wim_]

I've got the same message from the seller scammer:

Hello dear friend
I'm really sorry,
Received your mail after I first time contact the warehouse office to ask the situation,
It has now acknowledged acknowledged,
Our careless staff sent the wrong item and address,
This is unforgivable,
Employee errors, causing many items to be sent to the wrong address,
I am now trying to communicate with the buyer to solve these problems,
Most average has accepted and forgiven us
I apologize to you,
I will send you the project again for you,
Is this okay?
We are committed to give you full service,
I hope you can forgive us, I will ship you again,
Of course you can also choose a refund,
I still hope you give me a chance to correct,
You really are a kind and Upright buyer,
Can meet you and become friends with you,
I am really honored,
Looking forward to your visit again,
Bless you and your family happy every day!
From Chinese friends,
Sincere blessing

2017-10-08

gaobing2199

What a supprise! 

[cdev]

I wonder if they are following some kind of script/formula to statistically make money. I think the weak link in the chain is that Ebay likely accepts tracking information without verifying its intended address is in fact the purchaser of the item its supposedly for, and likely they also dont check if a single tracking number has been supplied multiple times. So the sellers are likely supplying ebay with genuine tracking numbers from other sales they made of action figures or other sales they do and supplying that info to ebay. They likely are giving multiple people the same tracking numbers.

[Mr. Scram]

The effort people go through to make a buck. I mean, this can't really pay for retirement, so it seems to be a lot of hassle.

[Specmaster]

I've got the same message from the seller scammer:

Hello dear friend
I'm really sorry,
Received your mail after I first time contact the warehouse office to ask the situation,
It has now acknowledged acknowledged,
Our careless staff sent the wrong item and address,
This is unforgivable,
Employee errors, causing many items to be sent to the wrong address,
I am now trying to communicate with the buyer to solve these problems,
Most average has accepted and forgiven us
I apologize to you,
I will send you the project again for you,
Is this okay?
We are committed to give you full service,
I hope you can forgive us, I will ship you again,
Of course you can also choose a refund,
I still hope you give me a chance to correct,
You really are a kind and Upright buyer,
Can meet you and become friends with you,
I am really honored,
Looking forward to your visit again,
Bless you and your family happy every day!
From Chinese friends,
Sincere blessing

2017-10-08

gaobing2199

What a supprise! 

This is clearly a standard reply, copied and pasted each time. I've been optimistic about this but I'm rapidly becoming convinced that this so called seller has no intention of supplying these meters at all.     

There was another chinese seller with 1,000's of positive feedbacks that was selling Uni-T 803 bench meters on a BIN basis and also had one or 2 on auction that I bid for and just before the last day of auction I'd get a message from Ebay telling me that item was no longer available as the seller had cancelled the listing because of an error in its listing. I can only conclude that as this happened on 2 occasions to me that it was designed to make you decide to buy one at his BIN price.

Thankfully, it my experience that this is not the norm, most chinese sellers are extremely honourable people and when something does go wrong will go out of their way to rectify it

[Specmaster]

The effort people go through to make a buck. I mean, this can't really pay for retirement, so it seems to be a lot of hassle.

Don't forget living in China is nowhere as expensive as it is for us, and getting a few people buying into the bargain can be very lucrative for them by comparison. To us it almost pocket money, but to them it could be a months salary or more each time. So many people will either miss the deadline to make a claim or maybe dismiss it altogether and put it down to experience and you wouldnt need to many people doing that to bring in a reasonable income over there.

[Specmaster]

While their getting away with it, they don't have any problems and would the chinese authorities take any action against them if you gave them the evidence, I doubt it because they would probably react like the police do over here, more important things to do etc. so the scammers still go unpunished.

[Jay_Diddy_B]

Hi,

You have to ask why would the seller hanmeimei30, who is located in China, not ship to China?



You can understand not shipping to some other places.


Regards,

Jay_Diddy_B

[cdev]

Who knows who is doing all of this or what their real situation is.

It even may be a bot!

A software program.

I think thats not unlikely.