Ebay Ipod scam?

[Presto]

I have bid on a few Ipods on Ebay, but haven't been the high bidder. Without exception, for every losing bid ($20-$40 less than winner), I have received a second chance offer from the seller.

It appears everyone who doesn't win the auction also gets a second chance offer. Two things make me weary about this situation. The fact that the email is always from a HOTMAIL or GMAIL (ie joeshmoe@hotmail) addy is suspect. And the second thing is the reply I got when I suggested I was interested. Here is the email from the seller

Hello,
Thank you for your e-mail.
I must tell you that now I'm in Romania with business but
this is not a problem because you will receive the
item in maximum 48 hours. The deal will go strictly according to
eBay's rulles and policy regarding to this second chance offer and both
of us will be protected, you'll see.The deal will go trough eBay , a full
refund policy + insurance will be included so neither of us should
worry about it.
The final price will be US $104.00
Now- to start the transaction, I'll have to know your delivery info
( full name and address):
First name:
Last name:
Address:
City:
Country:
Zip:
- eBay and me will do the rest.
I'll handle the shipping, so this will be free of charge for you .
In short time, eBay will send you the invoice
with all the details you need to complete the deal safe and fast for
both of us,under ebay protection!I am dealing only thru eBay.
PS: Please try to email me back with the exact delivery info as soon as
you can,to start the deal asap.

Thank you!

 

[Bennyshoe]

when I read the word "Romania" I immediately sensed something was wrong.

 

[Data]

Yes, it is a known scam. For future reference, a legitimate second chance offer can be seen in your eBay account, if it is not there and you received just an email then it is scam.

 

[MIKEY.1TIME]

sometimes you get a second chance offer because the winner is a shill.

 

[Presto]

when I read the word "Romania" I immediately sensed something was wrong.

That was my feeling as well. You'd think a scammer would be smart enuf to not include that info. But you know what they say about criminals.

 

[Presto]

Yes, it is a known scam. For future reference, a legitimate second chance offer can be seen in your eBay account, if it is not there and you received just an email then it is scam.

Good info. From now on I will only refer to the Ebay site for second chance offers.

 

[Presto]

sometimes you get a second chance offer because the winner is a shill.

Yes, I believe shills are a major concern for all involved on Ebay

 

[Dr.Pepper]

I'm not sure how to respond to this topic. Of course it's a scam. You think Apple has this big market to selling ipods to Romania? This is the same thing as the guy who pulls up in a white van in a parking lot and offers a "deep discount" on some incredible speakers.

No offense Presto - but you need to refine your "scam" senses. This is as blatent as they come. You are the type of person these scammers absolutely feed off of. You need to try and eliminate that little voice inside of you that says, "Maybe this is legit?". It just takes one mistake.

Also use google to your hearts content. Search for things like, "How do I know if this is an ebay scam". "ebay scams", "2nd chance bidding scams", etc. Knowledge is power!