eBay

deansdeals · ‎05-17-2018

I bought three video cards and they turned out to be counterfeit. They are labeled GTX 1060 and even have a BIOS reporting GTX 1060 but if you look at the chip they are GTX 550 Ti (see proof). They also don't work properly with any drivers and are essentially unusable.

I bought the cards separately so I started three returns for "item not as described." On two the seller stalled and I was able to open a case for resolution by eBay which I hope will soon be found in my favour for a refund.

On one the seller accepted the return and "provided RMA" and now I'm expected to ship the item back. The return acceptance notification email (seen here) said if the seller doesn't provide a shipping label within a few days I can ask eBay to step in and help. This appears to be false as I do not have access to a shipping label and no option to escalate to eBay has appeared on the return page after twice the number of days. I really do not want to spend $60+ sending the counterfeit item(s) back to China and still be uncertain if I will receive a refund for the item plus the additional shipping.

As it stands, the seller continues to stall and offer inadequate solutions and their scam appears to have a good chance of succeeding.

Why can't I escalate the accepted return to eBay even though no shipping label has been provided when it's been days beyond the time described in the return acceptance notification email?

Considering the evidence of counterfeiting how can I be sure to get my money back for all three video cards and have the seller punished so they can't do this again?

momcqueen · ‎05-17-2018

Well, you have to leave the punishment to the discretion of ebay, but to address your most immediate concern if the case is not allowing you to escalate for whatever reason, call ebay Customer Service to ask them to escalate for you. Sometimes a seller is unable to provide the shipping label and may have sent you monies to purchase a return label (with tracking) to send it back. Counterfeits are certainly considered Not as Described so you won't have to pay Return postage if you open that case with ebay under the MoneyBack Guarantee.

But if things are not appearing the way you think they should be under the Return Case, your best bet is to call ebay about it. Don't delay.

momcqueen · ‎05-17-2018

And while you're at it, ask them about opening cases for the other two items which I am assuming came from the same seller and you have them also in hand.

Now, it's not fair to tar all sellers from China with the same brush, but you've essentially described the reason that I don't buy goods directly from China anymore. Like you, I had too much trouble too many times with items being not as described for various reasons. After awhile, I decided that saving a few bucks wasn't worth the fuss it created and opted to stick to sellers from Canada, the USA and Europe or Australia. Even with Australia you have to sometimes beware as its proximity to China tempts some Chinese sellers use an Australian front to export their fake goods to make the goods look more legit. But that is a story for another day. And again, it doesn't apply to all sellers from China. Feedback is important.

Speaking of feedback: you might decide to leave feedback that describes your experience for this/these transaction(s). It will serve as a red flag to other buyers.

momcqueen · ‎05-17-2018

Oh, and good luck. Come back if or when you need more direction or better advice.

retroman_studios · ‎05-17-2018

There are certain categories I don't buy from China. These include:

Computers/Storage
Computers/Mainboard
Computers/GPU

Quality control is hit and miss in China so I limit my purchases to things like basic cables (audio) and watch straps etc., Things that can be had for Cheap but for the most part aren't really complicated enough to be faked.

Most of these items are likely from the eWaste stream and have been "refurbished" using dodgey practices then faked. It's more than likely the original owner trashed it because it had a problem. The price is always a giveaway .....most of the time.

deansdeals · ‎05-18-2018

Thanks for the helpful replies. Here's how it ended:

One of the two open cases was accepted for the Money Back Guarantee and I was instructed to destroy the counterfeit item and submit a declaration that I had done so. I received a refund after submitting the declaration.

The other case was given a couple more days before re-evaluation but before the next review the seller gave up and refunded me.

For the accepted return I asked the seller if they were sure they wanted to pay the $60+ CAD shipping back to China and they said I can keep the item and issued a refund.

They had the nerve to ask me to change the negative feedback(s) I left but that's not going to happen as I'm not confident they won't continue to sell counterfeit items. If they want to avoid negative feedback they should sell legitimate products, and people should be made aware of the scam.