What would you do in this situation?

What would you do in this situation? (this is a long one)

You want to buy an expensive photo editing software. The manufacturer no longer sells it because they are now selling a newer version.

You do a search on the internet and that software is selling for $899. OUCH!

You then go to Ebay and find a seller that has a Full Version, new in the box for $199, so you immediately do a Buy It Now and then go to Paypal to pay for it.

Within minutes you receive an email from Ebay telling you that the Listing for that item has been pulled. They advise you to go to Paypal and Reverse the transaction.

You call Ebay and talk to them. They again say to Cancel the transaction through Paypal.

You email the seller 3 times in the next day and a half with Zero Return communication. So, send one last email to him telling him that he has 24 hours to call you and you give him your phone number.

24 hours comes and goes without a phone call from the seller. So, you call Paypal and tell them what Ebay has said to you.

Paypal does some immediate checking and they tell me that they are Reversing the Payment. Which they did immediately.

In the next 2 days you receive emails from the company that was listed as the Payee on Paypal saying that they have no idea who You are and that they do not have anything listed on Ebay!

The very next afternoon there is a package on your door step from the company that has just told you they do not know you. Inside the package is that $199 software.

You again make phone calls to Ebay and Paypal. They are at a loss for words. They have never run into a problem like this. So they tell you that they are sending you the seller’s contact information.

When you get the information that they have on file you immediately call the phone number listed and find that the number is disconnected! So you call Directory Assistance for the state where the buyer is. Directory Assistance has ZERO Listings for a company by that name.

Next you do a Mapquest search for the address on the box and it shows a vacant, but wooded lot.

So, Yet Another call to ebay! This time you talk to 4 different people and have them all scratching their heads in dismay. You tell them all about the bad phone number and what Mapquest has found.

You are trying to do the Honest Think, but it is like trying to go up stream in flooding waters without the aid of a set of oars or a motor.

Ebay tells you To NOT Ship the item back until they get to the bottom of the situation. They also state that I should continue to contact the seller. Then they tell you to tell that seller to Contact Ebay and Paypal Immediately to Update his Information!

The nice Lady at Ebay also tells you that You are Not Responsible for the shipping charges back to the Seller. He will Have to Pay You to Ship it!

Now, as the stomach churns: you get an email from the seller asking what is your concerns about the transaction? So, you email back to him that he needs to call you immediately.

He then says that he has been out of town, so he will ship you the item the very next day. You respond immediately saying NO! Do Not Ship the new package! You already have the item and that is where the problem is!

He responds with “I am so busy I can’t call you, so you please call him”. Which, you do.
As you are trying to tell him about the mess up he gets abrupt with you and quite Arrogant. He says that he does not have the time to listen to your concerns.

That is when you get ticked off and tell him that you have the software and that you are trying to return it to the rightful owner. He then tells you that software is Non-Returnable!

Now you are really ticked off and tell him, “hey, listen! I cancelled the Paypal Payment! I have your Program for Free! He immediately changes tune and says “well, send it back to me!”

You tell him you will as soon as he updates his contact information with Ebay and Paypal then sends you the money via Paypal for the shipping, Insurance, Registered mail with Delivery Confirmation, Return Receipt Requested charges, plus the Paypal charges.

He tries to argue with you, so you hang up and call Ebay. This time you talk to 3 more people. They all say the same thing. The Seller has to Pay for the return! They also commend you for trying so hard to be honest!

As you are talking to Ebay on the phone you check out the seller’s pages and find he has listed 2 more software packages that are identical to the troublesome listing that ebay pulled previously. So, (being spiteful) you mention this to the person at Ebay. That person says “Hmmmm! He does have that item listed again, doesn’t he?
In less than ½ hour you check his listings again and the software is not listed for sale anymore! Ebay Pulled the Transactions again!

You have now sent yet another email to that seller that states:

Sir,
I have again contacted Ebay about this transaction. They have advised me to NOT Ship the item back to you until you go to their site and Paypal to update all your information.
They also told me that they will email me with Current Shipping Information as to where to send this item.

Also, be advised that they have told me that YOU will Pay the Return Shipping Costs, plus the Paypal Fees!

It is my feelings that you should be more than happy that I am an Honest Buyer that has bent over backwards to Protect your interests by making sure that you get your product back. I could have been Dishonest and just kept my mouth shut. Especially last night when you said that you were shipping the product to me today! I easily could have had two free software programs and you would have been stuck!

The way I am feeling right now is that I should have just been dishonest. I personally feel that I have Earned this software due to all the phone calls to Ebay, Paypal and you; not to mention all the emails I have sent out to make sure that you are treated Properly!

So, until Ebay and Paypal contact me with verification of the shipping information and you send me payment for the return shipping with Insurance, Delivery Confirmation and Return Receipt Required, Plus Paypal Fees; I will be keeping the Unopened Package.

If I do not hear from you, Ebay and Paypal in a timely manner, I will consider this item a Gift and I will begin using it or I will sell it to someone else!

Sincerely,

Your signature

What would you do in this situation? Did I act appropriately and take all the proper steps to maintain my reputation and Honesty?

Would you feel the same way that I do?

What would you have done differently?

Thanks!

Dick

Hey you tried to be honest. Right now you are in the driver's seat. If he is selling said program for $199, he is probably shady anyway. The ball is in his court to update his info and send you the $$ for return shipping. If he dosen't than that is his loss. You did what you could... Now enjoy your free copy of Photoshop!!

Just wondering...does the software work? or is it just a Ripped hacked jacked copy?

Dandy_1 wrote in post #6668247
Just wondering...does the software work? or is it just a Ripped hacked jacked copy?

I can not answer that because I never even opened the shipping box because I knew it had been shipped to me by mistake.

If the seller decides to not answer my email, I will give him One Month and then I will open the box to look. Then, before I even think of installing the program I will call Adobe and read them the numbers, so I can find out if it is a legitamate copy or not.

If it is a pirated copy I will give Adobe all of the Contact Information I have and I will let them take care of this guy through Legal Channels.

I went to B&H photo and bought a Legal Upgrade Version of the program for my Photoshop 7.0. I paid $4 less than I tried to pay the Ebay seller!

Dick

I commend you on being so honest. I gave up on Paypal and eBay for just the same reasons. And tonight I found in my junkmail an email from Paypal disputing a purchase that I didn't make but that was made by another party and they sent me the email about their transaction. Those two companies are so messed up it's not worth doing business with either of them. Sadly, I used to be a major fan of eBay!

Well, I have now heard from Ebay and The seller. He has updated his information with Ebay, so it is now safe for me to ship it back to him.
He wrote to me and TOLD me to ship the package COD to him! We this old Hick isn't about to settle for that! I wrote back to him and TOLD Him that The Only Way the package would be shipped back to him is by Him PAYING ME Through Paypal!
Then I took the package to the Post Office to get the charges. With Insurance (For $869 in case he says the item isn't in the box, so I would have to buy a new program to replace it), Delivery Confirmation with Signature, Return Receipt, and Tracking Numbers, 3 day Delivery Guaranteed; Plus Paypal's Fees the price comes to $35!
I just finished emailing him what the package is going to cost, so now it is a waiting game to see what he says!

I Plan On Standing Pat and sticking to my guns! He made me mad by being Arrogant and Demanding; so now the shoe is on My foot! I can be One Stubborn, Mule-headed, Obstinate and Cantankerous Old Geezer! (Just ask my wife and kids! )

Dick

While honesty is the best policy, in this case you've gone a bit overboard. Sometimes you're just meant to get stuff, and this is obviously a case of that. Why go through all those gyrations. You didn't steal anything. Just open it and keep the darn thing.

me

Something's really wrong here.

I think you should stop talking to them, consider yourself lucky and move on.

I say that because they really don't want to talk to you, they don't care about money, you have a copy of some software that isn't being sold any longer, whoever sent it to you isn't talking to (or even really affiliated with) the people on the phone.......

Don't you have an odd, uneasy feeling by now?

Let it pass. You got what you wanted cheap, right?

Stop. Something isn't right here.

You're doing all you can to be honest and return the software, and I respect that greatly.

But, the seller is a different story. You're trying to do him a favor. But it seems that he couldn't really care less about the software or the money. And it seems like he is trying to avoid doing anything that involves eBay or Paypal. In fact, despite your apparent kindness, he's being a complete jerk.

Sam's right, this is getting pretty shady.

Here's what I'd do:

1) Open the box. Something tells me that there's a 95% chance there is no software in it.

2) If it's empty, cease all contact with the seller and move on.

3) If there is software in it, I'd consider it a gift. You've done more than anyone can possible expect of you to return it, and the seller doesn't seem to want it back very much. I think that returning it is only going to cause more problems.

Not sure how the law goes in other countries, but I would say you've already done enough in trying to return the goods.
Go on - Open the box and let us know what's inside.(if anything).

I would advice you to just check the box once before you return it(if you do) to make sure there isn't anything illegal in the box and you'd get in trouble for it later.

Wow thats a tale and a half.

I might be tempted (if i was feeling vindictive) to check the serial number with Adobe anyway. If its not legit, let them track the seller and deal with him.

You have bent over backwards to sort this out but he just doesnt seem to want your help. I just wonder if the reason for that is that the software in question is less than legit and he is afraid that you are acting on behalf of Adobe.

I opened the shipping box over the weekend to make sure the software is really in the box (just in case I do send it back to the guy). It is indeed there, so I looked the box over and it sure does look like a legitimate Adobe product. I couldn't call Adobe because they are only open Monday thru Friday.

Yesterday I got an email from the seller telling me that the shipping charges I quoted him are Way too much! He says I can Over Night Express it to him for $17.50. (I could, but that is without Insurance, Delivery Confirmation and all the other things that will safe guard me! )

I am not going to answer his emails until he sends me the amount for shipping that I quoted him. He has 2 more weeks and then the software serial numbers will be checked by Adobe and it will then become mine to do with however I feel!

Dick

grandpawrichard wrote in post #6704402
Yesterday I got an email from the seller telling me that the shipping charges I quoted him are Way too much! He says I can Over Night Express it to him for $17.50. (I could, but that is without Insurance, Delivery Confirmation and all the other things that will safe guard me! )

Hey, if the guy doesn't want to pay $35 to get his $800 software back, then to me that makes it a gift.

Holy cow...I need popcorn for this one...please keep us posted!!