Auction won, no response from the seller, payment via PayPal, nothing else happens…
Summary: hellacop bid on a supposedly counterfeit Samsung phone and paid with PayPal. After the auction, there was no response from the seller, which raises concerns about possible fraud. perfect-sally and other participants advise using buyer protection if the item is not delivered and opening a case once the delivery deadline has passed. hellacop is worried about the lack of communication and asks how to protect themselves against further problems. Other participants reassure hellacop and give advice on how to proceed, while emphasizing the need to wait for the deadlines to expire. A suspicion that the seller account may have been hacked is also mentioned. petersmodellbahnstuebchen adds that first of all, the deadlines stated in the listing should be waited out.
I supposedly won a Samsung phone yesterday and, after the auction ended, paid right away with PayPal. Since then, nothing has happened and the seller isn’t responding to any messages. Anything could be going on, but looking back, the listing also seems very strange to me and fake (and maybe from a hacked account?)… (photos are just a collage, the text has a weird negotiable price, the seller is listed in Italy, but the phone is in Germany, etc…)
I asked for the transaction to be cancelled and wrote a nice message along with it. Still no reply here either. I find that rather unusual for private sellers as well.
When I called customer service, they told me I’d have to wait until the very last possible shipping date (which of course is only in a week…) has passed in order to open a case regarding buyer protection. Of course it’s not yet clear whether anything will still happen, but let’s assume nothing happens, no tracking number comes, no package, etc. and buyer protection kicks in: what does the seller or supposed scammer gain from that?
Are there any experiences with what I should watch out for so I don’t end up losing the money somehow after all?
hellacop
OP2 days agoCase is closed, buyer protection kicked in. I still don’t understand the action of the supposed seller... But whatever, the money is safe, phew.
hellacop
OP2 weeks agoSo, a quick update: as expected, nothing has happened. The case has already been opened, deadline until Friday. I still think nothing will come of it. Then (hopefully) buyer protection.
petersmodellbahnstuebchen
·Aug 7, 2026 at 7:59 PMHi @hellacop
what processing time did the provider specify in the offer?
For me, for example, it’s 2 days. If a customer buys and pays today, that doesn’t mean I’ll ship today or tomorrow already.
So first wait for the deadlines, then you can take further action.
Best regards from the Baltic Sea
Peter
hellacop
OPAug 7, 2026 at 8:12 PMDelivery between 10 and 15.08.
And I can totally understand when it takes a bit longer sometimes and sellers also need their processing time, etc., but in this case my gut feeling is telling me something else. Unfortunately. Zero communication with private sellers and an auction is weird…. Could be anything, even that it still gets sorted out, but well….
perfect-sally
·Aug 7, 2026 at 7:54 PM · EditedCustomer service told you the right thing! After the delivery deadline has passed, you can then report an item not received if the seller doesn't cancel and refund beforehand. Unfortunately, you requested a purchase cancellation, so the seller will probably still get off scot-free without a defect entry.
If it's taking too long for you and you're thinking of involving PayPal, then keep in mind that eBay is completely out of the picture then!
And maybe next time think about it BEFOREHAND whether an offer is suspicious or fake, because after the fact that doesn't help much.
hellacop
OPAug 7, 2026 at 8:06 PMThanks for the feedback. EBay should maybe also communicate that this cancellation request could have such consequences?! You can’t know that, sorry.
And I came up with the last sentence myself too; it doesn’t really help, I’ve been annoyed about it ever since, especially since otherwise I’m mega overcautious and would rather scan listings three times than twice… No idea what came over me there, but that’s how it is now.
I can be patient as long as the process via buyer protection works properly and I get the money refunded.
That still leaves the question: who benefits if it turns out like this? and is there any possible trap I could fall into?
perfect-sally
·Aug 7, 2026 at 8:10 PM · EditedWhat should be to anyone's benefit? If the seller does cancel after all, you'll automatically get a refund. If you report an item not received after the deadline, the seller has a few days to respond and if they don't, you can involve eBay and get your money back. Buyer protection applies here, so don't worry. Getting annoyed won't help now either, and keep being careful; that's served you well so far. Unfortunately, there are still sellers like this again and again, and they never really die out.
hellacop
OPAug 7, 2026 at 8:27 PMRegarding „what should benefit whom“ yes, that’s exactly what I don’t understand. Why would a seller do something like that? So let’s assume nothing else actually happens now and I get my money back, he doesn’t get anything out of it either….
Or do sellers like that hope that buyers mess it up with buyer protection and they end up getting money that way?
perfect-sally
·Aug 7, 2026 at 8:32 PMWe don't know what goes on in such guys' heads, and even if buyer protection at eBay should get "botched," which I really can't imagine at all, there is still PayPal protection, which kicks in up to 180 days after the purchase.
Maybe these people think that once they’ve already been paid out, eBay or PayPal can no longer claw the money back.
Maybe guys like that also try to delete their account after a sale like this, but that's not possible either.
hellacop
OPAug 7, 2026 at 8:38 PMIt’s kind of strange. The VK account is neither new nor otherwise obviously suspicious at first glance. Almost 400 positive ratings….
perfect-sally
·Aug 7, 2026 at 8:42 PMBest to mention the article number then we can also take a look at the account & that.
Maybe hacked too? Or it’s holiday time and some private seller thinks they don’t need to set an absence notice when they go away.
hellacop
OPAug 7, 2026 at 8:35 PMOr should I be worried that they’re sending an empty package? How should one correctly proceed in this case?
voli-maus
·Aug 7, 2026 at 7:48 PMHello @hellacop .
yes , you can report a non-received item after the delivery period has passed.