What can be done about this guy?

[mapleleaf-collectibles]

Purchased a item and paid $19.97 for postage. The buyer would not upload the tracking number when asked, because he charged me $19.97 but mailed it with a $1.00 stamp. I got the item, but felt kind of ripped off because of what I was overcharged. I tried to give the seller a chance to make it right, but also threatened to leave negative feedback if they did not attempt to make it right.  They said they did not give 2 F's about negative feedback, so they left me a positive feedback that says this. "Beware doucebag scam buyer!!!" Can anything be done about this? or should I just be happy I got my item but got ripped off $18.97? Can I report this seller somehow?

[marnotom!]

Because that would be theft?

[femmefan1946 · Accepted solution]

I can't say either of you come off well in this.

The(seller) would not upload the tracking number

Tracking is a Seller Protection. It has no value to the buyer.

he charged me $19.97 but mailed it with a $1.00 stamp.

But you agreed to the total cost for the item, including shipping.

Because he did not use a tracked service, he opened himself to a false Not Received claim.

felt kind of ripped off ... threatened to leave negative feedback if they did not attempt to make it right.

And besides being very impolite, you opened yourself to a Feedback Extortion defect.

They said they did not give 2 F's about negative feedback,

Also impolite, but accurate enough.

EBay does not use FB to assess member accounts.

left me a positive feedback

False positives can be reported to eBay. They not only will be removed, but the seller may get a Defect for leaving int.

or should I just be happy I got my item but got ripped off $18.97?

You didn't get ripped off.

You received the item in a reasonable time. You have no complaint about the item, and you seem to have felt the total cost (including the shipping charge) was worthwhile.

Both you and the seller are getting your panties in a twist and twisting right into a hole in the ground.

[mapleleaf-collectibles · Accepted solution]

hahaha Panties twisting good one! Sure, I got my item, though poorly packaged, but I paid $19.75 for a service that is supposed to be sent expedited, why should I accept a sub standard shipping method when I paid for a premium service? Also, as a buyer, I enjoy following a tracking number of my items I purchase, so your opinion of it being no use to the buyer is just your own opinion. 

[marnotom! · Accepted solution]

Without being able to see the listing, it’s tough to comment further on this. What was the shipping method stated on the listing page?

[mapleleaf-collectibles · Accepted solution]

Yes, the shipping method was quoted as Expeditied for $19.75, but sent regular mail for a buck.

[marnotom! · Accepted solution]

Expedited Parcel is a parcel service. The item you received was sent by letter post. Completely different animals and can't really be compared in terms of "superiority".

[byto253 · Accepted solution]

He was charged for and paid for a cow and was sent a sheep, different animals to. Would you be happy? If parcel, which is tracked, was advertised and lettermail used, I would lodge a complaint about incorrect listing practices. I would call eBay though. And it does not matter who tracking is for the benefit of, if Expedited Parcel was advertised in order to charge more for shipping and lettermail was used, that is bait and switch. Period. It is the crud that turns off buyers.

[mapleleaf-collectibles · Accepted solution]

Update on this issue: I was able to get the negative positive feedback they left removed. The seller then tried to purchase a item off me on Ebay.com, under a different account name, but with the same shipping address. This was a revenge buy in a attempt to be able to leave me a negative feedback. In the end I cancelled their sale, and I finally blocked both of them from ebay.ca and ebay.com. After a few days I had a change of heart, so I sent them a nice email and asked them to send me a feedback revision request, and I would remove the negative feedback. I have not had a response yet. I have done everything I can to resolve this issue, and I don't know why because I am the one who got burned in the first place.

[needsmorerobots]

As said earlier by femmefan, tracking is more for the seller's protection. But a good seller in my mind will provide the tracking number to the buyer.

You agreed to the amount you paid and you have no grounds to complain to eBay unless the seller specifically stated on the selling page the parcel would be sent with a higher class of delivery or tracked. If they did not, then you have grounds. Considering the message you sent to the seller it made you look like you were extorting him. He can now turn around and use that against you.

Both of you come off looking bad.

I would recommend you contact eBay to have his positive feedback removed and then walk away. Make sure you add this seller to your block list.

In case he reports you, keep your exchanges saved, you may need it.

[mapleleaf-collectibles]

I would recommend you contact eBay to have his positive feedback removed and then walk away. Make sure you add this seller to your block list. Done and Done.

[byto253]

Do check the shipping service that was stated in the listing.  If it said a specific service such as Canada Post parcel and it was sent by letter mail that is concrete misrepresentation that you can make a case on.  If it was just generic like "economy shipping" or said lettermail, there is not much of a case.    

[marnotom!]

In the set of comments following the post by @femmefan1946, it does say that the listing stated "Expedited Parcel" as the shipping method but the item was sent by lettermail. The wrinkle seems to be whether or not this is considered a "downgrade" in shipping. To me, it isn't. The buyer didn't order a Big Mac only to get a regular hamburger instead. Rather, the buyer ordered a Big Mac and got a Whopper instead.

[pjcdn2005]

It's defitely a downgrade in eBay world. There are 4 groups in the shipping choices...economy, standard, expedited and express. Lettermail is considered economy, Expedited parcel is considered expedited.

[marnotom!]

It may fit the definition of "economy" in terms of pricing, but I don't think the delivery standards for domestic Expedited Parcel and domestic lettermail are much different. In fact, my experience has been that except for items mailed within Vancouver Island, lettermail is faster than Regular or Expedited Parcel.

[byto253]

The point is though the buyer bought the item and an expensive shipping method that included tracking. The fact that the cheap way may be as fast is not relevant. It is a bait and switch, selling one thing and providing something different. I hope the buyer kept the envelope and can provide pictures to eBay as the seller did not comply with their commitment.

[marnotom!]

Tracking does differentiate parcel post from lettermail, but tracking is also 98% for the seller’s benefit. Also keep in mind that the item could still have been put into an envelope and mailed as an Expedited Parcel. (I once received a gift card mailed this way 🤷🏻‍♂️)

[pjcdn2005]

It’s doesn’t really matter if you think it is a downgrade, eBay considers an expedited shipping option that is changed to a economy shipping method as being downgraded and allows a buyer to file an item not as described just for that reason. That isn’t all that helpful when the buyer just want a partial shipping refund. IMO they should get one as the item was not sent by the service advertised.  

If the listing had stated that shipping was $10 via lettermail, it's possible the buyer woukd not have made the purchase.  To them expedited shipping at that cost was acceptable, lettermail might not  have been,