I saw a bunch of denim jackets (with size options on the listings, usually indicating significant stock on hand, not just someone selling a couple used items) in four or five styles from a manufacturer I'm interested in show up on eBay at a bit under half retail price a couple months back. Big discount, but not suspiciously low for overstock or maybe someone selling seconds and lying about them not having defects. From what I can tell, some of these brands that rarely have sales at all and never steep ones either sell would-be steep-sale material directly on ebay (without publicizing it) or wholesale it in lots to people who turn around and put it on ebay, so a bunch of new stock for one brand showing up from a single seller all at once isn't that weird.

So I bought one.

About a week and a half passes, and no update on ebay regarding the shipping. I've had this happen once or twice before and the thing just eventually shows up, so I'm not too worried, but I am approaching the point of being worried.

Around that time, the seller sends me a message that their... warehouse burned down. So I should cancel the order because they can't fulfill it.

WTF.

I am like 95% sure this was some kind of scam or hustle from the beginning, but I haven't been able to figure out how. I got my money back. What gives? Maybe... some kind of drop-shipping thing that fell through, or they got a line on some counterfeits or "fell off a truck" stock but with limited info on what was actually in the batch, and weren't able to fulfill all the orders they took? I remain puzzled.