SCAM ARTIST. HE STOLE MY KIDS MONEY, AND NEVER SENT THE TOY!!!

[merri-chru]

SCAM ARTIST

NEVER SENT IT AND RIPPED MY KID OFF!!!!

[femmefan1946]

So your kid bought something from China.

The item did not arrive.

Did the kid, or you, contact the seller for the date of shipping and tracking number? It takes up to 30 days for items to arrive from Asia.

Did the seller then apologize and offer to send a replacement? This is unfortunately a common scam mostly from Asia. Nothing was sent in the first place nor will any replacement be sent. The seller leads the naive buyer on until the deadline for eBay's Resolution Centre has passed.

So.

Instead of screaming, let's try to get the kid's money back. This is a learning opportunity for him, so get him involved.

When was the purchase made?

EBay has been changing the deadlines, making them longer, for Disputes, Claims and Resolutions. I'm going to work with the long-stranding 45 days, but some Disputes can be as late as 180 days after purchase.

Go to the Resolution Centre at the bottom of this page.

Choose "I have not received my item"

You will be told to contact the seller. If you have already done that, go to step two.

If you have not, contact him.

a) He apologizes and refunds you. Problem solved. Leave positive feedback.

b)He apolgizes and promises a replacement. Probably a scam, Go to step two.

c) He does not respond go to step two.

Step two upgrades the Dispute to a Claim

a) He apologizes and refunds you. Problem solved. Leave positive feedback.

b)He apolgizes and promises a replacement. Probably a scam, refuese 'replacement' and ask for immediate refund.

c) He does not respond/ refund. Paypal refunds you and goes after him for their money. Your problem is solved.

[femmefan1946]

Now here are the things your child can learn from the experience.

Not everything you see and hear are true.

But you have to understand exactly what you are seeing and hearing.

For example, if your child used a mobile to order and pay, he did not see the entire listing. Look at the listing again on a desktop or laptop. Use the Public Library computers if you don't have one at home. (School ones probably block eBay.)

Specifically for eBay, feedback and Detailed Seller Ratings are a measure of trust.

98% positive feedback is very poor, especially for a seller with thousands of feedback comments. Most people are satisfied with their purchases.

Read the negative and neutral comments. Is there a pattern? Seeing many 'Not Received' comments would be a red flag.

We are not allowed to 'name and shame' other members. The moderators will probably take the seller's name out of the title here. Discuss why this could be a good thing. (Hint: sometimes people make inaccurate statements, especially when angry).

There are systems in place to protect buyers (and sellers) from scammers. It is important to trust people, but it is also important to recognize potential problems.

And, finally, (yes, I do occasionally shut up) ALL CAPS online is considered shouting and very rude. It is also hard to read.