I believe I am currently being scammed.
My unit was originally listed as “SAE C102 Computer Direct-Line Professional Cassette Deck – New Belts and Idler” and ended on 2/25. The buyer contacts me well after my 14 return period on March 19, 2016 at 14:27 PDT to state that the cassette deck has issues and wants a refund. As this unit was fully tested and serviced twice prior to selling, I know the unit was perfect when I sold it as it was just serviced (twice). I am shocked and distraught – it is a $250 unit and I am not making ANY money on this. I always give the buyer the benefit of the doubt so on March 20, just minutes after seeing the return request, I did not delay and I send off a prepaid return label that Ebay strong arms me into paying for. Ebay keeps pushing that I can “give” the entire unit to the buyer for free to avoid this shipping fee penalty.
My item: http://www.ebay.com/itm/-SAE-C102-Computer-Direct-Line-Professional-Cassette-Deck-/272141460424
Confused, I follow advice on this board about some of the scams buyers have. This buyer has listed a similar unit described as “Sound is smashing good operation is quiet” and which is also titled “SAE C102 Computer Direct-Line Cassette Deck – New Belts and Idler wheel” (he removed “Professional” and added “wheel” to his title) at 14:34:21 PDT – SEVEN MINUTES AFTER HE REQUESTED TO RETURN MY DECK. Something is not right.
Maybe he has many of these and this is another unit. I look at all of the pictures – IT IS MY UNIT AND SEVEN MINUTES AFTER TELLING EBAY THAT IT IS A BAD UNIT, HE IS LISTING IT AS PERFECT FOR $450. $200 dollars above what I sold it for.
He figuratively punched me in the face for trusting him and accepting a return.
If his unit sells at the over the top rate (now reduced to $375), either he will have leveraged me to make his profit or he will send me back a different, defective unit.
If his unit does not sell, he will have forced me to make an expensive (for me) loan of an expensive unit that he could not sell. I will have been slammed with shipping penalties and loss of a real sale so that he could attempt his sale. It will probably be returned in a non-working condition because that was the basis of his return. I should assume he would allow me to do the same to him (I am not holding my breath). I wonder how he would react if I did that to him in his audio business?
These are just some of the amazing exact same marks on this buyer’s unit that he is selling as is on the “defective” unit he has requested a return on. Ihave more pictures of the front and the right side - Ebay limits this post to four pictures however . . .
Top of unit:
Rubber foot mark from other audio equipment on left side of top is the same as on my unit
Rear:
Dent in the center of the top (rear) is the exact same as my unit
Unique Los Angeles electrical safety seal is the same as my unit
Damage to the Los Angeles electrical safety seal (scuff on left and right of seal) is exactly the same as my unit
Left Side of unit:
White mark on the top of the wood side panel is to the rear left of the screw, exactly as in my unit
Minor scratch on left side wood is exactly the same as my unit
Right Side of unit:
Marker line on the right side upper front screw hole is the same as on my unit
Decal residue on the rear of the right side is exactly the same as on my unit
Front of Unit:
White marks just above the “Ready” lettering is exactly the same marks as on my unit
EBay acknowledged (on a phone call) that they see that it is the same unit, but will not do anything. They want me to allow him to return the unit. They said I can call back after delivery if I have issues with the returned unit. Based on what I have read here in the forums, they usually side with the buyer. Translation – they will not do anything at this point even though they see what he is doing. His potential sale is a windfall for them.
What are your thoughts?
