posted on January 13, 2004 07:08:40 PM new
So here's the story,
I won an auction for a pocketwatch and upon receiving it I noticed there are defects that should have been in his item description. In otherwords his description was misleading. He said that it was in fine working condition.
These are major defects that allthough can be fixed, I feel that I was duped.
I want to keep the watch but now I will have added expenses to fix it and I intend to get it fixed.
He allready left me a positive FB so there is no way he can give me a retalitory neg.
posted on January 13, 2004 07:16:50 PM new
Forget the feedback problem till you have tried working out your differences with the seller.
There's plenty of time to give feedback, but don't wait too long to contact the seller. If he made an honest mistake in his description, he will probably try to make the deal right for you. If you wait too long to complain, he might think you are trying to pull a fast one.
posted on January 13, 2004 07:21:11 PM new
It didn't have scratches, the defects consisted of, as follows; 1. The crystal will not stay in 2. The dial spins on the center post 3. The minute hand drags the hour hand as it goes past, thus making the time way off.
I didn't tell him about the defects because as I said I want to keep it even though I will have to now get it fixed.
posted on January 13, 2004 07:23:11 PM new
"I didn't tell him about the defects because as I said I want to keep it even though I will have to now get it fixed."
Then I guess you need to live with it. I personally don't believe you should leave neg feedback without giving the guy a chance to make it right.....
posted on January 13, 2004 07:39:22 PM new
I did leave something out of my original story. I won the auction on Christmas day at 10 AM. Why this guy would have his auction end on Xmas day at 10 AM I do not know, it was not, IMO, in his own best interest for him to get the best price to have it end at that time and day.
The price that I won it for was less than $20, which is way far less than what it is really worth.
Now herein lies my dilemma, and it's all a matter of principal. I intend on keeping it rather than asking for a refund because heck it's only $20. But on the other hand, he had to have known about the defects, they were too obvious. So, because there are people on Ebay that give false descriptions, some deserve to be negged but in this case I only paid $20 for it and it's worth far more but as I said it's all a matter of principal and the amount that I paid is really meaningless, or is it??
posted on January 13, 2004 07:50:09 PM new
Hmmmm..... I don't know where I got scratches from. ??
Price has nothing to do with it if the description doesn't match the product received.
Before leaving a negative or neutral it's best to contact the seller and let them know about your concerns, even if you wish to keep it. If you don't want to complain, at times it's best to just leave no feedback and move on. Been there, done that.
NOTHING pizzes a seller off more than when a bidder leaves bad feedback without contacting them first. Most are pretty good about trying to make up for oversights.
Then again, it pizzes off a bidder when he doesn't get what was described.
posted on January 13, 2004 08:09:51 PM new
kiara
Yes you are probably right and I should just not leave any FB at all, but then what about the next high bidder that buys something from this guy and he again writes a misleading description.
We at Ebay are supposed to be a community that polices itself. So from a purely matter of principal standpoint shouldn't I make it known to others that this guy writes misleading decriptions??
posted on January 13, 2004 08:13:01 PM new
Hey Yellowstone, You say you got a great deal on the 20 dollar pocket watch and you like it. You also said the sellers has already giving you a positive feedback and sold the watch on Christmas. That tells me the seller is most likely a rookie. You like the watch and bought it cheap so don't slam the seller. I would not leave any feedback but I would email the seller and say they should make a better description next time or they stand a change of getting a NEG. The only time I would give that seller a NEG is if they already have a bunch of them. That would show me the sellers is either unqualified or trying to get away with something.
posted on January 13, 2004 08:17:35 PM new
It doesn't sound like you're going to be happy till someone says NEG THE HELL OUT OF HIM.
So go ahead, don't be rational. Don't contact him.
posted on January 13, 2004 08:22:38 PM new
Buyer beware,,,,and deal with them personally....Email Before buying and get ALL the facts,,,,,,,If you were burned for 1000's of Dollars THEN,,,I say let the WORLD know,,,,,otherwise, work it out with the seller,,,then,,,,,if NO resolve,,,,,,,then,,,,,tell the whole world...
Running to this silly feed back right off the bat accomplishes nothing.
MY Powersellers logo.
Annnnnnd,,,,,,The beat goes on...yeah the beat goes on,,,,,
posted on January 13, 2004 08:26:13 PM new
no Max I am not looking for that, What I am looking for is what is the moral thing to do here. look at it this way, suppose you are about to bid on something that he is selling and decide to take alook at his FB. Would you not like to know that he sometimes writes misleading descriptions??
Maybe a neutral might be what is needed here, I don't know. I don't want to go and diliberately destroy his FB rating, if I can help it.
.....and yes I will email him and let him know of his transgression.
posted on January 13, 2004 08:34:03 PM new
Misleading descriptions? At one time or another EVERYONE has written a misleading description. It may have sounded ok to the writer, but a buyer can read it another way.
I'm not sticking up for the seller, as I don't know him, I don't know what the descripion was, I don't even care.
WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING IS TRY TO WORK IT OUT WITH THE SELLER BEFORE YOU BLAST HIM WITH WHAT COULD BE AN UNDESERVED NEG.
posted on January 13, 2004 08:40:46 PM new
yellowstone
Dont be shy and go ahead and ask the seller about the watch. I have to ask if this seller sells a lot of watches or was this like a one time deal?
I have to wonder if this seller was a rookie when it comes to watches. Lets face it, a lot of people have no clue as to what makes a watch work as they just stare at it and go "huh".
This person may have no clue if the watch was in good condition or not. I agree that a better descripion would help so let them know that.
The ending price has nothing to do with the shape of the watch so do let us know what they say.
If worst comes to worst and you do get it fixed it still will not be a total loss as you do say its worth a lot more.
posted on January 13, 2004 11:19:25 PM new
Why deal with feedback now, why not contact the seller to try to work this out BEFORE leaving feedback. You are the reason I leave feedback AFTER I receive it - Concerned more about feedback than solving the problem!
Now, if the seller says tough luck, then that is a neg. If they try to work it out and it is not to your satisfaction, that might be a neutral. If they offer a full refund, that is a positive in my book.
posted on January 14, 2004 12:56:05 PM new
The buyer should not have listed an item without describing the defects. What confuses me is that he already left you feedback. On the items I have received not as described, I never got feedback first. Maybe he sold it for someone else or was a rookie.
Even if you want to keep the watch you should email the seller about your disappointment before leaving feedback.
posted on January 14, 2004 01:43:01 PM new
I happen to have sold a nice watch at the low listing price, recently. The buyer contacted me about the stem pulling out in his hand, but no biggie, it was such a deal he wanted keep it anyway. My response was that he could have a complete refund if it was unrepairable. And not stated, but understood was, I would pay towards repairs up to the full refund amount.
He fixed it himself, but was VERY happy with my (unusually) prompt communication.
Contact the seller with a, "well, gosh darn." email. It can't hurt. Well, if lightning hits your computer connection at just the right moment.....
posted on January 14, 2004 01:54:14 PM new
I had a situation where I genuinely made a mistake on the name of an old camera. The buyer wrote and told me when it arrives, and said it was not the kind he collected, so we came to an agreement where I returned half his payment and postage cost, and we both left positive feedback. If a seller has made a mistake, I don't think there is anything wrong with asking for a partial refund, in this case to do the repairs.
posted on January 14, 2004 02:38:31 PM new
Could it be that his description was accurate when he wrote it originally? This may be a relist that has banged around in a desk drawer for some time and was discovered and relisted hastily which could be the reason for the Christmas Day closing. It could have been dropped when packing and the damage was overlooked or it could have been damaged in transit. I've got a lot of theories, and I'll wager that everyone else reading this thread has also. But the only person who can solve the mystery is the seller. Ask him what happened.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on January 14, 2004 03:17:23 PM new
Most of the time, when a buyer wants to keep the item regardless of slight problem(s), it tells sellers that you are satisfied.
For that reason, I believe that leaving anything but a positive would make you look ridiculous, especially if the seller replies that you wanted to keep it.
That would red flag other sellers.
Either send it back for a full refund, or keep it and leave a positive or nothing in the feedback field.
posted on January 14, 2004 03:36:59 PM new
yellowstone, just email the seller. Perhaps it got damaged in shipping??? I think they probably dont know if it was working or not but failed to say that in auction.
They might be willing to pay for the repair or refund shipping, you dont know. Like others said, I think its wise to see what or who the seller really is before you worry about fb.
posted on January 14, 2004 03:46:16 PM new
Yellowstone,
What's the proper moral thing to do before leaving feedback? It's a no-brainer. Contact the seller, give him or her a chance to make thinks right.
