Soapbox

Have you been scammed on eBay? See the Top 5

Mar 09 05:58pm

- Up to 4000 people could have been ripped off via an eBay holiday scam
- buyers paid up to $350 for Gold Coast holidays that don't exist

The victims of this scam paid money into a bank account and were issued with a holiday certificate.

The customers then flew to Queensland and showed up at the resorts only to be told there were no pre-paid bookings.

Police have spoken with 56 year-old Robert Kobis, from Caulfield, but he has not been charged as yet. He has, however, been suspended from trading on eBay.

Top 5 eBay scams

Fakes - Entire factories exist to make very convincing copies. Anything from iPods to Gucci bags.
Feedback - there are many ways to get false feedback. Sellers help sellers, false identities...
Shill Bidding - people bididng for thier own goods, under different names
Item not as described - Descriptions that lack detail or talk up shoddy broken products
Rip-off postage costs - The price is cheap but the postage is astronomical. Avoid.

Have you been scammed? Is eBay a safe way to buy?
Tell us below ...

The best methods to avoid being scammed are:

a) Check the seller's feedback

b) Use an insured form of payment

c) If it sounds too goods to be true, it is.

More info

eBay's own scam advice

TheBaysideDiner.com - thread on online auctions forum site

118 Comments Report Abuse

11. craigdbolland - Mar 09 10:43pm

My own story: The first holiday I took through this company was legit and wonderful value. So I booked again x2. Am now over $600 out of pocket, and worse still gave my in laws their holiday as a gift (with two children with cyctic fibrosis and the mother with crippling arthritis, they needed it).

12. neverlucky2767 - Mar 09 10:47pm

ebay had complaints for weeks about him we have just heard from other members they had been complaining for weeks if maybe ebay had of done something when there was so many complaints people like myself would of been safe and taken the kids to the easter show cause we couldnt afford a normal holiday

13. neverlucky2767 - Mar 09 11:06pm

hi mel and kochie look i dont know if a lot of people know about posting messages here but befor the thread got pulled on ebay it was 21 pages long so you can only imagine how many people out there got scammed and also alot that dont even know yet so i do hope you can keep it going a couple of days

14. melfish75 - Mar 09 11:11pm

I am a single mother who is immensly cautious with my limited income - yet i too fell victim to the scammer Robert Kobis. I bought 2 holidays from BEACHESAUSTRALIA, i had checked out his feedback thourally before i ever bid. He seemed legitimate as Resorts knew of him. PayPAl wasn't a payment option

15. suckwoof - Mar 09 11:15pm

A lot of the ebay forum posts were copied to www.thebaysidediner.com. Many victims have been able to collate information there without fear of having threads removed.

16. slothfulcowie - Mar 09 11:19pm

There is a victims list on ebay round table board looking at around 300 who have posted, let alone how many who don't post on the boards or don't yet know they've been scammed! Many victims have posted for help on the baysidediner forum also.

17. jajaam - Mar 10 12:22am

Hello guys.I had one successful holiday thru beachesaustralia last october.Based on this i purchased another for my friend for $204 at Mooloolaba.I have the email that he received payment & he sent my booking confirmation 4 May eventually. Another friend also purchased 4 holidays but only used 2.

18. marijkaaus - Mar 10 01:00am

Well I thought I knew Robert having been one of his early customers - I am left $2600 out of pocket and this week I have had to pay out $975 to cover holiday booked but not paid for but the airfares are. I have 6 confirmed bookings not of which are worth anything. Mari brisbane

19. marijkaaus - Mar 10 01:02am

Another question I have about Robert........where is the $400,000 plus he made by buying Tiger airline tickets at $5 and selling them to Flight centre for $25 each?? I figured out that he used OUR money to pay for them in the first place. Mari Brisbane

20. marijkaaus - Mar 10 01:08am

What about Sunlizard Holidays. He got the idea from Robert,started selling holidays and then "sold" the business to Robert. Is anyone looking into his part in this. I bought 2 holidays from him, one of which is a confimed booking...same story not paid for.He is a substantial "businessman" NOT

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