eBay

ubid-ikill · ‎07-21-2013

Here is a new experience that I've just had with Ebay?

An item I won did not arrived. I contacted seller who claimed the item was shipped. Enough time was given to item to be sent here on foot. I opened a claim through Buyer Protection requesting a refund and why, and after reviewing my claim, Ebay Customer Support decided not to grant my request for refund stating that I had not paid for the item and that the seller was holding until I did. This was not true. I have proof that I did pay for the item and appealed Ebay's decision. I made it clear that their decision was based on false information and that I did pay for the item. Seller also indicated this. Ebay dismissed my appeal without even looking at the proof I had or obtaining the correct information. Now not only am I out the item but the money I paid for it as well. Ebay's Buyer Protection is a freakin' joke. Their decision was unfair and the fact that they would not accept my proof indicates that they just don't care. Even if they are wrong, they won't change their minds. This is insulting and disgusting and I think whoever made the decision in the first place should be fired. In fact I think their should be a massive shake-up and Ebay starting right in the board room. How can anyone take their Buyer Protection seriously when they say you didn't pay for the item, and won't accept the proof I provided that I did pay for it. Thank you so freakin' much Ebay. This is a brand new experince, being screwed by the seller and Ebay at the same time. What a bunch of losers.

i*m-still-here · ‎07-22-2013

It has nothing to do with risk tolerance.

Shipping to others in your little niche before checks clear is not high risk.

I don't know why I have to keep repeating that over and over :).

You operate in a small niche which does not generalize very well.

reallynicestamps · ‎07-22-2013

I have to agree with "im not here" on this one.

Philately has been a handshake business for many years. But even there, The American Philatelist has a short column of reports in every issue naming collectors (and dealers) who have not completed transactions. (An average of 4to 6 each month from a membership of about 40,000).

Many other fields, numismatics and trading cards among them, are much less trusting, for good reason.

There are too many things about the OPs transaction that would make me unlikely to agree to the transaction

1) $600

2) The bidder does not seem to qualify for, or use credit cards

3) The bidder does not have enough money to pay for a purchase immediately.

4) The cheque is written on a foreign bank

5) There was some mention that the bidder was not concerned when the seller reported the cheque missing.

6) $600.

I might have agreed to take down the listing for three weeks, put up a private auction, accepted an International Postal Money Order when the bidder won her private auction. But allow a three week hiatus before cashing a personal cheque written on a foreign bank?

Nuh -uh.

marnotom! · ‎07-23-2013

@reallynicestamps wrote:

I might have agreed to take down the listing for three weeks, put up a private auction, accepted an International Postal Money Order when the bidder won her private auction. But allow a three week hiatus before cashing a personal cheque written on a foreign bank?
Nuh -uh.

This isn't an eBay sale.

pierrelebel · ‎07-23-2013

Thank you reallynicestamps

Your comments illustrate my point very well.

While you would not accept a personal cheque in the circumstances, your husband would as he has for the last forty years running his successful business.

Different strokes for different folks.

i*m-still-here · ‎07-23-2013

@pierrelebel wrote:
"Are you suggesting that it's good business to send out a $600 item the next day to a stranger I'll never hear from again when paid by US check? "

Not only "suggesting" but in fact stating and recommending it. However, it is not for everyone. Some sellers/merchants may not have the risk tolerance required. It also depends very much - as stated earlier (why do I always have to repeat everything) - on the types of products and customers.

Since "The American Philatelist has a short column of reports in every issue naming collectors (and dealers) who have not completed transactions. " who else would you recommend it to?

I know of no other group that functions like that.

The practice of shipping before checks have cleared is not high risk for you and so you have the luxury of creating the illusion of trust etc.

Who else has that buffer....................... I can think of no one so why recommend it at all?

pierrelebel · ‎07-23-2013

"I can think of no one"

And that my dear is the problem.

There is a big world out there.

pierrelebel · ‎07-23-2013

Try an experiment.

Next month they have the Gift Show in Toronto (nothing to do with stamps).

Go from booth to booth, show interest in an item and ask if you could pay by personal cheque.

Some will say "Sorry, credit/debit cards only" and some will say "Certainly", happy to get a sale and save on bank fees.

There is no right or wrong.

Repeat the experiment as many times as you wish in different industry. The answer will always be the same: some will say no while some will say yes.

i*m-still-here · ‎07-23-2013

Well, then..................since we were of the same mind all I'm just not sure what the point was of posting otherwise.

It only confused the question.

I'm going to ship this item out today.

I emailed the buyer and asked that she verify her address................ again: No response.

Everything about this transaction has had me on my toes from day one.

i*m-still-here · ‎07-23-2013

If you are comparing that to my situation, that is not an apt comparison at all.

A Canadian accepting a personal check from another Canadian is not the same as accepting a personal check from another country.

BIG difference.

Since you are expert in mail order you must know that?????

Checks are a thing of the past for me and so I've forgotten a lot of the details now but decades ago............ before the internet........... I used to buy and sell all over the world and checks came into the picture now and then.

I recall that it was a bad idea to take a post-dated check.

Post dated checks meant that one had agreed to terms and so fraud charges wouldn't apply if the check bounced.

However, Canadians exchanging checks do have protections.................... Not so when you deal in checks over the border.

bb_cool_stuff · ‎07-23-2013

I know of no other group that functions like that.

Plenty of groups like that, just maybe there aren't any you are aware of in your category. I would think there would be plenty, off eBay sites, in your category.

In my category there are two, one of which has a huge membership.

Friendly competitors gave me the Heads Up on these sites.

Much like the forums, these sites are very helpful & great for contacts.

Check them out, if they exist, they are worth your while.

i*m-still-here · ‎07-23-2013

For example?

Not doubting you bb............... but curious to see.

You're saying there are tight knit groups of collectors who post names etc. of problem buyers and sellers.

I am a member of several groups with discussion boards, and I've never seen anyone post names of problem buyers or sellers.

In fact, I think that would be taboo.

Yes, I can trust the few in the group........... but they are very small percentage of the whole so it really means diddly-squat.

bb_cool_stuff · ‎07-23-2013

Tried posting the link first, then just the name & both are a no go, probably because there are links to other selling websites including eBay.

No, never said groups post names of problem buyers or sellers.

Of course that would be taboo since we would need both sides of the story.

Like Pierre mentioned previously " people that have not completed transactions."

I guess one could assume they are problem buyers & sellers, who knows, but that is not mentioned, just that transactions are not completed.

Toolhaus is also mentioned as a tool.

i*m-still-here · ‎07-23-2013

OK...... that's what I thought.

If I published the name of a problem buyer or seller to one of my groups it would likely be removed very quickly and I'd just look stupid.

But...... Philatelists apparently do that.

femme's post :

""Philately has been a handshake business for many years. But even there, The American Philatelist has a short column of reports in every issue naming collectors (and dealers) who have not completed transactions. (An average of 4to 6 each month from a membership of about 40,000).

Many other fields, numismatics and trading cards among them, are much less trusting, for good reason...........

I know of no other groups like that.

My check was a US post-dated check. Way beyond my risk tolerance but others apparently would be fine with it.

Even a Canadian post-dated check is a special case.

I know.

I learned the hard way.

Why anyone would ship before a US post dated check cleared or suggest that anyone do so makes no sense to me even for a smaller amount.

Currently dated Canadian checks are lower risk and we do have protections.

Just totally confused by some of the posts above.

pierrelebel · ‎07-23-2013

"Just totally confused...."

Sorry, there is nothing I can do about that.

i*m-still-here · ‎07-23-2013

@pierrelebel wrote:
"Just totally confused...."

Sorry, there is nothing I can do about that.

Trust Me: I'm aware of that.

I'm pretty sure that if there was some way to explain your posts you would have done so by now.

Good luck with that.

marnotom! · ‎07-23-2013

@i*m-still-here wrote:
@pierrelebel wrote:
"Just totally confused...."

Sorry, there is nothing I can do about that.
Trust Me: I'm aware of that.

I'm pretty sure that if there was some way to explain your posts you would have done so by now.

Good luck with that.

Pierre's posts and reasoning seem pretty sound to me. Perhaps you simply missed a small point or two that changed their entire meaning for you?

i*m-still-here · ‎07-23-2013

No............. I didn't miss anything.

He was posting abou buying and selling stamps.

I wasn't.

ubid-ikill · ‎07-23-2013

Just to make the matter clear to some of you people, I don't normally pay for things on Ebay by any other method accept PayPal. The seller in this case does not accept PayPal and he listed several other methods of payment including money order. I thought it rather odd that Ebay allowed his auction to be posted because Ebay insists that all transactions be done through PayPal. Obviously the seller did not want to use PayPal because of the excessive fees charges by both entities. I can understood that so I chose the money order way. The point is, when the seller made a non-payment claim against me, Ebay accepted it. But when the seller admitted he made a mistake and dropped the claim because I had paid for this item, Ebay refused to acknowledge this and used this against me. That to me is grossly negligent and possibly even fraudulent. Bottom line here EBAY DID SCREW ME by rejecting my appeal of their decision and that leaves me without the item and without my money. Ebay should never have allowed the seller to post the item in the first place so they MUST share part of the responsibility here.