posted on March 7, 2004 10:30:55 AM new
I bought three iron on transfers from a seller. She doesn't accept Paypal, so I send a personal check. Weeks go by, nothing. I email her asking what's up. A week goes by, so I send her an email stating I will file Internet Fraud charges with the FBI if she doesn't send a refund immediately. I have done this once before, and it forced the seller to finally send me a partial refund (they had only sent one of two items purchased). Just as I click the SEND button to send the email, I see that I just received an incoming email from... the seller. She states she is no longer making the items and will be sending a refund. I am pretty ticked by this only because she should have never sold something and cashed a check for it if she wasn't going to send it to begin with. She's been given the boot from ebay, so my only recourse is to file charges with the FBI and put a stop payment on the check which of course costs me money.
I have bought maybe 10 items over the last year or so on ebay, and truly 3 of the 10 were good transactions. The remaining I had to fight tooth and nail to get the item, or it arrives in poor condition, or is packaged improperly and is damaged in shipment. Anyone else have such a high rate of problems buying??? This makes it tough as a seller for bidders to have faith in the system. Sure, my feedback speaks for itself, and I am always willing to help someone if there is a problem, but other sellers are really making this difficult.
posted on March 7, 2004 10:44:40 AM new
Well, from my own experience, there have been some sellers I purchased from that don't deserve to be sellers. But I think you need to check feedback and hope that its saying the truth also. But in the last few weeks I did a lot of buying and I happened to get good sellers, but my only grip is that I wish they would leave the picture up on there auction till at least they ship out my item, because not many put the item number of the item you bought from them and like with me buying many of the same type of items its hard for me to figure who I received from and who I'm still waiting for shipment.
And using paypal to make payment I don't keep a paper record of any items I buy, so other then that tiny problem I have also found that most of the sellers are very very slow to ship, like you pay with paypal as soon as the auction ends, but its weeks before your item arrives.
But I consider myself lucky that they do arrive and they are packed well, most of the times anyway, but I do agree with you in that I always bid but wonder will it go good? and will it be a smooth transaction?.....I've been a seller for 6yrs and doing buying I do find scary at times.......lmao.......but I still buy and always hope for the best.
posted on March 7, 2004 10:48:27 AM new put a stop payment on the check which of course costs me money.
If they cashed the check how can you put a stop payment on it? Its too late for that.
she should have never sold something and cashed a check for it
Count your lucky stars if you get your refund. I agree its the pits when you have to deal with poor sellers but what can you do?
so my only recourse is to file charges with the FBI
For what? If you get your money back where is the fraud?
Sit back and see if your bucks show up and take it from there. It is a shame that for the good sellers that they get smeared by the actions of some lousy ones.
posted on March 7, 2004 11:02:37 AM new
This has happened to me twice in the past two months. I bought something, paid with Pay Pal, never received it. In both cases the sellers didn't have the item. They waited for me to contact them to find out what is going on.
I think it is risky to sell items you do not have in stock. You never know when the company you buy from will run out ect....
posted on March 7, 2004 11:17:35 AM new
Now I get the response, "I do realize that it seems like fraud, but i swear i didn't mean to leave you hanging, i know your rights and i would be extremely angry and i probably would have already filed charges, but i wasn't planning on getting ill and getting cervical cancer, i didn't plan on not being around a computer these past weeks, so actually i have been really side tract and didn't mean for all this to happen, ill overnight your payment tomorrow."
I didn't mention that this was one of her first transactions, and she now has a -3 rating, all for not sending the items. I am pretty sympathetic to others when it comes to personal problems, but I can't help but wonder if they are just making it up to gain sympathy. I had to email her to find out why it was taking so long, and it didn't seem like she was going to ever respond until I started making waves about filing charges. I feel like that Seinfeld episode where the Airlines want to see the Death Certificate so George can get a discounted rate on his flight.
posted on March 7, 2004 11:24:39 AM new
thats ebay for you-there are so many different kind of sellers on ebay.
i feel sorry for this woman who has cervical cancer,no one will lie about that.
it sounds like you tend to pick the bad sellers-take a look at their feedback and the list of items they have for sale.
good sellers besides good feedback also have good merchandise,good pictures and good description.study how others bid,if starting bid is one dollar or one penny,how far does it go??
clues are there if you want to find a good seller.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
posted on March 7, 2004 11:26:00 AM new
You can put a stop payment on a check. I have worked in Banking before. All you have to do is go to your bank and ask them to reverse the check. It will go back to their bank and they will take the funds from the other account. I have seen it happen many times, especially when there is a dispute. You can usually do that within 30 days.
As for filing charges, you can go to the FBI's website for the link to file Internet charges. If she sends a refund, then no, there wouldn't be charges filed. The one seller who thought he was going to scam his buyers by using tracking numbers that were created but never shipped through UPS finally sent me my refund after I filed a complaint with the FBI. Others did the same thing. Ebay didn't ban him until after the FBI charges were filed. Paypal wouldn't award me the chargeback because the guy provided them with those tracking numbers even though UPS had no record of every receiving those items into their system.
posted on March 7, 2004 11:37:40 AM new
The guy who I purchased the labels from had over 150 positives with 100% rating. Then everything fell apart. He wasn't shipping any items to his buyers, giving each of us different excuses from being sick, to the item was damaged by water, to his wife being in the hospital. This seller suddenly a run of about 15 negatives during a two week period after I purchased the items from him. Before that it was stellar.
As for this current seller, she had no feedback. Yes, I probably shouldn't have trusted a newbie, but I'm very happy that others trusted me enough to purchase items from me. I've used the same account for almost 5 years now. I've made a living selling on ebay. You have to start somewhere. I always review feedback when I bid. I won't hesitate to ask someone about a transaction either. I've even emailed the person who left a negative for a seller to see how things were handled and what went wrong. So, yes, I am quite careful.
I would probably say that it isn't the sellers feedback, but rather their health I should be worried about. Maybe before I bid I should ask a seller when was their last physical and how did the doctor rate their health. All kidding aside, I seem to get the ones who have health problems suddenly, were in a car accident, or a death in the family. What are the odds of every seller who doesn't send my item using a major tragedy as an excuse?
posted on March 7, 2004 12:25:05 PM new
u said,
Paypal wouldn't award me the chargeback because the guy provided them with those tracking numbers even though UPS had no record of every receiving those items into their system.
////////////////////
How can paypal refuse chargeback if the dc is never entered into the system and therefore not trackable??
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
posted on March 7, 2004 12:26:34 PM new
as long as you think every seller who has zero or low feedback deserve your business,then yes,you should ask for their medical record.
someday you will have a roomful of stuff bot from aids patients and sellers who escaped the bubonic plague.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
posted on March 7, 2004 01:17:06 PM new
Speaking from the medical aspect there is a good chance that she had just found out she has cervical cancer. Since we can't face our sellers or buyers we have to read between the lines. I am sure if she has just found this out there are numerous tests that are rather important and take first hand. Biopsy's, blood test and numerous x-ray tests she has to have before anything can be done and that takes days to do and very tiring. I guess I give everyone the benefit of doubt. Now I had numerous auctions end last week and if any of them pay me today I cannot mail their packages until Tuesday or Wednesday as I am having surgery tomorrow and I am sure I won't be up to mailing packages. Can they trust me, I sure hope so. But-If my buyers had paid with paypal instantly their packages would be on the way.
posted on March 7, 2004 01:42:02 PM newA week goes by, so I send her an email stating I will file Internet Fraud charges with the FBI if she doesn't send a refund immediately.
I can only speculate what gumby does if his girlfriend doesn't put out. Sue for breach of contract?
posted on March 7, 2004 02:07:47 PM new
If ebay ever dies it will be largely from bad sellers running off the buyers. The percentage of bad or unsatisfactory transactions grows and grows every year.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on March 7, 2004 02:11:49 PM new
fluffy, you obviously have nothing better to do than stalk people. why don't you give it up and move on like the rest. that is what a mature person does. are you jealous b/c I called your bluff regarding my ebay screenname not matching my vendio name? if so, get over it. you looked like a moron then, and the sooner you let it go, the sooner everyone will forget. it's ok to be wrong sometimes, i'm sure for you its hard to admit it though.
fyi, i sent that email after I waited a week, then went to review her history to find that she was booted off of ebay and had 3 negatives for non-shipment and no communication. i would make a logical guess that the other 8 buyers she had would have left a negative too if she was still a registered user.
posted on March 7, 2004 02:48:11 PM new
Gumby, m'dear, if you stick out a big red button that says PUSH ME, don't be astounded when someone does.
This is not stalking, this is being open-jawed in amazement because anyone would threaten an obviously inexperienced and problem-ridden amateur seller with the big guns of the FBI. It's called "overcompensation".
If you want a clean, professional sale, for Pete's sake go frequent a retail outlet. Buying stuff in a venue where anyone can sell, then complaining about the quality of the sellers, just makes you look whiny and, well, not too tightly wrapped.
posted on March 7, 2004 02:51:55 PM new
fluffy- i guess you're right, just like selling crappy/broken jewelery for a penny and whining about it when they pay you via Paypal.
[ edited by rustygumbo on Mar 7, 2004 02:57 PM ]
posted on March 7, 2004 03:28:27 PM new
Whatever you say, dear.
I think I figured something out, though, while eBay was down a few minutes ago. You are oddly intense and fierce about the littlest things. You want to control other people (ref. "about eBay" thread). You respond in an immature fashion when questioned.
You're like in your mid-twenties, right? Late twenties at best, my guess. I remember it well. A time when things matter so damn much...and looking back, it's hard to remember why.
You'd be a phenomenal eBay seller if you could focus all that energy and wrath. You could be right up there with jayandmarie in volume and profits.
Sorry about my earlier comments. Thought I was dealing with a contemporary.
[ edited by fluffythewondercat on Mar 7, 2004 03:30 PM ]
posted on March 7, 2004 03:41:50 PM new
The seller said she would refund my money and mail it to me via Personal Check. I requested it be a money order so that if by any off chance it arrives I have some piece of mind when cashing it. Now if I could just make her my girlfriend...
On a side note: I think I'm being stalked! All signs point to fluffy. Wow, I am actually pretty flattered by all of the stalking. I never thought I would have such an avid fan stalk me so much. I bet you sit there all day stalking your favorite members, just waiting for that perfect opportunity to give your two cents worth. lol.
posted on March 7, 2004 06:24:47 PM new
Rusty, I know that sellers don't like to accept personal checks but if this person cannot get out she can write you a check and give it to her postman.
I had a situation where I was selling some jewelry and a women who just had a baby won the bid. She said that it would be a couple of days before she could get there as it would be difficult. I wrote her back and told her I accepted personal checks and to give it to her post man as I am sure it would be easier for her. She did that and guess what-----her check was good....We as sellers have to have creative ability and with fingers crossed due something out of the norm....
posted on March 7, 2004 07:15:29 PM new
Nobody would lie about cervical cancer? Welcome to reality, stopwhining, women will lie about ANYTHING. They're just like men, only different.
posted on March 8, 2004 08:04:31 AM new
parklane- absolutely right! people will lie about anything. yes, some people have morals, but a large group doesn't.
if we can lie about being sick to our employee, then we can lie about anything. funny thing about that is that i used to feel guilty for actually being sick. when I was just sick of work and didn't want to go I could have cared less. lol. now that i'm my own boss, there are no such thing as sick days.
i've heard every excuse under the sun from bidders. some were true, and i guarantee some were false. i know someone who had accepted a job two weeks ago, and then decided not to take it... the real reason was she found out she was pregnant. the excuse she wanted to give was she had cancer. my girlfriend convinced her it was bad karma to tell them that. she ended up taking the job anyways.
posted on March 8, 2004 08:37:39 AM new
parklane,
i DO not wish anyone getting cervical cancer,if a bidder or seller wants to wriggle out of a deal,there are plenty of excuses.if it must be personal health,pick something else like TUMOR or CYSTS or PNEUMONIA.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
