h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This scam has only recently appeared. You have bid on an item, but it has sold to someone else. Then you receive an email saying that the highest bidder has pulled out; you were the next highest bidder, so if you send payment to XXX you will get the goods. The e-mail has come from a scammer - not the original vendor. If you pay, you'll receive nothing.

It is perfectly legitimate for the original vendor to offer "second chances" if the original buyer pulls out. If you get such an email, it's up to you to verify who sent it, and whether you want to proceed.

I got one of those emails after a successful, flawless auction where I bought a new laptop. However, seeing as I noticed it didn't come from the original buyer I ignored it. I got a couple more, deleted them too and never heard anything else

I've bought several items as "second chance" offers and they have all arrived fine. To be certain that the item is a genuine eBay offer; you must check that the is actually lodged within eBay. First go to the eBay site and logon as normal, then type in the item number. If it's a genuine eBay item it will show. If you want it, buy it there through eBay.

Most "second chance" offers are actually where the seller has more than one of an item and they want to get the best price for it, so they don't advertise that they have more than one. That way you get good bidding on the one item and they get to offer to the second highest bidders.