Fraudulent Sellers

[frenchtoast1974]

Hi folks,

I purchased a $300 dress from a seller who provided me with a fake tracking number and I obviously didn't receive the item. The seller is . Take note. Since my purchase, multiple other buyers have left feedback indicating the same issue. I have filed a complaint with Paypal hoping to get my money back since this was not a small purchase.

My question here is what does EBay do to sellers who have been proven to be fraudulent? Do they just get a slap on the wrist? Get their account suspended? or are they liable for criminal prosecution? This is THEFT pure and simple. EBay just seems to defer this to PayPal. I want to know what happens to this seller, and I believe I have the right to know.

Frenchtoast1974

[karl*katz]

With 64.7% feedback this member will get the boot shortly.

[theafkgamer]

Agreed with Karl. He'll be gone soon.

[femmefan1946]

Did you open an Item Not Received dispute within 45 days of purchase?

If you did, you got your money back, the seller got a black mark and as noted, he will soon be gone.

If you did not, you are part of the problem. Caveat emptor.

You can, if the 45 day deadline has expired, go to the credit card you actually used to pay (Paypal is just the mediator, keeping your financial information private) and start a chargeback. You will need dates, transaction numbers and payment amounts for the clerk to process the refund.

[jellybean1977]

The biggest problem I find with fraudulent sellers is that by the time you get your item from far-away countries (ie China) 45 days have usually elapsed! I purchase jewelry for my jewelry business. You get the item, it LOOKS fine. But a week or two later the item that was listed as genuine blue topaz and 14K gold filled, turns out to be glass and a cheap gold coating. THEN, the idiot seller has the audacity to say "You got it for $4.50! What do you expect?!"

WELL, I EXPECT the item they described. What I expect is for the seller to NOT MISREPRESENT the items he sells. Ebay knows full well this goes on and on and on and on and does nothing. They make it as difficult as possible to get resolution (knowing as they do that it often takes more than 45 days to get items from China). Meanwhile, the seller goes merrily along continuing to sell his "gold filled" jewelry to customers who are buying in good faith. There are other places to buy online... more of us are going that way.

[dmil8030]

<<My question here is what does EBay do to sellers who have been proven to be fraudulent?>>

Hello 'frenchtoast',

The answer to that depends very much on how one defines 'proven'. 

Have you seen this link that explains what to do when an item does not show up:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/buy/item-not-received.html

There is a link to the Resolution Center at the bottom you can use, that is, if you still have

time.  

If you paid with a credit card perhaps the chargeback route is still an option.  You call the

1-800 number on the back of your card to inquire about that.

Whilst the seller you speak of still has listings up at the moment, I can't imagine her selling

any more dresses.  After all, based on her feedback it appears she simply offers dresses for

sale but doesn't actually send any.

 <<EBay just seems to defer this to PayPal.>>

Yes, but that's because they are basically one and the same.  Ebay owns paypal, so it's like

different wings of the same corporate building.

<<I want to know what happens to this seller>>

Well, she's in your feedback, which is a permanent record, so as you go about your own life

you can from time to time check to see if she finally became "Not a registered user".

In her case that would likely mean she got removed by ebay, although there are lots of times

when people sell off the junk from grannie's attick and then leave voluntarily.

Either way, I hope you get your money back. 

Good luck.

[dmil8030]

'jellybean1977' wrote:

<<...by the time you get your item from far-away countries (ie China) 45 days have usually elapsed>>

You're right, and it seems you are smart enough to know that mail order items can take a long time,

that is, if one is realistic about delivery times.

So what I'd suggest you do is make the perfunctory inquiry with the seller around about day 40.

You will likely get a lot of sweet talk, and as you have a sufficiently high feedback the item probably

really is on its way.

You can then explain to the seller how you regret having to open a claim but assure her you will close it

the moment the item arrives.  And open your claim on day 43.

You've seen this link, of course:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/buy/item-not-received.html

<< I EXPECT the item they described>>

And you didn't receive it, did you. 

As you know, you can change the "not received" dispute to one of "not as described".  You are quite

correct that the continued practice of misrepresenting items is deplorable.  If someone offers real gold

in the listing, and you get it for $4.50, it's not much of a salve to be told you should not have expected

real gold for $4.50.

Otherwise, I can only suggest that you accept the basic axiom that most everything to come out of

that country is rubbish, and you avoid them completely.  Or at least accept that you will truly be

'getting what you paid for', and not what you ordered.

In future, if need be, have your dispute underway by day 43 (to be safe), and close it when the

item arrives, or switch to 'not as described' if you wish.  If a refunded item finally arrives, you can

always repay the seller, -- and that way sleep with a clear conscience.

Good luck. 

[frenchtoast1974]

As indicated in my original post, I opened a dispute against the seller within the required timeframe. To be honest, after this experience, I will temper my future ebay purchases as I feel this system favours the sellers.

[femmefan1946]

Every time a seller loses an Item Not As Described or an Item Not Received dispute he gets a violation on his selling record. And eventually his ability to list and sell will be restricted, or ended.

But really, what did you expect for $4.50? Even with the normal high markups for jewellry, it seems unlikely that anyone can sell real topaz and real silver at that price. China is a low WAGE country. But they are buying raw materials on the same market as Canadians.

I think you are mostly embarrassed that your greed overcame your common sense.

There is a Buyer Protection Program in place from eBay and from Paypal. As mentioned there is another system in place with for credit card users.

If you want to get your supplies from overseas within the parameters of the Buyer Protection Program, you must be ready to pay for the higher cost of air mail shipment. Planes arrive hourly from China in Vancouver. There need be no delay with Air Mail.

And when you count in all the time you waste waiting for unusable products and disputing the transaction, the low price doesn't seem so cheap anymore.

[2011limey1]

I feel for you, it sounds like you just saw the feedback after purchasing??  But when purchasing it couldn't have been much more than  64.7% feedback.  Feedback is the very first thing I look at and if no good, I don't even look further.

[fashionnista36]

Hi there,

I was conned by the same seller and was wondering the exact same as you. How is her seller account even still active? I did file a case and claim; luckily my purchase was covered by buyer protection and received a refund. I do not believe the refund came from her.

[fashionnista36]

seller went from 100 to 60 ish percent quickly as everyone posted feedback about the same time.

[femmefan1946]

It can happen very quickly, especially if the account was hijacked.

The feedback is only the most obvious signal. Item Not Received claims are a little faster, since after 30 days a buyer is likely to start one.

But with feedback many naive buyers will wait the whole 60 days to the feedback deadline before complaining and never realize a Dispute would get a refund.

Both of you know now to go to your credit card, the one you actually paid from through Paypal, and ask for a chargeback, right? The cards have longer deadlines.

[fashionnista36]

I no newbie to Ebay so I filed the complaint on time and was refunded under Buyer's protection. Paypal is the only way I pay - seller is a fraud! Her account is still active even though she is now about 54 percent for feedback!

[foreverlouis]

"Did you open an Item Not Received dispute within 45 days of purchase?"

For myself, I tried to open complaints on two items, one bought on on Ebay Australia and one on Ebay Canada. You cannot go through Ebay on those, only on items you buy on ebay.com. IT IS A NIGHTMARE.

They force you into paypal. Where the "report" function has not worked for me for two days. On any item. And paypal refuses to email back on why it does not work. Makes me sad.

[faircrochet]

---

@fashionnista36 wrote:

seller went from 100 to 60 ish percent quickly as everyone posted feedback about the same time.

---

This doesn't help anyone who paid money and sits waiting for their dresses, but it's possible that something happened to the seller.  Remember the girl who was trying to clear the name of her deceased father? People freaked out when he stopped selling and left feedback calling him a fraud and a thief - but he was dead.  This seller could be in the hospital, or dealing with a natural disaster.  File your item not received claim, through ebay or paypal or your credit card - I hope you get your money back and their account will eventually be closed. But not all people who stop shipping suddenly are fraudulent.

[steve200030]

Hello.  I got scammed.  The seller plays the system well.  1.  Tell you the item will take a long time to ship.  2.  Send cheap junk that worth pennies instead of item ordered.  3.  When contacted, seller agrees to send correct item.  4.  Item never arrived, time expired for Ebay protection.  I wonder if Ebay is in bed with the seller. He stole my money and I can not touch him.  Shame!

[reallynicestamps]

Some would call this a learning experience. I hate those.

1. Surface shipping from Asia does take a long time. Be willing to pay for Air Mail, which is just as quick as shipping from Europe or North America.

Never forget the 45 day deadline for filing disputes.

2. This needs an Item Not As Described dispute.

3. Never agree to a replacement. This has recently become a common Asian *scam. The item may never arrive, or arrive late, or be Not As Described and no better than the original. The only satisfactory response is a full refund.

4. See Air Mail above.

OR

Since PP only mediates your credit card payment, go to the 1-800 number on the back of your card and ask Customer Service about a chargeback.

Have all your dates, payments, transaction numbers,etc. handy for the clerk to process your refund.

Cards have longer deadlines than eBay/PP, but they do have deadlines. Act promptly.

*In fairness, most Asian sellers are as honest as any others. But the cost of return and the lack of Rule of Law in China makes it easy for Chinese sellers to go to the dark side.

[fashionnista36]

She is an irresponsible young lady who just dropped the bomb on a lot of people; she was able to communicate until delivery day. She messed up by bragging on social media - when you take someone's money for a product - you take on the responsibility to said customer. There are no excuses! Also - as in my post, I was refunded.