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Should I respond?

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Should I respond?

#1

Should I respond?

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native in FL. Exile :~(

>I won a nice Washita stone with the box from e-bay yesterday and today I get an e-mail thru e-bay from a e-bay member asking me if I'd care to sell the stone to him, or anyother other stones that I might care to sell. Says he just needs something to keep his wifes kitchen knives sharp. Now this wouldn't be anything of a concern, but he wants me to respond using his wifes e-mail address. I find that request to be a bit odd, and smell a scam of some type. I don't see why I can't respond thru e-bay tho, but than again, I'm tending to follow my gut and just delete it. If it's an honest guy I'd hate to dis him, but than again I've got to look out for myself.

What would you do?

Todd O.

Re: Should I respond?

#2

Re: Should I respond?

Joel

>doesn't make sense to me. Guy needs a random stone and wants to buy it from you instead of just bidding on another stone. or getting one new. makes no sense unless he is an expert stone person - but he seems not to be.

Sounds like fishing for emails. Answer him through ebay - if at all.

Re: Should I respond?

#3

Maybe

Hoa Dinh

>Hi Todd,

Asking for a reply to a personal address, not via eBay, does not necessarily indicate a scam. Correspondence thru eBay system is only for eBay transactions. Anything else is against eBay's rules. Maybe that's why he wants to take it outside eBay (except for the first email message since he had no way to contact you directly).

I myself did similar things several times (both selling and buying). Sometimes I had a deal, sometimes I didn't. But I haven't got bittten yet.

-- Hoa

Re: Should I respond?

#4

Re: Should I respond?

Todd Hughes

>He doesn't want to go though ebay because it is against ebay rules to sell stuff privetly like this though them and if he gets caught can get thrown off. I would not email him back though ebay, though probably a slim chance of them catching you. I am sure the guy is just looking for a good deal on a stone, probably missed the one you got.Of course he could just bid on another one on ebay but he thinks he will get it cheaper off you. Like wise I am sure the story about his wife is just a story. I'd tell him you will sell him the stone but you want to keep the box, after all his wife won't need the box to sharpen her kitchen knives.If a collector he will baulk.Might be a good way to do some trading of stones or getting rid of some you don't want , I just wouldn't believe the story about his wife or cut him any slack because of it.

I get emails all the time from people that want me to stop an auction for various reasons and sell it to them.Had one like this as a kid, can't bid because going in the hospital, for a birthday, etc. etc. of course the only reason they ask is because they think they will get it cheaper that way.No one ever asks you to stop an auction because they think they will pay more for it that way then if they just bid straight out. Have never not once turned down an offer to have it sell for less and often the item went for way more.Once had a guy offer me $75 , my reserve, for a pocket knife telling me it wasn't worth that much but his dad had one like it Turned him down of course and the knife sold for around $600!....yea OK.....Todd

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