posted on September 20, 2002 04:59:24 AM new
I bought an electronic item on eBay in June and I've still not got a working product. What is my best recourse on this?
I paid in June via PayPal (for faster shipping). Seller asked me to wait 10 days for shipping because work required out of town trip. I said OK. Shipped around July 1st, lost in shipping. Lots of e-mails flying around including me asking for a refund and asking seller to file ins. Suddenly, end of July, item is found. Seller checks to see if it's operational causing more delay. Sends Express Mail, does not insure for more than min. $100 on Express Mail (half value of item). Item arrives with two componnents missing including the power cord without which I can't even find out if it works. Sends another package with these missing pieces. It's lost in mail, seller loses mail receipt (don't know whether it was insured). Seller orders new power cord from mfg. I finally get that. Now it's end of August. Still don't have software CD but maybe can download. Can't get unit to work (sparing the details on that). Contact mfg. tech support, a pay call at my expense). They say I have to send it in and pay as much as I pd. for the item to get it fixed. Paypal says, if I received the item, the seller protection does not protect me. I can dispute on Discover or go through eBay. Seller first offers to pay me 1/4 of money 10-1-02, with no specifics as to when rest will be paid. Then comes back and says it was working before sent, and I should file insurance. If I do that, I'll have to get seller's receipt before I can file (will this get lost in mail?) and only half what I paid. Plus you have to turn item in to PO.
So what would you do? I've told seller I will send all components back when and if I get my money back. I'm asking for bid price less shipping. Am I being unreasonable?
posted on September 20, 2002 09:58:54 AM new I will send all components back when and if I get my money back
No, it does not work that way. You need to ship it back via DC and signature.
You can not expect a refund otherwise. If they do not come thru for you, Then and only then talk to your bank about getting a credit back on your CC.
posted on September 20, 2002 01:15:25 PM new
I had a similar problem and Paypal would not cover it. This was in excess of $3000. Are you a seller on eBay? If so, you have to weigh the options. If you file a chargeback with your CC, Paypal will eventually restrict your account and you will not be able to withdraw any money until you pay them back. I receive close to 75 paypal payments a week so I had no choice but to give in.
posted on September 20, 2002 06:58:25 PM new
why does anyone buy electronics on ebay ,i will never understand??
he could be using drop shipping,gave you all kind of excuses like trip out of town,parts missing,receipt missing,did you notice if he shipped the item from where?his home??or a third party address.
there are just too many excuses .
chalk it up to experience and buy from good retail stores in your own community.
this is a he said,she said situation,the seller can say it was working before ,so??
posted on September 20, 2002 11:04:22 PM new
>>why does anyone buy electronics on ebay ,i will never understand??
he could be using drop shipping,gave you all kind of excuses like trip out of town,parts missing,receipt missing,did you notice if he shipped the item from where?his home??or a third party address.
there are just too many excuses .
chalk it up to experience and buy from good retail stores in your own community.
this is a he said,she said situation,the seller can say it was working before ,so??<<
Hang on.........
I sell Electronics on eBay -- I could go into my methods, sources, etc....but I'll just say this:
#1. My business is very profitable and ALL of my customers are happy.
#2. You'd be surpised how many mail order, online retailers use drop shippers -- so that's not the issue. The issue is, does this half-ass seller use a professiona Fullfillment company that could handle shipments for an Amazon or a Crutchfield -- or is it some guy out of his garage, working with another 1/2 assed drop shipper?
I say this because a lot of companies that call themselves drop shippers don't have a clue as to what it is they are doing -- the professional and dependable ones who are better at providing customer fulfillment then the seller could ever be (Because that's their specialty) don't call themselves drop shippers. A subtle hint for those looking to sell electronics.
#3. The electronic sellers on eBay who know what they're doing (points at self) get their products from THE SAME sources that your local retailer does and I'm not talking about Joes house of Stereos either, I mean retailers like Fry's -- I may be small a small operation, microscopic compared to a Circuit City or a Fry's -- but I've had products available for delivery to the customer when Circuit City was advertising the product and saying it wasn't available yet at the same time.
#4. In the end, it has everything to do with the supply chain the seller has developed (This goes for offline retailers too) and the customer service they provide. I have a stable supply chain and provide good service, the yahoo the original poster had to deal with doesn't. This guy basically *dreams* of selling product XYZ and if he manages to sell it, runs around trying to source it, instead of sourcing it and then selling it.
I say tell the seller you're filing a fraud complaint with eBay & Pay Pal, write it up and e-mail it to em' & demand your money back by X Date. If he doesn't pay, file the thing, neg his ass and file a dispute with discover card. In fact do the first two anyway.
The way I look at it, if you're going to sell Electronics on eBay without a stable supply chain, you should have the decency to go out and buy the damn thing retail, eat the loss and make good on the transaction. I've never had to do that, but if things went bad on my end with respect to fullfillment, I'd rather run to Circuit City, buy the product and ship it and eat the loss then have an unhappy customer who is just going to cost me more in the long run.
Like I said, this is a profitable business, you treat your customers right, they'll respond in turn. I already have repeat customers, some of which paid prices that were higher with me, just because they know I'm honest....honesty, what a concept.
posted on September 21, 2002 12:01:41 AM new
Pretegra345... KEEP RANTING!! Your post is what makes these boards worthwhile. Too often one bad seller can slam a whole group of good sellers. I've seen that phenemona up close on more occasions than I'd like. And it's cost me a lot of bids over the years. I suppose every seller that posts to this board has suffered from the fallout of a crook or idiot wannaabee big time seller that has put the screws to a buyer. I also have had to eat a loss to be square with a customer on a few occasions. The monetary loss has been minimal compared to the goodwill and repeat customer benefits I've received. An added plus is I can sleep well at night
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on September 21, 2002 06:13:46 AM new
With every good seller there are probably 10 bad sellers. I think you take a chance when buying electrical equipment on eBay. Sure they can say they work, infact thay can say anything they want. pretegra345, how can you tell a good seller from a bad one. Not by the feedbacks, because people don't leave them in case a retalatory one is given in return. I never look at electronics i.e. computers etc. because they are so cheap now, you can get a new one with warranty, Windows XP for $450. It's good to hear you are honest but selling electronics on eBay is like selling a used car, how long will they work.
posted on September 22, 2002 12:05:19 AM new
With every good seller there are probably 10 bad sellers. I think you take a chance when buying electrical equipment on eBay. Sure they can say they work, infact thay can say anything they want.
>>pretegra345, how can you tell a good seller from a bad one. Not by the feedbacks, because people don't leave them in case a retalatory one is given in return. <<
If Feedback is irrelevant, then why buy on ebay at all?
Since we're talking Electronics, here are some things to look for:
#1. Do a search for auctions by that seller, include ALL their completed items when you do the search. Does the seller appear to be selling the same items week in and week out? If they do, then it's an indication that they have a steady and reliable supply chain and are sourcing their items from the same places (or similar) that your local retailer does.
If you ran such a search on me, you'd see the same "usual suspects" week in and week out, over time you'd see new items many of which become one of the "usual suspects as well".
#2. Look at Feedback, are people commenting on things like shippping speed, defective items being replaced quickly, etc? Ignore the generic Feedback, look for the things I mentioned.
>>I never look at electronics i.e. computers etc. because they are so cheap now, you can get a new one with warranty, Windows XP for $450. It's good to hear you are honest but selling electronics on eBay is like selling a used car, how long will they work.<<
I don't think you're listening to me: Good Sellers get their products from the same places local retail does, it's just like buying something mail order. It's not even remotely compared to buying a used car, which is advertised as being used in the first place.
There are far to many sellers on Ebay selling Brand New Products, which come with the original warranties and manuals, who can be fairly easily checked up on to blanketly brand the everyone selling electronics on ebay as a charlatan.
That being said, I think this is really another example of how the people who frequent this board are out of touch with the Majority of the Buyers on eBay. Because selling electronics on eBay is pretty easy.....the only hard part is tracking down suppliers, after that it's pretty easy.
The other example is the whole Power Seller thing, people on this board disparage it, say they won't buy from Power Seller - while the majority of shoppers or just the average joe on eBay feels different.
posted on September 22, 2002 05:30:17 AM new
Thanks for all the info. It looks like I'll be penalized for trying to work this out and give this person a chance. Since it closed June 21 and I received the item (tho not working and in two shipments), PayPal seller protection is no good. Charging back on CC would penalize me on PayPal.
No answer to my last e-mail to seller on collecting ins. on US Mail. Seller has receipt and would have to fill out form, plus a bad track record with things getting lost in mail.
I haven't left final feedback. First feedback stated more than 2 months and all components not received. Nothing nasty, just the truth. Seller response: "sent new component at seller expense." (I still don't have a third minor component). I guess I'll just leave a response to that feedback and say that we have never worked it out.
I felt like I had to leave that first feedback at that point because the seller had a lot of stuff on for sale and practically no feedback for selling. Lots for buying. I felt that others needed to know how. Live and learn, I guess.
