ebay story

Thought I'd share this, just to provide some more anecdotal evidence for what can happen on ebay:

I purchased an el cheapo wireless keyboard from a seller in China a while back. After a lengthy transit time it arrives without the wireless dongle that plugs in to USB port on my PC. I send a message to the seller, get no response. Another message, no response. Then I open a case with ebay. At that point the seller responds. I request a refund; he offers to send the dongle; I accept.

A fair amount of time has now passed, and I get a phone call from ebay saying that if the case is not settled, or I don't escalate it, they will close it and I am basically out of options. So I escalate it, with a note saying I think the item is still in transit, but that I am simply escalating the case to cover myself in case nothing ever arrives.

Twelve hours later the case is closed in my favor with a full refund. I still have the keyboard, and I'm guessing the dongle will show up some time. This is a $20 item, so who really cares, but I was still a bit shocked at how quickly ebay sided with me despite me basically requesting that they give it some time for the item to arrive.

As always, the message with regard to ebay transactions seems to be "seller beware!".

I find sellers often state the condition of the item that doesn't match what I get. I bought a B+W CPL there a week ago that described as excellent. I asked the seller if there were any imperfections in the glass and was told no, it is perfect. Filter arrives and its obviously not perfect, has staining around the edge that extends about 2mm into the filter.
I'll keep it, returning it would be more trouble than its worth and I think it will work fine for the limited use I plan for it. I'll skip the feedback crap too...I'm going to stop shopping there.

rick_reno wrote in post #15418822
I'll skip the feedback crap too...I'm going to stop shopping there.

I think you should leave a negative at least to warn others of that seller's behaviour.

Hopefully if the dongle arrives you will send the seller the payment again. This is one problem buying items overseas, the time frames don't fit the eBay/PayPal time limits.

In my experience ebay tends to side with the buyer, even when it is not the seller's fault.

I once sold a cell phone on ebay. The guy got it and claimed when he tried to activated it that the IMEI was reported stolen. Paypal immediately deducted the amount from my account. I called up Verizon who the phone was locked to (stated in auction) and conferenced in eBay. Verizon verified the IMEI was NOT reported stolen and was valid. Ebay tried contacting the buyer. Other than the initial 'this is stolen' report, he never responded to any attempts by ebay to contact him, so a month and a half later they finally sided with me and returned the funds to my paypal account.

Needless to say I'm hesitant to sell on ebay any more. This was my first and only problem with them after a couple hundred transactions, but it was such a pain in the rear that I don't think I want to run the chance of having a problem with them again.

Yeah, multiple issues with ebay from a seller perspective. But as a buyer, have at it! They'll be behind you 99% of the time.

Here's another story, similar, but I left ebay out of it.

A few months ago a bought an el-cheap accessory something or other (can't even remember what it was, maybe a flash umbrella holder) from China. After a little over a month, I let the seller know I hadn't received it, and if they could resend it. About a week and a half later, I get one, and then 2 days later, I get another. So I email the seller, saying that I would like to pay for the second one, and could they please invoice me.

Next day, I had a refund for the original purchase. I gave up after that...

Any transaction that involves, or has the possibility to involve, any form of a credit card, will heavily favor the buyer in a dispute. Whether its Ebay, Paypal, or even buying from a merchant... the credit card companies have contracts throughout these networks that allow them to do chargebacks to the seller, with the seller eating the loss. If the sellers get too many chargebacks, they lose their contract. Whether you are an individual seller or a business, you are in the role of seller as defined in those contracts and thus you are going to ultimately eat the loss in a dispute in most cases. This is a cost of doing business, just like brick and mortar companies factor in an element of loss to shoplifting... same kind of deal. It has been this way as long as their have been credit cards, yet it seems that people are surprised buy it.

(Its also a big reason why as a buyer you should NEVER fall for the "Paypal Gift" approach that so many play to game the system.... by doing so you give up ALL rights in any dispute and are purely at the mercy of the seller as to whether they want to give you what you supposedly bought.)

Ebay is obviously going to favor a us buyer over Chinese merchant's. You can bet the seller's aren't losing money either. We get taxed higher rates so they can import for mere pennies. They pay lesser fees then other Ebay sellers and have every advantage over other merchant's.

mpix345 wrote in post #15418769
I was still a bit shocked at how quickly ebay sided with me despite me basically requesting that they give it some time for the item to arrive.

It's actually a standard procedure for paypal/ebay to side with the buyer (or whoever gave the money) because if they don't, the buyer can just dispute the charge with their bank/credit card company and it'll essentially become ebay vs. credit card company.

Only way for any merchant to "win" any such dispute is if the merchant has your signature signing off on the amount of the transaction.

I had an issue from something I purchased on ebay in china. It never came to me, it was no issue really though. Just contacted the seller a few times. He did not resolve so I opened ticket with Ebay. Month later I got my money back. That is not a hassle to me. Part of business. Ordered again from same seller and got the item.

K6AZ wrote in post #15419042
Hopefully if the dongle arrives you will send the seller the payment again. This is one problem buying items overseas, the time frames don't fit the eBay/PayPal time limits.

That's my plan. If/when it arrives.

Good point on the time limits. It seems we (in the US) can scam overseas sellers without even trying.

When buying from a Chinese seller make sure to get one that says ePacket delivery, that one will come with a LKXXXXX tracking number and will track all the way until it gets to you. I've ordered at least 100 items with only 1 item lost.

and ePacket is pretty fast, I've gotten items in as little as 6 days and that includes customs time. The regular time is around 10 days. I think that's ridiculously fast compared to amazon's super saver crap where they take 2 weeks just to process an order.

I have worse story.

I buy an item without looking at seller's "Feedback" because I was looking at last minute list.
Hurry I am the winner, that is at a low price so seems like a good job done.

Seller (A local garden variety MidWest resident) contacts me by ebay email after one week, saying he is sorry. Item was sold locally on CL and he wants me to understand. I reply its OK with me, refund me. That is I know the CL is just story to cover a possible better sell.

To make long story short, He refrain to pay my money back.
No response to emails or 2 weeks to just say he doesn't know how to send it. Through little reply he provide, he claim, he doesn't know how to refund me on line... Then won't answer any email.

I open a case against him with Paypal.
I inform email about wrong doing and also after checking his past feedbacks, there is an exact same situation when someone won an item from him but he claim Not to have it because he sold it locally. Then he never refund him.
If you are familiar for ebay to take any action, certain amount of considerable time should pass.

Finally after a sore experience, paypal refund me. Even then I have to wait several days before money becomes available to me.
Two weeks after I have got the money from paypal I receive an email from him, saying ebay is not allowing him to pay me and he is sorry... What the heck he is talking?
I leave a thread concerning this practice on "Ebay Community". May be they think this has some tranquil effect if few members say they are sorry too.

I leave a Negative feedback for him. This is his 3rd Negative feedback and though his feedback is in 80% range, he has sold only 3 items, all positive FBs are from what he bought. Anyone surprised?

I do follow his course. The same item he sold to me is again for sale.
Funny enough item is sold even cheaper than what I paid him.
Again no surprise another Negative feedback on ebay for him as he is not sending that same item for the next winner...

To this day, the guy is active on ebay.

I just don't get it. Is ebay gone crazy or its to their benefit just to pay the unhappy buyer and look more in very high commissions they get from mostly descent sellers and stay in their successful business.

Moral of story:
1- You can make a lot of money running an scam on ebay. Ebay doesn't care as long as they get their sale commission.
2- If you really want a decent item at decent price, look at many alternatives such as Amazon (That is items only sold by Amazon itself not 3rd party) or very many reputable sellers you know through word of mouth from your friends.

Sirrith wrote in post #15419022
I think you should leave a negative at least to warn others of that seller's behaviour.

Tom, this kept bothering me so i opened a case with ebay. Seller doesn't take returns, so i'm not sure what Ebay will do. I read the description again and again, and that "excellent" and "no defects in the glass" was misrepresenting the filter condition. I don't do that when I sell something, and I don't like it when someone does it to me.

rick_reno wrote in post #15433042
Tom, this kept bothering me so i opened a case with ebay. Seller doesn't take returns, so i'm not sure what Ebay will do. I read the description again and again, and that "excellent" and "no defects in the glass" was misrepresenting the filter condition. I don't do that when I sell something, and I don't like it when someone does it to me.

eBay will most likely side with you, as they should. I wouldn't like it either, its happened to me before.