New Titanic Lego Way Over Priced!!

[mpit7628]

Hey everyone.  It's  been ages since I have been on here.  I just wanted to express my frustration on a recent eBay purchase.  Everyone has noticed the hype with the release of the new Titanic Lego set.  For all us Lego lovers this was highly anticipated.  Too bad that Lego wasn't prepared for the demand for it.  It is sold out everywhere except eBay where all the scalpers are selling it well over the actual price of $629.00 U.S.  It is being sold for over $!000.00 and then theres the shipping.  Some sellers are asking over $300.00 for shipping.  Nuts!!!  

         Back on October 26th I found a seller who had sold 23 sets at just $20.00 over the actual price.  I ended up purchasing the last one.  The sale was a presale since the Lego wasn't to be released until November 8th.  I noticed on the 27th that the seller had already downloaded shipping information through Fed Ex.  I messaged them about this since I was wondering why the shipping info since the Lego hadn't been released as of yet.  They stated this was they way they had to do it.  The 8th comes and goes and nothing from the seller.  I then check their profile page, they did have positive feedback numbers but private feedback which I had never seen  before.  The pictures on their profile page were another thing which I reported to eBay.  Pornographic pictures of male private parts.  Pretty bad!!  I messaged the seller again  to find out what was going on and no response.  I messaged again a few days later and no response.  They were very quick to respond after my first message but nothing since.  eBay is involved now and have given the seller until the 17th to respond but I started this case against them days ago and they are silent!  They supposively sold 24 sets at over $1000.00 each  and also the shipping.  Certainly adds up doesn't it.   If this seller has ripped off 23 buyers, one buyer bought two, they should be charged or something.  It seems scammers know how to get us all.  All the research in the world and we still fall victim to them and eBay has plenty of them.  With all this going on then many of my messages have disappeared including the first one from this seller.   Go figure!  Have a good one everyone!

[mrdutch1001]

and you are whining about this because you don't like that this item is selling at prices that others are willing to pay?

This is what is called supply & demand>low supply/high demand and the end result is item will sell to whomever is willing to pay the price.

Buyers have choices, YOU had a choice...

This happens year after year with different toys but at this time of year...

Remember the Cabbage Patch craze decades ago?

well things haven't changed ...

and it is not scamming. It's business.It's about the product: Supply & Demand

[femmefan1946]

"I don't want to pay this much for my toys."

Fixed that for you.

[femmefan1946]

Now the real problem.

On Oct 26th, you purchased a "pre-sale" Lego set for $649.00? Plus shipping I would guess.

The seller uploaded shipping information on Oct. 27th.

The set was not to be released until November 8th.

Youchecked the seller's account and it had gone private (which means he had stopped selling) and included pornographic images, which you Reported.

You messaged the seller a few days later. No response.

eBay is involved now and have given the seller until the 17th to respond but I started this case against them days ago and they are silent!

Now what  does this actually mean?

Did you open a formal Item Not Recieved Dispute?

Given the short time between the (apparently false) shipping label and today (19 days including three weekends and a national holiday) I am unclear if you even could.

EBay gave you a window for delivery when the "shipping label" was uploaded.

What is that window?

You can't open a Dispute until the window closes. Then you have 30 days to Dispute.

The date of the 17th works, since members have 96 hours to respond to Disputes.

If the seller cannot prove delivery (not shipping DELIVERY) you will be refunded.

If the other buyers are smart enough to open Disputes, the seller will rack up so many Defects that he will be bounced and gone. Not a Registered User. NARU.

The smart buyers who do open Disputes will be refunded.

The ones who message the scammer seller  won't. The ones who leave angry feedback won't either.

[femmefan1946]

And some notes on avoiding frauds.

Did you look at the scammer's feedback?
Was it current?
It is not unusual for a scammer to hijack an abandoned account. Those accounts would have 100% ratings, but the last FB would be left months even years earlier.

Another red flag would be a member suddenly selling something they had never touched before, like a buyer of children's clothing suddenly selling expensive jewelry or motorcycle parts. Not impossible but unlikely.

And Managed Payments.

Sellers have recently been moved into a new way of being paid.

As a buyer this has no effect on you, but I have had hopes that the difficulty of opening a MP account would lead to fewer of these hijacked scam accounts.

If you can fill in any detail.... it would be appreciated.

However, it may be some consolation that new (and returning/occasional) sellers have their customer payments Held against their good customer service for up to 21 days.  So your scammer may have gone to all that trouble with buying fake shipping labels, and still never see a penny of his ill-gotten loot.

[mpit7628]

You obviously couldn't be bothered to read my message through and thanks for the whining comment.  I don't care to pay for the inflated prices that "scalpers" charge and I  didn't need you to tell me about supply and demand.  When people buy up all available stock before the rest of us even get a chance and then resell for overinflated prices that is called scalping and of course it is doing business but it is not good business.  Ever try to get a concert ticket and can't because minutes after the tickets go on sale they are sold out.  Doesn't make it right though.  If I had a problem with the price of the Titanic Lego, and I do to a point, I wouldn't have already purchased another set.  My message was about a seller ripping off people and not so much the price of Lego!!!  You don't need to be a troll and insult people.

[mpit7628]

Hi Femmefan1946.  Thank you for your input.  The Lego was purchased, the last one of 24 sets this seller supposively sold.  I messaged them the next day about the shipping already showing.  They answered right away.  Since the 27th they have not responded.  I called eBay around the 10th of November.  They were the ones that started a item not received case, I didn't open the case.   I thought it a bit odd since I had just purchased the item but that's where I am now with this case.   eBay gave me until the 17th and then they would step in.   At purchase the seller had 97 % positive feedback but I did not check the profile page.  I guess I thought if this seller had already sold 23 sets I was safe.  After wards when I realized there might be an issue with the sale I did check the profile page and that's when I noticed the pictures and that all their customer feedback showed to be private.  I had never seen that before.  Since the private feedback has disappeared but the pictures are still there.