So this listing is obviously too good to be true, but how exactly does the scam work? Link to listing
The price is way too low, and the seller has no feedback. But doesn’t eBay protect buyers? If they don’t send the drone, wouldn’t I just get my money back? How do they actually pull off the scam?
The same way scams always work. You give them money, they take your money. The end.
Adrian said:
The same way scams always work. You give them money, they take your money. The end.
But doesn’t eBay protect buyers? Are drones not covered under that?
Adrian said:
The same way scams always work. You give them money, they take your money. The end.
But doesn’t eBay protect buyers? Are drones not covered under that?
You’re not necessarily the one being scammed.
Adrian said:
The same way scams always work. You give them money, they take your money. The end.
But doesn’t eBay protect buyers? Are drones not covered under that?
eBay buyer protection doesn’t help you once the item is marked as delivered. It’s your word against the seller’s. Why should eBay believe you got an empty box instead of a drone?
@Ollie
Exactly. FedEx delivers an empty box, and eBay sees that as a completed transaction. That’s why I always record myself opening expensive packages.
Jaden said:
@Ollie
Exactly. FedEx delivers an empty box, and eBay sees that as a completed transaction. That’s why I always record myself opening expensive packages.
I don’t think that would actually prove anything. What’s stopping someone from opening the box, taking the item out, sealing it back up, and then making a video?
@Noor
Yeah, I’ve thought about that too. I guess it’s better than nothing? Honestly, the only secure way would be to open it at a post office or UPS store with cameras watching.
Jaden said:
@Noor
Yeah, I’ve thought about that too. I guess it’s better than nothing? Honestly, the only secure way would be to open it at a post office or UPS store with cameras watching.
You could get a P.O. Box and have expensive packages delivered there. That way, if tracking says it was delivered but you never got it, security cameras could prove it.
Jaden said:
@Noor
Yeah, I’ve thought about that too. I guess it’s better than nothing? Honestly, the only secure way would be to open it at a post office or UPS store with cameras watching.
Just don’t sign an NDA while you do it, or you can’t even tell them you got scammed! 
Adrian said:
The same way scams always work. You give them money, they take your money. The end.
But doesn’t eBay protect buyers? Are drones not covered under that?
The seller gets paid, immediately withdraws the money, and closes their account. Even if eBay rules in your favor, the money is gone. Sometimes eBay eats the cost and refunds you, but the scammer still walks away with your cash.
First red flag: zero feedback seller. That’s really all you need to know.
Just buy it and let us know what happens! 
There are tons of scams on eBay. I once bought a camera that was an amazing deal. The seller never shipped it, but somehow the tracking said it was ‘delivered.’ Took forever to get my money back, and only my credit card company helped—not eBay, not FedEx. Not worth the risk.
Scammers sometimes use real tracking numbers, but for a different package going somewhere else. eBay just sees ‘delivered’ and denies your claim. It’s hard to prove because shipping companies won’t release tracking info easily.
Here’s a good video explaining this scam: Linus Tech Tips - eBay GPU Scam
@Noor
I was about to post the same video! Super helpful.
BrianCopland said:
@Noor
I was about to post the same video! Super helpful.
Yeah, I never realized how easy it is for scammers to manipulate tracking numbers. Now I only buy from sellers with good reviews and accounts older than six months.
It’s eBay. That’s the scam.
You’ll get a brick inside a box with a picture of the drone taped to it.
eBay is slow to refund money when you’re scammed. If I were a scammer, I’d be sitting on millions of dollars collecting interest before eBay catches up. They don’t take down obvious scam listings, either.